Brooms And Mops? How About Rags, Dishwashers, And Common Sense?

As much as I enjoy the pleasures of eating out, I can't help but think of one key value that is supposed to be part of the fabric of making restaurant life successful and profitable. It's hard not to notice when you pick up your fork and discover that there is some gunk or foreign particle on it from a previous customer that did not get washed away during cleaning.

Should said cleaning of utensils be placed in quote/end-of-quote now?? I say that because I'm seeing this situation occur more frequently than I used to. And, sadly, at an increasing number of places, as well. It doesn't stop with silverware at sit-down places. It also includes fast food places where an attendant who packs the food for customers drops a paper bag or covered plasticware on the floor actually picks them back up and reuses them again! Yuck!! No matter how often a floor may be cleaned up, there's simply no guarantee that it will stay clean. Regardless, if you drop anything on the floor, be it a bag, plasticware, a drink container, a french fry container, or even a piece of food, then throw it away. Period! You can't reuse it. You must use something clean. I was taught growing up that if I were to accidentally drop silverware on the floor, then I must pick it up and put it in the sink to be washed later on and get a new item of same. In addition, if I dropped any food on the floor, I'm danged sure not going to put it in my mouth. No way, Jose. It's an appointment with a trash can. Always assume that a floor is dirty. I've seen places like McDonald's and Whataburger make mistakes regarding dropping things and picking them up instead of chucking them, but this is happening in a lot of places now.

As for the unwashed silverware, the problems extend to tables not bussed properly or completely. I used to eat at Cracker Barrel once a week. Now, it's not lately, and maybe, not for a while. I'm sorry to point fingers because I really love Cracker Barrel's food and have for years, but they do not bus tables well. Or clean silverware, too, for that matter. The last four visits I've made to that chain (in three different locations), I've actually had to have silverware recalled because of uncleanliness. And then, I was at Saltgrass with my mother the other day, and she had been given a small bread plate that already had butter stains all over it. How sad that I should not be too surprised by the events that take place at restaurants everywhere, but it has made me think and put my guard up. Anymore, I have to start inspecting everything coming my way. What's next, roaches??

I apologize to all my readers for this observation, and I don't wish for this to be a rant, but it's really just to expose some things to make you aware of when going out to eat. It's still something that I want to enjoy continuing to do, but hygiene needs to desperately start being practiced again in such places, if not retaught. This writer can go on and on about one restaurant horror story after another, but I've grossed you out enough. Hopefully, it's enough to make us all think. To any restaurant worker, this word: I don't care what upbringing you had; always think about others when preparing their dining experience. You'll be glad when you have satisfied customers rather than worried ones.