" Just turn around and walk out if you see or feel any of this . This is coming from someone who has wreak in restaurants for 25 + year . "
Reddit useru/FlintTheDadposed thequestion: “What’s an immediate red flag at a restaurant?” and the thread quickly filled with the red flags and warning signs people swear you should look out for at restaurants. Here’s what people shared:
1.“Dirty AC vents. If those are dirty, I guarantee the hot line has food debris under it. And, if that’s the case, I trust nothing in that kitchen. I’ve run restaurants on a corporate level. It’s a pet peeve of mine.”
— u / bigfatfurrytexan
2.“Massive towers of food and/or those extreme Bloody Marys with an entire burger stuck to the glass designed for people to post on Instagram. The quality is never going to be good, and it probably means the restaurant relies on people coming for the spectacle rather than the quality.”
— atomic number 92 / stumptruck
3.“A huge, varied menu. Places like Chinese, Mexican, and Indian restaurants generally have large menus, but most items use the same base ingredients. It’s the places that try to incorporate lots of wildly different dishes that you want to avoid.”
— u / MagnusPI
4.“Dirty restrooms. Usually, if the restrooms are dirty, so is the kitchen. They seem to go hand-in-hand.”
— atomic number 92 / carboncanyondesign
5.“That smell. You know the one. The floors feel a little slippery/slimy underfoot, and it smells like they’ve been mopping the place with the same dirty mop and bucket water for weeks. This isn’t something you’re likely to see in a nice place, but I’ve encountered it in more fast-casual dining places than I care to remember.”
— uracil / y2knole
6.“Flies. They’re attracted to spoiled food. So, if I see flies, either they’re too lazy to clean properly in the kitchen, don’t clean out their equipment or fridge, or worse, they’re using spoiled food by trimming bad parts out or using the entire thing.”
— u / zenmaster75
7.“‘ATTENTION CUSTOMERS: Due to inflationary pressures, we will be adding a 10% surcharge to all bills. Thank you for your understanding.'"
— u / davo747
" Or a augury saying : ' No one wants to work anymore . ' "
— u / ered_lithui
8.“A steakhouse that undercooks, overcooks, or overall is a gamble in steak quality. It’s a steakhouse; the steaks should at least be worth your money, not poorly-seasoned, overcooked slabs when you ask for it medium rare, or borderline rare (basically raw) when you ask for it to be medium.”
— u / GalaxyLatteArtz
9.“If it looks busy and management is nowhere to be found/on their phones. I’ve watched managers stand around on their phones and not help with team service whatsoever. It’s so frustrating working in a restaurant and you need all hands on deck, but managers/shift leads think that they’re immune.”
— uracil / Milkfic0
10.“First thing I do is go and wash my hands (amazingly, NOBODY does this anymore but me it seems). Well, if the water is ice cold and barely a trickle, or there are no towels or hand dryers, THAT IS A HUGE RED FLAG. Then, I’ll usually only order something deep fried to be safe.”
— atomic number 92 / bdschuler
11.“Not a red flag about the food, but if a place has their music up so loud I can’t hear the person I’m with, I won’t eat there.”
— u / Adro87
" Conversely , if it ’s TOO quiet . Like , not only if the sound system is way too low , but if the customers are also weirdly restrained ( scarce having conversations , just sort of sitting there ) and the ambiance seems almost stifling . A couple of years ago , we walk into a gastropub in Scotland just like this — very lowly medicine , the room was half - full ( and this was at peak lunch sentence ) , and everyone who was there were just sitting , looking sullen , barely address , wait for their food . Just really odd vibes . After five minutes of sit down at the saloon endeavor to get the attention of staff ( who were all standing around see at their phones ) , we left and give out to a unquestionably * not fancy * coffee shop down the block that was the absolute opposite word . citizenry just seemed well-chosen to be there , staff were attentive , and the vibe was really welcoming . "
— uranium / Good_Difference_2837
12.“Stained carpet. Chipped dishes. Loud entertainment. Yelling from the kitchen.”
— u / skaote
13.“Dust on lighting fixtures or the top edge of the menu screens if you’re at a fast food joint. Our local coffee shop has the electronic signs above, and they tend to be caked in dust. This is why I don’t order food from there, because that’s where they keep the bagels and buns — directly below the dusty screens. Mention it as many times as you want, but nothing gets taken care of.”
— u / Melalemon
14.“If the condiment containers on the tables are gross and sticky as well as the menus, run do not walk straight to the exit without ordering. They do not clean.”
— u / constructiongirl54
15.“Before being seated, I intentionally observe and analyze how many other patrons appear to be looking in the direction of their assigned server. That is an immediate indication that either the service is slow, or there are a multitude of potential problems with their orders. If either is true, it will likely result in an unsatisfactory experience.”
— u / dwolfe127
16.“ALWAYS hiring, or hiring all positions. Similarly, you never seem to see the same face twice when you go in and you’ve never had a server who’s been there more than six months.”
— u / ParkityParkPark
17.“High staff turnover. Full bar selection but no bartender. Dead on weekend nights. Lots of 86ed items. Empty but unbussed tables. Zero hustle among the staff. Very young servers. If servers are making good money, they will do almost anything to keep it flowing.”
— u / sam_the_beagle
18.“I hate when restaurants attempt to have as many tables as possible all crammed right next to each other. Then you feel like you’re basically having dinner with the tables right next to you.”
— u / witnessinghistory
19.“The floor. Just look at the floor and you’ll understand everything. If they’re not able to clean the floor, how do you think they gonna treat your meal?”
— u / IrishNewcomer
20.“They’re not busy when they should be, like weekends, lunch hour, etc.”
— uracil / llcucf80
21.“When they don’t serve food on a plate. Instead, it’s a brick, plank, or roof tile.”
— uracil / ItsBlurrsDay
22.“Dirty lights, dirty ceiling fans, and sticky tables. Just turn around and walk out if you see or feel any of this. This is coming from someone who has worked in restaurants for 25+ years.”
— atomic number 92 / PsychologicalTank714
23.“When you open the menu and crumbs fall out.”
— atomic number 92 / flat5
24.“A weevil. There is NEVER only one. They will be in any and all dry goods in that restaurant.”
— u/00dlez0fN00dlez
25.“Dirty water glasses. Dishes and glasses are washed by a machine, and if the machine is not being regularly sanitized and leaves food particles or residue on the glasses, that’s a first indication that deep cleaning doesn’t happen.”
— u / ferventlotus
26.“If a manager is yelling at staff either loud enough for everyone to hear or out in the open.”
— u / kosuhime
27.“When you ask about your food allergy and they can’t answer because they don’t know what’s in their food.”
— u / friendly - sam
28.“Multiple dirty tables that haven’t been cleared. If the restaurant isn’t crowded, staff should have time to clean them. If it is crowded, staff should be trying to turn tables over quickly. Dirty tables mean they are either severely understaffed or the staff just doesn’t care. Either way, you will be waiting a long time.”
— u/787la57la47al
29.Finally: “Do a quick ‘read’ of the restaurant’s vibe. No one to greet you? Are they short-staffed or in the weeds? Staff looking stressed? Customers without menus or food and looking around? Read their body language. If it feels off initially, it’s usually going to carry on through the entire meal. Trust your instincts and leave.”
— u / Imnopafmita
Yikes, yeah. That tracks. Any other restaurant red flags that scream “you shouldn’t eat here”?
take down : Submissions have been blue-pencil for length and/or pellucidity .
