37 Red Flags Indicating You Should Immediately Leave The Restaurant

As a person who's worked in professional kitchens for more than 20 years, Eugene Wong has tips for people about what they should worry about when deciding where to eat. He says that the top red flags are often cleanliness and the staff's behavior and appearance.

"Look if the restaurant is busy [and] check if you can catch a glimpse of the kitchen to see if it's clean and if the chefs are maintaining proper hygiene, i.e., clean aprons, clean floors, and clean work stations," Eugene tells Bored Panda.

When it comes to the staff, he advises diners to pay attention to their moods. "Observe if the hostesses and servers seem generally happy and nice versus stressed out. This can be a good indicator of the overall work environment and management."

When me and my friends are picking a place to eat, the top priority is usually the menu. One, because most of us don't eat meat, and two, we want to know if the restaurant has what we like! Menus can reveal some red flags about restaurants, too. Usually, the rule "less is more" can be applied here.

"When a menu has too many items, it's a red flag for me," Eugene tells us. "Except for Chinese places," he adds. "Restaurants, in my opinion, should specialize in a type of dish or cuisine and have other dishes that complement [this]. A large, unfocused menu can indicate that the restaurant might be trying to do too much, often at the expense of quality."

Have you ever found yourself in a pretty sketchy place and weren't sure whether the restaurant's food safety standards were up to par? Without having to outright ask your server about it, you can do some subtle checks. "Check the bathrooms," Eugene recommends. "If they are dirty, chances are the rest of the place is, too. Cleanliness in the bathrooms usually reflects the cleanliness standards maintained throughout the restaurant."

Eugene also points out that it's important to consider the restaurant's price range. "Gauge all of the above based on the menu prices. I'm generally more forgiving if the menu prices are cheap because I know if the food is cheap, they are trying to save money in other areas," he explains.