Have you ever gone out with friends or family and ended up disposing of food and wishing you knew what the Restaurant was like before you booked it? Some warning signs you could be looking out for before you go out for food could tell you that you’re about to have a bad meal. A night you’re excited about could be entirely ruined by a meal that wasn’t worth the time or money.
The Food is Jumbled on the Plate
If you find foreign objects in your food, such as hair or bugs, you will immediately know something isn’t quite right. However, another warning sign that you’re at a bad restaurant is the way your food looks on the plate. When you work at a restaurant, you will be told about the presentation of the food you’re serving, and it makes a massive difference to the impression you leave. Alan Guinn, who is a consultant in the restaurant industry, said, “Poorly prepared or poorly plated or served food, food served without appropriate side dishes or condiments – especially items ordered – will create a mindset of ‘my food doesn’t represent good value,’ even if the food is tasty, the value proposition of the meal will be adversely challenged in the mind of the guest.”
The Menu is a Mile Long
When you get to a restaurant, if you notice that the menu is a mile long, this could be a red flag. It’s usually better if the menu is smaller because with a lot of dishes and multiple different cuisines, you can’t expect the chef to master them all, and this means you might choose one that they’re unsure of. Not only this but there is a red flag regarding safety and food freshness. Do you think that if there are over 100 dishes, people have ordered the same as you recently? It might be that it’s been a while since someone ordered the same, which means the produce might not be fresh.
The Diners Aren’t Happy
When you walk into a restaurant, you expect to see a lot of happy diners, and the look on their faces when they are eating should be of pure joy. However, if you walk in and notice that people aren’t happy and don’t seem to be enjoying their food, it can be a red flag and an indicator that you’ve chosen a bad restaurant. Stansbury, a food blogger, said, “Look around at the people eating or just finished with their food. If they seem unimpressed with their food, it’s an easy guess you might be with yours as well.”
The Parking Lot isn’t Clean
The appeal of the outside of a restaurant is a clear indication of what to expect on the inside. When working within a restaurant, you should be aware that it makes a difference in impression with what the outside looks in, just as much as it does on the inside if you visit a restaurant and notice that the outside trash cans are overflowing. Cigarette butts everywhere, you might want to avoid the place. A consultant with over 30 years experience said, “Dirty windows and doors are also a sign the restaurant isn’t focused on cleanliness, and that may carry over into the areas where your food is prepared.”
The Menus are a Mess
If the Restaurant you’ve chosen looks clean enough, then one red flag you might not consider is the state of their menus. If you notice they have food spattered on all the menus or torn, this could show that the restaurant owners lack attention to detail, which could be the same as your food. Guinn says, “If the Restaurant delivers torn, worn, or dirty menus, that tells you the waitstaff isn’t adequately trained, or the manager doesn’t pay attention to their restaurant environment. It’s a sure sign that attention to detail is lacking. A manager who ignores the front of the house often has difficulty administrating both the front and back of the house.”
The Restaurant has Too Many “Themes”
We understand that a restaurant having a theme is a good way of showing personality and grabbing people in, but it could be a red flag if there is too much going on in a restaurant. A publicist, Fabiana Melendez, said, “All restaurants have a look and feel. That’s what attracts customers. If you end up somewhere with too many themes, such as a cool dive bar inside but a nautical-themed beach bar out back, this can sometimes indicate that service and management are not in sync behind the scenes.”
The Restaurant is Empty
One indicator of a good restaurant is seeing many happy people inside. When you walk into a restaurant, and it’s empty, it will pose some questions and make you wonder whether you’ve made the right decision. Kenny Colvin, who has a food and drink brand, said, “The No. 1 thing to look for when choosing a restaurant is customers. Are there other customers dining there? If no one is eating in a restaurant, there’s a reason for it. It could be overpriced or bad customer service or food, but if the seats are empty, consider it a red flag.”
The Staff Appear Disinterested
Whether you visit a restaurant or a store, you always expect to be given the best customer service and treated with respect. However, one big red flag going into a restaurant is having staff members who don’t seem to care about the business. Michelle Stansbury said, “If the front-of-house staff look disinterested and checked out, it is a sign that the management isn’t doing a good job running the Restaurant. And if the front of the house looks unengaged, the back probably is as well.”
The Building is in a State of Disrepair
You can tell a lot about a restaurant by the look of the building on the inside and outside. If you have a restaurant that looks like it’s falling apart, then you might have to prepare yourself that everything else is falling apart around it, too, including the staff and the food. Guinn said, “While most everyone has a story about ‘a little hole-in-the-wall’ where they had a great meal, that’s the exception and not the rule. You can tell much by considering the general state of disrepair of the Restaurant itself. Stained ceiling tiles, unswept or unvaccumed floors, dead or dying plants, torn wallpaper, paint chipped and stained, and especially unkempt restrooms don’t bode well for the upcoming meal.”
Their Reviews are Influencer Heavy
You might notice that restaurants have the same or similar wording reviews on their websites. This could be because they match up with local bloggers, people who post reviews, and journalists to bump up their popularity level and deceive people into thinking that these are real individuals who have visited their Restaurant and left a good review. Melendez said, “Restaurants, especially upscale ones, have PR teams dedicated to generating good publicity. Whether it be a write-up on Eater or pictures of your favorite influencer dining there, we work around the clock to ensure restaurants always provide stellar service. But what matters is how they treat everyone. If you see influencers singing their praises on Instagram but find their Yelp reviews are questionable, this is a big indication of bad service.”
The Errors Keep Coming
We all have a bias when it comes to people making mistakes. The first mistake is acceptable; we know that everyone makes mistakes sometimes, but when they keep coming, it can be a big red flag for diners visiting a restaurant. If this is the case, it could show some underlying unresolved issues behind the scenes. Melendez said, “Servers are human, and an error or two can occur, especially if the noise level makes it hard to hear each other. But if you order one appetizer and receive another, or simply never get it at all, while your entrees also get mixed up, this is a flag that service may not be up to snuff.”
Everyone in the Restaurant is a Tourist
Tourists don’t know a restaurant’s legitimacy, meaning they’ll be just as clueless about red flags as you’ll be. It’s essential that if you’re looking for a good restaurant, go where the locals go. Then you’ll know that it’s a good enough Restaurant. Stansbury said, “If you only see other tourists at a restaurant, perhaps because it’s the only place near a popular attraction, I would hesitate to eat there. Restaurants where the locals are eating indicate that at least some diners are there because of its reputation.”
The Kitchen is Chaotic
You might be aware that becoming chaotic with anything in life makes you panic, make more mistakes, or don’t listen properly. A restaurant is no exception. If you notice that the kitchen is a bit messy and it seems like people are flapping around everywhere, it is a red flag. You might think a busy kitchen is good because of certain TV shows. This is true to a certain extent, but when it crosses over to chaotic, this is a problem.
The Restaurant Smells
When you enter a restaurant, you can expect to have the usual smell of a nice cooked meal. You shouldn’t expect to walk into a restaurant and be overpowered by the smell of stale grease or burnt food. If you smell this, and your nose doesn’t like it, trust it and walk away. You will be disappointed with your food if you give them the benefit of the doubt. If you don’t notice any unnatural smells coming from a restaurant, then it’s a sign that the staff and management are keeping on top of the cleanliness of areas where odors can come from.
The Bathroom is Dirty
Going to a restaurant and using a bathroom that you find unclean or untidy is fine. Bathrooms should be one of the cleanest places in a restaurant, and you can usually tell a lot about the place with the condition of their bathroom. Leave the Restaurant when you can if things need to be addressed, such as empty soap dispensers, lack of toilet roll, or dirty floors. Guinn said, “It’s noteworthy that in my career, I’ve never been in a restaurant with a poorly maintained restroom that had a stellar kitchen or served a superior food product. The restrooms immediately indicate to me the lack of attention to detail that can undermine food quality, even before having it served for me to enjoy – or not.”
Bad or Ignored Reviews
You can check out their reviews when you look up a restaurant near you. If you notice they only have one star, this could be a good reason not to go there. If people are satisfied or dissatisfied with their service, they commonly write their thoughts on the restaurant’s website or Google. Either way, the reviews work out for you, whether it’s worth the visit or money. However, if there are similar reviews from different accounts, these could be paid individuals who write positive reviews to deceive customers.
Unseasoned Menu
If you go to a restaurant and notice that they have foods that are most likely to be consumed within the colder months, and it’s summer, then this could be a red flag. Many restaurants now provide a seasonal menu, offering different foods yearly. For example, a salad in the summer or a stew in the winter. These would be placed on separate menus. Suppose a restaurant has one extensive menu with all different seasonal foods. In that case, the managers might not be bothered to change or update their menu every season, which might reflect upon the energy (or lack of) they put into their Restaurant’s upkeep.
21 Things That Shout You’re “Lower Class” According To Men
Class wars creep up in all aspects of life, including dating. We take a look at the things that men believe are telltale signs that you are lower class.
21 Things That Shout You’re “Lower Class” According To Men
Boomer Zoomers vs. Millennial Meh: 10 Cars the Older Gen Loves but Millennials Just Can’t Stand
The change in the automotive industry has been incredible over the year. Baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964 can’t get enough of the cars listed below, as muscle cars emerged in the 1960s, and new technologies appeared in the 1970s and 1980s. You can imagine why boomers genuinely appreciate these vehicles.
Boomer Zoomers vs. Millennial Meh: 10 Cars the Older Gen Loves but Millennials Just Can’t Stand
Across the Pond Disdain: 18 Horrendous American Habits Foreigners Just Can’t Stomach
There is a lot to love about America, from the bright lights of New York to the incredible breakfasts, but foreigners also dislike many things. We look at everything from poor public transport to an intimidating tip culture, sharing 18 things that America could be better at.
Across the Pond Disdain: 18 Horrendous American Habits Foreigners Just Can’t Stomach
Out with the Old: 18 Gen X Fads That Millennials and Gen Z Just Can’t Vibe With
While some old habits die hard, there are some things that Gen X need to eliminate as they are no longer relevant.
Out with the Old: 18 Gen X Fads That Millennials and Gen Z Just Can’t Vibe With
18 Unpleasant States You Might Want to Skip on Your Next Trip
When thinking of America, we don’t expect there to be boring or unpleasant places to visit. We see all the different states on the TV, and they show the best parts. However, there are some states you won’t want to visit, and you should brace yourselves if you ever happen to stumble into them.
18 Unpleasant States You Might Want to Skip on Your Next Trip
