Biggest Restaurant Red Flags Exposed By Reddit Users, And Some Are Very Gross

What are some noticeable red flags when you walk into a restaurant?

Going out to eat is a pretty popular part of American culture. Whether it's fast food or sit down dining, Americans love spending money at restaurants.

However, we all know not all restaurants are equal. It's not even about the price. Some places are just clean and high quality, and others are not.

So, what sticks out as a major problem? Reddit users are here to help!

Reddit users expose restaurant red flags.

A Reddit thread titled "What are red flags at a restaurant?" is an absolutely fascinating read for anyone who likes to go out to eat, and there are certainly some interesting answers.

Check out the ref flags below, and hit me with your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

• Incoherent menu. Cuisines that don't often have ingredients in common, which means some ingredients may sit longer.
• Uncleaned toilets.
• For me one time it was hearing 4 or 5 waitresses standing in a group, that I could clearly hear, arguing about which one of them was NOT going to take my table. I sat there for 15 minutes, and evidently all of them had won the argument because none of them came. There were like, me and 2 other people in the whole place. I saw why they had no customers in that place. I got up and left.
• A distinct 'musty' odor. Usually from carpeting that hasn't been cleaned in a while.
• Too many items on the menu.
• When you go in and most of the guests have dirty plates on their tables and are looking around for a server. Add in empty tables still piled with plates and you know they are incredibly short staffed. Time to bail out.
• Dirty floors, tables, or menus. First red flags, and back out the door you should go.
• If you're looking at the menu outside, and an employee/manager comes out to usher you into the restaurant. I've only had that happen once, but it was clear pretty quickly why they were so desperate for my business.
• A sign on the front door threatening health inspectors.
• Visible signs of old neglect, that translate into "If they aren't bothering to clean that up, what does that say about the kitchen?" Added bonus if you bring it up, and they have a rehearsed excuse like it's an in-house feature, and they laugh it off.
• plastic menus that have residue of food splatter on them and smell
• All the staff standing around just staring off into space because corporate told them it looks unprofessional to just relax When people are constantly kept uptight and not given a chance to relax they fuck up and mess things up. If your greeter already looks so low-key frustrated that they look like they want to explode into an anxiety attack at every second I can only imagine the mistakes the chef in the back is making being kept under the same pressure.
• Service/worker compensation charge snuck onto the bill that you have to opt out of.
• Dirty bathroom. The cleanliness of the bathroom mirrors the cleanliness of the kitchen.
• Dead flies on the interior window sills
• If you don’t smell food at a restaurant. Good chance everything is just microwaved. Also, flies. If you see one fly, no big deal if you see multiple flies leave.

These all seem like very fair red flags for customers to observe. I did reach out to a person who owns a bunch of restaurants, and they said the top red flag should always be any amount of filth. Very reasonable.

To be honest, I rarely eat out. I get wings with the boys once a week, but it's insanely cheap. I hate spending money on food at restaurants when I can cook better for myself at home. I go out for dinner easily less than once a month.

While I don't have a major red flag for restaurants (most of the above would be observed by me), I do appreciate great customer service.

There's a Mexican joint I like going to occasionally for non-American beers and some chips and salsa. As soon as I walk in, they have exactly what I want ready every single time without having to say a word. Elite customer service is a great way to make sure I keep coming back when I have free time.

A look at a coronarita and chips at my favorite Mexican place. (Credit: David Hookstead)

Do you have any red flags that you immediately notice at a restaurant? I definitely want to hear about them! Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.