Servers spill the beans: don’t eat this!
American waiters and waitresses spill the beans: they wouldn’t eat these things for any amount of money, not even in their own restaurant. Consider yourself warned!
Most restaurants work neatly and hygienically, especially in the Netherlands. But sometimes strange things happen. These people worked in service or in the kitchens of American restaurants, and their experiences have ensured that they will avoid certain dishes forever.
Not-so-fresh salad
‘Some products in the salad bar are hardly ever eaten. We didn’t throw them away, but simply topped them up. The beetroot and corn kernels sometimes stayed in those salad-bar containers for an entire week. And with the olives, we sometimes simply put new olives on top of the old supply, so you couldn’t see the shriveled olives at the bottom anymore. That bottom layer was sometimes months old—disgusting!’
Ice cubes
‘People don’t realize that the ice machine isn’t cleaned very often. In most restaurants where I worked, they only quickly wiped the tap and the lid of the bin with a cloth, and that was it. I’ve seen mold in those ice machines, and even cockroaches crawling around inside them. I’d rather drink a lukewarm beverage than have those filthy cubes in my soda.’
Juicy lemon
‘At the start of their shift, the servers cut a huge pile of lemon slices and put them in a container. We used them throughout the day. Nobody worried about hygiene during that task. They didn’t wash their hands, and if a lemon fell on the floor, it was simply used anyway.’
Creamy mash
‘Do you know why mashed potatoes in a restaurant taste much better than at home? Butter! At the restaurant where I worked, we used just as much butter as potatoes. Delicious, but incredibly unhealthy. When I see someone enthusiastically tucking into mashed potatoes, I feel sorry for their heart.’
Sustainable garnish
‘The garnish—you know, that little pile of lettuce with tomato and cucumber and so on to brighten up your plate—is simply recycled if it isn’t eaten. I’ve seen the chef pick lettuce leaves off plates waiting by the dishwashing area countless times, only to put them on plates heading out to tables.’
Baguette for the table
‘In our restaurant, every table gets a free basket of bread. But now that everyone is trying to eat gluten-free and carbohydrates seem to be the national enemy, those baskets regularly come back to the kitchen untouched. Well, they simply go to the next table. So those warm rolls aren’t as fresh as you might think.’
Mixed salad
‘Salads are popular in our restaurant. But I would never order one. The cook who makes the salads always mixes them by hand. And she doesn’t wear gloves. I’ve seen her scratch her head and then carry on with the salad. She also licks her fingers. Brrr, I’ll pass on that salad.’
Greasy French fries
‘Delicious, fries with your meal! But I’ve seen how often they replace the frying oil in our kitchen. Only when it’s dark brown—motor-oil colored—do they throw out the oil and clean the pan. And the smell! So I definitely won’t be eating those fries anymore.’
Pasta is good (and cheap)
‘The pasta dishes on our menu are the cheapest meals we make, but they certainly aren’t priced cheaply on the menu. They taste fine, but when it comes to value for money, I’d choose something else.’
Also read:
- 10 fast-food workers spill the beans: I would never order this
- 10 times employees cracked up over stupid guests and customers
- You don’t have an allergy, you’re just being a pain
Source: Reader’s Digest
