Maybe reading food reviews written by random people isn’t going to convince you to try out that new dish at your local eatery. But what about a well-written, well-researched and well-informed piece by a prominent food expert?
Both options are now available with Chewsy, the app that lets people review, rate and photograph individual dishes at restaurants across the country.
The app was originally developed for users to share their thoughts on specific food items and now, reviews written in national publications, local newspapers, food blogs and TV shows are embedded within the updated app.
The Seattle-based startup wrote up a blog post on the new updates and here’s the thought behind including critic reviews:
The problem with researching is that it may take too much time or it’s too much of a hassle, so we reserve it for bigger decisions. Now, what if an everyday choice like figuring out what to eat was made easier by quickly surfacing multiple reviews from different types of sources? Imagine seeing what food major critics recommend, right next to what your friends like or dislike. Chewsy is the first food app to do just that.
This model reminds me of the movie-review site Rotten Tomatoes, which juxtaposes both reviews from “Approved Tomatometer Critics,” as well as user ratings.
Chewsy debuted more than a year-and-a-half ago after the founders had trouble finding the best chicken wings in Seattle. We spoke with Chewsy CEO Chaitanya Sareen, a Microsoft program manager, a few months ago on the GeekWire podcast.
