Knowing if a restaurant follows proper hygiene to reduce the risk of foodborne illness and ensure a safe and enjoyable dining experience is important. There’s nothing worse than eating at a restaurant with greasy utensils, slippery floors, and pests running here and there! And while you probably won’t run into any restaurant with hygiene problems in Westwood, we can’t say that for any other restaurant you encounter around the country!

It’s better to be safe than sorry. Here are some tips on how to determine if a restaurant follows proper hygiene:

Check for a Health Department Rating

Most health departments inspect restaurants and assign them a rating based on their level of compliance with food safety regulations. Look for a rating posted in the restaurant or check the health department’s website. They’ll usually have a list of restaurants they have rated in the past five years that you can access.

Observe the Staff

Look for staff members who are wearing gloves, hairnets, and other protective clothing and who are following proper hand-washing procedures. If one of the servers has their hair down, or if they’ve got extremely long nails, foodstuff can easily get under, and those can easily transfer to your food and you!

Observe Food Preparation

Observe the kitchen area to see if food is being prepared and stored properly. Food should be kept at safe temperatures and stored in a clean and organized manner. If the kitchen cannot be seen from where you are seated, you can instead inspect your food and the utensils carefully before you start eating to see if anything is amiss.

Check the Cleanliness of the Dining Area

A clean and well-maintained dining area is a good sign that the restaurant is taking hygiene seriously. Look for clean floors, tables, and chairs, and be mindful of any unpleasant odors or sights. You should also look for dangerous things like slippery floors or things that shouldn’t be on the floor that could cause bodily harm for the customers.

Ask Questions

Don’t be afraid to ask the staff about their food safety and hygiene practices. A good restaurant will be transparent and willing to answer questions. As food safety regulations are particularly stringent, any good restaurant would be more than happy to talk about all the lengths they went through to make your experience as safe and healthy as possible.

Look for Certifications

Restaurants that have been certified by organizations, such as the National Restaurant Association’s ServSafe program, demonstrate a commitment to food safety and hygiene. Any good restaurant would be proud to show such certificates because it shows how they care for their customers.

Read Reviews

Check online reviews from other customers to see if anyone has had a negative experience related to food safety or hygiene at the restaurant. These are reviews of the restaurant coming from third parties, so you can be sure that if a ton of reviews are saying that the restaurant is violating food health protocols, then they are! They have no reason to lie about an awful experience.

Conclusion

By following these tips, you can help determine if a restaurant follows proper hygiene and make informed decisions about where to dine. Additionally, if you experience any symptoms of food poisoning after dining at a restaurant, it is important to report it to the health department to help ensure that proper measures are taken to prevent future outbreaks.