TikTok’s new restaurant guide is just a longer version of ‘I saw this on TikTok’
A feature that curates restaurants based on user videos, but no one asked for it.
The story
TikTok introduces 'Must Eat,' a feature curating restaurant recommendations from user-generated content, aiming to compete with Yelp and Google Maps by leveraging viral trends and user reviews.
Source: techcrunch.com
Our reading
TikTok’s new ‘Must Eat’ feature is basically Yelp, but with more hashtags and fewer actual reviews. It’s like the app realized people don’t just want to watch dancing cats—they want to know where to eat after.
The feature splits restaurants into ‘Everyday Eats’ and ‘Elevated Dining,’ as if the difference between a burger and a steak is something TikTok needs to explain. It’s not like people have been using the app to find restaurants for years already.
Now, instead of just watching a video of someone eating ramen, users can book a table directly through TikTok. The only thing missing is a ‘Must Not Eat’ option for places that look good in a 15-second clip but taste like regret.
