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Red flags abound when you’re eating at a bad restaurant, and once you see them, you can stay away. Sometimes eating in is best.
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Unsanitary Conditions
This goes without saying, doesn’t it? It should if it doesn’t. If stuff isn’t clean, it’s best not to touch, sit, or even walk around it.
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Strong Odors
The only odors that should cross your nostrils should include good food, drink, and possibly the smell of something recently cleaned. If the odor is foul, off, odd, or repulsive, it’s time to leave.
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Empty Restaurant
You may have arrived just after opening or near closing time. But if it’s the lunch or dinner rush and the place is empty, there are at least a dozen reasons why.
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Long Wait
Seriously, some restaurants are so uptight and exclusive that waiting for an hour or more is standard. But if you wait for your meal that long, then get up and leave, they don’t know what they’re doing.
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Complicated Menu
You shouldn’t need a PhD to understand your menu. If it’s too long, too convoluted, or too filled with garbage then leave. A complicated menu indicates a restaurant with no set direction.
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Rude Wait Staff
There is a restaurant out there where the “Karen” attitude is the main point of the establishment. In any other place, attitude doesn’t cut it. Service with a smile isn’t necessary at all times, but it’s better than making people think they’re bothering you with their needs.
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Pricing Issues
Some dishes should never reach past a certain price. That and prices need to remain consistent. If a bowl of soup is $2 and then $6 the next week, then the restaurant has a serious issue.
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Lacking Food Description
You don’t need the whole recipe on the menu, but people want to know what they’re eating. If they ask, a server needs to rattle off what they know or ask the chef.
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Unkempt Parking Lot
Even if the parking lot is in the back, its overall condition will say a lot about how much pride people have in their workplace. There are exceptions, but this is what you see before walking in, so it needs to exist as an extension of the establishment.
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No Unifying Theme
If there’s coastal art mixed in with a city look mixed in with country, it’s a good sign that someone doesn’t know what they want. A restaurant needs to keep to one to two themes, tops.
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Lackluster Reviews
People don’t always allow their pettiness to show. If the food is good and the service is adequate or better, they’ll say so. If there’s no comment or a minimum number of stars, think twice about your selection.
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No Locals
The pride that locals have in their eateries is evident when crowds of them make it difficult to get a table or a reservation. If the locals won’t touch the place, it’s probably best that you don’t.
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Dirty Bathrooms
This is the mother of red flags. If an establishment doesn’t take care of their restrooms then they don’t take care of their kitchen, their floor, or anything else. They definitely don’t take care of their guests in this scenario.
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Errors Aren’t Corrected
If you mention something to a server or even a manager when it needs fixing, the expectation is that they’ll FIX IT. When they don’t, well, that shows their lack of dedication to the business.
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Loud Noises from the Kitchen
Let’s put it this way; kitchens are rarely quiet. A quiet kitchen is another of the major red flags to look for. But if there’s too much shouting, clanging, banging, and other noises, it’s easy to guess that the overall vibe is anything but positive.
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