backintheday

Well, yes, yes there is something that you can do. You can post in a thread like this in which someone (me) originally found the site purely by accident, posted today as a result of Don's oh-so-nice prompt, stumbled across the Yelp thread and read it only because I was searching for hotels on Yelp today and kept finding a LOT of conflicting information, and decided to read the thread as a result. You've all exposed me, Ms. Average Consumer, not only to an entirely different side of Yelp of which I was previously unaware, but also given me insights from business owners, managers, etc. who care enough about the issue to post in a public forum regarding their concerns. Will I give those businesses a second look when I'm in town? You bet. Will I start taking Yelp's comments with a lot more than a grain of salt? Absolutely. Not sure I'll even read the site any more, seeing what I've seen now. I'd noticed the annoying habit of bumping a "good" review to the top, regardless of the fact that it was months old, but never really understood why. Now I get it. Incidentally, my concerns today were regarding seemingly bogus reviews that were evidently meant to slam the place but hadn't been removed. You know the type - "I've never stayed here, but as I was sitting in their lobby blatantly using their free wi-fi when I had no intention of visiting the hotel or their restaurant, the doorman kept opening the door and letting cold air in! I'll never stay here!" kind of thing that is so blatantly ridiculous, you can't help but laugh. Or the ones who really rave about a place, but give it two stars. What the heck?? So yes, you certainly can do something, and you did. And I'll tell my friends, and my friends will tell THEIR friends. I, for one, appreciate all those who have taken the time to share in this extremely informative thread. (And now that I've posted twice - IN ONE DAY, people! - I'll slip back into the dark recesses of lurkdom from whence I came.)

In answer to Don's desperate plea (and just because he's an all around nice guy!), I'll delurk and share that this site was singularly responsible for our trying Ray's the Steak. We visit frequently from out of town for medical treatment at Walter Reed, and were longing to find a good steakhouse without snooty pretensions. Budget-friendly was obviously a plus. Ray's is all that, and so much more. We had the delightful pleasure of meeting Mr. Landrum himself, and he personifies everything that Ray's is. The phrases "diamond in the rough" and "heart of gold" come to mind. Cliches perhaps, but true nonetheless. I'll also share that we're a military family, and a little birdie told us that Ray's regularly and without fanfare provides meals to traveling families of troops who are recovering at Walter Reed. Those who aren't in the military may not fully appreciate the kindness of this gesture, but believe me, when you're on a military salary already and then dealing with the additional expenses of travel, any gesture of kindness is huge. And it's not like Ray's needs the business or the advertising, and doubtful that they'll gain a lot of repeat business from families who are alreadstruggling financially, so it's proof positive that the motive is entirely altruistic. And of course, the food. Oh, the food. We all chose the highly recommended hanger steak, and it did not disappoint. It was so large that neither my teen daughter nor I were able to finish ours. Sides were delish, but comparable to gilding the lily. This meal was all about the steak. Even our teen daughter, who eats A-1 sauce on everything (even chicken), tore into her hanger steak and didn't look back. My husband and I were holding our collective breath, awaiting the request, but it never came. The steaks were just that good. Of course, as wonderful and filling as our entrees were, we all still managed to put away dessert. Dark chocolate mousse. Be still, my heart. Thanks, Don & Co., for introducing us to a new favorite!