If you're hungry and wondering whih restaurant can offer you a delicious, hot meal before you head out, worry not because it's now just a Google search away. Thanks to a new feature implemented into the Google search engine, users can simply type in the command, "show me the menu for", followed by the name of a restaurant to get a list of available menus.
It's a neat feature, and something that could make it even more difficult for other search engine competitors, such as Bing search and Yahoo search, to imitate effectively.
"Next time you're planning a brunch or a date night, check to make sure the menu has something to satisfy everyone in your group, without having to browse through several restaurants' websites. Just search Google to show you the menu for the eatery you're considering and you can see it right on the top of your search page-complete with tabs for different parts of the menu (like appetizers, brunch or dinner) and, often, prices-before you make your reservation. Menus are available in the U.S. only for now," said Google on its Google Plus page.
At the moment, the feature is only available to Google search users in the United States, but it should make it to other markets as soon as Google gathers more information from user activity. Our own tests have revealed that the feature needs a few tweaks before this feature becomes worthwhile.
With Google now dipping its hands in menu and restaurant search, services and apps such as Yelp and Foursquare might have a serious problem on its hands, especially when this new Google feature improves. It's because many users would find it a lot easier to type in a search query rather than launch an app just to find out what's on the menu.
For the likes of Foursquare, a move like this could be a good reason for it to strengthen its ties with a larger company, for instance, Microsoft. Already, several rumors have have surfaced that both companies will partner to improve Bing search, and the rumored Cortana search assistant Microsoft is said to be working on.
