Photo by Samuel Yongbo Kwon on Unsplash
Ever looked at a restaurant menu and thought, “What on earth is that dish?” Yelp just made that moment a lot less awkward. Their latest AI-powered updates are all about making it easier — and frankly, more fun — to figure out what to order, where to go, and what to expect when you get there.
Scan a Menu, See What You’re Getting
One of the coolest new features: Yelp now lets you scan a physical menu with your phone’s camera. Just point, tap, and boom — bubbles pop up over each item. Click one, and you’ll see real photos of that dish and what other diners had to say about it.
This is powered by AI image recognition, and it’s designed to make choosing a meal faster and more visual. Whether you’re trying to pick between two types of pasta or just want a sneak peek at that dessert your friend won’t stop raving about, Yelp has you covered.
Yelp’s AI Assistant Gets Smarter (and More Helpful)
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Yelp isn’t just focusing on food. Their AI assistant — originally launched to help people find services — can now answer questions about way more places. Think restaurants, bars, parks, zoos, clothing stores, and salons.
Here’s how it works: you ask a question in your own words, and Yelp pulls in data from business pages, websites, user reviews, and photos to give you a straight answer. Like, “What animals can I see at the local zoo?” Yup, it’ll tell you.
Even better, Yelp now shows pre-written FAQs directly on a business page, so if you’re not sure what to ask, just tap one of those.
Talk to Yelp Like You Talk to a Friend
Search is getting more human, too. You can now type in full questions — or use your voice — to ask Yelp something more natural, like “Where can I get a haircut and color near downtown?” Instead of just keyword matching, Yelp understands what you mean. It’s quicker and saves you from all the scrolling.
More Visual Info for Everything, Not Just Food
Yelp has also expanded its “popular highlights” beyond just food and drinks. Now, if you’re browsing a salon, you’ll see the most mentioned services — maybe it’s balayage, fades, or deep conditioning treatments. For other businesses like auto shops or clothing stores, you’ll find the top-rated services or offerings right up front.
And for food lovers, they’re also starting to highlight popular desserts (finally!).
New Features for Business Owners, Too
If you’re on the other side of things — like you own a restaurant or a service business — Yelp’s AI tools just became way more useful. They’ve rolled out voice agents that can:
- Take restaurant reservations
- Answer customer questions
- Handle special requests
- Qualify leads for services
- Send summaries directly to your Yelp inbox
That means less time on the phone and more time actually running your business.
Even More Visual Tools Are Coming
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
This fall, Yelp also added:
- AI-generated videos for restaurants and bars using user photos
- Longer video uploads (up to 30 seconds)
- Before-and-after galleries for services
- A dedicated section for planning projects
All of this adds up to a Yelp experience that feels more like a conversation and less like a search engine.
Why It Matters
We’re clearly in a new phase of how we interact with local businesses online. Yelp is doubling down on making discovery feel more natural, visual, and personal. With new tools that let you scan, speak, and explore, it’s now easier to figure out not just where to go, but what to expect when you get there.
Whether you’re hungry, curious, or just need a haircut, the new Yelp might just help you make smarter decisions — with a little less guesswork.
Keywords: AI, Yelp, menus, restaurants, business, technology
