Facebook users who are thinking about going to a restaurant they've never been to before can now see some of the reviews that previous customers gave on their last visit through the social network site.
Facebook has partnered with a number of publications to come up with restaurant reviews as part of this latest feature, which it has recently launched. These include restaurant reviews published by the San Francisco Chronicle, New York Magazine, Bon Appétit, Conde Nast Traveler and Eater.
According to Facebook, there will be both a "Critic Reviews" section and user reviews on restaurants' FB pages. The former will be placed over the user reviews and will feature images as well as a short description of each restaurant. For a complete and more detailed review, users can simply go to the publisher's website just by clicking the provided link.
"Since reviews are such an important part of helping people make informed decisions about what to do locally, we're excited to be incorporating a new way for people to use Facebook to find the best real-world experiences," said a spokeswoman for Facebook in an email message sent to The Verge. She added that there are "thousands" of restaurants that are included in the pilot launch.
Facebook's new Critic Reviews feature may also challenge similar products that are currently available on the market. These include Yelp and Zagat, the latter being a restaurant guide that was acquired by Google in 2011. With this in mind, it seems like Facebook is aiming to become users' one-stop local search engine.
It remains to be seen just how restaurants will respond to reviews being featured on Facebook as a result of a user's search. According to the social media company, it will also include negative reviews from its partners whenever one is available or had been presented.
"In order to give you access to even more helpful information about local places, we're testing a new unit that will display critic reviews for certain restaurants in the U.S. Starting today, you'll now see critic reviews in addition to reviews from friends and other people who have been there," said a Facebook spokesperson to Mashable.
The restaurant reviews feature is the second major venture of the social network on providing a more engaging editorial content from its media partners. Recently, Facebook launched Instant Articles, which will allow media companies to publish news content directly onto the social network's pages. Some of its launch partners include the National Geographic, BuzzFeed and the New York Times.
