Produce Doesn’t Look Fresh: If your salad, fruits, or other vegetables don’t look fresh, it is probably because they’ve been cut way ahead of time. These items have low vitamin content because the vitamins are lost once they’ve been exposed to oxygen for too long.
Saltshaker: If the holes are clogged, and the top is dirty, that saltshaker has been refilled too often without being washed.
Dirty Bathroom: When the restroom doesn’t have paper towels, messy sinks, and the stalls are just plain disgusting, it’s a red flag that the restaurant isn’t keeping up with their cleaning schedule.
Glasses: If the wait staff grabs clean glasses at the top when handling them, that’s a clear red flag.
5 thoughts on “20 Red Flags At Restaurants That Should Scare You”
Thank you for a very informative article. Getting food poisoning is not pleasant. I’ve been there twice. I would like to add one more thing. I always check salad dressing and anything with mayo, ie, tartar sauce. If it’s not cold, I won’t eat it.
My husband and I look at the entrance of a restaurant. If the front door glass is filthy, cigarette butts or overflowing garbage cans nearby are always clues, especially when you walk in and there is multiple employees just standing around at the hostess station. I am also turned off by a server wiping down tables, seating and sometimes the Condiments with the same old filthy rag. Who knows what germs lurk there. It is getting more difficult to find a clean, affordable, consistent place.
Great article thank you for all the Tips. And alot of Interesting points thst I will use in the future and sum that obviously no Brainer but Again very good points thank you again.
I KNEW ALL THIS. My family ran restaurants all my life.
ONE little thing you can tell and not even go in the restaurant; If their singage has lights out or missing, DON’T GO IN.
If they’re not taking care of the little things, they’re not taking care of the important things.
I spent ten years in Commercial Pest Management. Many customers were restaurants…both inexpensive and expensive, small and large. I use my sense of smell when I enter a restaurant. With experience, you can easily tell a clean business versus dirty; one with a roach problem or a rodent problem. All restaurants have a smell. If it isn’t a pleasant smell, move on!