How to tell if a restaurant is ‘bad’ once you walk in

Foodies have revealed the dead giveaways that your favourite eatery is a ‘bad restaurant’ and the warning signs to look out for that a place is going down hill.

Everyone has suffered through subpar dining experiences in their lives, but there are certain red flags you can learn to identify, the experts say.

Kimberly Tristan, a pastry chef from Texas, asked her fans what made them realise they were at a second-rate restaurant. 

Certain warning signs are subtle like a clean dining room but dirty bathroom, a large amount of menu items, and wall-to-wall carpeting.

Others are more glaring: the head chef picking their nose, garbage bags by the entrance, or several empty tables.  

Whether you are choosing a spot for the perfect date night or a corporate celebration, you should always aim to scout the restaurant out before committing to a meal. 

Bad customer service 

‘It’s always good practice to greet customers – I understand if a restaurant is busy, but there’s no excuse not to say a simple “hello” otherwise. 

‘The waitstaff had a terrible attitude and it took them forever to take our orders and bring out drinks.’

‘Super inattentive waiters are always signs of bad food,’ another revealed.

‘I once saw a cook picking his nose. I left immediately.’

Spoiled for choice 

‘When there are lots of items on the menu – you just know they aren’t cooked fresh and the staff will just be heating up frozen meals,’ a former chef wrote.

‘Most pictures on menus are usually just stock images – red flag.’

Food is served cold

If your hot appetiser is served to you at room temperature or with a cold middle, it’s a very bad sign.

‘It either means they left the dish out forever or did not even bother to heat it up properly from being frozen.’

‘Cold food shows how little staff cares about the customers.’

Certain warning signs are subtle like a clean dining room but dirty bathroom, a large amount of menu items, and several empty tables

Bad hygiene 

A woman recalled every foodie’s worst nightmare: ‘[You know a restaurant is bad] when a mouse runs over your feet.’

‘When your feet stick to the floor – it’s so gross.’

‘If a restaurant is covered in carpet, it means they don’t vacuum nearly enough.’

‘One time we were in a restaurant, and we could see into the kitchen and it was garbage on the floor,’ a man shared. ‘We left.’ 

‘Many restaurants use dim lighting that hides all the dirt everywhere.’

Some were even plagued by toenail clippings on their table and a trail of crumbs on the chairs.  

‘A restaurant I went to set the table with dirty dishes once. They kept apologising and said it was messy because we just missed the crowded – but the place was empty except for us.’ 

The restaurant is empty 

While it isn’t always a red flag if a restaurant is empty – meal times and rush hours can vary – it does not bode well if a place is always deserted.

‘There’s a place in the city that only gets tourists because they don’t know better,’ a man said.

‘I never go somewhere the locals don’t trust.’