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

The bread.

I have never had good food at a place where the bread sucks or tastes a day old.

Image credits: ColHannibal

#2

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.

Image credits: Automatic-Sport-6253

#3

I always judge delis by the quality of their pickles

Image credits: DaaraJ

#4

If they only offer a QR code menu. I hate them and I would prefer a physical one.

Image credits: theparkingchair

#5

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.

Image credits: stazib14

#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.

Image credits: PurpleWomat

#7

Salt and pepper shakers being full or near full attention to details

Image credits: thekillercook

#8

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.

Image credits: TRIGMILLION

#9

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.

Image credits: Square-Dragonfruit76

#10

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.

Image credits: Such-Sun7453

#11

Beans in a Mexican place. If the beans are not good then the rest of the menu is probably not good either.

Image credits: Fuzzywalls

#12

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.

Image credits: home_cheese

#13

I should never have to ask for more water. Keep that s**t filled.

I hate waiting for the check. I hate waiting for the card to be run and brought back to me.

Since this is r/cooking, here’s some cooking related ones:
– burgers should be wide, not tall
– entrees not including any sort of side or accompaniment. I ordered a filet at a local place once and it was literally just a steak on a plate. Not so much as a piece of parsley to garnish. Like give me something or make it clear when I’m ordering.
– when everything comes out at once. Especially if it is a tapas/“small plate” establishment. A good server and good kitchen know how to pace things.

Image credits: InDenialOfMyDenial

#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?

Image credits: AirForceBalls

#15

The water. Does it taste like chlorine? Does it smell like a dishwasher? Is there any odor at all as my face approaches the cup? Is the cup hot? I’ll pretty much never complain unless there’s something floating in my water or my cup has grime on it, but I am always silently judging

Image credits: trutknoxs

#16

Mine are more service-related, as that is my background. Do they do their quality checks after you receive (any) drinks/food; do they seem to care about people at all, or are they just there to look nice and phone the rest in; do they give recommendations that aren’t “just order the most expensive item on the menu lol”

Image credits: OW_FUCK

#17

How many people look like regulars/they have a solid base of customers. Doing something right.

Also if the cook has a scowl.

Image credits: lookatnoodle

#18

I usually buy something simple at a new place to get a feel for it. Like Mac and cheese or a burger. I feel like if you can’t make something like that properly you’re probably not gonna execute a more complicated dish to my satisfaction.

Image credits: KingTutt91

#19

If they use that cheap ketchup vs Heinz. Also super thin paper napkins. ?

Image credits: kpbjcp

#20

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.

Image credits: Immediate_Cellist_47

#21

If they have fake plants I check to see how dusty they are.

Image credits: THE_PHYS

#22

I always order my eggs “over medium” as a test for the cook. Basically impossible to nail perfectly. I never complain if they’re too runny or too hard but if they nail it I’m forever impressed

Image credits: Opplebot

#23

Former restaurant manager here.

I judge by the cleanliness of the windowsills, chair rails and bathrooms.

I don’t use ketchup bottles that are on the tables. I try to avoid using the salt and pepper shakers too.

Image credits: Mistress_Jedana

#24

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.

Image credits: vanilla-bean1

#25

If it’s a breakfast place I tend to judge them based on their hot sauce brands or if they don’t have hot sauce out at all.

Image credits: carissadraws

#26

Small details for me are:

Clean & quality cutlery

Napkin quality

The attire and cleanliness of the employees

Lighting, decor, flooring

Chairs and tables

**The big things are**, food quality, service and clean bathrooms.

Image credits: PioneerStandard

#27

My husband judges on how many times they come to refill his water. He drinks a lot while eating.

Image credits: ReesNotRice

#28

Will they balk when I ask for *unsweetened* iced tea?

Image credits: eaunoway

#29

How clean the menus are. If I’m handed a sticky menu, I’m out

#30

For me it’s how high they stack their meat. Too skimpy is cheap. Too high ruins the sandwich balance.

Also the crust on cured meats. This you can spot before ordering

#31

I am Dutch and mayonnaise is very present in middle scale cafe restaurants. We eat it with fries, and you get fries with 75% of dishes. Home made vs store bought mayo is a very simple indicator of the quality of the restaurant, with the worst offenders restaurants that give frietsaus (fake mayo) in a sachet/1 serving baggie. Weirdly common, big difference.

#32

For delis, the quality/color of their roast beef.

#33

Clean bathroom.

Image credits: evilroysladejunior

#34

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.

Image credits: Tsubodai86

#35

Whether they take used silverware away between courses. Nothing like the server taking dirty silverware off your plate, putting them on the table, and expecting you to use them for the next course.

#36

How clean the air vents, baseboards, and under the tables are.

Also, does the soda taste like it’s supposed to? Too syrupy? Too watery?

And the pettiest of all – I hate spelling mistakes on menus and business cards. One place I went to recently didn’t even have the address spelled correctly. They were missing the i in the middle of the street name.

Image credits: lightning_teacher_11

#37

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.

#38

Per your point #1, I hear you but it may not be their choice. I worked at a big chain restaurant in CA when I was young, and a health inspector once dinged us for keeping the butter at room temp. From then on, we had to keep it refrigerated at all times. It was ridiculous!

#39

Do they know how to devein shrimp

#40

Can I easily grab the burger or sandwich and easily take a bite without having it fall apart? If not, then big points are deducted.

#41

Is outside the restaurant clean, you need to have pride of place and be a benefit to your block and neighborhood. Is the bathroom clean, if you don’t give a s**t I assume the places I can’t go are equally disgusting. Does your soup taste like msg and dehydrated vegetables, I can eat c**p in my own house.

#42

Auctioning off food when it’s brought to the table. There is a system for identifying seats around the table and I don’t want to have to try to hear someone yell menu items over the din of the restaurant, especially when there’s more then 4 people at the table.

#43

I’m happy you put butter on the list, I’m a pastry chef and I make Cornbread and Honey Butter for the savory menu. It was a hassle to get the line cook to put the butter in the cooler overnight (I don’t like the idea of never putting it away) but I want to keep it out during service so it’s soft.

#44

small detail? probably plate/dishware temperature (which can tell you a surprising lot actually)

#45

How many asian people there are in an asian restaurant

#46

I judge places by their water.