12 Best App for Rating Restaurants Options in 2025

In a world of endless dining options, keeping track of your favorite meals, and the ones to avoid, can be a challenge. You search for the best app for rating restaurants, hoping to find a tool that not only catalogs your experiences but also helps you make better decisions for your next meal out. From massive crowdsourced platforms to niche foodie communities, the digital market is filled with options. This guide will walk you through the most popular and effective apps available today—the usual suspects.

But if you care about dishes, not just the overall vibe, you need something different. A five-star rating for a restaurant doesn't tell you what to order. A one-star review might be because of poor service, not the incredible food you could be missing.

True food connoisseurs know that memorable dining is about specific tastes, not just a location. Think about that life-changing ramen you had in Tokyo versus an average bowl in New York City. An overall restaurant rating can’t capture that distinction. For that, you need dish-level ratings, which offer less bias, generate better personal recommendations, and create clearer food memories.

This is where a new generation of apps comes in. If you're ready to see restaurant lists broken down dish-by-dish, an app like Savor is built for you. Try Savor to see restaurant lists broken down dish by dish.

1. Yelp

Yelp remains a dominant force in the United States as a comprehensive app for rating restaurants, essentially functioning as a digital town square for local businesses. Its massive, active user base ensures a constant flow of new reviews, photos, and ratings for an unparalleled number of dining establishments. For diners, it offers an all-in-one platform to discover, vet, and engage with restaurants through user-generated content.

The platform’s strength lies in its sheer volume of data and integrated features. Users can filter searches by cuisine, price, location, and specific attributes like "good for groups" or "outdoor seating." The recent addition of AI-powered "Review Insights" on iOS helps synthesize thousands of reviews into digestible summaries, saving time when evaluating a new spot. However, the platform's focus is on the overall establishment, not the specific dishes that make a meal memorable.

Key Features & Assessment

• Massive User Base: Unrivaled review volume in the US, providing broad coverage.
• Integrated Services: Direct links for reservations, takeout, and delivery streamline the dining process.
• Visual-Heavy Content: An extensive library of user-submitted photos offers a real-world look at the food and ambiance.

While Yelp is an excellent tool for gauging a restaurant's general reputation, the quality of individual reviews can be inconsistent. Its broad scope makes it a great starting point, but for those wanting to capture detailed food memories, the experience can feel generic. To get the most out of the platform, focus on well-written reviews and contribute your own; learning how to write detailed restaurant reviews can elevate your contributions and help others.

• Website: https://www.yelp.com
• Pricing: Free for users. Businesses have paid advertising options.

2. Yelp

Yelp remains a dominant force in the United States as a comprehensive app for rating restaurants, essentially functioning as a digital town square for local businesses. Its massive, active user base ensures a constant flow of new reviews, photos, and ratings for an unparalleled number of dining establishments. For diners, it offers an all-in-one platform to discover, vet, and engage with restaurants through user-generated content.

The platform’s strength lies in its sheer volume of data and integrated features. Users can filter searches by cuisine, price, location, and specific attributes like "good for groups" or "outdoor seating." The recent addition of AI-powered "Review Insights" on iOS helps synthesize thousands of reviews into digestible summaries, saving time when evaluating a new spot. However, the platform's focus is on the overall establishment, not the specific dishes that make a meal memorable.

Key Features & Assessment

• Massive User Base: Unrivaled review volume in the US, providing broad coverage.
• Integrated Services: Direct links for reservations, takeout, and delivery streamline the dining process.
• Visual-Heavy Content: An extensive library of user-submitted photos offers a real-world look at the food and ambiance.

While Yelp is an excellent tool for gauging a restaurant's general reputation, the quality of individual reviews can be inconsistent. Its broad scope makes it a great starting point, but for those wanting to capture detailed food memories, the experience can feel generic. To get the most out of the platform, focus on well-written reviews and contribute your own; learning how to write detailed restaurant reviews can elevate your contributions and help others.

• Website: https://www.yelp.com
• Pricing: Free for users. Businesses have paid advertising options.

3. Google Maps

Google Maps has evolved from a simple navigation tool into one of the most widely used platforms for local business discovery, making it a powerful app for rating restaurants by default. Its primary advantage is its ubiquity; integrated into countless devices and services, it provides an enormous dataset of reviews, photos, and essential information like operating hours and peak times, making it indispensable for diners worldwide.

The platform excels at providing contextual data that enhances the dining decision process. Users can see how busy a restaurant is in real-time, ask questions directly on the listing, and browse extensive photo galleries uploaded by the community. While its review system is straightforward, it shares a limitation with other major platforms: the focus remains on the establishment as a whole. This is great for a general vibe check, but not for remembering the specific ramen that changed your life.

Key Features & Assessment

• Ubiquitous Coverage: Unmatched global reach and data for travel planning and local discovery.
• Rich Place Data: Provides practical details like business hours, live busyness data, and accessibility information.
• Local Guides Program: A community-driven system that encourages high-quality contributions through gamification.

Google Maps is an essential tool for logistics and getting a quick, crowd-sourced opinion on a place. However, the sheer volume of content can lead to inconsistent review quality and potential spam. While it helps you find a highly-rated restaurant, it won't help you recall or recommend the standout dishes. To truly capture your culinary journey, you need to go beyond the place and focus on the plate.

• Website: https://maps.google.com
• Pricing: Free for users.

4. TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor is a global giant in the travel industry, and its extensive platform serves as a powerful app for rating restaurants, particularly for those exploring new cities. Its primary strength comes from its massive international user base of travelers, offering a global perspective on dining that is hard to match. For tourists and food explorers, it's an indispensable tool for discovering what's popular and vetted by a global community.

The platform excels at integrating dining into the broader travel experience. You can seamlessly move from reading hotel reviews to booking a table at a nearby, highly-rated restaurant. Like other major platforms, TripAdvisor aggregates reviews, photos, and general establishment information. However, its focus remains squarely on the overall tourist experience, which can sometimes dilute the focus on the specific culinary details that food lovers crave.

Key Features & Assessment

• Massive Global Database: Unparalleled review volume from an international audience, making it ideal for travel-related dining research.
• Integrated Travel Ecosystem: Connects restaurant discovery with hotel, flight, and experience bookings all in one place.
• AI-Powered Summaries: "Review Highlights" and AI summaries help distill key traveler feedback, saving time when researching in an unfamiliar location.

TripAdvisor is excellent for planning and getting a reliable consensus on a restaurant's general quality and service, especially abroad. However, like many apps focused on the place, it doesn't capture the essence of a meal: the individual dishes. If your goal is to remember that specific life-changing bowl of pasta in Rome versus a mediocre one back home, you need a tool designed for dish-level detail. Platforms like Savor allow you to move beyond generic venue ratings and focus on what truly matters: the food on your plate.

• Website: https://www.tripadvisor.com
• Pricing: Free for users. Businesses have paid listing and advertising options.

5. OpenTable

OpenTable carves out a unique niche as an app for rating restaurants by tying reviews directly to confirmed reservations. This creates a highly reliable ecosystem where feedback comes exclusively from diners who have verifiably eaten at the establishment, significantly increasing the credibility of its ratings. It is the go-to platform for seamlessly discovering, booking, and reviewing a vast number of restaurants, particularly in the mid- to high-end dining categories.

The platform excels at integrating the entire dining-out process into a single, smooth workflow. Users can browse menus, view photos, and secure a table in just a few taps, earning points toward future dining rewards. The review system, while trustworthy, focuses on the overall restaurant experience-ambiance, service, and value. This makes it excellent for planning a night out but less suited for documenting the specific dishes that defined the meal.

Key Features & Assessment

• Verified Reviews: All ratings are from diners with confirmed reservations, ensuring authenticity and reducing fake reviews.
• Reservation & Rewards System: A streamlined booking process combined with a loyalty points program encourages repeat use.
• Integrated Dining Information: Access to menus, photos, and dietary filters makes it easy to choose a suitable restaurant.

OpenTable’s strength is its reliability and convenience for booking. However, its focus on reservable venues means many casual eateries, walk-in-only spots, and food trucks are excluded. For diners who want to remember every specific bite-that incredible ramen in Tokyo versus a good one in New York-the platform's general ratings fall short. For a more granular approach, a dish-focused journal like Savor is essential for capturing detailed food memories.

• Website: https://www.opentable.com
• Pricing: Free for users. Restaurants pay subscription and per-diner fees.

6. MICHELIN Guide

For those who prioritize professional curation over crowdsourced opinions, the MICHELIN Guide app stands as the gold standard in fine dining. This platform isn't an app for rating restaurants in the traditional user-generated sense; instead, it provides access to the meticulous selections of anonymous, professional inspectors. It’s an essential tool for discovering world-class culinary experiences, from coveted MICHELIN-Starred establishments to excellent value Bib Gourmand and sustainable Green Star restaurants.

The app’s strength lies in its authority and global reach within the high-end dining scene. Its clean interface allows users to filter by distinction, location, and cuisine, and integrates with partners like Resy and OpenTable for seamless booking. However, its focus is entirely on the establishment, a top-down approach that recognizes the restaurant as a whole. This is fantastic for finding a reputable venue but less useful for remembering the specific dishes that defined the experience, like that life-changing ramen in Tokyo versus a good bowl in NYC.

Key Features & Assessment

• Professional Curation: Ratings from anonymous, expert inspectors ensure a high standard of quality and consistency.
• Global Database: Features prestigious restaurant selections (Stars, Bib Gourmand) across numerous countries.
• Integrated Booking: Streamlined reservation process through major booking partners.

While the MICHELIN Guide is unparalleled for identifying top-tier restaurants, its coverage is highly selective and user-generated content is minimal. It tells you where to go, but not what to order or how to preserve the memory of a perfect dish. For a more personal, dish-focused approach to your food journey, an app like Savor allows you to build a private journal of every bite. You can download Savor at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/savor-remember-every-bite/id6745561315.

• Website: https://guide.michelin.com
• Pricing: Free.

7. HappyCow

HappyCow is the definitive global guide for plant-based dining, making it an indispensable app for rating restaurants if you're vegan, vegetarian, or simply health-conscious. It operates as a mission-driven community platform, dedicated to making it easy to find food that aligns with these dietary preferences anywhere in the world. For travelers and locals alike, it removes the guesswork and anxiety of finding accommodating and delicious plant-based meals.

The platform’s power lies in its incredibly focused and passionate user base. With over 240,000 listings across 180+ countries, it provides a specialized and deeply vetted resource that mainstream apps cannot match. Users can filter by vegan, vegetarian, veg-options, and even specific dietary needs like gluten-free, ensuring every search yields relevant results. While it excels at its niche, this laser focus means it’s not an all-purpose restaurant app; it serves a specific, and growing, community.

Key Features & Assessment

• Global Plant-Based Directory: The largest and most comprehensive resource for finding vegan and vegetarian food worldwide.
• Passionate Community: Reviews and photos are contributed by a knowledgeable community dedicated to plant-based living.
• Advanced Filtering: Granular search options allow users to find exactly what they need, from fully vegan bakeries to restaurants with reliable vegan options.

While HappyCow is unparalleled for its niche, its main limitation is that the iOS app is a paid product, with some features being app-exclusive. However, for anyone committed to a plant-based lifestyle, the platform is an essential tool. It’s a perfect example of how a specialized community can create a superior resource for finding specific cuisines, not unlike how a dedicated guide can help you find the best plant-based sushi in a city like Paris.

• Website: https://www.happycow.net
• Pricing: Free website access. The full-featured iOS app is a one-time purchase.

8. Beli

Beli brings a social, gamified approach to the world of restaurant ratings, positioning itself as the "Letterboxd for food." It’s designed for users who want to create ranked lists of their dining experiences and share them with a close-knit circle of friends. This app for rating restaurants thrives on its community-centric model, where your friends' tastes heavily influence your discovery feed, making recommendations feel personal and trustworthy.

The platform’s core is its ranking system, which encourages users to meticulously score and order every restaurant they visit. This creates a personalized "taste profile" that helps match you with like-minded friends and generates tailored suggestions. While this is great for tracking your favorite spots, the focus remains on the restaurant as a whole. For those who believe a single spectacular dish can define a meal, this broad approach can feel limiting. True food journaling requires a deeper level of detail that platform's like this don't prioritize.

Key Features & Assessment

• Social Ranking System: Create and share ranked lists of restaurants with friends, fostering competitive discovery.
• Personalized Taste Profile: The app algorithmically learns your preferences to offer better friend and restaurant matches.
• Want-to-Try Lists: Easily track and organize places you want to visit, often sourced from your friends' activities.

Beli excels at making restaurant discovery a shared, engaging activity among friends, particularly in major US cities where its user base is most active. However, its community is smaller than mainstream platforms, and its restaurant-level focus means you can't capture the nuance of individual dishes. For truly detailed food memories, like distinguishing between that life-changing ramen in Tokyo versus a good bowl in NYC, an app like Savor is essential. It lets you rate dish by dish, ensuring your recommendations and memories are precise.

• Website: https://beliapp.com
• Pricing: Free. An optional premium 'Supper Club' membership is available with added perks.

9. Zagat

Zagat brings its iconic, survey-based rating system into the digital age, offering a more structured alternative to the free-form reviews found on other platforms. Originally famous for its curated guidebooks, the brand has been reimagined for a modern audience, focusing on detailed user surveys that score food, decor, and service on a numerical scale. This approach provides a more curated and data-driven perspective on the dining experience in select US markets.

The platform’s key differentiator is its emphasis on moderated, high-quality feedback over sheer volume. Instead of lengthy prose, users complete structured surveys for both dine-in and takeout, which are then compiled into concise summaries and the recognizable 30-point ratings. This makes it an excellent app for rating restaurants if you prefer quantitative data. However, like other platforms, its focus remains on the restaurant as a whole, which can obscure the specific dishes that define a great meal.

Key Features & Assessment

• Structured Survey System: Gathers detailed, consistent data on food, decor, and service for more objective ratings.
• Editorial Curation: The "ZAGAT RATED" distinction highlights top-performing establishments, providing a trusted signal of quality.
• Concise Scoring: The familiar 30-point scale makes it easy to quickly compare restaurants at a glance.

Zagat’s curated approach and survey format are ideal for diners who value vetted, data-backed opinions. Its primary limitation is its phased city-by-city rollout, which means it isn’t available everywhere. While it excels at rating the establishment, it doesn't solve the problem of remembering standout dishes. For that level of detail, a dedicated food journaling app like Savor, which lets you rate and recall every bite, is a necessary companion.

• Website: https://www.zagat.com
• Pricing: Free for users.

10. DoorDash

While primarily known as a food delivery giant, DoorDash has evolved into a valuable app for rating restaurants, offering insights driven by a massive volume of real-world orders. Its review system is intrinsically tied to the delivery experience, which provides a unique, transaction-verified perspective on food quality, packaging, and timeliness. This makes it a practical tool for discovering reliable local spots, especially for takeout and delivery.

DoorDash stands out by collecting dish-specific feedback. Features like "Most Liked" tags identify standout menu items based on cumulative user data, moving beyond a simple restaurant-level star rating. This helps answer the crucial question of what to order, not just where to order from. However, because the reviews are tied to delivery, they often reflect that specific context rather than the ambiance or service of a dine-in experience.

Key Features & Assessment

• Dish-Level Feedback: The "Most Liked" feature highlights popular dishes, providing specific ordering guidance.
• Curated Local Lists: Offers helpful compilations like "Top 10 Nearby," surfacing trending and highly-rated local favorites.
• Verified Reviews: Ratings are tied to actual orders, adding a layer of authenticity to the feedback.

DoorDash is excellent for making informed delivery decisions, but its utility for dine-in planning is limited. The focus is on convenience and food quality upon arrival. For diners who want to capture the full story of their meals, from that amazing ramen in Tokyo to a local favorite, a dedicated journaling tool like Savor offers the dish-level detail that delivery apps can't capture. You can download Savor to start building a personal food memory bank.

• Website: https://www.doordash.com
• Pricing: Free for users. Restaurants pay commission fees.

11. Uber Eats

Primarily known for food delivery, Uber Eats has evolved into a valuable app for rating restaurants, especially for users who value convenience. The platform offers a massive marketplace of restaurants, complete with star ratings and customer feedback that provide a quick pulse-check on a restaurant's quality from a delivery perspective. Its expanding "Dine Out" feature, integrated with OpenTable, now brings reservation capabilities directly into the app, bridging the gap between takeout and dining in.

The platform’s strength lies in its enormous footprint and seamless integration of delivery and dine-in discovery. Users can easily browse menus, view photos, and read recent feedback before placing an order or booking a table. However, the ratings are often skewed by the delivery experience, focusing on speed and order accuracy rather than the in-person ambiance or service. This makes it a great tool for convenience, but less ideal for capturing the nuances of a sit-down meal.

Key Features & Assessment

• Integrated Delivery and Dine-Out: Combines food delivery with a growing reservation system via OpenTable.
• Extensive Coverage: Features an enormous selection of restaurants across most US locations.
• User-Friendly Interface: The app is intuitive for both browsing menus and reading customer feedback.

While Uber Eats provides a convenient overview, the reviews lack the depth needed for true food enthusiasts. The feedback often prioritizes logistics over the meal itself, missing the details of specific dishes. For diners who want to remember every bite and rate individual menu items, a specialized app is essential. If you want to move beyond general restaurant vibes to dish-level analysis, try Savor for a more focused food journaling experience.

• Website: https://www.ubereats.com
• Pricing: Free for users. Delivery and service fees apply to orders.

12. Apple Maps

For users embedded in the Apple ecosystem, Apple Maps has evolved into a surprisingly capable app for rating restaurants, moving beyond simple navigation. Its primary advantage is its seamless, native integration on iOS devices, offering a clean, ad-free interface with a strong emphasis on user privacy. Diners can quickly rate establishments on specific categories like food and service using a simple thumbs-up or thumbs-down system, add photos, and browse curated editorial Guides from reputable sources.

The platform's strength lies in its convenience and simplicity. There’s no separate app to download or account to create, making the process of leaving a quick rating frictionless. However, its focus remains on the overall restaurant experience, much like other major platforms. While useful for a quick vibe check, it doesn't capture the nuance of individual dishes. For food enthusiasts who want to remember that specific life-changing ramen in Tokyo, a more specialized tool is needed.

Key Features & Assessment

• Native iOS Integration: Deeply embedded into the Apple ecosystem for a smooth, ad-free user experience.
• Privacy-Focused: Collects less user data compared to many competitors, appealing to privacy-conscious users.
• Editorial Guides: Curated content from publishers like Eater and The Infatuation provides expert recommendations directly within the map.

Apple Maps is an excellent choice for casual, on-the-go ratings and discovery, especially for those who value privacy and a clean UI. Its review and photo database is growing but can be sparse outside major metropolitan areas compared to more established rivals. For diners who want to graduate from rating the place to rating the plate, an app like Savor offers the dish-level detail needed to create a truly personal food journal.

• Website: https://www.apple.com/maps
• Pricing: Free.

Top 12 Restaurant Rating Apps Comparison

App Name	Core Features	User Experience	Value Proposition	Target Audience	Price Point
Savor	Dish-centric journaling, AI dish recognition, 10-point scoring, instant list creation, offline access	Lightning-fast capture, intuitive UI, private & secure	Preserve personal food memories, compare dishes over time, private & shareable	Serious foodies, critics, culinary explorers	Freemium (iOS only, Android soon)
Yelp	Large US restaurant coverage, reservations, AI review insights	Active user base, strong photos	Extensive diner reviews & restaurant data	General diners, US-based eaters	Free
Google Maps	Star ratings, reviews, photos, Q&A, discovery feeds	Ubiquitous travel & local data	Combined navigation and restaurant info	Travelers, local explorers	Free
TripAdvisor	Global diner reviews, AI summaries, booking links	Strong travel feedback	Traveler insights with booking integration	Travelers worldwide	Free
OpenTable	Reservations, verified diner ratings, menus	Smooth, reliable booking	Verified reviews tied to actual reservations	Mid- to high-end diners	Free
MICHELIN Guide	Inspector ratings, booking integration, editorial content	Clean, professional curation	Trusted gourmet dining guidance	Fine dining enthusiasts	Free
HappyCow	Vegan/vegetarian listings, community moderation	Mission-driven, helpful community	Best for plant-based dining discovery	Vegan & vegetarian diners	Paid app (iOS); some features exclusive
Beli	Ranked lists, personalized recs, social sharing	Engaging, “Letterboxd-for-food” UI	Social dining tracking & friend taste matching	Younger foodies in US cities	Free + premium membership
Zagat	Structured surveys, editorial curation	Familiar 10-point scoring	Moderated reviews with survey precision	Users preferring curated reviews	Free
DoorDash	Public reviews, dish-level ratings, neighborhood top lists	Delivery-focused review context	Best for ordering decisions with dish feedback	Delivery users, US-based eaters	Free
Uber Eats	Star ratings, customer feedback, dine-out reservations	Delivery + dine-out blend	Large delivery marketplace with added reservation	US-based delivery & dine-out users	Free
Apple Maps	Native place ratings, photos, editorial guides	Privacy-forward, integrated UI	Seamless iOS integration with clean interface	Apple device users	Free

Beyond the Restaurant: Why Rating the Dish Is the Future of Food Memories

Navigating the digital landscape for the perfect dining experience reveals a fundamental pattern. From the broad utility of Google Maps and Yelp to the curated selections of the MICHELIN Guide and Zagat, the focus remains overwhelmingly on the establishment itself. These platforms excel at answering the question, "Where should I eat?" They provide a wealth of information on ambiance, service, and overall value, making them indispensable tools for general discovery and planning.

However, for the discerning food critic, culinary creator, or dedicated foodie, this approach leaves a critical gap. The most profound dining memories are rarely about the wallpaper or the parking situation; they are about a specific, unforgettable plate of food. A generic five-star restaurant rating system conflates a life-changing dish with forgettable ones, averaging out brilliance into mediocrity. It fails to capture the nuanced details that separate a good meal from a truly transcendent one.

The Shift from Restaurant Ratings to Dish-Level Journaling

The core limitation of traditional restaurant rating apps is their inability to differentiate between the components of a meal. A restaurant might have a world-class ramen but a lackluster gyoza, yet its overall rating will likely obscure this reality. This is where the paradigm must shift from broad, location-based reviews to precise, dish-level journaling.

Consider the practical implications:

• For Memory and Recall: Imagine trying to remember that incredible bowl of ramen you had in Tokyo two years ago. Was it the tonkotsu from Ichiran or the shio from a tiny, unnamed shop in Shinjuku? Without a dedicated log of the dish itself, that perfect flavor profile becomes a fading, fuzzy memory. A dish-centric app for rating restaurants like Savor would have preserved that moment with clarity.
• For Better Recommendations: When a friend asks for the best carbonara in Rome, a traditional app points them to a list of restaurants. A dish-focused approach allows you to confidently recommend the specific carbonara at Roscioli Salumeria, noting its peppery bite and perfectly rendered guanciale. This is the difference between a helpful tip and an expert recommendation.
• For Unbiased Evaluation: By focusing on the plate in front of you, you minimize the influence of external factors like a rude server or a noisy table. This allows for a more objective, focused critique of the culinary execution, which is the ultimate goal for any serious food enthusiast.

Choosing Your Culinary Companion

As we've explored, your choice of an app for rating restaurants should align directly with your primary objective. If your goal is logistical convenience and crowd-sourced consensus, platforms like Google Maps, TripAdvisor, and OpenTable are powerful and effective. For those seeking curated, high-end experiences, the MICHELIN Guide remains a benchmark of excellence.

But if your passion lies in the food itself, if you aim to build a detailed, searchable library of your culinary journey, you need a tool built for that purpose. You need a system that understands that a restaurant is merely the stage; the dish is the star of the show. This modern approach moves beyond simple ratings and into the realm of personal food journalism, creating a valuable, lifelong record of every memorable bite. The future of food discovery isn't just about finding great restaurants; it's about pinpointing the exact dishes that make them great.

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Ready to stop forgetting your best meals and start building a personal food library? Savor is the definitive app for rating restaurants at the dish level, helping you remember every detail of your favorite foods. Download Savor today and start capturing the food memories that truly matter.