The 78 Most Annoying Words to Read in a Restaurant Review

Who came up with this list? It's terrible. Please write a restaurant review, 500-1000 words, using none of these terms, and let's see how well you do. How is mouthfeel offensive?

By jerbils on August 26, 2011 03:57 PM

The use of "go-to" whether in a review or article is very irksome to me..it seems to be over-used when reviewing recipes or restaurants.."Joe's go-to soup for a cold day" or "This place has become my new go-to spot for xyz.."Arrrrgh!!!

By ParsleySage on August 16, 2011 06:02 AM

I have to add, "life changing", when describing a dish one has eaten.
It is SO pretentious.

By Anonimo on August 15, 2011 01:52 AM

comfort food…

By fashfoto on August 14, 2011 09:39 PM

I can't stand code-words, like "minimalist" or "minuscule" when they mean they don't give you enough food for what you paid...

Worst code of them all is "serviceable" which means "the great unwashed" or "the rednecks" will like it but the educated, morally/financially/intellectually/genetically superior foodie snobs won't.

By TexSquared on August 13, 2011 10:20 PM

The couple l can think of are 'deliciousness', 'tasty', and the Grand Poobah as Ernie mentioned 'sammie' l decided to skip a restaurant where their menu spoke wonderfully of their 'sammies', no regrets

By Delucacheesemonger on August 13, 2011 12:48 PM

What self respecting sober adult uses any of the yum derivatives? I mean if it was ten year old writing a review for the school paper. I'd be forgiving. But a grown up, should be ashamed to use that word in published review.

By YAYME on August 13, 2011 12:30 AM

Yeah, so, you're tired of seeing the same descriptive words about the same subject appearing repeatedly? Most of those words don't have a better alternative-- perhaps a more ambiguous or poetic one, but that's not going to convey the information to the reader.

Maybe you are just tired of reading restaurant reviews......

By iheartcooking on August 11, 2011 10:25 AM

Small-batch bread. I love it!

By beevod on August 10, 2011 07:57 AM

As a trained chef, I really don't see the issue with some of the terms on that list. Some of them are part of the culinary world and can be very descriptive, depending upon what you're talking about.

Artisan (or artisanal) is descriptive of something (typically bread) that isn't mass produced - instead, is produced in small batches, typically with a minimum of machine interference.
...+READ

As a trained chef, I really don't see the issue with some of the terms on that list. Some of them are part of the culinary world and can be very descriptive, depending upon what you're talking about.

Artisan (or artisanal) is descriptive of something (typically bread) that isn't mass produced - instead, is produced in small batches, typically with a minimum of machine interference.
Cloyingly/sickeningly sweet/decadent - Frankly, this one is something I'd want to know about. Is the item far sweeter than it should be? Am I going to puke if I try to eat the entire thing?
Cooked to Perfection - I have to admit that this one irritates me... Cooked to WHOSE idea of perfection?
Cuts with a fork/falls off the bone - And this is a bad thing to point out, why? Personally, I'm a big fan of tender meat.
Engorged - I'm sorry... Are we talking about food here, or genitalia?
Gastropub - Effectively, as someone else sort of mentioned, a gastropub is a bar/tavern that has elevated its menu to something better than typical "pub grub".
House-made - This one, I have no problem with... provided that the items ARE made in-house. What gets me is when people use "home-made" on a restaurant menu. So, what... You made it at home and then brought it in? No thanks.
In my opinion - Isn't that what a review is? The reviewers opinion? I can see the necessity, in this lawsuit frivolous day and age, of specifically stating that it's their opinion, though.
Inedible - Another good one, the inverse of "cuts with a fork" or "falls off the bone". That tells me that the steak (or whatever) is tough, overly chewy and not worth the effort.
Mouthfeel - A very standard culinary term, referring to the way the item feels in your mouth. For example, "The tiramisu I had last night had the most creamy, silky mouthfeel" - which, I might add, would be better than saying it had a "gritty, sandy mouthfeel".
Piping hot - Again, a valid descriptor. Depending on the food being talked about, it can be a very good (or very bad) thing. Fajitas arriving "piping hot" at the table is a good thing. Gelato arriving piping hot, however, is not so good.
Symphony of flavors - This one seems a bit pretentious to me, but can still be valid. It's suggestive of an item in which you can discern multiple flavors...
Underwhelming - I love this one. Places that are underwhelming tend to be the ones I don't visit.
You won't go away hungry - I'd hope not. If I went away hungry after eating a meal, I'd be rather upset.
Yummo - Death to the bloody Rachael Ray!

Seriously, it's all a matter of opinion. Though, I'll blame the Food Network and Food TV for spawning "foodies" and the consequent barrage of people who think they know what they're talking about, simply because they spend numerous hours in front of the TV, drooling while hypnotized by Rachael Ray, Emeril Lagasse, and all the other food channel schmucks. Hell, Rachael Ray isn't even a trained chef!-COLLAPSE

By ChefStevens on August 8, 2011 01:39 PM

Defend: Organic
Add: No substitutions

By Windsor on August 1, 2011 04:15 AM

Num Num, Nummy, Sammie all bug me for how childish they sound. But the phrase I truly hate most as it confuses me is "And I don't even like X" If you don't normally like duck, or eel or spaghetti, I don't need you telling me that you found the best version! This does not make sense!

By justsayn on July 31, 2011 05:04 PM

Basically, it's pretention for the pretentious.

By beevod on July 29, 2011 07:17 AM

"Sourced" when paying reverential homage to buying ingredients from a particular organization or place. Tell us why it tasted so good, not the supply chain that provided it.

By wvurx on July 29, 2011 04:51 AM

"Sammies" (for sandwiches) and "meh" are particularly annoying

By Ernie on July 28, 2011 05:46 PM

The use of "veggies" should warrant the gallows.

By beevod on July 28, 2011 07:32 AM

I agree w/ Ruth and dinwiddie: if used properly, alomst all of those words/phrases work fine. In fact there are several words on that list that seem to be downright necessary at times.

I make two exceptions to my above noted tolerance: "to die for" and "yummy" (in all it's hideous variations). Those writers need to be deconstructed.

By danna on July 26, 2011 11:43 AM

I don't think any of these words are "annoying" if used properly and in context. They convey information that everyone knows and understands. And isn't that the responsibility of a reviewer, convey the sense of the place being reviewed in a manner that enables the reader to decide whether to patronize the restaurant?

By dinwiddie on July 26, 2011 05:53 AM

I loathe the word "pricey" -- it sounds like baby talk to me. I don't have a problem with most of those words as long as they're used properly.

By Ruth Lafler on July 24, 2011 09:42 PM

I am sick of reading about food that is "flecked" or "studded" with this or that.

By barryg on July 24, 2011 01:15 PM

I've been decrying the word "yummy" for several years now, as I think it's obnoxious when used by anyone over the age of 9. When I would hear supposed experts like Padma Lakshmi use it on Top Chef repeatedly, I wanted to retch. And don't get me started on Rachael Ray's variant of "yummo." Not to mention that she uses it to refer to her own food, which often resembles an unappetizing pan of slop.

By PantomimeLion on July 22, 2011 09:24 PM

HOUSE MADE: Yeah I'm tired of it too, but any industry insider knows damn well how many huge CANS of sauces, icings, spreads and cheeses many establishments still pry open. We've also seen more than our share of packaged cheese, frozen buns, trucked in breads, pre-made sausages, pre-cooked meats, gallons of ketchup and dried mustard mixes. I'm more than happy to put up with trite words such as...+READ

HOUSE MADE: Yeah I'm tired of it too, but any industry insider knows damn well how many huge CANS of sauces, icings, spreads and cheeses many establishments still pry open. We've also seen more than our share of packaged cheese, frozen buns, trucked in breads, pre-made sausages, pre-cooked meats, gallons of ketchup and dried mustard mixes. I'm more than happy to put up with trite words such as "house made" if they truly call it like it is and tell diners why their food might cost a buck more or why they should really appreciate what's going on back there behind the curtain. When we opened our restaurant a decade ago, homemade ketchup and peanut butter were unheard of. Kudos to all those chefs out there who carry the torch of well made food.
(Hell's Kitchen Minneapolis)-COLLAPSE

By CynthiaGerdes on July 22, 2011 01:52 PM

no "pie-hole" or "cramming"?

By OrilTootenbacher on July 22, 2011 11:32 AM

This is just stupid, most of these words are appropriate for a food review! How can you claim the words decadent, authentic, healthy and organic are annoying? I can understand how an overuse of a coined phrase could be annoying but not a common word that is descriptive.

By brmcd on July 22, 2011 11:16 AM

ugh. "nom nom nom" has to be the most annoying thing I have ever heard!

By nalfieri on July 22, 2011 10:41 AM

I happen to love "party in your mouth".

By LuluR on July 22, 2011 10:12 AM

As a reviewer, I don't see that many of these words. My own weakness is for 'nice' and 'nicely done.' Gastropub is a market term used by certain new restaurants to describe themselves. It's horrid, a Britishism, but they're the ones who put it out there. The word I try never to use is 'we.' It's my column, my opinions, and the guests are there to order things I dislike so I can discover where...+READ

As a reviewer, I don't see that many of these words. My own weakness is for 'nice' and 'nicely done.' Gastropub is a market term used by certain new restaurants to describe themselves. It's horrid, a Britishism, but they're the ones who put it out there. The word I try never to use is 'we.' It's my column, my opinions, and the guests are there to order things I dislike so I can discover where those things are done with distinction. Perhaps this discussion is really about words used in blogs, Chow House, Yelp, etc? I did in the past use 'addictive,' and I think I was one of the first, certainly in greater Boston, to use 'deconstruction.' and still might, although I see less of it than I used to.-COLLAPSE

By RobtNadeau on July 21, 2011 10:57 PM

Number one and two have to be "sumptuous" and "scrumptious".

By Andrew H on July 21, 2011 02:36 PM

Can't believe you missed the #1 all timer...DELISH!

By ML8000 on July 21, 2011 01:55 PM

"Totes"
Stop saying it! Even ironically, it's STUPID.

By misterjuju on July 21, 2011 10:20 AM

Apparently, nosh is yiddish in origin.

By osho on July 21, 2011 08:59 AM

Why is nosh offensive? It's a proper British word, it is.

By osho on July 21, 2011 08:36 AM

I'll defend three of these because they are culturally connected for me (Upstate NY and British household growing up 1950s: "falls off the bones" was the only way I was taught to recognize properly cooked stew meat, "cuts with a fork" is a well known phrase of appreciation of properly hung and cooked prime rib and steak, and "tucks into" is another British and American instant recognition phrase...+READ

I'll defend three of these because they are culturally connected for me (Upstate NY and British household growing up 1950s: "falls off the bones" was the only way I was taught to recognize properly cooked stew meat, "cuts with a fork" is a well known phrase of appreciation of properly hung and cooked prime rib and steak, and "tucks into" is another British and American instant recognition phrase that evokes a good meal. My dad, from Warwickshire, GB, evoked less than pleasant images in my mind (but a sense of perfection in his) when he referred to a hanging bird as "ripe when the feathers fall out" to tell when it was ready for cooking. I do abhor to infantalizing and catchphrase use of words describing foods these days all the same.-COLLAPSE

By silverfyyre on July 21, 2011 05:12 AM

Whoah, foodiebuddha, that rocked so hard.

By lessleyellen on July 20, 2011 09:39 PM

I hate the use of "bivalves" in place of oyster. Hate, hate, hate it.

By Rapini on July 20, 2011 05:47 PM

And here's a funny development: The (intentionally) "Most Annoying Restaurant Review Ever" based off this list.

http://www.foodiebuddha.com/2011/07/20/the-most-annoying-restaurant-review-ever/

By Roxanne Webber on July 20, 2011 05:06 PM

Thank you thank you and thank you for including the loathsome 'gastropub.' I know that expressing my dislike of this word will immediately send at least two readers to the hospital and prompt at least four more to verbalize their hatred, but it just sounds disgusting.

By arcanium on July 20, 2011 04:16 PM

I have to defend "sustainable" because (at least in this market) it's still pretty rare. Now I'm going to have to find a reason to use the terms "pocked" and "unctual" since I've never seen either in a review.

Whoever put "most unique" in a review needs to be slapped. And "haute barnyard?" The heck?

By TieDyeKat on July 20, 2011 11:30 AM

"Meh" and "nom nom nom," indicative of collective infantilization.

By es1355a on July 20, 2011 10:24 AM

gatorfn, "authentic" is a slippery slope of a term which ultimately leads to nothing. Reputable critics in recent years have begun shying away from the term, and for good reason.

For example, what is "authentic" Mexican food? At first glance you might say Tex-Mex is inauthentic, whereas the local tacqueria stand is authentic. However, if someone can very well be in Texas looking for...+READ

gatorfn, "authentic" is a slippery slope of a term which ultimately leads to nothing. Reputable critics in recent years have begun shying away from the term, and for good reason.

For example, what is "authentic" Mexican food? At first glance you might say Tex-Mex is inauthentic, whereas the local tacqueria stand is authentic. However, if someone can very well be in Texas looking for "authentic" Tex-Mex. "Authenticity" as colloquially defined is not the exclusive purview of any one ethnic cuisine, culture or region.

Additionally, tastes, customs and food practices change over the years. For example, one might make a legitimate argument that tomatoes in Italian food are "inauthentic" because Italy knew nothing about them until the Spanish conquistadors brought them back to Europe from central America.

Mr Taster-COLLAPSE

By Mr Taster on July 20, 2011 10:00 AM

"Nosh." An eye-roller for me. Almost always used to be cute.

By SirRon on July 20, 2011 09:53 AM

It's funny that most of the offending words/terms mentioned are constantly used by Rachel Ray! Haha! I also hate evoo. Sammies and yummo make me want to bang my head against the wall. Thank goodness I can just turn off the TV and walk away.

By SFGourmande on July 20, 2011 09:45 AM

Next to "napped" add "studded". I get so sick of both of those.

By ptrap on July 20, 2011 09:22 AM

Yes, some of these are ridiculous. But, seriously, reviews would be a lot more cookie-cutter and/or monotonous without them because there's not THAT many more ways to describe food without starting to repeat yourself or without sounding pompous. The reviews are meant for everyone, not just 'foodies,' so using some of these words make the review more accessible for every reader.

By rebelyell18 on July 20, 2011 09:10 AM

These comments are completely cracking me up.

By pointybird on July 20, 2011 07:59 AM

I agree that some are utterly intolerable (sammie, yummers, omg). However, several of these words (and I'm not enough of a snob to be annoyed at the mere fact that the word is oft repeated) are merely descriptive. How is "authentic" annoying, if something is, in fact, authentic? Must a thesaurus be used by writers to find uncommon descriptive words simply to avoid falling into the category of...+READ

I agree that some are utterly intolerable (sammie, yummers, omg). However, several of these words (and I'm not enough of a snob to be annoyed at the mere fact that the word is oft repeated) are merely descriptive. How is "authentic" annoying, if something is, in fact, authentic? Must a thesaurus be used by writers to find uncommon descriptive words simply to avoid falling into the category of "annoying," when a more common (and thus, more readily understood) word will do?-COLLAPSE

By gatorfn on July 20, 2011 07:39 AM

I can't believe that "delicious" and "flavorful" didn't make the cut. These words make me crazy when I read them in reviews or hear cooking shows use them to describe the food. It tells me nothing! Why would we eat food if it wasn't flavorful? And is delicious really saying anything about the quality, texture or scent of the food?

And if I ever say "yummo", please someone stab me with a fork.

By yumnum on July 20, 2011 06:12 AM

On another note, how bout we get all snarky about useful descriptions of the varied and beautiful things we make? Now, there are a few on that list that truly make the grade for being idiotic (I'm enough of a snob to hope Rachael Ray drowns in her bathtub. Full of EVOO. Yummo!) but most are used often because they are true and instantly understandable by most people.

By cmztrav on July 20, 2011 01:14 AM

@blithery poop:
Soupçon isn't pretentious, it's just French. Poop is less- than- delightful, IMO.

By cmztrav on July 20, 2011 01:05 AM

I don't have the link at hand, but I remember the Sam Sifton review of Takashi being pretty cringy. I think he compared the grilled offal to an electric storm in the desert. Not a word, true, but a questionable motif.

By lessleyellen on July 19, 2011 10:09 PM

I think anything from the Rachel Ray Vocabulary should just be flat out banned. I still can't believe EVOO got put in the freaking dictionary. ITS AN ABBRIEVATION.

By tarotchan on July 19, 2011 09:45 PM

Comfort food: Usually means meatloaf. It didn't comfort me then in my youth, it certainly doesn't comfort me now. Worse phrase than about 90% others on your list. Frankly, most of the choices on the list here are silly. Some are meaningless, some actually let me salivate.

By Artemis23 on July 19, 2011 04:38 PM

napped? how is that used in a restaurant review?

By lunafish on July 19, 2011 04:37 PM

There's a entire country (United Kingdom) that is wondering what's wrong with "tucking into". A similar survey in the U.K. might include "digging into". Is it the verb itself that offends or is the verb form?

By rls777 on July 19, 2011 04:02 PM

How about "shut the front door"!

By kenjaminicus on July 19, 2011 03:19 PM

so you'd like to see a review with all of these included? challenge accepted

By foodiebuddha on July 19, 2011 02:59 PM

I'm increasingly offended by the meaningless term "comfort food". I won't consider dishes with "with" in the name, but that's not really on the reviewer.
In my world, annealed refers to metal softened by a sort of heat process- for non metallic foods, not sure what it would mean.

By oldunc on July 19, 2011 02:55 PM

Seems to me there are a few more words that are defined narrowly and have to be used in specific circumstances: "organic", "sustainable" and "local" to name a few. I mean, it either is or it isn't. On the other hand, I adore "engorged" for no other reason than I am twelve. (I have never seen that in a review and would ~love~ to.) To the person who was subjected to Rachel Ray, if I ever hear...+READ

Seems to me there are a few more words that are defined narrowly and have to be used in specific circumstances: "organic", "sustainable" and "local" to name a few. I mean, it either is or it isn't. On the other hand, I adore "engorged" for no other reason than I am twelve. (I have never seen that in a review and would ~love~ to.) To the person who was subjected to Rachel Ray, if I ever hear "EVVO" in my kitchen I'm comin' after someone with a carving knife.-COLLAPSE

By Captanne on July 19, 2011 02:38 PM

meat lover...sauce lover..and thing that has lover in it. Maybe it's just me.

By YummiYummi on July 19, 2011 01:12 PM

mattthewriter, nice ironic double post.

I'm surprised "soupçon" isn't on there. Instant pretention.

By Blitherypoop on July 19, 2011 01:10 PM

And what is with this whole notion of referring to sandwiches as 'sammies?' I was subjected to Rachel Ray at the gym this morning.

By mattthewriter on July 19, 2011 12:49 PM

I never want to read the word, "yummo" again.

By mattthewriter on July 19, 2011 12:47 PM

This could be a good drinking game. Watch food network and when you hear one of these, take a drink! ;)

By CoffeeNCookies on July 19, 2011 12:11 PM

Furgs: LOL. : )

By pointybird on July 19, 2011 12:04 PM

'Think' is a problem word? It's a review. The whole thing is opinion. It's just bad writing to use the same words and structure over and over again if that's the issue. If reviews are starting to use the word as a suffix (e.g. groupthink, locavorethink, hipsterthink) then that is annoying.

By CloggieGirl on July 19, 2011 12:00 PM

The only one I'd defend is "falls off the bone" because that describes an image I am happy to see on my plate!

By CoffeeNCookies on July 19, 2011 11:58 AM