Dear Yelp: WTF?


Do you all read Yelp?  It’s an online site for user reviews of local restaurants (and stores and bars and clubs, too.)  Somehow I have gotten on Yelp’s email list.  Every week they send out some “thematic” email- favorite Chinese restaurants, best places to watch the Cubs home opener, etc. 

Today’s list is entitled “Yelp Loves Locals.”  “Hm,” I think, as I click to open it.  “Must be like a list of local haunts for different neighborhoods.  Could be worth checking out.”

The list of places recommended in this email, in order:

  • H&M
  • Filene’s Basement
  • Gap
  • Urban Outfitters
  • Chili’s
  • P.F. Chang’s
  • McDonalds (“kids in the know call it Ronalds.”  Um, okay.)
  • The Cheesecake Factory
  • Blockbuster
  • Target
  • CPK
  • Domino’s

I’m thinking: Dude, Yelp, if I wanted a recommendation for freaking Chili’s I’d ask my cousin in the suburbs.  “Kids in the know call it Ronalds?  What the hell?

Then it hits me:  the date on the top is April 1.  This is not for real. I just totally fell hook, line, and sinker for an April Fool. And I came within about 30 seconds of posting a semi-ranty email about Yelp’s ridiculousness.  I am awesome. 


9 Responses to Dear Yelp: WTF?

  1. Jess says:

    You ARE awesome. God I hate this day.

  2. Ro says:

    Ha! Did you see Gmail’s new “Custom Time” feature?

  3. Nilsa S. says:

    HILARIOUS! And if you hadn’t explained it to me, I would’ve fallen for it, too. Damn!

  4. “Ronalds” – HA. I’m totally going to call it that now.

    Because I’m a kid IN THE KNOW.

  5. MarkT says:

    corporate america shouldn’t do april fools jokes.. they always come off as lame

  6. Alice says:

    oh my god. thank you for the reminder.. i ALWAYS get tricked on april fools. note to self: BE SKEPTICAL TODAY.

  7. your awesomness is why we love you. and i didn’t get it at first either,

  8. Swistle says:

    I hate April Fool’s Day because I fall for everything. I once practically cried because my favorite radio station was switching to an ALL-POLKA FORMAT!! Then I emailed a bunch of people I knew, saying that I wished I were single so I could use Google’s NEW DATING SERVICE!! *smacks forehead* *twice*

  9. Kristin C. says:

    Yeah….
    I totally didn’t get it…and I’m not sure I would have. We’ll just say I would have, you know, to keep me looking semi-intellegent.