It’s not always immediately obvious if a restaurant is poorly maintained. Picture: Pexels
Greasy spoons and quirky holes-in-the-wall may have their charm, but once they cross into "public health hazard" territory, it's best to steer clear.
It may seem straightforward: just look around, and if the place seems dirty, then it is. However, it’s not always immediately obvious if a restaurant is poorly maintained. Some major red flags might not be immediately noticeable.
Here are 10 ways to identify a dirty restaurant
Maintaining clean menus is basic. If they’re stained, sticky, or in bad shape, it's a red flag. Menus are handled by hundreds of people, and if not regularly cleaned or replaced (in the case of paper menus), you’re picking up germs from everyone who’s touched it.
If your table, menu, seat, or condiments are sticky, they’re not clean.
A dirty bathroom is the best indicator, short of inspecting the kitchen, that a restaurant is unsafe to eat at. If the toilets are filthy, garbage is overflowing, toilet paper or paper towels are running low, the sink and mirror are grimy, and the floor is messy, it’s a good sign that the lack of attention to detail extends into the kitchen.
If a restaurant's restroom has no soap, leave immediately. Often, the dining room restroom is the only one available for both customers and staff. If there's no soap, it's likely the staff aren't washing their hands properly.
If your waiter is sneezing, blowing their nose, or clearly unwell, you’re within your rights to request a different waiter or leave.
Cooks are supposed to ensure their hair doesn’t end up in your food by wearing hairnets, and many places provide beard nets too. If you find a hair, it suggests an issue with cleanliness in the kitchen. If you find anything in your food that shouldn’t be there, send it back and request a refund.
If you get a glimpse into the kitchen, check if the cooks wear gloves when handling ready-to-eat food and if they wash their hands. If you’re in the restroom at the same time as a kitchen worker, see if they wash their hands. It’s a basic step to prevent illness and a legal requirement.
Notice how tables are cleaned between diners. If a dirty rag is just moving gunk around, those tables are likely bacterial minefields. Proper table cleaning requires a disinfectant and a clean towel.
Proper bussing involves more than just removing dirty dishes. Are dishes left festering on empty tables? Is the floor around the table cleared of dropped food and empty sugar packets? Are the seats and condiments wiped down? These are all worth noting.
Inspect your glassware before drinking, not just for lipstick marks but also for fingerprints. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people have used that glass, and it must be thoroughly cleaned before you use it. Consider drinking through a straw rather than directly from the glass, unless it’s wine or beer.
If you have any doubts about a restaurant’s cleanliness, the best course of action is to leave.
IOL Lifestyle
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