13 things wait staff won’t eat at their own restaurants

“Stuff like lettuce and fresh vegetables gets replaced daily but the less popular or smaller items, like beans and beets, often don’t get replaced more than once a week – if that. With some of the items, like olives and pickles, I’m told to just dump the new stuff on top so the bottom layer could be months old. So vile!” – Chris P. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

“People do not know how rarely ice machines get cleaned inside and out. Lots of places I’ve worked will take off the nozzles and soak them in bleach and wipe down the outside every day but it’s probably been years since anyone thawed it out and cleaned the inside. I’ve seen ice machines with black mould, slime, and even cockroaches inside them. I don’t love room temperature water but I’d rather drink that than risk a nasty infection.” – Torie T.

“All the wait staff would cut the lemons for the day and put them in a big bowl before the restaurant opened. There was zero sanitation. Never washed the fruit. No idea who actually washed their hands. They’d roll off the table, get picked back up, and placed right back in the bowl.” – Heather H.

“There’s a reason restaurant mashed potatoes are so good – all the butter! I swear the restaurant I work at uses a 50/50 ratio of potatoes to butter. Each serving is like eating an entire stick of butter. They’re delicious for sure but after seeing how they are made I can’t eat them anymore. Every time a customer orders them I weep for their arteries.” – Alexander M.

“Most people don’t eat the garnishes on the plate anyhow but I definitely wouldn’t after seeing how many times a chef will grab a leaf of kale or whatever off an incoming plate and drop it onto one going out to customers. We have one dish that has a scoop of cottage cheese on the side. If it doesn’t look touched, the chef will just slide it onto the next plate, or at the end of the night, right back into the container.” – Ashton L.

“With low-carb diets being so popular, we get a lot of breadbaskets back that aren’t touched or only have a piece or two missing. When we’re rushed sometimes we’ll just spruce it up a little and take it out to the next table. If you really want the bread, order it differently from how it’s usually served – so if all the tables have it sliced, ask for the loaf whole.” – Pietro K.

“The mac-n-cheese on our kids menu is literally Kraft, right out of the blue box. The funny thing is that everyone raves about how amazing our mac-n-cheese is and it’s one of the most popular items ordered. I like mac-n-cheese but if I want it, I’ll just make it at home. I definitely wouldn’t order it from a restaurant when there are so many better options!” –Sophie R.

“Even though some of the most popular items on our menu are salads, I never eat them. The woman who makes the salads for our restaurant has decided hand-tossed is best. Except she doesn’t wear gloves. And I’ve seen her lick her fingers and scratch her scalp. Shudder.” – Kirsten C.

“I used to love French fries before I started my current job. Now I see how seldom they change the frying oil and I’m too grossed out to eat them. Fresh frying oil is kind of a light golden colour. My restaurant will reuse the same oil until it’s dark brown, like the oil you put in your car. You can smell the rancid-ness as soon as you walk in the kitchen.” –Emmaleigh T.

“One time the prep chef forgot to turn on the oven before popping in a huge tray of chicken Kiev. Apparently no one noticed it was still cold when it came out and because of the breading it pretty much looks the same cooked as it does raw so they spooned the sauce over it and sent it out. A few customers actually ate some raw chicken before we figured it out. It only happened once but I’ve never been able to eat that dish since.” – Casey C.