This rings true well beyond India. I spend a lot of time comparing fast-food menus and prices, and I have learned the same lesson: a 4.5-star average tells you almost nothing about today's food, today's price, or whether the place is still good at the specific dish you want. The most useful recommendations I get are specific — which burger, which side, what it cost, and when someone last ate there. A short, recent comment from a regular beats a polished review every time.