i think your story is a great example of why open review aggregation sites are a broken model.
these reviews are not comprehensive. a lot of people only go there to post about a shitty experience or out-of-this-world experience. it's also broken in situations where reviewers are not familiar with the culture or standards of the place they're visiting, i.e. critiquing the service/cleanliness/decor of an authentic hole-in-the-wall chinese restaurant.
because there's a different standard you should hold a street hawker to vs a high end restaurant.
to be clear, you should be paying attention to the tastiness of the food (usually comfort food) and the atmosphere of something like a street stand in asia, where you might comment on attention to detail and innovation at someplace like coi.
these reviews are not comprehensive. a lot of people only go there to post about a shitty experience or out-of-this-world experience. it's also broken in situations where reviewers are not familiar with the culture or standards of the place they're visiting, i.e. critiquing the service/cleanliness/decor of an authentic hole-in-the-wall chinese restaurant.