Chicago Reader Restaurant Ratings Explained



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Restaurants are rated by the Reader Restaurant Raters, a group of more than 2,000 Reader readers who feed us information and comments on their dining experiences. (For more information, see the FAQ and the sample questionnaire.) Restaurants are Not Rated until we have received a minimum of five reports. Many unrated restaurants are nevertheless reviewed or described on the restaurant detail pages.

Raters' comments on rated and unrated restaurants become available for reading when we have three or more. We display the most recent comments up to a maximum of 20.

Reviews on the detail pages are written by Reader staff and occasionally by individual Raters. Be aware that Raters often write about their favorites, so their reviews may tend toward the enthusiastic. Though the reviewers try to reflect or acknowledge the input of the Restaurant Raters as a group, reviews should be considered one person's opinion; the Raters' opinions are best expressed in their comments and in the ratings numbers, as follows:

Food is graded on a scale of 1-10, with 10 representing best. Raters are asked to rate food on several five-point scales: flavor/aroma, freshness and quality of ingredients, innovation of preparation, and tactile qualities (temperature, consistency, texture, etc). Their scores on these criteria are weighted (so that flavor/aroma counts for more than innovation, for example) and combined into a single rating.

Service and ambience: For consistency's sake we also present service and ambience scores on a 1-10 scale, though in the survey Raters grade them on a five-point scale.

RRR Ratings/Recommended:Raters grade the overall dining experience on a five-point scale. Restraurants with five or more reports are ranked by average score and awarded Rs as follows:

: top 10 percent

: top 20 percent

: top 30 percent
A restaurant is "recommended" if it has at least one R.

Cost: This criterion merely groups restaurants into cost categories; the figures used here are not what you can expect to spend, rather they are the dinner-menu price of one typical entrée, tax and tip not included.
$$$$$ - $10 or less
$$$$$ - $10-15
$$$$$ - $15-20
$$$$$ - $20-30
$$$$$ -$30 and up

Average check per diner: This figure is meant to give an approximation of what you can expect to spend, including all food, drinks, taxes, and tips. It is an average of total check per person as reported by the Restaurant Raters. Because reporting errors are possible, it should not be considered reliable if the number of reports is low.

Good food: Restaurants are returned as having "good food" if their aggregate food score (see above) is 7.5 or higher.

Great value: Raters are asked to score restaurants for value, or "bang for buck." Their five-point answers are converted into scores from 1 to 10, and restaurants scoring 7.5 or higher are returned as "great value."

Kid friendly/Vegetarian friendly: Raters who dine with children or order vegetarian often are asked to rate restaurants for these qualities on a five-point scale. Restaurants scoring 4 or higher are returned as "Kid friendly" or "Vegetarian friendly" respectively.

Valet parking: Some restaurants offer valet parking on weekends only; as a rule they are not returned when you check "Valet parking."

Open late: We consider a restaurant open late if its kitchen accepts orders until 11 PM or later. Be aware that closing hours are highly changeable and sometimes depend on the evening's business. If you want to eat past 10 PM it's wise to call ahead.

Pre-theater/Pre-sports: We suggest restaurants for pre-theater or pre-sports-event dining if they offer something special to promote it (for example, a pre-theater menu or bus transportation to games) or are well-suited to it because of location and/or clientele.

Smoke free: We consider a restaurant smoke free if smoking is prohibited everywhere in the restaurant, or in rare cases where the dining areas are well isolated from smoking areas. Generally we do not consider a restaurant smoke free if smoking is permitted in the bar.

Cigar friendly: We consider a restaurant cigar friendly if cigar smoking is welcomed anywhere in the restaurant, even if it's a special lounge far from the dining area. Cigars are rarely permitted in dining rooms.

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