12 Signs You Should Never Eat at a Restaurant

Eating out is a tasty treat for most people. We expect clean dining areas, perfectly cooked food and friendly service. However, this is not always the case. Here are the signs you should look for when stepping inside a dining establishment that should make you turn around and walk out the door.

1. Gordon Ramsay is there

While it might be extremely exciting to see the legend that is Gordon Ramsay filming inside of a restaurant, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good thing. You might want to keep it moving, especially if the show happens to be “Kitchen Nightmares.”

2. Employees’ bathroom etiquette

The last thing you want to worry about when you’re spending your hard-earned dollar on dining out is whether or not the person preparing your food actually washes their hands. If you see any signs of that being the case, your best bet is to opt for a different restaurant.

3. It’s visibly dirty

This one’s maybe the easiest to spot of them all. Crusty tables and sticky menus are always good cause for taking your business elsewhere.

4. Insects everywhere.

Insects of most all variations tend to swarm to the areas that are lacking in cleanliness. If you walk into a fly-infested restaurant or cafe, you can rest assured that things need tidying up in there.

5. The salad bar is not on ice

You’d be shocked at how easy it is to get tagged by a nasty case of food poisoning from salads and veggies that haven’t been stored properly. Those greens can go rotten very quickly, and you never want to be on the receiving end of it.

6. That BBQ smell

The further away that you can smell those sweet, multilayered savory aromas of a proper BBQ joint, the better. You want the meat that you eat from a BBQ joint to have been attended to in a lengthy process. That added time only serves to help amplify the flavors of the meats.

7. Employees are sneezing and rocking bare feet

Look, we can completely understand that these are financially trying times, and missing shifts can be the difference between making or not making rent. However, there’s got to be a line drawn in the sand at one point or another. If you see employees in a restaurant aggressively coughing, wiping their noses, etc, it’s probably in your best interest to dine elsewhere.

8. There’s a convenience fee

Those convenience fees are the bane of our existence. They can creep up on unsuspecting folks and end up making your bill look way heftier than it realistically should. Just keep your eyes peeled for any inconvenience fees that are trying to slyly sneak onto your bill.

9. Food handling

It’s really a simple thing. Just wear the gloves when you’re handling the food. However, some folks can’t be bothered to do such a thing. If you see any evidence of this, it’s probably best to find another place to eat at.

10. Creepy encounters and bad service

Always trust your gut. If there’s something just not sitting right with you about the vibes of a particular establishment, don’t play with fire. Just find another spot to eat at.

11. Using silverware to get rid of mice

This one’s just insane, but you’d be surprised at the measures that some panicked employees will go to toward getting rid of a rodent as soon as humanly possible. It goes without even needing to say, it’s high time to clear out if you see anything like that.

12. Dead plants

Of all the warning signs we’ve covered, this one is definitely a bit more on the extra side. A dead flower or two might not guarantee a bad dining experience, and could just be a reflection of very busy times. So, it’s really your call on that one.