5 signs you've stepped into a dodgy restaurant
Here are five signs you’ve stepped into a dodgy restaurant.
1. It’s completely empty
It is a brave diner who walks into a completely empty restaurant… This doesn’t necessarily apply if you are in a remote town or a really quiet suburb, but if there’s one restaurant in the middle of a busy strip that has no customers, it’s probably for a good reason.
2. It’s obviously a tourist trap
This follows on from point one – it’s much easier to fob a bad restaurant off on tourists. Locals will be burned once and not go back again, but you can draw in a lot of one-time visitors who won’t have to come back. It’s quite easy to spot a restaurant that’s geared just to tourists. Look out for tacky decorations, local ‘themes’, garish drinks specials or the absence of any local diners.
3. Everything looks dirty
It’s a pretty simple equation – we like to eat in places that are clean. And if the dining room or bathrooms are obviously dirty, then you don’t even want to imagine what the kitchen looks like. A restaurant should look and smell clean and fresh all throughout. Look for dirty marks on the walls, questionable cutlery or a floor that looks like it’s never seen a broom.
4. There are no prices on the menu
Recently, a number of tourists have complained about being ripped off in decent restaurants because there are no prices. This usually happens in countries where they don’t speak the language, and the waiters will rattle off a list of dishes, assure them everything will be reasonably priced and then bring out tonnes of food. At the end, the unhappy customer is presented with a very large bill that they may not even be able to decipher. Make sure you know exactly what you’re getting into.
5. The staff seem disinterested in you
When you walk into a restaurant, it’s nice to be greeted with a friendly ‘hello’ (or ‘bonjour’ or ‘ciao’ or ‘ni hau’) and shown to a table. If the staff barely look up when you walk in the door, there’s a good chance you’re in for a substandard experience. The staff should be attentive and helpful (though not over the top), and give you the impression that they actually like working there. Good service can elevate an average restaurant to a great one.
Have you ever been to a dodgy restaurant?