That 5-star review on a diner in Tucson made me question everything

I was killing time before a meeting last Tuesday and grabbed coffee near a spot with 4.9 stars across 300 reviews. Everyone was raving about their biscuits and gravy, so I ordered it. It came out cold, the gravy was basically flour paste, and the biscuit was harder than a hotel mattress. I checked the reviews again on my phone and noticed most of them were from accounts with one review total, all posted within the same 3-day window. I called the owner later just to ask about their review policy, and he straight up told me he gives anyone who tags him on Facebook a free slice of pie to leave a 5-star. I get that small places hustle, but that fake score made me trust nothing on that platform anymore. Has anyone else found a local spot where the ratings are clearly bought or gamed, and did you just walk away or call them out?

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nora_wells581d ago

Tucson's a big enough town that I know a few places like that too, but that free pie trick is a new one on me. I'd probably leave a one-star review just saying the owner admitted to buying reviews, even if I skipped the biscuits and gravy.