Article created by: Vėja Elkimavičiūtė
Most people love food, especially good food, and that is why we often find ourselves going out to spoil ourselves at a restaurant and ordering our favorite meals, spending time with our friends and family. However, it's not always a pleasant event. Sometimes the experience doesn't meet our expectations and is quite disappointing, and when you're paying quite a hefty sum for an experience, you want it to be the best it can be.
There are many things we look out for when we go to a restaurant - the prices, the food options, and how nice the staff is. People online gathered together in this online thread to share some red flags that immediately show them a restaurant is not up to par and they should leave immediately. From dirty floors to a huge menu, these ideas might help you spot a place that just isn't worth spending your money on.
Kids running wild. Apart from the inconvenience of the other diners it’s dangerous when staff are walking round with hot food.
Edit. I was pleasantly surprised to see so many up votes. I thought I was posting something controversial. People sometimes get triggered when someone mentions badly behaved kids and think your just some bitter child hater. But actually I love kids. I just don’t want to eat in their playground.
Dirty menus. If they can't be bothered to wipe the menu then what else are they not cleaning?
Edit: I see excuses like 'there's not enough time', 'it's not a priority', 'the last thing we're going to do is clean the menus'.
There's always an excuse not to do something. Like I asked, what else are they not cleaning?
Owners being rude to staff in front of guests
Loud music. I've been in restaurants before where I can't hear myself think, let alone hear people opposite me talk.
Edit: comments were irritating me, so I amended
I’m from UK so maybe not relevant but HUGE menu with loads of variety. If they can just master 5 or 6 dishes they will taste far better that the 50 different options that the kitchen has to offer.
QR code menus
If they just ignore you for 10 minutes. Even if you are (too) busy at least acknowledge you've seen me and will get to me.
Dirty bathrooms.
If the table is sticky and it gets stickier after they wipe it.
Tables packed closely together to the point where you might as well just be sitting with the strangers next to you.
No hand soap in the restroom.
Unless staff have their own restroom no one’s washing hands after doing their business into
urinal or toilet.
Paying and tipping on a handheld electronic device while the waiter stares me down. One guy actually “instructed” me to press the 25% tip option as if it’s a required step of the transaction. Infuriatingly rude.
I waited tables and bartended for over 8 years and it was always considered a huge no-no to stand over someone while they tipped, totaled, and signed the slip.
The smell when you walk in. If you can smell sewage, mold or excessive bleach or ammonia when you walk in over the food, turn around.
Being seated next to other diners *in an otherwise empty restaurant **if it’s not a shared dining experience like a BBQ
if you go to a mexican/tex-mex spot and the chips and salsa are terrible just pack it up and leave, nothing will get better.
When they keep the lights so low that you literally can’t see the menu. I’ve been in three places like this, and the food is always bad. The place is dark for a reason.
Taking forever to get the check grinds my gears. I'm less likely to return if I had to wait a long time to leave. I don't want to be held hostage after my meal.
If I can smell the bathroom as soon as I walk in. I’m out.
Flies.
Warm water served in a piping hot glass from the dishwasher.
Having no seats with backs. Nobody wants to sit on a bench.
