Would you ever eat at a place that received less than an 'A' rating?
By mommyboo
@mommyboo (13174)
United States
March 8, 2013 2:07pm CST
Last year I was in Vegas for a race and my team and I were googling places to eat. Several people really wanted to go to this place that offered fresh and/or raw options, like salads, sandwiches, green smoothies, and things you don't typically find at a regular restaurant such as alligator, buffalo, guinoa, gluten free and sugar free options.
Keep in mind that while we do have a few girls who eat this way regularly, there's also a group of us who DON'T, me included, plus one youngish guy who in no way, shape or form had any interest in a place like that.
Anyway, we found the place and went in and got in line and I started reading the menu board, getting more and more disappointed with the options. While I love soup, my idea of a good soup doesn't include gluten free noodles made with all organic vegetables and free range chicken that costs almost $9 for a bowl the size of my palms. If I'm getting soup, either it has to be double that size and include meat, pasta, AND veggies plus come with bread or a sandwich or cost half. As we were standing there, my friend poked me and he said 'check it out.... it's a B, I don't think we should eat here'.
Four of us left and went down the strip mall to an all you can eat awesome sushi place where we not only ordered about 10 sushi rolls, we also got salad, soup, rice, and 5-6 orders of tempura vegetables, tea, and won tons. It was heavenly. The sushi place, by the way, had an A rating posted on the door.
Have you or would you ever eat at a place with a B rating? Would you complain or ask for a refund if you discovered this fact AFTER you had already placed your order or eaten? Does it depend what they serve? I don't think I ever would, regardless of what kind of food they served. Something bad has to have happened to cause that, mishandling, safety issues, wrong temperatures, etc. I watch Kitchen Nightmares, I'm fully aware of what can go on in the kitchen which no customers may be aware of.
3 people like this
14 responses
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
9 Mar 13
b is fine.sometimes it's something piddly that got them the b.
anything lower,forget about it.
i worked at a "c",and i think it was c for cockroach.i ended up quitting,the place was disgusting,and nobody else there seemed to care.
1 person likes this
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
11 Mar 13
you don't want to lol.to this day i still can't figure out how they didn't get shut down.somebody must know somebody.
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
11 Mar 13
Are you serious? I had just never even SEEN a place with a B rating. I wonder if it depends on your region or location? I live in California, but this place I went into was in Vegas, NV. I have never ever seen a place with a C rating lol.
1 person likes this
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
8 Mar 13
Many rest. all over the usa are not a rated. if you look many fast food places are not. id eat at them. As the health dept. has left them open.
1 person likes this
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
10 Mar 13
To be honest when it comes to food, it's not worth taking the risk, there are so many potential food hazards, food poisoning and all the bacteria through unclean utensils and out of date food, or food stored incorrectly. I went on a food and hygiene course once and it actually put me off eating out! Plus I am always wary of complaining in any restaurant about the food, in case they take your dish out the back and spit in it or worse! So no I definitely wouldn't go into any B rating establishment.
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
11 Mar 13
I've been through the food service class in order to get a food handler's card - I worked in the industry when I was young. I agree with you too - some people here must have misunderstood and think the ratings I am talking about are from food critics, that's not the case.
The last thing I need is to get sick from something I ate while traveling lol!
@cvodrey (225)
• United States
10 Mar 13
I have never cared if a place I ate at was rated an A or otherwise. Nor would I ever ask for a refund if I found out after the fact, and had already eaten my meal. It is the customer's job to research a place before they walk through the door.
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
11 Mar 13
The ratings are usually posted right on the door or at least in the front of the establishment. If a place did not have a rating in view, I probably wouldn't eat there lol.
The reason for the ratings has to do with how the establishment scores with food service, which is more about safety and cleanliness and if they properly handle things and follow food handling rules. I am not talking about food critic reviews.
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
11 Mar 13
Every place I have ever eaten at has an A rating - from Chipotle to McDonalds to Chilis to Xtreme Sushi. I like a variety of things - they don't have to be pricey. However, if a place IS more pricey, I expect to get good value for my money, which means if it costs more, it better be a larger portion so I don't have to order multiple menu items to actually have a good meal.
@sender621 (14894)
• United States
9 Mar 13
I don't usually go by a restaurant's ratings.I like to experience the food and the service for myself. If iwas dissatisfied I probably would not eat there again. If I enjoyed the food I would probably welcome another visit. I would probably tell ohers my own opinion of the place but I would let them chhose for themselves if they visited or not.1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
11 Mar 13
The thing with restaurant ratings is not dependent on food critics.... it's something given by the food service agency - and it encompasses food safety, proper temperatures of cooking, food storage, freshness, how things are prepped, how long things are stored, prep area cleanliness, how well the staff follows food safety principles, etc. I think there has to be some pretty serious violation to receive a bump from an A to a B, even places with an A rating may have some small things they miss if they are inspected.
What you're thinking of is reviews from food critics - and those I really don't give much thought to unless it was an expensive place I considered and they reviewed something I was considering ordering and what they said about it wasn't flattering.
@34momma (13882)
• United States
8 Mar 13
NOOOOOOOOOO!! You only need to do the bare minimum to get an "A" rating. So if someone got a "B" I will so not be eating in there. I see a lot of places with "B" and it's packed with people. I just don't know If I could sit down and enjoy a meal knowing that the owner couldn't do the standards to get the "A"
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
11 Mar 13
Well, my friend who noticed used to work in the restaurant industry, and my ex was a general manager for a restaurant. You have to have a pretty serious violation of some sort to get dropped from an A rating, and I don't think they are required to TELL you what the violation(s) are, they just have to post that they have a B and not an A.
Since they have both had access to the industry, I trust that a B is probably not good. I don't need food poisoning, especially when I'm traveling.
I think that was the ONLY place I have ever gone inside that had a B rating, and I mean EVER! I'm very glad I didn't eat there.
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
11 Mar 13
Well I was holding out my palms and imagining the soup bowl. I literally eat people under the table.... (not like that *eye*) meaning I need a pretty large amount of food to feel it's worth going out. I have no desire to eat at any of those wonderful michelin star restaurants that give you food as art but it's such a tiny portion you leave hungry and then attack the local 7-11, know what I mean? Not to mention at those places, you likely drop $50 a plate for the food. If I'm going to go somewhere to eat, I want MORE than I can eat for a reasonable (less than $50). I'm not impressed by the chef, location, or how awesome the food looks if it's only about 10 bites!
This is one reason I also tend to avoid 'special' things, like 'all organic' or whatever because not only is the price higher, you tend to get smaller portions.
@IntrovertShy (2780)
• Marikina, Philippines
8 Mar 13
No. I do not want to eat anything that has less than in A rating. For me it would be dangerous because it might be the utensils is not properly clean or whatever. The kitchen might not be organized. I think its fine to eat a less than A rating as long as it is cheap, but if its a high price, well, that would be unfair to me. Still, I do not want to choose a less than A rating. I do not like it at all.
@doroffee (4222)
• Hungary
8 Mar 13
I definitely would, for a lot of reasons.
1) some restaurant reviewers are too snob for my taste. They would give any restaurant less than an A, if they don't serve something crazy, snobbish or weird like Bread Pudding Soufflé with Whiskey Sauce (I actually looked for something, and found it on the Internet)... so if they have all dishes like a simple (yet delicious, at least for me) roast beef, they are going to give it a bad rating, because it's not "sophisticated enough"
2) and I love my junk food... I'm not a food gourmand at all, I like more simple dishes, too.
3) every restaurant has its strengths
4) if it's recommended by someone whose taste I trust, I'm gonna try it all the way! more than some snobbish upper 10.000 food reviewer
5) That B may include wrong temperature, not overly qualified waiters, long time before serving... not necesarrily the food is that which gives it a bed raring
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
11 Mar 13
Well, I hope never to encounter another place with a B rating in my travels. As I explained to another poster, most of my traveling I do for races, and if I'm spending a lot of time in a vehicle in an unfamiliar town/state, I really don't need to add being sick to the menu. That would also probably affect my race and my team, so that's not so good either.
If I'm traveling for a vacation instead or a date weekend, again I'd be paying attention because I don't think my husband wants food poisoning, bad service, or rude/unqualified staff either. Although a big portion is the food itself and the quality and amount, I also consider the service to be at least a third of my experience. I tip 15% as a rule (except for to go orders) and usually that ends up more like 20-25% depending on atmosphere, attentiveness and friendliness of the staff, how they handle special orders and kids or large groups.
@Raine38 (12257)
• United States
9 Mar 13
If we are going to pay some considerable amount of money to eat at a certain place, they at least must have an A rating. Especially if they have ridiculously high prices. If not, then I guess we'll just have to make do with what we can get.
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
11 Mar 13
This place was more expensive than say... a subway, but it offered what I would consider similar food to a subway, just like.... organic and raw and gluten free and other specialty options. I am sure I'm not the only consumer who has no desire to pay EXTRA for stuff like that. I don't NEED it.
I would think a place that specialized in things that really only cater to a smaller group of people would do a better job of making sure their kitchen received an A.
@blackrusty (3519)
• Mexico
8 Mar 13
well I don't mind eating in a B rated place but one of the things that I look for is the places that I can see are clean , then I look at the servers if they look a mess you can be rest a sure I will be heading for the door
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
11 Mar 13
I've just never eaten at a place with a B rating. Of course it didn't help that this place didn't really offer what I wanted. I thought the expense wasn't worth the offerings. It wasn't dirty or anything, not that I could tell, but that isn't always an indicator that everything is well back in the kitchen.
