When we go out to eat, we expect a good time—delicious food, welcoming staff, and a cozy spot to enjoy for an hour or two. It’s a simple exchange: great service for our hard-earned money.
But not every dining experience goes as planned, and most of us probably have at least one nightmare restaurant story to tell.
Luckily, there are often telltale signs that can warn you a place might not be worth your time. Redditors recently shared their thoughts on these red flags, offering advice to help you know when it’s better to turn around and walk right out the door. Check out their tips below—they could save you a lot of trouble!
#1
Gordon Ramsey is filming inside.
Image credits: SailorVenus23
#2
Having to look up a menu on your phone, music loud enough that you can't have a conversation, general lack of hygiene standards. I've walked out of restaurants for all three of those before.
Image credits: Lugbor
#3
Someone handling the food while wearing gloves but then using their gloved hands to handle money, open doors, touch their face, etc.
Or worse, someone handling food with bare hands while there are open wounds or bandaids. I've seen it. Immediate nope for me.
Image credits: JessCeceSchmidtNick
When it comes to spotting red flags in restaurants, the best insights often come from those who work in the industry. That’s why Bored Panda reached out to u/BakedMitten, a seasoned professional with years of experience in kitchens and hospitality, whose reply in the thread caught our attention. He shared what it’s like to work behind the scenes and the red flags diners should be aware of.
Starting his kitchen career at just 15, u/BakedMitten worked his way through various roles, from dishwasher to sous and executive chef. “I naturally like working with my hands and being able to see the results of my labor immediately,” he shared, adding that the camaraderie in kitchens—what Anthony Bourdain famously called the “submarine mentality”—was a big part of what he loved.
However, the industry took its toll over time. By age 30, arthritis and the relentless grind of 60+ hour weeks had left him burned out. “Standards fall to hell when the people doing the work feel like they aren’t working towards anything,” he explained, referencing how poor compensation, bad management, and burnout impact restaurant quality.
#4
It's mostly empty and the staff act surprised and confused about your presence. It's a hint that selling food isn't their main business.
Image credits: South_Chocolate986
#5
No Prices on the menu.
Image credits: zero11235
#6
Besides being filthy or having rude service, one thing that will basically make me immediately turn around and leave is blaringly loud music and strange lighting. I just want to eat my meal in peace or be able to have a nice conversation with someone.
Image credits: Masedawg1
One of the clearest indicators of a poorly run establishment, according to u/BakedMitten, is a dirty bathroom. “If an establishment lets a public space like the bathroom go to hell, they’re not going to have standards any higher for the food-handling area,” he warned.
Another major red flag is what he calls the “large menu problem.” Restaurants with menus that span multiple cuisines or offer an overwhelming number of options are unlikely to excel at any of them. “The only way to pull off a menu that extensive is to rely on crappy premade products that aren’t any better than the frozen section of a supermarket,” he said.
Interestingly, u/BakedMitten noted that adhering to safety protocols isn’t as difficult as people might assume. “I’ve never worked somewhere with a regulatory structure that was difficult to comply with,” he shared. Instead, he attributes the decline in standards to management issues and staff burnout. When employees feel undervalued—due to low pay, poor leadership, or lack of respect—quality inevitably slips.
#7
Lots of flies buzzing around the tables and the kitchen.
Image credits: FistFullOfRavioli
#8
Compulsory service charge.
Image credits: Wooshsplash
#9
Political shows playing on various TV’s in the joint.
Reflecting on his career, u/BakedMitten shared how the hospitality industry’s relentless demands can lead to declining enthusiasm and slipping standards. “By the time I hit 30, the grind of long hours for low pay had ground me down,” he admitted. His story is a reminder of how tough the industry can be and why recognizing red flags in restaurants isn’t just about being a picky diner—it’s also about understanding the challenges behind the scenes.
Whether it’s a dirty bathroom, an over-ambitious menu, or signs of burnout among staff, these insights can help diners make better choices and appreciate the hidden struggles in the restaurant world.
#10
No soap in the bathroom- and no hint that it just ran out. Like there is no dispenser on the wall and no empty container on the sink.
Image credits: Bastyra2016
#11
Cook walks out of the bathroom with an apron on.
Image credits: Worlds_worst_ginge
#12
If I go into a restaurant and sit for more than15 minutes before someone comes to my table, I leave. If a roach scurries across the table, I am out. I go to the restroom immediately if no haven’t been there before. The cleanliness of the restroom reflects the restaurant’s cleanliness standards. Gross bathrooms? I am out….
#13
It's a bit specific but if I'm looking to eat at a bbq joint and I don't smell it well before I walk in I know it's not gonna be good. Ideally I should be able to smell it from like a block away. Anytime I've ignored that instinct and gone in anyway the food ended up being bland and dry as hell.
Image credits: zakkil
#14
The smell of a dirty grease trap. After you've worked in a kitchen for a while you recognize it instantly. It's an awful smell and if a place isn't getting it regularly serviced the rest of the operation is probably terrible too.
I was going to pub trivia at a place I had worked at years earlier. As soon as I walked in I smelled *the smell* and it was strong. I ended up calling the trap cleaning service and setting up an appointment for them without telling the manager.
Image credits: BakedMitten
#15
When the workers look at you like you ruined their good time and now they gotta work.
Image credits: Human-Bit-1427
#16
Multiple babies/toddlers roaring loud enough to wake the dead.
Image credits: LucyVialli
#17
My wife is Arabic and one time we are at a kebab shop and her demeanor changed and when I asked why she explained that she heard one kitchen staff ask the other;
A: "What are you doing?"
B: "I'm throwing this old meat away?"
A: "No no no mix it with the fresh. These stupid westerners can't tell anyway.
#18
I got 2 from the same Dunkin Donuts! A worker sneezed into his gloved hands and gave them a half-hearted wipe on his pant legs. Immediately after, a customer came in to get donuts and I saw the man fill the order without changing his gloves. I went off and left. Later on, I went to leave a review explaining this and saw that I'm not the only one to point out their disgusting ways. Someone else posted a picture of a worker with his shoes off and dirty socked feet up on a table. Sitting right next to a window for the public to see.
Image credits: Accidental_Taco
#19
My brother told me this story.
He saw a black cord like thing sticking out of a wall. Thought it was a wire or something…. Then it started to move.
Apparently it was a mouse tail. That’s not the worst part.
He tells a waiter. Waiter grabs a spoon, one that is obviously something guests would be given to eat with, and attacks the tail with it.
Him and his entire group just left.
Image credits: pahamack
#20
Flags or posters supporting a geopolitical stance that I radically disagree with or supports killing people like me.
#21
TL;DR: When cooks don't wash their hands.
Went to a restaurant the other day and then to the bathroom shortly after being seated. While standing at the urinal I saw a cook come out of the stall after dropping a deuce and head straight out the door without washing his hands.
That's how people get trichinosis and I don't want to end up like RFKjr with worms in my brain.
Image credits: MikeOKurias
#22
If the restaurant smells bad or has dirty tables, I’m out.
Image credits: BellaBlissxx
#23
Blasting loud music will send me back out the door before I can sit down. Doesn’t matter how good the food is, I’m not sitting through that nonsense.
#24
Any bad Smell.
Image credits: SeparatePass4366
#25
There’s a sign that says “Applebee’s” outside.
#26
I went to a diner near me recently I had never heard of. There was no one eating at the tables inside. The woman who was at the front entrance walked away into the kitchen when I walked in the door. Then a dude came out of the kitchen and stood in her place and refused to acknowledge me. Then a girl came up and said something to him and he said I know I know just calm down it’s ok. Then she scurried off into the kitchen. I asked the guy if I could see a menu and he said “she’ll be right back”. I left. I don’t know what was going in there but I will never eat anything from there.
#27
Walked into a restaurant and i smelled sewage. They said a sewage back-up had occurred and was being fixed by a plumber. I left anyways because the place was running like it was normal. No windows open or fans running to try and flush the smell. Ya it was warm outside but seriously I'd rather sweat than smell s**t while eating.
Image credits: Taboc741
#28
Honestly a sushi place that reeks of fish. Made that mistake once, it was not comfortable afterwards.
#29
Wife and I walked into a diner once and were seated. Waitress came over and handed us our menus. Her make up was so caked on that bits of it were falling on our table. ? She then showed us the salad bar which was a card table set up next to the front door, not iced or anything with bowls of potato salad and macaroni salad with saran wrap over them. We got up and left.
#30
Flies when it's 20 below outside.
Where are they breeding?
#31
Ants in the salt shaker.
#32
If I see a dirty bathroom, I'm out. It reflects kitchen hygiene too.
#33
If I see a sanitation score that is not an "A" I'll leave.
If I sit at a table and a server doesn't show up for 10 minutes I'll leave.
If I walk in and they are displaying maga b******t I'll leave.
#34
Recently blackballed one of my formerly goto places because they hosted the local GOP party this year, we went their election night to try and get away from the mounting sense of depression and dread and all we encounter is TVs tuned to election coverage and MAGAts cheering. . . I’m Never going back, I’ll go to the Irish Pub down the road that had a better atmosphere and food but not as good a view and a bit pricier.
#35
Dirty floor.
#36
Honestly, if I’m looking for a Chinese restaurant, I can immediately tell if it’s good or not based on how many white people are eating there. If there are no Asians inside, I’m walking out and finding a different restaurant.
And yes, I am Chinese.
#37
This was a sort of on purpose version of that.
I stayed with a friends family years ago and his dad told us we were going to visit some restaurants in the city. He said not to order anything at the first restaurant but to look at the menu and then get up and leave.
Second restaurant had the same exact menu. Half the prices. Both restaurants ordered from the same supplier.
#38
Fabuloso. I dunno why but tons of restaurants have started using fabuloso. You can't even smell the food.
#39
I didn’t even have to go into the restaurant…I was at my local bar and the head cook from the restaurant across the street started coming in after his shifts pretty regularly.
Just an overall sloven dude with the grossest habits, body odor, funky skin growths, unkept fingernails and similar demeanor.
None of the other regulars, including myself will ever go back there.
#40
I do pest control for a living, and I used to LOVE small mom and pop restaurants, especially taco places. Now 5 years into my profession I know alot of subtle warnings a place has a bug problem, one being a smell. I make a point to sit as close to the kitchen as possible just to get a true smell of what's going on back there.
3/4s of all taquerias have roaches from what I can tell, and I'm eating flavorless garbage from a chain restaurant who's kitchen is clean.
#41
Local tex-mex place here. Had a staff that were not as careful as they should have been. Found a birds-nest of curly hair in our salad. Our waiter was bald and the only cooks I could see had long hair held back by hats. We did not eat the salad because we spotted it before that but we did get up and leave.
#42
I went to a place last year that had a dog chewing on aT-Bone on the floor, a server in dirty sweatpants, and the cook smoking in the dining room. It was summer so I think they were mainly doing patio seating but still, gross.
#43
Dirty tables or unsanitary conditions immediately make me leave.
#44
It's full of screaming children running around.
There's a strict dress code.
It smells bad.
...
My friend took me to a Mexican restaurant where the raw meat was all just on the counter unrefrigerated. The same salsa bowl was on the table all day on between customers so you were eating leftovers. When I said I didn't want to eat there she got mad and said the food was great and I was stuck-up.
#45
Haven't seen squabbling servers on the list yet.
That happened to four of us at a recently opened seafood-themed place that we vaguely knew the owner of and wanted to support as new restaurants were a pretty big thing in our small city. Normally we would have waited a couple months for the dust to settle and the place to figure itself out, but we went in their second week.
House manager greeted and seated us and then disappeared. It was a little before standard lunch hour and mid-week and nobody else was there.
About 5 minutes of nothing later, we heard the distant yelling start from the kitchen area. After about a minute of that, a female server charged through the doors and grabbed menus and brought them over, muttering.
Her opening words were "Sorry if you heard that. That b***h in there, what can you do?"
We glanced at each other, asked for a few minutes before ordering drinks, and when she went back in the kitchen, left.
Somehow the restaurant still managed to survive and is still there to this day, but goddamn if the excellent show The Bear didn't remind us of that experience.
