#RestaurantSecrets #DirtySecretsInRestaurants #RestaurantExperience
Hey there, restaurant folks! 👋 If you’ve ever worked in the industry, you probably know that there are some hidden aspects of restaurant life that the general public doesn’t always see. Today, we’re going to spill the beans on some of the dirty secrets of the restaurant world. From behind-the-scenes practices to industry insights, we’ve got it all covered. So, buckle up and get ready for some eye-opening revelations!
The Dirty Truth About Restaurant Life
As someone with restaurant experience, you’re probably aware of the not-so-pleasant aspects of working in the industry. Here are some dirty secrets that people should know about:
1. Food Prep and Handling Practices
– 🤢 Did you know that some restaurants reuse leftover ingredients or food scraps to save on costs? It’s not uncommon for kitchens to repurpose unused food items in creative (and sometimes questionable) ways.
2. Cleanliness Standards (or Lack Thereof)
– 🔍 While most restaurants strive to maintain high cleanliness standards, not all establishments are as diligent. Some may cut corners when it comes to sanitation, leading to potential health hazards for diners.
3. Behind-the-Scenes Drama
– 💥 Just like any other workplace, restaurants can be rife with drama and conflict. Whether it’s interpersonal disputes among staff members or management issues, the behind-the-scenes dynamics can be anything but harmonious.
4. Customer Service Secrets
– 🤫 Ever wonder what really goes on behind the scenes when a customer sends back their food? The truth is, the kitchen staff might not always handle such situations with the utmost care and attention to hygiene.
5. Quality of Ingredients
– 🍔 Not all restaurants use top-tier ingredients in their dishes. In fact, some may opt for lower-quality meat, produce, or other ingredients to cut costs and maximize profits.
Industry Insights and Tips for Diners
In addition to the dirty secrets of restaurant life, there are also some valuable insights that can help diners make more informed choices when dining out:
1. Look for Transparency
– When choosing a restaurant, seek out establishments that prioritize transparency in their food sourcing and preparation methods. Look for menus that clearly indicate where ingredients are sourced from and how dishes are prepared.
2. Pay Attention to Cleanliness
– Observing the cleanliness of the restaurant, including the kitchen area, can offer valuable insights into their commitment to sanitation and hygiene.
3. Ask Questions
– Don’t be afraid to inquire about the restaurant’s food handling and preparation practices. A reputable establishment will be more than happy to answer your questions and provide reassurance about their standards.
4. Support Ethical Practices
– If ethical food sourcing and sustainability are important to you, seek out restaurants that align with these values. Look for establishments that prioritize local, organic, and ethically sourced ingredients.
5. Trust Your Instincts
– Ultimately, trust your instincts when dining out. If something feels off or questionable, don’t hesitate to make a decision that aligns with your comfort and safety.
Final Thoughts: Shedding Light on the Restaurant World
With the knowledge of these dirty secrets and industry insights, you can navigate the restaurant world with a newfound sense of awareness and discernment. Whether you’re a restaurant professional or a diner looking for a memorable culinary experience, understanding the nuances of the industry can lead to more informed choices and a greater appreciation for the food and hospitality you encounter. So, the next time you step into a restaurant, remember to keep these secrets in mind and approach your dining experience with a discerning eye. Cheers to a more enlightened restaurant journey!
By shedding light on the dirty secrets and insider tips of the restaurant world, we hope to empower both industry professionals and diners alike. Whether you’re seeking to make informed decisions about where and what to eat, or you’re looking to elevate your own practices within the industry, understanding these hidden aspects can pave the way for a more impactful and enriching restaurant experience. Happy dining! 🍽️
At Chick-Fil-A, the workers who make the food wear gloves and hair nets but the workers who bag it don’t wear anything at all. So your fries and milkshakes and everything are all touched by the employees
The ice cream/milkshake machine is never broken…
The special is just some meat or fish that is a day away from going bad.
The staff is fuckin
Where I worked, we knew most of the time when the health inspector was turning up. We also tried to delay letting them into the kitchen. Also, some health inspectors don’t really give a shit.
If you order from pizza delivery places regularly, you will be treated different depending on how you treat the staff. A lot of systems have sections to leave notes on customers.
Personally, if I knew the person was cool I would hook them up with discounts, or as much cheese and peppers and napkins as I could stuff in their bags.
If they were jerks, it was always “Whoops, sorry buddy, just ran out!”.
Salt and butter. Lots.
Soda fountains are all disgusting. Truffle oil is fake in most restaurants, do your own research on what it’s actually made with. Specials are usually bullshit. We absolutely judge you not just for what you ordered, but how you talk to us. Yes, we gossip and laugh at you. Learn how to act in public if you don’t like it.
The dishwashers I worked with would eat whatever the customer didn’t finish
At 90% of the places you eat at, the ice machine is full of black mold. For me it’s a personal pet peeve so I make sure the ice machines are sanitized and cleaned once per week, but so many chefs don’t give a fuck. Ymmv.
Most of the staff are on drugs. Even the nice server you had at dinner tonight is probably high on something. Nicotine at the very least. Oh, and they vape in the kitchen and in the walk-in cooler. (Again, I do not approve). The owner might have a coke habit. Alcohol is the worst culprit.
A lot of the staff are fucking each other, but who cares? People fuck all the time and the best place to meat a fuck-hole is at work. It only sucks when they bring their relationship drama into the workplace. Which does happen from time to time but it shouldn’t have much of an impact on your meal.
Nobody is gonna fuck with your food, even if you’re an asshole. I’m happy to say that in 15+ years I’ve never actually seen anybody spit in food or serve anything that touched the floor. It’s unprofessional as fuck and a cardinal sin in my opinion. We always respect allergies. I would probably physically fight a chef who knowingly tampered with a customer’s food. Or at the very least, make sure they were fired immediately.
Maybe I’m lucky that I’ve been able to work at well run establishments during my career. Never once have I seen a roach or a rat in any of my kitchens. The worst was maybe some fruit flies but those are easily dealt with.
Some restaurants really fucking suck, but I like to think that most of us take pride in our work and try to just serve safe, tasty food to people.
Edit: Meet your fuck-hole at work, and then meat them in the employee bathroom.
Pasta is one of the highest-mark-up items on the menu (with soft drinks being #1 by a country mile). A plate of pasta that costs $15 to order probably cost $1 to make.
Just go read Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential. It’s a great book and will tell you everything you want to know.
Been in so many different kitchens and seen a lot of yuck, but I used to service a prominent pie place and they stored the pie filling in trash cans. Not dedicated cans or drums for food, but clearly used for garbage trash cans.
You can sleep with anyone you want
Silverware is not always as clean as people might think.
In HS I worked at a major chain Asian restaurant. The silverware would go through the wash and come out. After the wash there would still be peels of vegetables stuck to the back of spoons that would just be flicked off post wash and placed into the clean rotation.
Every time I go back I always request plastic ware.
The amount of food that comes frozen, from a plastic bag and straight into the microwave is shocking.
Stuff is microwaved a lot more than you expect.
I worked for a pizza place in college. The hot wing sauce was just straight Frank’s (I think it was Durkee brand back then and later changed to Frank’s). The mild and medium were Frank’s diluted with liquid butter… ungodly amounts of liquid butter.
We are 90% drunk.
That the secret sauce at Bronco Burger is ketchup and mayonaise.
Everyone is sleeping together and everyone is hungover
All comments are on point. Also adding: the reason it’s such a crazy, intense, complex personality attractor is that food biz (ok not fast food, but others) is incredibly hard work for low margins. Even the good successful ones are rarely above 5%, so they need to make that gross as big as possible to make the 5% worthwhile.
I won’t say it’s a passion project or labor of love, but honestly this is one of those fields where from owner to dishwasher you’re not really in it for the hefty payout
The nacho machine that spits out that nasty orange sludge can get really gross. Don’t EVER order the nacho sludge.
Microwaves, Microwaves Everywhere.
When I worked in a restaurant (Cajun/Creole bar and grill, the owner was from Baton Rouge) we kept it clean and followed code even if the inspector wasn’t coming, so nothing “dirty” really, but…
We cold-brewed our iced tea by filling huge Rubbermaid trash cans (they were dedicated for this, had never been used for their manufactured purpose) with cold water and throwing a few kitchen-sized tea bags in them before leaving them in the walk-in overnight. We filled them with a hose attached to the sink while they were in the walk-in otherwise they’d be too heavy to move. We’d fill the tea dispensers by drawing it from the trash cans with small buckets. We would go through two of those fuckers a day, and the little bit remaining at night would be emptied, and the cans would be cleaned with bleach water and hosed out thoroughly before being refilled again.
Everything is overpriced, all you’re paying for is convenience and decorations.
Don’t come in 10 minutes to close. Everyone will hate you.
There’s a good chance someone who has handled your food that day is a functional drug addict. The entire staff knows but refuses to comment on it because if you lost said functional drug addict the entire place would fall apart.
Many people in the biz have substance abuse issues or personality disorders
You would be REALLY surprised with what restaurants can legally get away with as it pertains to cleanliness. Stuff that you think would absolutely get a restaurant shut down is just a simple warning from a health inspector.
You think the restaurant you eat in is pest free? Think again. Even the nicest, outwardly cleanest-looking restaurants have roaches and rats. You can’t eliminate them – you can only manage them.
A family friend owns an Italian restaurant that is famous for its sauce. It is jarred Barilla sauce they buy in bulk from the food supply store
You should not drink fountain drinks. If you knew what the hoses inside looked like and how rarely they were cleaned you’d never touch one again.
Hand-washing by the cooks sometimes was just a quick rinse in the pot sink water. But those same cooks prepared my free shift-meal with those dirty hands, and I ate it, often sitting on a milk crate next to a dumpster.
We were all drunks, on drugs, or maybe needed to be.
Now, restaurants are best-enjoyed by forgetting I ever worked in them.
Our ranch was just the Hidden Valley seasoning packets, following the recipe on the back. The only deference, our ‘secret’ ingredient if you will, was just using buttermilk instead of regular milk. People would come in regularly just to buy our ranch, still blows my mind.
Most restaurants are lawless, godless shit shows staffed and run by alcoholics, addicts and idiots. You’ll never have more fun at work or meet more awesome people though. I miss it terribly