Upon trying to decide where to eat, people judge restaurants on many factors, from the location, to menu items and online reviews; but assessing them doesn’t stop there. From the very first moment they enter, they start evaluating their experience as a customer, which some take more seriously than others.
Those who tend to attentively judge restaurants often have personal telltale signs about their quality. Members of an online community recently shared theirs after the user u/Mabbernathy asked them what were the small details they judge a restaurant on. Redditors’ answers covered everything from napkins to hot sauce, fake plants, and TVs, and beyond. Scroll down to find them on the list below and note what details to be on the lookout for the next time you’re in a restaurant.
#1
If they only offer a QR code menu. I hate them and I would prefer a physical one.
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139points
#3
If it's an Asian restaurant; how badly is the menu spelled? If it's littered with errors you know the food is going to be incredible. Bonus points if they bring you s**t you never asked for.
Not even joking, this is my criteria.
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122points
#4
For breakfast joints it comes down to the potatoes for me.
They cannot be stodgy, chalky, wet or unseasoned.
Well seasoned, crispy potatoes will always have me coming back.
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111points
#5
The bread.
I have never had good food at a place where the bread sucks or tastes a day old.
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93points
#6
I often dine out alone. I live in Europe so tipping really isn't a major factor (our servers earn a living wage and get benefits), though I usually tip well anyway. How I'm treated as a solo diner has a huge impact on how I judge the restaurant. It tells me if they care more about their customers and food, or about turnover.
92points
#7
How's the side salad? If it's a giant chunk of iceberg with a few shredded carrots and one big mealy tomato and cucumber slice I'm not really trusting the rest of their menu.
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92points
#8
Ginormous menus on twenty pages. If you say you can cook hundred different items then you can’t cook a single one properly. Had only one exception out of this rule: one diner I like has a relatively large menu and everything on the menu was good.
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84points
#9
If a restaurant has TVs in it, I don't go. Sounds snobby, but I've seen so many lovely restaurants ruined by a stupid flat screen. Now everyone's staring at commercials like moths to a flame instead of interacting with each other.
72points
#11
The trash area. This isn't always easy to see but how they treat the trash is a good indication of how the rest of the place is run. There's a place that all the locals love. Their dumpsters? A disaster zone. Total disgusting mess and on top of that there's raccoon, otter and rat s**t all over the place. I don't eat there.
On the other hand there are places that keep their area nice. Some even use soap and water to regularly scrub and clean the area. I'll eat there.
Source: Used to be a garbage man.
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63points
#12
Beans in a Mexican place. If the beans are not good then the rest of the menu is probably not good either.
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59points
#13
Salt and pepper shakers being full or near full attention to details
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56points
#14
If I see french onion soup on a menu, I always order it. It's a great way to judge the general quality of the place. Is the beef stock made in-house or clearly from a base? Did they take the time to actually caramelize onions, or did they half a*s the process?
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54points
#15
If they use that cheap ketchup vs Heinz. Also super thin paper napkins. 👎
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51points
#16
My husband worked at a famous American diner (Waffle House!) when he was younger and he told me that a certain number of perfect over medium eggs is actually one of the tests they gave to cooks to move them up a grade in rank and pay.
It's actually apparently difficult to consistently nail the exact temp (firm white, runny but not raw yolk) on a poached or fried egg. It really does prove that somebody in the kitchen is paying attention.
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50points
#18
My SO is Vegan but I am not. So for us it's whether or not we can both get a good meal. And for him, is his meal actually a well thought out meal or just an impossible or beyond patty on a bun. I like when places are inclusive and still put effort into a dish.
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46points
#19
A restaurant always gets bonus points in my book if they actually have desserts that are worthwhile. Often they are good, but not as good as the gourmet chocolate store or artisan ice cream place down the street.
45points
#20
Do they know how to brew tea properly? A tea bag next to a mug of hot water does not count.
Okay OP, what is a properly brewed cup of tea? I mean no disrespect, I'm asking as someone who doesn't drink tea that often and has been served tea as a tea bag + hot water in every restaurant that I've been to.
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42points