Google’s making it easier to find cravings

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - If you’re in the mood for crab legs or ramen, or something else entirely Google is working to make it easier to find specific dishes at nearby restaurants.

The company announced a new updated search feature at its “Search On” event on Wednesday. Users will be able to search for a particular dish by typing its name and “near me.” The list of results will include images of searched items.

You’ll be able to click on each image to get some specific details such as price, ingredients, and restaurant names. The feature will even let you search for versions of dishes that are vegan, vegetarian, or spicy.

These days, companies turn to social media to reach would-be customers. Though it’s not technically social media, Google Maps and Search results also play crucial parts in whether a business thrives or fails.

Something else that plays a role in the decision-making process for picking a restaurant is the menu itself.

Many restaurants already have a digital version of their menu available, but some of them don’t really offer as much information about the dishes themselves. Google’s new “Multitask Unified Model” will aim to provide accurate menus, complete with image previews, while also highlighting “most popular dishes” along with being able to “call out different dietary options.”

Google is also planning to make it possible for users to “preview and evaluate restaurants to better understand what makes them special.”

But as is the case with many of the changes to Google Search these changes won’t be arriving all at one.

In a blog post Google said the new ways to explore information would be available in the coming months.

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