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We’ve all probably been to our fair share of good and bad restaurants and cafés, right? The service is horrible, the food smells funny, and you may or may not have spotted a raccoon stealing your dessert in the kitchen. But there are lots of other signs that you should immediately leave the establishment.
Redditor Objective-Switch-823 sparked an online discussion that got restaurant employees spilling the tea about the top red flags to look out for if you’re a customer. We’ve collected some of the most on-point ones. Keep scrolling to take a peek at what you should keep in mind the next time you go out for a meal.
We got in touch with the author of the thread, u/Objective-Switch-823, who was happy to share their thoughts on the food and service industry. Read on for Bored Panda's interview with them!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
My girlfriends grandmother used to always use the bathroom at every restaurant before ordering. If the bathroom wasn’t up to standard she was outta there because who knows what kitchen looks like.
Like some of us (hi!), the author of the discussion is a big fan of the legendary 'Kitchen Nightmares' TV show with chef Gordon Ramsay. "I got the idea for the thread when I was watching Kitchen Nightmares and started wondering if I’ve ever eaten in a restaurant that’s actually disgusting behind the scenes," u/Objective-Switch-823 opened up to Bored Panda.
"I’ve never worked at a restaurant and might not know what red flags to look for as a customer. Bad food speaks for itself, but I’d rather avoid eating at a bad restaurant in the first place. No one wants to accidentally eat in a disgusting place," they said.
"Having restaurant workers discuss the warning signs can help customers pay attention to issues they otherwise would ignore." In the OP's view, the discussion got a lot of attention due to morbid curiosity. "People like sharing disgusting stories and experiences." The internet user was glad that the thread blew up because it really helped them be more careful about where they eat.
RELATED:
#2
A sick waitstaff. If restaurant owners encourage their waitstaff to work while sick (or don't help to find a replacement), you can count on getting sick, too
Anna Ekberg 6 months ago (edited)
If your waiter seems sick they probably got forced in to work one way or another cause usually people don't want to work when they are sick and shouldn't have to.
#3
ALWAYS hiring, or hiring all positions. Similarly, you never seem to see the same face twice when you go in
Barbara Wilcock 6 months ago
I find the turnover of staff in due to low wage and unpleasant working conditions. So many amazing wait staff and kitchen staff leave because of this 🥺
Bored Panda asked the internet user whether there was anything that the employees could realistically do to change a bad situation at the restaurant where they work. According to them, there's not much they can do if the owners are unwilling to make significant changes.
“Employees probably could take matters into their own hands and clean after hours, but that wouldn’t really address the bad management. Complaining to the owners is an option, but I don’t think most people would be willing to risk losing their jobs like that. If the restaurant poses a genuine health risk, either the customers or employees can report it to a local health department as well."
#4
When your family/friends who work[ed] there tell you not to eat there. Don’t f*****g eat there. Don’t argue with them because you love the food. Don’t argue with them because their stories sound absurd. Don’t bring up a friend who worked there in the past and never told you anything like they do. Just don’t f*****g eat there.
Surenu 6 months ago
Hell yeah. When I was like 16 or so, I worked in the back of an Italian restaurant as a dishwasher/cuccini. I didn't last long because holy hell is that backbreaking work. Anyways, they had prawns and since we're kinda far away from the ocean, well, they came in frozen, which makes sense so far. Except that in order to thaw them my boss would wrap them in tin foil... and dump them in the nasty, dirty sink water I was using to wash dishes.
#5
Number one evaluation effect for me is smell. If it’s a sour smell or disinfectant smell — red flag
#6
If it’s an open kitchen, look out for the kitchen staff wiping their sweat with their hands, on their phone, coughing, touching their faces, not washing hands. I saw kitchen guys grab raw chicken, wipe it on their aprons and make a salad and toss with the same hand. I stopped eating at that place after that.
Meanwhile, we were curious to get u/Objective-Switch-823's thoughts on what all restaurants could do to make their customers feel special. "Good hygiene, presentable cutlery, and plates are always a plus. A nice atmosphere, good-looking furniture, natural light, and plenty of space are also important,” they said.
"I don’t think many people would enjoy eating in a claustrophobic, dreary place. Polite and welcoming service is definitely a must."
Every customer deserves to be treated with respect. When you go out for a meal, you expect to get what you pay for, whether that’s fast food or a cutting-edge dining experience. You want the quality of the dish to match your expectations. You want the service to be quick, friendly, and professional. And, generally, you want to leave feeling like you had a great time.
It’s not like that’s a lot to ask for. It should be the bare minimum! But, in reality, you’ll quickly realize that some dining establishments really struggle with these basics. The chefs might have abysmal hygiene standards in the kitchen, while the servers don’t give a toss about anything because they’re on the verge of quitting anyway.
#7
If the draft beer tastes funky or off compared to the same beer in a can, the bar isn’t properly maintaining its draft system. That means yeast and bacteria are growing in the lines tainting the beer. Then ask yourself what else they aren't cleaning. A decent bar should be cleaning its lines, keg couplers, and taps at least every two weeks
Darius S. (he/him) cis/grey 6 months ago
frmr bar manager here.. it is absolutely disgusting how few bars clean their lines. We had 30, so 15 lines every other week.. it takes a couple hours but there is no point to putting a perry on the same line you just had framboise on.. bowling alley beer all tastes the same..brown
#8
Dirty glassware all over the place when it's not busy, bartenders that would rather shoot the sh*t with coworkers than take care of their guests, dirty bar stools. Honestly, my standards aren't that high
T'Mar of Vulcan 6 months ago
Went to a work function and as they were seating us I saw a dirty mop leaning across one of the chairs at the table we were about to sit at. Knew the food would be crappy, and it was.
#9
If the staff grabs clean glasses at the top when handling them
There are two broad approaches that you can take to fix the issues you see at any restaurant: bottom-up and top-down. The first is to have each and every member of your staff be more proactive. That means taking on more responsibility and solving problems as they arise instead of ignoring them. The issue with this approach is that it’s a lot of extra work for probably no extra pay. Not only is that likely to make the customers ill, but it’ll also have a knock-on effect on the reputation (and profits!) of the business.
The second approach is overhauling the way that the restaurant is being managed. That means setting clear expectations for hygiene and service standards… as well as showing your employees that bad work will have consequences. At the end of the day, this requires the owner and managers to have a transparent, unified vision of what they want to achieve. It also means taking on a more active management role. At least until everyone’s on the same page.
#10
Sticky bar top. I always have a habit of running a hand under the underside lip as well — any bar worth its salt knows that's where the run-off collects, and it's super important to clean
Show Thyself 6 months ago
I recommend using a tissue - if it's sticky or weird coloured after one swipe. Leave & throw the tissue in the next best bin
#11
Dick's Drive In (a burger chain in the Seattle area) uses fresh cut potatoes for their fries. Sometimes, fresh potatoes have fresh maggots. I was trained to just cook the maggots, because you can't tell the difference between a maggot and a french fry once you fry it and put enough salt on it. Now, to be fair, in the year I worked there I never saw a maggot, but the fact that it's a part of their training is f*****g gross.
#12
Dirty dining room is a red flag. Same for washrooms.
How fresh is the salad?
Noticing the staff fighting.
Huge red flag would be seeing a manager or owner berate or verbally abuse an employee in public.
It's tricky, a lot of the red flags are hard to see from the customers side.
Marianne 6 months ago
I once participated in a sushi workshop at a restaurant. While the owner was giving us an introduction, he stopped to scold his employees twice. Once, because they dared chatting in the background while waiting for their work to start and then because one of them broke a glass. I will certainly not eat there ever.
One server notes on ‘Food & Wine’ that one definite indicator that a restaurant is a bad place to eat is the horrid state of the bathroom. If it looks dirty, consider leaving. How the staff treat this public space is an indicator of their standards elsewhere.
To put it bluntly, if they don’t care whether or not the toilet is clean, why would they treat the kitchen any differently? Someone who’s sloppy in the kitchen might cross-contaminate food, improperly store ingredients, or serve items that are past their expiration date. Not only is that likely to make the customers ill, it’ll also have a knock-on effect on the reputation (and profits!) of the business.
#13
Well if you hear Gordon Ramsey going off his nut in the back room....
Michelle C 6 months ago
He has admitted to pretending to be a bully for TV and everyone who works on the shows in which he takes part knows this. He also makes announced and surprise visits to his restaurants to make sure service and cleanliness meet and exceed expected standards. Everyone of whom I have ever known or actually known personally that has interacted with him or known someone who does has said nothing but good things to say of him. If he is yelling at you in a back room, you do have a problem you need to fix immediately!
#14
If a restaurant is ALWAYS HIRING that's a red flag. High turnover rate almost always equals bad management and regularly rotating staff means serious sacrifices to quality and cleanliness.
#15
If you have a dirty plate/cup/utensil and bring it to the servers attention look at how they react. If it’s apologetic and you get a new one right away you know it was a mistake, but if they lag/roll their eyes/give a look of disdain you know they don’t care at all.
Tucker Cahooter 6 months ago
But make sure the apology doesn't escalate [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvJCiihwAKU]
Meanwhile, another red flag is if the restaurant has a large menu. Simply put, it likely means that the food you’ll get won’t be fresh. It also indicates that the chefs are forced to run around making tens (if not hundreds) of different dishes instead of focusing on a few quality pieces. If the menu or the restaurant walls have pictures of the food, lower your expectations further.
One subtle sign that you’re better off eating elsewhere is the state of the salt and pepper shakers and the menus. If they’re sticky, grimy, and icky, the cleanliness standards are bad.
#16
If you notice your feet sticking to the floor, turn around and leave immediately...
#17
My father and brother both worked as gas fitters connecting kitchen appliances and they told me if you saw some of the kitchens they have seen you would probably never eat out again.
It can be hard to tell how bad a kitchen is without seeing it but they said if the restaurant area doesn't look great then chances are the kitchen will be even worse. They have stories like pulling an oven out to replace it and grease 3 inches thick on the wall with a dead rat and cockroaches behind it. 🤮.
#18
That time I was about to throw away meat that was smelling sour. Owner told me to wash it. I said , wash it ? She said yes just wash .I was to shocked . So she took it and washed and boiled it. And put it on the tray. She went away .
. I wrapped it in paper and threw it away later and didn’t served it to anyone. It was something that made gag thinking about it:
Their bathroom was clean.
Roaches. Was a thing. It was just . Health department came . After that I didn’t ate at those places. It’s just to much for me .
On the service side, it’s never a good sign if you’re getting ignored or if someone's rude. If you’re not treated like a guest, you probably shouldn’t expect good food, either.
(Of course, there will always be exceptions. Some restaurants, delis, and bars are known for their rude or grumpy staff. They’re part of the experience. Just think of Gordon Ramsay's brand!)
#20
If the menu is too big that can be a red flag. a huge menu means a lot of food types aren't ordered or kept around a lot. so that chicken patty or crab cake will be like one left in the back of the freezer all chunky and crunchy. they also likely won't have as much experience cooking it and it will be bad.
#21
If the place is at least clean, I’ll pretty much forgive anything and take my hat off to you that you’re keeping the doors open
What is the worst restaurant experience you’ve ever had, Pandas? If you’ve ever worked as a chef or server, what would you warn customers about if you could? What makes a meal out on the town special for you?
We’d love to hear your thoughts on this, so if you have a moment, drop by the comment section.
#22
Adult to teenager employee ratio. I've been around the block and if you walk into a restaurant or coffee shop and the entire staff is 16-20 with one adult to supervise it is a bad sign. I know most restaurants have a majority young people working there, that's not what I'm talking about. If the establishment pays so little that no one with any actual bills to pay can afford to work there it leads to high turn over and an immature staff that generally doesn't give a s**t. Nothing gets cleaned properly because the babysitter(manager) a) can't go behind everyone and do their jobs and b) also doesn't get paid enough to give a s**t.
With coffee shops this can be particularly bad because in my experience health department inspectors have NO CLUE how coffee machinery works or how to check it for cleanliness. It is really easy to make coffee equipment look clean on the outside while it hasn't actually been washed in months or has nasty crusted milk on the inside. If the owners don't give enough of a s**t to pay and keep employees that aren't a revolving door of teenagers, they probably don't care enough about their equipment and your cup of coffee was probably made with nasty, dirty equipment.
Michael Largey 6 months ago
If a place pays its staff badly then it usually treats its staff badly as well, resulting in poor performance. It will have nothing to do with the age of the staff or what bills they have to pay.
#23
Discoloration in certain foods. I some years ago, worked at a banquet center where food was allowed to sit out for hours and then put back in the coolers. This happened with salad dressing and bite-sized desserts that weren’t consumed. The cooks were also ex-Navy guys who smoked while they prepared food. I quit after I was sexually harassed by the owner of the place. Honestly, the only way that s**t hole must have passed health inspection was some major greasing of palms.
I’m also willing to wait for food at places like Subway where employees are using gloves, taking their gloves off every time they finish making a sandwich, and washing their hands frequently.
#24
Any bars with incredibly large/deep ice-tubs. If you're going to have ice in your drink, ask when it was last emptied and cleaned. Deep tubs aren't normally emptied in a busy bar, they'll just have more ice dumped on top. Trouble is, if the tub isn't clean, then bacteria (most notably e-coli) can be present at the bottom. It looks like black or very dark green spots. It's pretty easy to spot against the white inner lining of the tub.
I worked in two large night clubs and it was never cleaned during a normal shut-down at the end of the night because they're so large. I assume that it would normally be done during a deep clean but that depends on the venue.
I don't have ice in my drinks for that exact reason.
#25
Large hotels or resorts that pay utterly s**t wages and treat staff like c**p.
People used to pay tens of thousands for a wedding and not realise anything about what went on behind closed doors. Many staff were on the equivalent of $2/hour, worked 12-14 hours with hardly a single break and few guests ever bothered tipping - so the staff treated their employers and customers with broadly the same contempt.
“Oops, did I drop that on the floor? The five hundred second rule applies!”
“Did it only get stood on the one time? It’s good to go back in.”
“It fell? Pick the fluff out of it and put it back on”.
“Smells funny? Mix it in with some fresh stuff”.
I saw one guy blow his nose into a slice of bread used for the buffet sandwiches.
Dregs of drinks being reused as the foundation of the next drink. Glasses unwashed, wiped over and over again with the same dish towel.
Staff who were obviously ill washing dishes and handling cutlery, crockery etc. Using their sleeve as a handkerchief.
The list is endless.
To be brutally honest - as a 15/16 year old working for nothing and being treated like s**t by snobby customers, I hardly gave a f**k.
So next time you’re at a ‘luxury’ resort, treat the lowly staff more kindly. Because those nice customers were the ones I made sure didn’t get ‘steak a la carpet’.
Your only defence as a customer is your attitude towards the waiter.
#26
If the easy stuff isn’t taken care of the hard stuff has been sliding for days or worse.
Stale bread? Old condiments? Hot cutlery or glasses? These are signs of a dysfunctional back of house.
If they can’t keep the front of the house clean the kitchen is going to be a nightmare.
#27
If I see a bartender touch the tap spout with a glass someone was just drinking from, I immediately leave. That’s, like, common sense sanitation sh*t
Barbara Wilcock 6 months ago
I'll get the down vote. But if its your own glass,and wanting another beer I can't see the problem. In the US I see bars with nuts and everyone is dipping in
#28
Dirty restrooms. I'm not talking about like, a couple paper towels on the floor, and maybe a little bit of water on the counter, I'm talking *dirrrrrrty* bathrooms, a la dirty truckstop gas station- if that's what they let the public see, you probably don't want to know what's going on in the back of house.
Darius S. (he/him) cis/grey 6 months ago
I forgot who said it but " You can judge a town by visiting the library and the bar bathroom & its graffiti "
#29
Never worked in the restaurant business but my local Panera was a franchised own location. Not run by Panera. I was never a huge fan but would go in maybe once a month on a Saturday morning for a scone and coffee. After they changed owners I went back in and the floors were so sticky. Gave it one more try about a month later. Same thing. Never went back. Called Panera to complain and they said, nothing we can do. It’s a privately owned Panera. Now if the floors are sticky where the customer walks, what’s the kitchen look like?
Tropical Tarot 6 months ago (edited)
Some companies inspector franchisees. I used to do this a long time ago for Quiznos. I guess a lot of that is falling off due to cost cutting and the pandemic.
#30
The staff, they give it away.
You walk over the floors and it feels sticky or slippery, but the staff doesnt care about it, that is a sign, The tables and chairs and windows arent clean, the coffee pot has rings of old dried coffee on the inside. The counter is fatty and has stains that hasnt been wipded down in the last few days or hours.
If you went to their kitchen you will find the chefs working with dirty tools, chopping up your salad on the same place they just cut up cold chicken on. What goes into your dish is just what they have in the fridge that isnt "too bad" yet. 2 weeks old milk but doesnt smell bad, works just fine.
Its rather an attitude among the people working there then anything else, usually this comes from these employees manager who in turn dosent care. Has a sort of "whatever" attitude.
Jane Alexander 6 months ago
You'd think that the staff would prefer not to stick to the floor either.
#31
My sister worked in restaurants for about 8 years while she was in college. The horror stories are unforgettable. She even quit two places over their "cleanliness standards" or lack thereof.
* At a nationally-known chain restaurant (like Applebees-tier), they often had problems with homeless people running in and stealing entire trays from the buffet. She said that there were occasions where her manager retrieved the tray from the hobos and simply put it back in the buffet line.
* Another quite famously-known chain restaurant had a notoriously disgusting line cook who would make the cast of "Waiting" look like Mr Clean. His nickname was "Crusty Critter." Imagine someone who hasn't showered in a week or two, has greasy hair, smokes like a freight train, chews, and wears the same clothing day after day... We aren't quite there yet. He apparently used to take bites out of people's food with a fork he left by the grill, then cover up that he had done so. He had been caught multiple times
* First rule of cooking is avoiding cross contamination, right? She said that at every restaurant she ever worked at, including a 4-star place, she witnessed bizarre cases of cross contamination.
As for red flags, ***she said the biggest red flag is the hygiene of the staff***. If the staff are gross, their standards are also likely gross. She said that waitresses and waiters often had to make their own salads for customers, and they NEVER washed their hands after handling dirty dishes, pens, booklets, menus, etc. They'd just reach right into the salad line with their hands and grab away.
Blech.
ElfVibratorGlitter 6 months ago
Did I just read, "her manager retrieved the tray from the hobos and simply put it back in the buffet line"?
#32
All the wait staff having a defeated look in their eyes. You can guarantee that the working conditions suck and that owners/managers are not cool, which means they are likely cutting corners back of house and making the wait staff serve things they know they shouldn't.
Mirolfur Grafarson 6 months ago
This is very very true. Last 3 times I got food that was overcooked, way too salty, not good, I remember stuff looked depressive and like they dont care
#33
I worked in a coffeeshop for few years and I went to a different branch to train few people and put the place together but what I found there was more than unbelievable I still have photos and when I arrived there that place shouldn't be serving anything. I sopoose they went back into their old tracks when I left.
Few things you can spot:
Dirty dishes, or the staff have to wash and rub them before they give it to you.
The coffee goes through the lever (if it's the old school coffeemaker) in few seconds or it takes over a minute... Trust me it's gonna be gross. It should take between 20 to 45 seconds depending on the type of coffee you order. This one is more about how much the staff actually cares but the hygiene goes hand in hand with this one. (Might differ in other coffeeshops and I'm not really sure so please feel free to correct me)
They don't wash the container they heat up the milk in every now and then. Again it's on the staff and on how much they care but they should really wash it at least every other use, assuming it's a busy place and the milk doesn't get to dry before they pour some more milk into that.
Dust on shelfs with expository goods, if these are all dusty you don't want to know what it looks like behind the scenes.
Dried syrup on pumps from flavours. Most of them are past the expiration date anyway but it's Okey, except hazelnut flavor that turns to disgusting mush and if you see dried flavor on the pumps just please don't ask for that flavor (And I'm not talking about tiny bit of dried flavor but literally blocked pumps where the staff has to take the pump out and pour it in by hand)
You wont be able to spot most of the other things I can think of but try to take a peek under the coffeemaker sometimes... Most of the times you wont be comming back...
#34
Worked in restaurants for seven years. Casual to mid-scale places. Most of them were very hygienic, but even the best places has problems. Just know that at some point ever restaurant has cleaning failings and you’ll never know.
Barbara Wilcock 6 months ago
Whenever you cook for your family, do you deep clean the kitchen twice a day? Do you wear rubber gloves and netting over your hair. Do you poison everyone at Christmas. No,I didn't think so
#35
Another thing from a lifer in brewing and bars / restaurants. If the draft beer tastes funky / off compared to the same beer in a can, the bar isn’t properly maintaining its draft system. That means yeast and bacteria are growing in the lines tainting the beer. Then ask yourself what else aren’t they cleaning.
A decent bar should be cleaning its lines, keg couplers, and taps at least every two weeks.
#37
An all-you-can-eat buffet that's held only once a week, usually on Sundays. In the restaurant where I work, that was how they got rid of the stuff that they couldn't sell on the regular menu.
#38
(PRE-COVID) Watch how servers get ice for your drinks, dipping the glass in an ice bin is a red flag. There is no way someone can dip a glass in an ice bin without ice touching your fingers, even if it is allowed. Another red flag for me is if servers carry away empty drinks with their fingers in the glasses to carry more at one time. If servers are in a hurry, they are definitely wiping their hands off on their apron or towel than take the time to wash their hands every single time they get something on them.
Niamh Gallagher Kerr 6 months ago
A glass in a ice bin is a huge red flag. I used to make staff burn the ice if they put a glass into it. Glasses chip too easily.
#39
If it’s busy, just go home. Staff are too busy getting out orders to angry customers to wash their hands after collecting plates and glasses etc before they run out the new ones.
#40
I was asked once if I wanted my old fashioned up or on the rocks. I went with a bottled beer
What do you think ?
Diolla 6 months ago
Once ate a a Chinese restaurant and got one of those nice garnishes on my plate. You know, when they cut vegetables in shapes like flowers or fish for decoration. I got a carrot cut in the shape of a flower. Not only was it dried out but it was sprouting. A two inch sprout growing from it. How many days has that garnish been on rotation????
Diolla 6 months ago
Once ate a a Chinese restaurant and got one of those nice garnishes on my plate. You know, when they cut vegetables in shapes like flowers or fish for decoration. I got a carrot cut in the shape of a flower. Not only was it dried out but it was sprouting. A two inch sprout growing from it. How many days has that garnish been on rotation????
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