Tips for Finding the Best Restaurants (Wherever You Are!)
- Piece of Cake Staff
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
Written by Sara Spangler
One of my favorite things about traveling is finding fun, unique, well-rated restaurants to eat at, and I’ve been told I’ve got something of a gift for it. Every place I’ve been, I’m always the designated restaurant selector, and I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve to make sure I’m always picking the best spot.
From B&B brunch to hole-in-the-wall dumpling restaurants, there are ways to discover such awesome local spots using your finest research methods. Don’t know where to start? Follow these simple steps, and you’ll find yourself in the most magical restaurants you might’ve never even dreamed of.
First things first, decide what kind of food you want to try.
To start filtering in any given location, first decide what cuisine you are looking to eat. Try looking up what the place you are in is known for, and maybe look into some local cuisine spots. Or decide on any cuisine you’d like to eat and go from there.
Look up “___ Restaurants near me” on Google, and filter the distance to 5 miles (or more if you’re willing to travel!)
The first thing that will come up is Google recommendations, which can be helpful, but what I like to do is find articles from food blogs that will give you multiple recommendations in the area. Articles like “10 Best Seafood Places in Cape Cod” or “The Best Italian Food in Florence” are good places to start.
Eater and TimeOut are two of my personal favorites. I try to stay away from websites like TripAdvisor or Yelp, but those can be helpful if you know what you’re looking for. I usually like to look at around 4-5 different articles and then select restaurants that look interesting to me, following the links to their websites (or looking them up if they aren’t linked!).
Next, filter out price options and decide how much you’re willing to spend. Usually on these websites, the writer will tell you how much the restaurant costs using a range of one dollar sign ($) to three ($$$). Typically, this is what you’re looking at:
$ indicates budget-friendly dining ($10-$30).
$$ represents mid-range restaurants ($30-$60).
$$$ suggests upscale dining experiences ($60-$100+).
Once you’ve decided how much you’re willing to spend, open the websites for the restaurants you’ve found in the articles that fit your price range. Here is where the magic happens! I like to take a look at the restaurant’s homepage, About Us section, and their menu. Often, restaurants will let you download a PDF of their menu, where you can see what they offer and what the prices are. (This is my favorite part!)
Next, select two or three restaurants that you are interested in after looking at the menus. Then, look on Google or Yelp for reviews of the restaurant. This way, you can see what people’s personal experiences have been, which can be a huge help in deciding where to eat.
I also like to look at images on Google of restaurants to see what the ambiance is like, as this is something to factor into decision-making.
Finally, decide where to go and get directions! You’ve chosen a restaurant! Exciting stuff. Go enjoy that meal. (And hey, sometimes it doesn’t hurt to just wander around and walk into any random restaurant you see—maybe you’ll surprise yourself!)
One of the best restaurants I’ve found this way was when I was visiting Syracuse, NY, with my family, when my older sibling was applying to college. A friend had recommended a brunch spot for us to go to, but when we got there, they told us there was a 6-hour wait. Six. Hours. Immediately, my mom turned to me and asked me to find somewhere else for us to eat. I had a mission!
After doing some digging, I stumbled upon this little hidden gem of a diner called Mother’s Cupboard, featuring delicious, buttery omelets and known for their “Whole Fritata” that they describe on their website as “a massive, mouth-watering dish that’s so big it’s been featured on the Food Network’s Adam Richman’s Challenges.” They offer whole, half, and quarter frittatas, and let me tell you, they are delightful. It’s a small, cash-only spot open 6 am-1:30 pm every day of the week, and I am so glad I got to experience it. Trust me, this method will not fail you. Enjoy the search!
Thumbnail Credit:
Comments