IPhone App Review: Urbanspoon App

If you haven't jumped on the iPhone/iTouch bandwagon, perhaps another review of an entertaining app will provide the final push. There's nothing your iPhone can't do with the proper app.

It's another Friday night. You and your friend/spouse /kids want to go out to eat but have no idea where to go. No problem. Get your iPhone, tap the Urbanspoon icon, and shake! No kidding, this app is not only amusing, it's useful. Kids big and small will love it.

Description of and Use of the Urbanspoon App

The Urbanspoon app produced by Urbanspoon is designed to help find restaurants in a selected location. The application first asks for your location. Then it provides a 3-category wheel. Let's say you are in Ft. Myers, Florida and you enter that location. The first category on the wheel includes towns nearby. So, in the example, Fort Myers, Estero, Captiva, and several others are listed. Turn the first dial to Fort Myers. Tap the cute little lock beneath that category.

The second category is food types. Listed are cuisines such as "Indian,", "International," Italian," Japanese," "German," Dim Sum," "Donuts," and others. Now, dial in the desired food type. For this example, let's choose "Indian." Lock in your selection.

Moving on to the third category, we find entrée price ranges--$=under $10, $$=$10-$15, $$$=$15-$25, or $$$$=$25 and up. Select the desired price range. Lock it in.

Let's be adventurous and not choose a price range for our example. Now, shake the iPhone. Sounds made by the Urbanspoon app are similar to how slot machines used to sound in Vegas when you pulled the handles. Quirky.

The app selected Nirvana Indian Fusion Cuisine located at 9101 College Parkway in Fort Myers in our example. It looks like a fantastic choice-it's$$, so entrée prices are mid-range. Plus, 82% of Urbanspoon raters liked it. Even the phone number is included in the Urbanspoon app. A blue bar stating "Read Reviews" can be tapped to see Urbanspoon users' opinions. After eating at a restaurant, Urbanspoon app users can tap "I like it" or "I don't" to rate it.

IPhone Screens of the Urbanspoon App

In the Urbanspoon app, after choosing the location, you can pick "Shake" or "Friends." Choosing Shake presents the wheel screen. Across the bottom are five additional screen selections. From left to right:

Shake-Takes you to the selection wheel. You select city, food type, and price range. Lock in your selections using the lock icons. Next, shake your iPhone to select a restaurant within your chosen guidelines. Rather than actually shaking your iPhone, you may tap the red bar that reads, "Shake."

Friends-"Share restaurant opinions and compare notes" with friends here. You may also create an Urbanspoon account, to offer opinions of restaurants. "Connect with Facebook" is another option.

Browse-The Browse option allows you to scan restaurant listings based on neighborhood, restaurants designated as your favorites, food types, restaurant descriptions, and a list of the "Top Contributors" (i.e. raters) in the Urbanspoon app. You can even add a restaurant if it isn't in the app.

Search-The typical iPhone app search screen appears. A QWERTY keyboard pops up with a URL window where you can type in what you seek-restaurant name, city, or food type.

Scope-This function is nice because it uses the iPhone's GPS to help find the closest restaurants to your selected location. Tap on red pins on the GPS map to view a restaurant name, get its address, phone number, Urbanspoon app rating, food type description, and more.

Using the Urbanspoon App to Make Random Restaurant Selections

If you really feel adventurous, lock in only your city and shake. Maybe it will be $ Chinese food tonight or $$$ French food. The Urbanspoon app is a blast. Talk about a conversation piece-if you are out with friends that don't have an iPhone, they are amused beyond description with the Urbanspoon app.

ITunes Reviews of the Urbanspoon App

The Urbanspoon app is rated by over 47,000 people on iTunes. One legitimate complaint discovered was that the Urbanspoon app does not include all restaurant menus. However, Urbanspoon users can take an iPhone pic of the menu (when visiting the restaurant) if it is not yet in the app. Some iTunes reviewers complained dining selections are sparse for some areas. Overall, iTunes raters found this app to be "useful" and "fun." The average rating of this application on iTunes is 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Cost of IPhone Urbanspoon App

Zip, zero, nada. The Urbanspoon app is free! Now, that's delicious.

Final Words on the Urbanspoon App

The Urbanspoon app is playful, recreational, and amusing. For those who repeatedly choose the same restaurants and feel ho-hum about dining out, this app is ready and waiting. It will surprise you with a random selection and please you with menu pricing that fits your budget. On the other hand, menus are not always available to preview. Just a reminder, this app is for iPhone 3GS users, 3.1 is required.

Rating

Four-point-five out of 5 stars

Sources

ITunes website

Urbanspoon app