How Dining Out Differs Across Generations

A new survey from Eater and Vox Media examines how diners of all ages are discovering and enjoying restaurants

The nationwide dining scene has changed drastically since Eater was founded 20 years ago: Social media and Yelp emerged as a source for restaurant reviews; plenty of new reservation platforms popped up, allowing diners to better snag a hot table (and track their spending); and a global pandemic that descended five years ago still has the restaurant industry recovering.

A study was commissioned by Eater’s editorial leadership, with surveys from Bastion Agency. The Vox Media Insights and Research team surveyed over 2,000 U.S. adults in February 2025 representing the U.S. population that dined out at least once in the past month, hoping to better understand how Americans are approaching dining out in this new era. The goal was to not only to trace current dining expectations and desires — fueled by both current economic uncertainties and also the inundation of sources for restaurant recommendations and reviews — but also how younger diners might be shaping the industry in the future.

The survey covers how diners discover new restaurants (plus what sources they trust for recommendations), what diners want to get out of the experience of dining out (including pictures for social media), how inflation has affected dining, approaching dining abroad, and what food trends may currently be on the rise. Here are some key takeaways:

Each generation discovers and researches restaurants differently, with younger generations relying more on online review platforms and social media.

The study found 77 percent of Gen Z respondents and 67 percent of millennial respondents say they typically find out about new restaurants through social media, while 56 percent of millennials rely on review platforms, like Google or Yelp (that’s at least 10 percent more than any other generation). This is partly because of greater trust in these online sources, as each generation rates personal recommendations as the most reliable dining source (trusted by 80 percent or more of each generation) but review platforms are also greatly trusted by Gen Z (70 percent), millennials (69 percent), and Gen X (66 percent).

The biggest generational divide is over trusting social media platforms, with just 21 percent of Boomers but a whopping 72 percent of Gen Z respondents trusting reviews and recommendations on social media. There’s also a visual element here, with diners eating with their eyes first and being reeled into new restaurants by food imagery and “what I ordered” videos. This has a disproportionate effect on Gen Zers, with nearly 60 percent saying “what I ordered videos” make them want to try a new restaurant.

In theory, diners want to explore the unknown, with the majority of respondents interested in trying bold flavors and dishes.

However, that drive to try new foods and experience new flavors doesn’t translate to constantly going out and trying new restaurants, with diners pretty evenly split on preferring to stick to the comfort of the places they know (49 percent) and exploring new dining destinations whenever they can (51 percent). That extends to planning to try a new dining experience, with most diners spontaneously planning to try a new restaurant within 24 hours (30 percent) or planning a new culinary adventure only a few days ahead (43 percent). Eater readers are a bit of an outlier here, with users being just as likely to plan a new dining experience the same day (22 percent) as a week ahead of time (21 percent).

When it comes to favorite restaurants that diners are returning to again and again, 42 percent of diners call independent restaurants (mom-and-pop shops, fine dining, etc) their favorites while only 29 percent of diners favor chain restaurants. Chains still serve a purpose though, with 84 percent of diners enjoying going to chains.

There’s no overall trend driving dining culture, with diners pretty evenly split on what inspires them to dine out. But different generations do look for distinct experiences.

While 90 percent of Boomers and 79 percent of Gen X respondents rank comfort and relaxation in the top three experiences they seek when they eat out, millennials are more likely than other generations to search for culinary exploration (48 percent). Meanwhile, Gen Z is focused on cultural exploration (34 percent) and more likely than other generations to seek out something to share on social media (but only 18 percent put it in their top three reasons for dining out).

Looking to the future, the dining habit that respondents want to embrace more is trying new cuisines and restaurants (39 percent), with 44 percent of Boomers leading the charge to try something new. Gen Z is looking to ditch the crowds and curate intimate dining groups, with 25 percent of the young respondents looking to dine in smaller groups in the future.

The majority of diners do agree on one thing: checking prices. Nearly 60 percent of diners pay close attention to menu prices while they ponder what to order.

Similarly, 86 percent of diners have changed their dining behaviors in some way to navigate inflation, with 33 percent choosing less expensive menu items and 29 percent planning their dining around budget constraints. Other big inflation trends include looking for specials deals or discounts before going out (28 percent) and prioritizing dining out for special occasions over regular outings (27 percent). Even though Boomers are much more likely to be looking out for fair/reasonable prices when searching for a new restaurant to try (62 percent ranked it in the top two factors), Gen Z is taking a different approach by being more likely to share plates with fellow diners and order appetizers or kid’s meals to offset costs.

The social aspect of dining out is still incredibly important to most, but looks very different across generations.

Social interaction was the third-most important thing to get out of a dining experience for Boomers, with 45 percent of the generation’s respondents ranking it in their top three reasons for dining out and at a much higher rate than any other generation. But buzzy restaurants act as a sort of social capital for younger generations, with around 30 percent of Gen Zers and millennials picking out restaurants based on social influence and reputation (recommended by influencers, has positive online ratings, and/or is trendy). Meanwhile, only 10 percent of respondents like to rank and share their reviews on food social media apps (like Beli), but millennials favor sharing their meals on those apps more than any other generation. Sharing reviews the old-fashioned way, by talking with friends and family, is still preferred by 56 percent of respondents and 68 percent of Eater users.

Not surprisingly, 50 percent of Eater users surveyed write their own Google or Yelp reviews about restaurants (compared to only 34 percent of other users) and about 35 percent of users post their reviews on general social media sites (compared to about 18 percent of typical diners). When it comes to who people are dining out with, all diners tend to eat out the most with their partners (51 percent overall) and Eater users are more likely to dine out with their friends (60 percent). Younger generations are also more likely to dine solo.

Bastion Insights is a consumer insights and strategy consultancy specializing in qualitative and quantitative research, brand strategy, innovation, and communications. They help global brands and disruptive startups empathize with their targets, so they grow. At their core, they believe the right data and insights are the key to humanizing brands and businesses. Whether their partners need strategic consultancy or fast turn data and insights, they have a full toolbox of research methods.