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Google Maps now tells you a restaurant's most popular dishes

The app will translate the dish’s description to different languages.

Richard Nieva Former senior reporter
Richard Nieva was a senior reporter for CNET News, focusing on Google and Yahoo. He previously worked for PandoDaily and Fortune Magazine, and his writing has appeared in The New York Times, on CNNMoney.com and on CJR.org.
Richard Nieva
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Google is adding new features to Maps.

Getty

Google Maps not only wants to give you directions to a restaurant, it also wants to help you decide what to eat when you get there.

The search giant on Thursday announced a new feature for its Maps app that surfaces names, photos and descriptions of dishes that are posted most by Google Maps contributors -- volunteers who provide the company with information about local businesses.

If you're in a foreign country and don't speak the language, the app will translate the description to your own language. The feature is launching on Google's Android phones now and coming to iPhones in "coming months."

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Google Maps shows you a restaurant's popular dishes.

Google

The feature puts Google Maps in more direct competition with Yelp, which has a similar popular dishes feature. Google also said earlier this month it's bringing food ordering to Maps, search and its Google Assistant software by partnering with delivery services including DoorDash and Postmates.

The effort is part of a push to make Maps about more than just navigation. Last year, Google announced features to make the app more social, such as a "for you" tab that offers tailored recommendations and a "match score" to tell you how much you might like a restaurant or business.

Google has also been bringing dining features to its Lens tool, which uses your phone's camera to overlay digital images on real world images. On Tuesday, the search giant launched a tool that highlights the most popular dish on a menu by pointing your phone at it. The feature relies on data from Google Maps.