Restaurant Finder App

Introduction Video

Check out our introduction video to see the app in action and understand its features.

Project Description

This web application is designed to help users effortlessly find restaurants based on their location and culinary preferences. By entering a city and a specific food category, users can discover a variety of dining options, view these on an interactive map, and read through or leave personal reviews. The application integrates several APIs to pull in real-time data, making it a dynamic tool for restaurant seekers. It also includes functionality for sorting search results and switching between a traditional list view and a map view.

APIs Integrated

• OpenWeatherMap API: Used to determine geographical coordinates based on user-input city names, ensuring accurate restaurant searches within the desired locality.
• Yelp Fusion API: Sources comprehensive details about restaurants, including their ratings, user reviews, and photos, to help users make informed dining choices.
• Google Maps JavaScript API: Powers the map functionality of the app, allowing users to visually explore the locations of restaurants and plan their visits accordingly.

Installation and Setup

To get the Restaurant Finder App up and running on your local machine, follow these steps:

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone [repository URL]
   

2. Install necessary dependencies: Navigate to your project directory and run:

   npm install
   

3. Environment configuration: Create a .env file in the project root and populate it with your API keys:

   OPENWEATHERMAP_API_KEY=<your_key>
   YELP_API_KEY=<your_key>
   GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY=<your_key>
   

4. Start the server:

   npm start
   

5. Access the app: Open your web browser and go to http://localhost:3000.

Key Features

• Dynamic Search: Users can search for restaurants by specifying a city and food category. Search results can be further refined and sorted by criteria such as rating, distance, and price.
• Map Integration: Toggle the view to display an interactive map that shows pins for each restaurant based on the search results, enhancing the navigational experience.
• Review System: Users can contribute reviews and rate restaurants using a star-rating system, fostering a community of informed and engaged users.
• Responsive Design: Features a responsive web design that adapts to different device screens, ensuring a smooth user experience across desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
• Theme Switching: Offers a light and dark mode for user preference, which can be toggled at any time to enhance visual comfort.

Application Usage

• Finding Restaurants: Enter a city and a type of cuisine to see available restaurants that meet your criteria.
• Navigating Results: Use the sorting features to order restaurants by distance, price, or rating.
• Leaving Feedback: After visiting, you can easily leave a review and rate the restaurant directly within the app.

Planned Future Enhancements

• User Authentication: We plan to introduce user profiles that allow for saving favorite restaurants and custom preferences.
• Mobile Optimization: Further enhancements to improve the mobile user experience, ensuring seamless functionality across all devices.