The Infatuation: How Restaurant Reviews Work

The Infatuation has evolved from a New York City restaurant blog into one of the most influential dining platforms in the United States and beyond. Founded in 2009 by Chris Stang and Andrew Steinthal, the company acquired Zagat from Google in 2018 and was itself acquired by JPMorgan Chase in 2021. The platform's editorial model centers on anonymous dining: reviewers pay for their own meals and visit restaurants multiple times before assigning ratings. The 1-10 decimal scale balances food quality with overall experience, and the signature 'situational' review format tells readers when and why to visit rather than simply whether a restaurant is 'good.' Coverage spans over 50 cities including NYC, LA, Chicago, Miami, London, and Mexico City. The company also created the viral #EEEEEATS hashtag and hosts the annual EEEEEATSCON food festival.

The Infatuation is the restaurant guide built for people who find traditional food criticism unhelpful. Rather than rating restaurants on abstract quality metrics, the platform tells you when and why you'd want to go somewhere: this is where to bring a date, this is where to go with a group, this is where to eat alone at the bar. The 1-10 rating scale provides a quality signal, but the situational framing is what makes the reviews actually useful for decision-making. Reviewers dine anonymously, pay their own way, and visit multiple times, which gives the evaluations practical credibility. The 2018 Zagat acquisition added historical brand recognition, and the 2021 JPMorgan Chase acquisition expanded distribution through the Chase Dining program. Despite corporate ownership, the editorial team maintains its anonymous dining methodology and conversational voice.

Chris Stang and Andrew Steinthal founded The Infatuation in 2009 as a restaurant blog that spoke to diners in plain language rather than food-critic jargon. The platform grew rapidly through social media: the #EEEEEATS hashtag they created became one of the most-used food tags on Instagram. In 2018, the company acquired Zagat from Google, inheriting one of the most recognized restaurant brands in the world. JPMorgan Chase acquired The Infatuation in 2021, integrating restaurant recommendations into the Chase Dining program. Despite corporate ownership, the editorial team maintains its review methodology: anonymous dining, multiple visits per restaurant, and a conversational voice that prioritizes practical guidance over technical criticism. The EEEEEATSCON food festival has become a significant culinary event in its own right, drawing thousands of attendees and featuring leading chefs and restaurants. The event reflects the brand's positioning at the intersection of food culture, social media, and experiential entertainment.

The Infatuation uses a small, trained editorial team rather than a large corps of critics or user-generated reviews. Reviewers dine anonymously: they never accept free meals, always pay their own way, and don't reveal their identity to restaurants. Each restaurant is visited multiple times before a rating is assigned. The 1-10 decimal rating scale balances food quality with overall experience, and reviewers explicitly note that a 10 doesn't mean perfect food: it means a restaurant delivers an exceptional experience. The situational review format is the platform's signature: rather than ranking restaurants in abstract hierarchical order, reviews explain specific use cases: date night, group dinner, solo meal, special occasion. 'Best of' lists and the restaurant 'Hit List' curate recommendations by category and occasion. Any restaurant where a full meal can be eaten is eligible for review; coffee shops, bars without food, and dessert-only shops are generally not rated.

The Infatuation's influence operates primarily among millennial and Gen Z diners who trust its voice over traditional food criticism. The platform's 'Hit List', a regularly updated selection of recommended restaurants in each city, can drive significant traffic to featured establishments. The Zagat acquisition added historical credibility, and the JPMorgan Chase ownership expanded distribution through the Chase Dining program. For restaurants, a strong Infatuation rating and inclusion on a 'Best of' list generates immediate booking interest from the platform's audience. The prestige is different from a Michelin star or a James Beard Award: it's less about industry recognition and more about driving consumer demand from a specific, highly engaged demographic. The anonymous dining model provides editorial credibility that user-generated platforms like Yelp lack, while the situational format makes reviews more actionable than traditional criticism.