Choosing where to eat can be a big decision. Picture: Pexels/Solliefoto
If you eat out often enough, you will start to see the tells are all around us – little details and ideas that, at first, might seem like nothing but, after a closer look, indicate a new restaurant won’t be all that great.
While no single red flag guarantees a bad night – and the specifics fluctuate – once you know what to look for, they are impossible to miss.
When choosing where to dine, you want to choose wisely. Luckily, a few red flags might help you discern a mediocre restaurant from a great one.
Recently, one Redditor ArtsyAksel sparked an online discussion that got foodies spilling the tea about the top red flags to look out for if you are a customer.
Here's what three people said:
What are red flags at a restaurant?
byu/ArtsyAksel inAskReddit
“If they serve cold butter with the bread. Don’t give me cold butter! If you can’t be bothered to give me butter that I can actually spread, I can’t be bothered with you."
“Too many items on the menu. It’s a sign that a restaurant probably uses all frozen food. Nothing against frozen food. It’s ideal for some things. Some things, not all things.”
“When you go in and see most of the guests have dirty plates on their tables and are looking around for a server. Add empty tables still piled with plates, and you know the place is incredibly short-staffed. Time to bail out.”
Taking to X, @Dj_Amezon also noted her red flags. They include: smoking hookah, a time limit on the table, bottle girls as waitresses and no signature menu item.
What are red flags at a restaurant?
byu/ArtsyAksel inAskReddit
Other red flags you should watch out for are:
Tables that are left uncleared
If empty tablesare littered with used plates, napkins and glassware, the staff are stressed. If the staff are stressed, mistakes will be made, plates will come out cold and drink orders are going to take forever.
The staff can’t answer the important questions
The staff of a restaurant that is well-run will be able to answer basic questions about where the food is sourced from and what’s fresh.
The restaurant smells
Your nose knows when you have stumbled upon a not-so-stellar establishment. If the restaurant smells like stale grease, burnt food or there is an overall stench that burns your nostrils, trust your senses and walk away.
Kitchens and restaurants that emphasise cleanliness would work to eliminate lingering smells from refrigerators, cooktops and other places where odours could emerge.