People Are Sharing Red Flags That Say "This Restaurant Is Gonna Be Bad In Some Way" And It's Useful And Horrifying
Last month, I wrote a post about chefs sharing restaurant red flags. Basically real-life chefs shared some red flags you can spot that scream, "This restaurant isn't gonna be good." Well, our BuzzFeed Community of diners came through with some red flags that a restaurant is gonna be bad or dirty.
Here's what they said:
1."If a sushi place has a pizza oven."
2."If they use the same towel to clean the seats AND the table. Yuck."
3."Just a tip: If you’re in a landlocked state or country, unless it’s freshwater fish, the fish is probably going to be horrible. Which is why I’m glad to live really close to the ocean."
4."If the food comes out suspiciously fast, then that's normally a red flag that a lot of what's back in the kitchen is frozen."
—Anonymous
5."If somewhere has an overwhelmingly fishy smell, then avoid — not if there’s a mild odor. Source: I used to work with fish."
6."If they don't ask how you want your meat cooked."
7."See, I’m a Heinz girl. If restaurants DON'T show it’s Heinz, I know they are using cheap ketchup, and I don’t want it."
8."If the menu is sticky, the place generally isn't all that clean."
9."From experience, if anyone goes into the kitchen and comes out with wet shoes, run for the hills! Their kitchen is probably flooded and very likely unclean."
10."Good restaurants don’t have name tags."
11."A gross bathroom — or one where they can’t be bothered to ensure privacy or basic needs — may not always be a sign that the food is bad, but it’s definitely an 'F U' to the customer. If you’re treated like a Karen for pointing it out, you’ll know the owner and/or staff are insufferable, and it’s best to eat elsewhere."
12."A dirty bar. If there is dust on the bottles on the shelf, you know the lines are going to be dirty too. Good bars clean the bottles and bar area."
13."When there are pictures of food on the menu that clearly aren't from the restaurant."
14."Dirty high chairs is a huge red flag for me as a parent."
—d33z
15."If a place changes its name/cuisine frequently, they're cycling owners, which either means there's better options in the area or there's something toxic in the chain."
16."In the UK, if they only accept cash it's not a good sign. Not necessarily a deal breaker, but not a good sign."
Did they miss any? Let me know in the comments below!
Responses edited for length/clarity.
