Review response guide

How to respond to a fake review for a Restaurant

In hospitality, tone is everything — diners judge how you'd treat them by how you treat reviewers.

First, decide whether it's genuinely fake — off-topic, from a competitor or someone who was never a customer, or spam. If so, flag it to Google (it can be removed for a policy violation) and, if needed, appeal with evidence. A truthful-but-harsh review isn't "fake" and won't be removed.

Removal takes time, so reply in the meantime — calmly and factually, for future readers. State that you have no record of the visit and have reported it, and invite a real customer to reach you. Never get emotional or accusatory in public.

Example

The review

“Terrible place, roaches everywhere. (from an account with no other activity)”

A reply that works

We take cleanliness seriously and have no record of a visit matching this, so we've reported the review to Google. If you did dine with us, please reach out directly — we'd genuinely want to make anything right.

Tip: State the facts calmly and note you've reported it. Don't rant — future readers judge your composure.

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Fake reviews — other industries

Other review types — Restaurant

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