First of all, as a general rule, people are less than objective when it comes to their pockets and their stomachs! Someone may pan a restaurant for a reason that is purely subjective. Perhaps the waiter was not as polite as the diner/reviewer would have expected. Perhaps the seasoning was not as expected. Different people have different tastes (pun intended). I once saw in a children’s book a seemingly simple statement that I believe carries a very deep message: "There is no such thing as bad taste – only other peoples' taste”. For example, I personally cannot think of eating sushi, but there are plenty of people who think it is sublime.
And not only is giving a negative review a sensitive issue. Interestingly, even giving a rave positive review has the potential to be a problem according to the teachings of appropriate and inappropriate speech. Rabbi Yisrael Meir Hakohen Kagan, popularly known as the “Chafetz Chaim” (“desirer of life” as in Ps. 34:13) writes that excessive praise, even when it is deserved, may cause others to write or say the opposite. Therefore one should refrain from excessive praise of other people, objects or events.
In summary, if one has a complaint about any aspect of the “dining experience” I suggest contacting the owner directly. This does not require publicly denigrating the restaurant. I personally have seen this work as an effective tactic.
Judaism teaches us to take care not only of what we put into our mouths but also what comes out of them – kosher speech and communications.
