By Chris Holt
There are a number of great applications out there to help you find the perfect bar or restaurant. But aside from Yelp and GroupOn (which acquired the restaurant discount app Savored in 2012) there are some hidden gems to augment your dining experience.
Cover: If you’ve ever struggled to split the bill with friends or have been frustrated by a short staffed restaurant, Cover offers some relief. The app allows you to divvy up the total and handle tip without waiting for the check to arrive. At participating restaurants, you simply let the server know you’re paying with Cover. This one is great for people on a time crunch — the only downside is the limited number of places that accept it so far.
BillR: Along the same lines as Cover, BillR helps split bills and specifically is great for large parties (up to 16 people). You can sort the check by item, split appetizers, and then calculate tax and tip. It saves the hassle of getting out the smart phone calculators and pens. Great for thrifty people and friends of thrifty people.
Happy Hours: Looking for drink and dining discounts in your area? Happy Hours points you toward all the nearby specials at any given time. Whether you’re trying to find the best deal on wings or the cheapest PBR in your hood, Happy Hours is very helpful. Available in 100 cities.
Find Me Gluten Free: This one is like Yelp for Celiac’s sufferers. If you’re someone with a gluten intolerance, FMGF will tell you which restaurants offer gluten free menus, which ones are Celiac friendly, and also has crowd sourced ratings of dining experiences from other users of the app.
Urbanspoon: Urbanspoon has been a staple of the foodie’s mobile device for years, and yet it still doesn’t get enough love from the general public. Like Yelp, Urbanspoon’s app allows you to search for and rate local restaurants. But if you and your friends are struggling to decide on a place due to overwhelming options, Urbanspoon’s “shake” function will pick a restaurant for you.
Open Table: Open Table is still the best app out there for securing restaurant reservations — and did you know it’s also available as an app? Despite San Francisco’s reputation for being a “no reservation” city, over 1,300 restaurants in town are affiliated with Open Table.
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