theBEAT is built for the way people actually eat — gluten-free for a kid, halal for a family, kosher for a household, plant-based by choice. Our tags are how you find dishes that fit. Here’s exactly what they are, what they aren’t, and the one rule that travels with every single one — so you can order without guessing.
N° 001What a tag is
A tag is a read of what the dish lists and what the venue publishes. Allergen and religious tags quote the venue or its certifier, dated; health lenses apply published rules to every dish’s listed ingredients. We tag conservatively: when in doubt, we leave it off. What a tag is not is a laboratory test, a certification, or a promise about any single plate on any given night.
N° 002The four kinds of tag
They look alike, but they carry different weight. It helps to know which is which.
- Diet patterns — Vegan, Vegetarian, Keto, Paleo, Whole30, High Protein. These describe a way of eating. Lowest stakes; read them as straightforward descriptors.
- “Free” tags — Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free. We say “Free,” never “safe.” They mean a dish is built without that ingredient as listed — but kitchens share equipment, and cross-contact is real. For an allergy, these are a starting point for a conversation with the kitchen, not a clearance.
- Religious tags — Halal, Kosher. A verified tag here rests on dated evidence we keep on file — a certifier’s listing or the venue’s own published claim — and it fails closed: no evidence, no verified tag. Where the best available source is a community directory, the tag reads as worth asking, never as verified.
- Condition lenses — GLP-1-conscious, Lower-glycemic-leaning, Calcium-forward, leans lower-purine, lower-acid, lower-fat leaning, iron-forward, low-FODMAP-leaning, Pregnancy-conscious, Phytoestrogen-forward. Each one publishes the composition it reads for, and it leans — it never promises: “-conscious,” “-forward,” “-leaning,” never “good for” or “treats.” Pattern-level wellness labels with no honest dish-level test — heart-healthy, anti-inflammatory, gut-health — are not tags, and they carry no claim on any plate.
N° 003What a tag is not
No tag on theBEAT means “safe,” and nothing here is medical advice or a substitute for a doctor, dietitian, or allergist. Recipes change, suppliers change, and the person cooking tonight may not be the person who cooked last week. That is not a knock on restaurants — it is simply why the only source who can confirm a dish for your specific need is the restaurant itself. Ask them. Every time it matters.
And when you see the word “verified” on theBEAT, here is exactly what it means: the claim was checked against a named, dated source — a menu, an allergen guide, a certification listing — and kept the receipt. It means the claim was checked; it does not mean the dish is guaranteed. Kitchens change faster than any database. Verified is where your conversation with the restaurant starts, not where it ends.
A receipt also has a shelf life. If we have not re-read the source within 90 days, the claim stops being shown as verified in the app and drops back to “worth asking” on its own — on the date, not when someone remembers. The dish does not disappear; it moves to the shelf that asks you a question instead of making you a promise.
N° 004See something off?
Tell us. If a tag looks wrong, there is a report path on the dish, or you can write to [email protected]. We read every one and correct quickly — getting this right is the whole point of the project, and the community keeps us honest.
Ready to see them in action? Try the filters — free on every tier — or read the full legal disclaimer in our Terms.