Restaurants Need to Put Menus Online
I've always been annoyed by restaurants that can't be bothered to put their menus online, and I always knew I wasn't alone. From a recent letter to Eater LA's Complaints Dept:
"I can't tell you how many restaurants I wanted to go to that have opened and closed before an online menu ever appeared on their website. I really think restaurants are stupidly missing a wonderful opportunity to sell themselves and their food by providing and up-to-date and complete menu. And don't just say the name of the item, describe it in detail. Sell your food, don't leave us guessing. I won't drive 20 miles to take a chance."
But do you know what's worse than a restaurant that doesn't put its menu on its website? A restaurant that says they'll be more than happy to fax it to you. Every time that happens, I'm always terrified that when I show up for dinner the entire staff will be dressed like this:
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
6 Comments:
Indeed. Achewood shares this distaste for the fax:
http://achewood.com/index.php?date=11222006
The Gurgling Cod at 6:12PM on 04/24/07
TGC: Thanks for the link. Apple IIc. Heh. My first computer.
Adam Kuban at 9:08PM on 04/24/07
You lucky Americans: in Puerto Rico, you're lucky if you can find an address or phone number of a restaurant online, let alone a menu.
When I lived in Boston, there were many restaurants that changed their menus every week, and sometimes every day (food items, or price, or both). I would think it would be very difficult to make sure an online menu was current.
Adam: you spoiled kids. My first computer was an Apple ][. I modified it so it could do lowercase as well as uppercase.
Many businesses here require you to fax them information. When people in my neighborhood need to send a fax, they come to my house. They consider us modern for having one.
Lou at 10:59PM on 04/24/07
I so totally relate to this. I rely quite heavily on menupages.com because I'm not about to go dragging my wheelchair-bound butt around town without knowing what's on the menu and whether I want to try it.
Especially here in NYC where there's so much buzz about this or that great place, and given my physical and dietary limitations it's really a must for me before trying a new restaurant.
Don't even start me on the lack of wheelchair accessibility in many many NYC restaurants, and even if you can get in the front door, the bathroom is still a steep flight down. Maybe Serious Eats can get on the case! :)
FKC at 11:44PM on 04/24/07
@Lou
Many restaurants that change menus frequently (whether it be seasonal or daily) spend quite a lot of time (and expense it appears) updating the paper menu for that day or updating a chalk board (usually in a very creative colorful text that I can never read). It would be trivial to have the individual responsible to also update the website.
shea at 2:19PM on 04/25/07
Another no-no: PDFs of your menu online. I want to read it right there in the browser, dammit -- it doesn't even have to be pretty.
me3dia at 3:01PM on 04/25/07