The visit
What we record
We preserve the restaurant, visit, price, written menu description, photographs, and field notes when they are available. Public pages show the visit month and year; the exact day remains part of the private editorial record.
The judgment
How current reviews are scored
The Dish Score totals four independent 25-point judgments: Shrimp, Grits, Sauce, and Balance/Composition. The Lowcountry Score is a separate 10-point measure. It is never blended into the Dish Score. The letter grade is an independent editorial judgment rather than a conversion of either numerical score.
The archive
How older reviews are handled
Earlier reviews retain the grade and evidence recorded at the time. We do not invent modern scores, missing prices, menu descriptions, or dates. A return visit adds to the record without overwriting what came before.
The evidence
Photographic integrity
Original photographs are preserved. Web copies may be rotated for recorded orientation, resized, and stripped of public metadata. Crops and visible corrections require review. Food and other documentary details are never generatively added, removed, or materially altered.