Many of us have our pet peeves when eating out and some of us are pickier than others when it comes to quality. But whoever the customer might be, food industry establishments have a duty to maintain certain standards, from hygiene and the quality of ingredients to good management and serving practices. If you let these slip, you risk destroying your reputation.
Some internet users spilled the beans about the restaurants that they absolutely refuse to eat at in a thread on r/AskReddit. They explained exactly what happened to make them feel this way. Check out their stories and opinions as you scroll down below. And just to be on the safe side, make sure you’re not snacking on anything at the moment!
#1
Hooters. Waiting 45 minutes for a hamburger and baked beans and then immediately having diarrhea doesn’t do anything for me.
Image credits: bravesgeek
#2
KFC. I dont know why but I get sick an hour later every time.
Churches doesn’t do this.
Popeyes doesn’t do this.
Image credits: Wolfman01a
#3
Applebee’s – was a fry cook there.
Image credits: Jfonzy
The CDC estimates that around 48 million people or 1 in 6 Americans get sick from foodborne diseases each year. Of those, 128k are hospitalized and around 3k individuals lose their lives. This is why it is so vital to maintain high hygiene standards everywhere: from farms and silos to warehouses, grocery stores, and kitchens.
Growing, storing, cooking, and serving food responsibly can prevent people from getting ill. Labeling and storing groceries properly, as well as washing your hands and keeping the kitchen clean is about much more than listening to what your manager tells you: it can literally save lives.
#4
Hooters because come on. The whole theme is “Tits! Someone’s tits! We also serve food.” I just can’t bring myself to go there, even when people rave about the wings. And I freaking love wings!
In this day and age, Hooters should not be a thing. It’s gross.
Image credits: Additional_Cry_7047
#5
Olive Garden.
They know why.
Image credits: liltrixxy
#6
Subway – because of food poisoning & there are better sub places in our town.
Golden Corral – food has always been subpar & I always felt sick after leaving…and not due to overeating.
Image credits: amyria
It’s essential to keep in mind that no matter the restaurant or chain, the quality of service can vary a lot depending on the location, staff, and time of day. Just because someone has had an awful experience at a particular fast-food restaurant doesn’t necessarily mean that all establishments in the chain are awful. That’s why it’s important to look at the quality of the food and service, as well as the hygiene standards in more than one location.
Of course, this doesn’t make it okay to let standards slip anywhere: your customers certainly deserve to be treated with respect. If you got bad food poisoning or saw truly disgusting behavior during your meal, your experience is certainly a bad one. The establishment isn’t entitled to your return patronage.
#7
I don’t *refuse*, as I love their breakfast, but I won’t eat Mcdonalds for lunch or dinner because it’s never not made me immediately sick afterwards.
Image credits: NamedForValor
#8
Noodle & Company and Chili’s
I honestly don’t know what I am supposed to order in either of these restaurants. They got so many things and they all suck
Oh and Pizza Hut because their pizza sucks
Image credits: Soup_and_Rice
#9
Panera Bread, extremely overpriced, bland food.
Image credits: wyoflyboy68
However, what this means is that people tend to focus on the negatives rather than the positives and there’s always a broader picture. For instance, an otherwise respectful company might have issues with a few groups of demotivated, untrained, and mismanaged employees at a few key locations. It’s up to the business to identify these issues and solve them as soon as possible.
That might mean offering employees proper training and incentives to maintain high hygiene and service standards. Or it might take opportunities for growth, a fair(er) wage, and a few personal heart-to-heart conversations to figure out what’s going on.
#10
Golden Corral. Walked into one once in Florida. A small kid walking past the food bar was putting his hand in every tray he passed. Out we go.
Image credits: Ardothbey
#11
There’s a small restaurant in my area that was at the forefront of lockdown denial, vaccine denial, and mask denial during the pandemic and lockdown. They forbid their employees from wearing masks, required only those who were vaccinated to wear masks, would refuse service to anyone vaccinated or wearing masks, and the owner was leading protests and giving interviews about ending the lockdowns, against mask mandates, and against the vaccines.
So, I refuse to go there, as do a lot of other people now. Which is a shame because it was one of my favorite restaurants pre pandemic, but given how hard they fought the health department on covid response, it made me wonder what else they’ve been ignoring or hiding on the health front.
#12
I hope this doesn’t come off as snobbish, but the honest answer is any chain restaurant. I’m fortunate enough to live in a region packed with independent restaurants, and I prefer to spend my money at local businesses. It’s not a hard choice to make money-wise, either, as mediocre chain eateries don’t charge mediocre chain eatery prices anymore. If I’m going to spend $18 on a plate of chicken alfredo, then I’m not going to do it at f*****g Olive Garden.
Image credits: Queequegs_Harpoon
Though a good manager will know how to motivate most employees, there are bound to be some bad apples who don’t care about their jobs or their customers. In some fringe cases, you may need to let someone go.
But that shouldn’t be your first response. If standards are slipping, there are usually deeper problems than just a few unruly servers and line cooks.
#13
Family chain restaurants. I have a microwave at home.
Image credits: Bonhomme7h
#14
I worked at Domino’s for three days when I was 17. Only job I’ve ever quit on the spot and the only restaurant chain I refuse to eat at.
When you make the pizzas, you pick the toppings out of the tubs and sprinkle them on the base, which sits on a bunch of metal bars over a big metal tray. Periodically you remove the tray, pick the stray toppings out, and put them back in the tubs. So far so logical, right? Third day I worked a close shift and the manager told me to tip the tubs of toppings into the big bags of toppings in the fridge. Asked him when we threw the bags away, and he said “when they’re empty.”
Nope nope nope nope nope. Nasty, nasty bastards.
Image credits: Crow_eggs
#15
I stopped eating at all restaurants. because the prices went up, portions went down and quality went to s**t.
Image credits: Scotch_Whiskie
#16
Will pass on BK. It’s always been the participation trophy of fast food.
Wendy’s has gone downhill severely, especially the wait times (I might be overly critical because I worked there one summer)
Image credits: zoinks690
#17
Jimmy Johns. Owner of chain into exotic animal trophy hunting big time. Why go out of your way to kill a giraffe or something?
Addendum: You can google this info for proof. Tons of pictures of him and his “trophies“ all over internet.
Image credits: Weak_Hovercraft1
#18
Chick Fil A. That is just too much bigotry for a s****y chicken sandwich.
Image credits: Mrshaydee
#19
My one rule of thumb is that if there’s tilapia in the menu at a sit down full service restaurant, I will not come back. Tilapia are roaches of the sea. Almost entirely farm raised. They cut off the heads because they’re often mutated from being fed bovine meal. No nutritional value. Cheap as sticks. Questionable in every sense. Any establishment serving it does not care about its consumers.
#20
I wish restaurants actually showed their kitchen on their CCTV on a large screen up front in the reception and restaurant area. Very few actually do like Japanese restaurants.
#21
Red Robin because they charged me for a refill on my coffee! Free refills on fries and other sides but apparently they draw the line at coffee?!
Image credits: Got_Nuthin_Clever
#22
All the ones in my area that caved to the selfish anti-science nutjobs and opened for indoor dining when our state health department told them to stay closed. If they don’t give a s**t about spreading disease, they aren’t f*****g getting my money.
#23
Papa John’s. I’ve had better pizza from the freezer section of grocery stores.
Denny’s, because they’re overpriced and the food goes through me faster than a worm through mud.
Pizza Hut. Way overpriced for what you get. I miss the old days where you could actually sit in the restaurant and have your pizza fresh from the oven, instead of half cooled.
Boston Pizza barely avoids my list, but only because I LOVE the perogie pizza and their $5 personal pizza day.
#24
Masa. For the price of Masa I could fly to Mexico City and eat at both Pujol and Quintonil (#9 and #13 on the World’s 50 Best), stay at a nice hotel and fly back, or eat at both Atomix and Le Bernardin.
#25
Potbelly subs, ruths chris and all of the others whose f**kwad leadership stole PPP money from the small businesses it was actually intended to support (i give no shits if they gave it back when caught)
Image credits: atomicskier76
#26
Sonic. There’s a reason they don’t have in house seating and constantly fail health inspections.
Image credits: Eyfordsucks
#27
Five Guys. I’m allergic to peanuts so my friends got me a Five Guys gift card for Christmas as a joke.
#28
White castle. When you see roaches laying dead in the soda dispenser or under tables you can kinda assume what the kitchen is like.
#29
Most chains. If I wanted fast food I would go to wendys for a baconator because that s**t slaps harder than anything I’ve ever gotten at a chain. Also I prefer to support local businesses and their food is always better and made from scratch for the most part.
#30
There’s a restaurant group in my city owned by a predator. He’s had several charges levied against him and even more allegations, and if you meet him you immediately know they’re all true. Through money, best/sleaziest lawyers, witness intimidation, threats of defamation suits, etc he has managed to avoid any meaningful repercussions. Won’t step foot in any of his restaurants.
#31
There’s this one local restaurant that my mom likes where the first time I visited I spilled water on my lap, then like 10 minutes later my mom spilled a second glass of water on me. I refuse to go back to spite her
#32
Buffalo Wild Wings. $13 for a frozen burger patty and unwashed beer glasses. Get the f**k out of here
#33
As a former pest controller, any restaurant that I did pest control work for
#34
Fast food, and national chains. Considering there isn’t much cooking /skill involved. Mostly take out of freezer and throw into oven, fryer etc. I don’t see the point in paying for someone to basically reheat a frozen food product to me and charge me 200% mark up for it.
I’m hyper aware of where I dine out/spend my money food wise.
#35
Any owned by MAGAs, because traitors get nothing and like it.
#36
McD. Because it’s no longer food.
#37
Boston Market. It was my first job in my last year of high school, so 2012-2013. Back then, the food was decent. Creamed Spinach with Sweet Thai Chili sauce (so good), Loaded Mashed Potatoes, even the Dill Potatoes, Rice Pilaf and the Fresh veggies were good. I particularly loved the Boston Carver Sandwich, the Cesar Salad, and the brownies. We were allowed to take the wings from the chicken home for free too, which was awesome.
I only worked there for about 2 years, but I’ve found myself going back from time to time, but saw the decline in food quality as they added more “extras” like ribs. But I felt nostalgic (and high) so I Door Dashed the chicken sandwich, brownie, and a drink.
It came in a Chinese plastic bag (one with generic thank you on it. Drink was 16 oz and even the creamed spinach was in a unmarked square container. The sandwich was fine but I believe it was standard white bread and not a roll. But they outsource their brownies to what seemed like dollar store quality- I couldn’t even finish that one bite. I went back and realized that the store didn’t even have the Boston Market name anymore so that’s probably why. Most locations in my area closed, the one I worked at turned into a Chick-Fil-A years ago. Such a shame because it was a good semi healthy choice but I’ll never get over how down hill they’ve become.
#38
Cracker Barrel as they were very discriminatory towards the LGBTQ community when it was legal and most likely would still be doing it. Also their menu doesn’t wow me.
#39
In N Out; not worth the wait or to eat anything from said wait
#40
Buffalo Wild Wings. My wife and I already have a favorite wing place. She and I tried BWW one time just to see. We both got sick to our stomachs with the wings we ordered. Throwing up all night, the works. I would understand if it was just her because she had a sensitive stomach. I never get sick from food. Also, we ordered two different types of wings, so it wasn’t that we had the same wings. Never went back and will never go again.