[c141charlie]

Yelp suffers from the 4 stars problem. In my neighborhood Taco Time, the French Bakery, and a handful of upscale restaurants each average 4 stars on Yelp. So what does a 4 star rating even mean? It obviously has nothing to do with ambiance (Taco Time), or service (Taco Time and the French Bakery), or the food (Taco Time).

So what does 4 starts even mean? And what does it take to get more than 4 starts? Maybe star ratings are all about expectations. My current hypothesis is if customers get what they expect, they reward a restaurant with 4 stars. If the restaurant bests expectations, customers award 4 1/2 stars. This explains why a Taco Time taco nets 4 stars. Customers get what hey expect - a cheap, reasonably good tasting taco, whereas a market down the stream rakes in 4 1/2 stars for making really yummy tasting deli sandwiches.

[zyxley]

Honestly, most review apps would do better to just use the Siskel and Ebert system: two thumbs down (avoid), one thumb/up one thumb down (it's okay but nothing special), two thumbs up (it's worth seeking out).