Been There: Restaurant Journal
Been There: Restaurant Journal is a map-based dining tracker for iOS and Android that allows users to log visits and share recommendations within a private friend network.
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
The app removes the friction of score-based reviews, replacing them with binary "would go back" decisions to create a more reliable, personal database of dining preferences.
For Social diners and travelers who want to curate personal restaurant journals and discover recommendations from their friend network.
What does it look like?
Key features
Visualizes visited restaurants, cafes, and bars as photo-based pins on a personal map, creating a retention loop via personal history tracking.
Displays restaurant visits and recommendations from followed friends, acting as an acquisition lever to encourage network growth.
Allows users to mark locations as favorites to highlight them on their profile and map, reinforcing the habit of curating personal collections.
How much does it cost?
Been There is currently free with no IAP or ad-supported tiers, prioritizing user acquisition over immediate revenue.
Velocity
Active developmentsocial featuresUX improvementsShow more...
The app maintains an active development pace, shipping two updates within the last week. Recent efforts focus on social features and UX refinements, such as streamlining post-editing and search functionality. This cadence suggests a stable, iterative development cycle aimed at improving user engagement with the platform's social feed. The development trend is currently stable, with clear feature-driven updates rather than purely maintenance-focused patches.
Who built it?
User Sentiment
What do users think recently?
The recent review mood reads thrilled. Users appreciate the social recommendation mechanism allows users to discover local dining spots through trusted personal networks and friendly user interface design makes navigating the application simple for new and returning users alike.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
What users say, by theme
- The social recommendation mechanism allows users to discover local dining spots through trusted personal networks
- Friendly user interface design makes navigating the application simple for new and returning users alike
4 of 4 recent reviews analyzed · limited sample
Read the full review analysisCompetition
Competitive landscape for Been There: Restaurant Journal
How's the Food & Drink market?
Been There operates as a niche, ad-free alternative to mainstream review platforms, focusing on personal utility rather than public ranking. The lack of a public rating count reflects its early-stage status compared to established, high-volume competitors in the Food & Drink category.
Read the market outlookThe rivals identified
Unlock the deeper market read.
Access the full report for freeThe Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for Been There: Restaurant Journal
Where is it heading?
The market for social dining discovery is shifting toward trusted, smaller-network recommendations as users grow fatigued by anonymous review inflation. Been There is well-positioned to capture this segment, provided it can reach the critical mass of users needed to make the social feed feel populated and useful.
- The rapid two-release burst in the latest update cycle demonstrates active feature investment rather than maintenance-mode stagnation.
- The current free-only model provides no immediate revenue, which will eventually force a pivot to either subscription or data-driven monetization.
The SWOT
- Binary rating mechanism reduces user friction
- Map-based photo pins drive high-retention personal history
- Collaborative planning features for "want to try" lists
- Travel-specific map exports for social travelers
Next best moves
Implement collaborative "want to try" lists because user reviews highlight discovery as a primary need → increase daily active usage
+ 1 more prioritized moveThe counter-intuitive read
The lack of star ratings is not just a design choice…
Read the full takeBottom line
Been There: Restaurant Journal successfully differentiates through its binary rating system and map-centric UI. Prioritizing collaborative planning features would capitalize on its social-discovery strength, turning the app from a personal journal into a utility for group dining decisions.
Unlock 2 critical frictions, 1 market threat, 1 more prioritized move and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeFAQ
Is Been There better than Yelp or Google Maps?
Does Been There cost money to use?
Is my restaurant journal private?
What are some alternatives for tracking restaurants?
Sources
- [1] App Store listing
Report last updated