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In my particular social circle, it seems like everyone has a dietary restriction. I have a friend who’s vegan and also has celiac disease, a friend who doesn’t do dairy, a friend who’s vegetarian, and a friend who is no-carb. Needless to say, whether we are dining out or dining in, it can be a real struggle to find a food option that works for everyone. If you are on a limited diet or have food allergies, an app like YoDish can help you find a place to eat.
What is it and what does it do
Main Functionality
YoDish is a restaurant and food guide for people who have dietary restrictions and/or food allergies. The app particularly targets those with food allergies, vegans/vegetarians, and those seeking to adhere to a gluten-free lifestyle.
Pros
- Simple to navigate
- Share restaurant info via YoDish, Twitter, Facebook, or FourSquare
- Posting is lightning fast
- App has a robust ratings system that makes it feel extra user-friendly
Cons
- App can’t make iron-clad guarantees about the nutritional content of food– you should always double-check with your server before ordering and consuming food
- App asks for permission to use your current location and give you push notices, as well as logging in before you can use the app
Discussion
YoDish does require you to log in: this is not the sort of app that allows limited browsing for interested users, which seems to be a bit of a pity, really. That being said, you can create a new account, or use your Twitter or Facebook credentials to get started. It does seem odd you can’t log in with Foursquare, since the app itself is powered by Foursquare’s locations database.
Overall, this app has an excellent interface. There are plenty of images of food, along with qualitative reviews and a great ranking system. It is simple to find a restaurant that fits your needs with just a few taps, making this app great for pre-dinner planning or finding a restaurant on the go, in a hurry.
YoDish is powered by DineAssure, which incorporates third party dining info. Here is just part of the disclaimer from the App Store description: “DineAssure shall have no liability for your medical, health, dietary, or nutritional decisions based upon the content on this Site. Reliance on any information provided by DineAssure is solely at your own risk.” In other words, always double check with your server before ordering food so that they are apprised of your unique dietary needs.
Conclusion and download link
YoDish is a fairly simple and straightforward app. Whether you are dining with a companion who has severe food allergies or are looking to find a new place to eat in your area, YoDish is well worth checking out if you or someone in your social circle has a restricted diet.
Price: Free
Version reviewed: 1.1.1
Supported OS: Requires iOS 5.0 or later
Download size: 2.7 MB
