OpenTable

OpenTable lets you filter searches by time, party size, and cuisine type, and you can view real photos from other diners to get a feel for a place. The 'Discover' tab suggests restaurants based on your searches, like spots near your office, making it easy to find new options.

You earn 100 points per person who actually dines with you through your reservation, and these points can accumulate into dining credit for future meals. It's a nice perk if you book frequently, though you'll need to dine with others to build up points quickly.

OpenTable requests precise location access 'always' to enable features like automatic restaurant suggestions, but this raises privacy concerns for many users. You can avoid this by denying the permission or selecting 'while using the app' instead, though some features may be less seamless.

This lag when switching between tabs like reservations and search is a known issue, even on newer phones like the iPhone 15 Pro. Try force-closing the app and reopening it, or check for updates in the app store, as performance improvements are often rolled out in newer versions.

OpenTable is more streamlined for booking, letting you secure a table in about 30 seconds with instant confirmation and reminders, while Yelp focuses more on reviews and discovery. However, Yelp typically has less aggressive location tracking, making it a better choice if privacy is your top concern.