Before deciding on what new restaurant to visit, you can always look online for reviews or canvass a circle of friends to ensure it’s worth a trip. Still, everyone has different opinions, and oftentimes you can’t know what a restaurant is like until you walk inside its doors. One way to form a strong initial impression of a new establishment for yourself isn’t just by tasting the food; it’s by peeking into a restaurant’s bathroom before you dine.
This suggestion might sound odd at first mention, but the state of a restaurant’s bathroom can say a lot about the cleanliness of the establishment as a whole. “How’s the bathroom?” is about as common of a question as “how’s the food?”, and there are even awards for quality bathrooms now too. A bathroom is an extension of the restaurant and should be well-maintained. If a customer-facing place like this looks like it hasn’t been cleaned recently, you can be pretty sure hidden spaces like the kitchen have suffered the same neglectful fate.
Picture a bathroom that is dusty, riddled with stains, and generally in a state of disarray. Now imagine what the kitchen looks like. If there’s no toilet paper or soap, it’s not just you who doesn’t have access to these things; it’s likely that neither do the chefs. If a restaurant is willing to let the upkeep of the restrooms slide, what else are they willing to sacrifice? Whether you’re dining at an upscale eatery or pizza shop, this red flag should send you running.
Exceptions to this telling bathroom tip
While a dirty bathroom is often one of the signs of a bad restaurant you shouldn’t ignore, there are exceptions to every rule, and that sentiment applies here too. Occasionally, a dirty bathroom is more a reflection of the day’s clientele rather than problems with management and staff. If the bathroom has toilet paper haphazardly strewn around the stalls and soap dripping across the countertops, this is probably the fault of rowdy customers. Other times, a restaurant’s bathroom is dirty simply because the staff have been slammed all day long. This is more of an indication of a restaurant’s popularity than cleanliness. If you notice long wait times and packed tables, give the place some grace and save this indicating bathroom tip for another day.
Use your best judgment to determine which type of bathroom you’re walking into, and in turn, what type of kitchen you’re receiving food from. The state of the bathroom might not seem important, but it can say a lot about a restaurant’s standards. If a visit to the loo makes you want to skip dinner, it’s probably best to listen to your gut. But if you need more information, try the beer glass test to suss out restaurant cleanliness next.
