It might be hard to believe, but Zagat, for three years running, has voted Starbucks as the #1 Best Coffee among Fast Food and Quick Refreshment chains. This, despite the fact that blind taste tests, including the ones conducted by Consumer Reports, consistently put Starbucks at the bottom of the list, calling their coffee “bitter” and “burned.” (For comparison, Dunkin’ Donuts and MacDonald’s medium roast always make the top of the list.)
So, the next time you see a Zagat send up of a hotel or retaurant, please remember that getting praise from Zagat doesn’t mean much– except, perhaps, for the fact that Zagat, for its own good and sufficient reasons, found it advantageous to promote whatever it is praising. One thing that praise from Zagat does not mean is that the restaurant, hotel, or merchandise is any good at all.
