POTTSTOWN PA – If you were asked, “who sells the best hot dog in Pottstown?,” you’d probably offer an answer quickly. Why? Because Pottstown has been famous for hot dogs since the 1920s, and many area residents know a couple (or more) places that specialize in them.
On Friday (May 17, 2024) Yelp!, the San Francisco-based company that publishes crowd-sourced reviews about businesses on its website and app, asked the same question.
In fact, it was the subject of an e-mail (at right) sent to the company’s Pottstown area subscribers.
Yelp!’s message started boldly. “It’s the unofficial Summer kick-off,” its e-mail proclaimed. “Who says you need to spend hours at the grill for a classic cookout? Instead, get juicy, sizzling, hot dogs on-the-go in Pottstown,” it added. “Find hot dog spots,” an embedded button teased.
Picture black grill marks on a glistening pink sausage, nestled in a bun, topped by generous portions of mustard, relish, and onions. Keep that vision in mind while learning how Yelp! draws its conclusions.
About Yelp’s rating system
Yelp! ranks businesses in descending order, from best to less-than, in three ways: by recommended, by highest rated, and by most reviewed. The Recommended ranking is Yelp’s default list. It sorts and presents recommended results “based on factors like search terms, distance, and ratings,” the company explained.
Its Highest Rated ranking, Yelp! added, “reorders results by giving more weight to the overall star rating of businesses.”
The Most Reviewed ranking “reorders results by giving more weight to the overall number of reviews” submitted to Yelp!, it said.
Presenting Yelp!’s “Recommended” results
What 10 restaurants does the Yelp! e-mail rank as “Recommended” for the best hot dogs in Pottstown? In order from 1 (highest) to 10, its choices are:
- The Very Best Weiner Shop, in Pottstown;
- Brunish’s Grocery, in Pottstown;
- The Underdog Hotdog & Catering Co., also known as Mallie’s Burgers, in Pottstown;
- Nathan’s Famous, at the Philadelphia Premium Outlets in Limerick;
- Tony Luke’s, also at the Outlets in Limerick;
- Jethro’s Country Kitchen, at the Outlets in Limerick;
- Bucktown Grille, in South Coventry;
- Wayback Burgers, at Upland Square in West Pottsgrove;
- Hill Top Pizza, in Sanatoga; and
- Railroad Street Bar and Grill, in Linfield.
Given the variety of factors and their weighting, it may come as no surprise that the three ranked lists can differ significantly. For comparison purposes find Yelp!s “Highest Rated” rankings here, and its “Most Reviewed” rankings here.
Make your own selection, then go chow down.
Photo by Ball Park Brand on Unsplash, used by Travels With The Post under license
“Pottstown Foodie” is a public Facebook page operated by The Post Publications and its Travels With The Post edition.
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