How SearScore Works
Every restaurant in Austin gets a single composite score from 0 to 100. That number comes from four independent signal pillars, each measuring something different about why a place matters.
The Four Pillars
Review Intelligence (35%)
Aggregated ratings and sentiment across Google, Yelp, and niche platforms. We weight recent reviews more heavily and factor in volume, consistency, and specificity. A place with 200 genuine 4.5-star reviews outscores a place with 50 perfect 5-stars and obvious fake reviews.
Editorial Pedigree (30%)
Coverage from food critics, magazines, and trusted publications. Being named to the Eater 38 or a Texas Monthly Top 50 list carries weight. We track recency, frequency, and the authority of the source. One mention in a major outlet is good. Sustained coverage over years is better.
Local Canon Momentum (20%)
Is this place woven into Austin's food identity? Locals-only favorites, neighborhood institutions, and the spots that define a district all score here. We measure cultural staying power and community attachment. Some places are new but already feel essential. Others have been here for decades and still pack the house.
Platform Engagement (15%)
How Sear's own users interact with a place: saves, shares, plan additions, and profile visits. This pillar is intentionally weighted lowest to prevent gaming, but it captures real-time demand signals that the other pillars miss. When something's trending on Sear, you'll see it here first.
What SearScore is not
- Not pay-to-play. No restaurant can buy a higher score. No ads in the rankings.
- Not static. Scores recalculate daily. A place that slips gets reflected immediately.
- Not one-dimensional. Yelp measures reviews. Eater measures editorial opinion. Sear measures everything together.
- Not perfect. The system improves continuously. Some places have incomplete data. Signal count and confidence bars show you how much data backs each score.
Heat Badges
Every place gets a heat badge based on its current SearScore range and trajectory:
See the scores in action
Every restaurant, ranked and explained.