Unsanitary Restaurants - how many have you eaten at?

[Frank the Tank]

If the DQ on Elbow Dr. is the one by Scarlett then I am at one! (20 years ago)

[pepper24]

0 matches for me which is surprising because I eat out a lot for business dinners though at usually fancier restaurants.

If you have been to one of these restaurants remember that many had problems and are now fixed. That's the job of the CHR and they won't re-open until any issues are resolved.

[habernac]

I laugh when I remember the restaurant we visited in Montreal 10 years ago. It was one of those breakfast places where you're sitting at a lunch counter and the grill is right in front of you. They're cooking up eggs, etc. Everyone in my group is ordering as I watch the "chef" flipping eggs, cooking pancakes, etc while he has a lit cigarette in his mouth. It was a flashback to the beginning of Married with Children. Needless to say, I ordered an orange juice and ate somewhere else.

[pepper24]

Originally Posted by habernac

I laugh when I remember the restaurant we visited in Montreal 10 years ago. It was one of those breakfast places where you're sitting at a lunch counter and the grill is right in front of you. They're cooking up eggs, etc. Everyone in my group is ordering as I watch the "chef" flipping eggs, cooking pancakes, etc while he has a lit cigarette in his mouth. It was a flashback to the beginning of Married with Children. Needless to say, I ordered an orange juice and ate somewhere else.

Hopefully there wasn't any ash in your OJ

[jamesteterenko]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

A lot of sanitary things are cultural and I guess being Chinese myself dulls you to it but you realize that many ethnic restaurants will do these sorts of things and it's accepted because that's how it is in their home countries - many ethnic food preparated methods will have food sitting out in warm conditions as per traditionally prepared. The CHR calls that unsanitary unless food is kept hot or frozen but it's just the way it's done and nothing is done unless people get seriously ill.

That said, I'm not defending these places but you'd have to be dumb not to realize that many restaurants you eat at all have these sorts of violations to some degree "in the back" where it's unseen. I just accept it because I know it's not pretty back there and I rarely eat out anyway.

Most of these violations have nothing to do with cultural differences. When I read through the article, I was glad that each and every one of those were shut down. We are talking about rat infestations, cooler fans dripping into food, water from an unapproved source, chicken stored in old laundry buckets, tempura batter sitting under the sink, motor oil stored above dry goods, cockroach infestations, toys stored with food, combs and toothbrushes on prep tables, etc.

And to top it off, most of these restaurants re-open when they resolve most of the issues. There are still some remaining when they re-open. I have no pity on the business owners on this one for having such significant sanitary issues, and I hope that they make this information more public in the future.

James.

[Reaper]

I've eaten at two of the restaurants listed (Krispy Creme and Singapore Sams on 32) but not in the last year. Krispy Creme was very "meh" (come on, they're just doughnuts - nothing special) and Singapore Sams on 32 was mediocre (I was unimpressed due to the low rent food and buffet as compared to the Singapore Sams located in the beltline). I guess I'm fairly discriminating when it comes to eating out. If I can't stand to be in the restaurant I certainly don't want take out from there.

[Tower]

only 2 for me... YAY! Since I can't eat wheat anymore I'm force to stay away from a lot of places... It seems that is a positive thing.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by pepper24

Hopefully there wasn't any ash in your OJ

thank goodness it was bottled

[Bobblehead]

Take Habernac's story, and retell it replacing the restaurant in Montreal with Singapore Sams on 32nd, and that is what I saw the last time I ate there, about 6 years ago. One of the guys buy the cash register had to ask someone in the kitchen a question, and when the curtain was pulled aside I could see one of the cooks smoking while he was cooking.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

That said, I'm not defending these places but you'd have to be dumb not to realize that many restaurants you eat at all have these sorts of violations to some degree "in the back" where it's unseen. I just accept it because I know it's not pretty back there and I rarely eat out anyway.

Sadly I think you're right... I've eaten at so many restaurants that seemed sketch that I'm sure a trip to the kitchen would have sent me scurrying. There's a few places in Chinatown I frequent that I for sure would have figured would have been on that list.

Having watched Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen nightmares a few times, you can see how a crappy chef who lets the place go can really turn a kitchen of any ethnicity into a festering science project.

This has to be the kiss of death for some of those restaurants on that list. Front page picture of your place....yeesh. Who's going to eat at these places now? Especially the Chinese ones - word travels fast and vicious in that community about bum restaurants. Forget about fines and a healthpass system - just publish the failing restaurants twice a year and watch owners fall over themselves to get into line. Of course you'd have to develop a system of escalation and at least 1 chance to fix all the deficencies to make it fair to the owners.

Just remember kids - fecal matter is not a laughing matter.

[troutman]

How many of our own kitchens would pass an inspection by the Health Inspector?

I used to have a room-mate that was in food science, and it is amazing how little most of us know about safe food preparation and storage.

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by fotze

Anthony Bourdain says if the bathroom of the restaurant is dirty then it is a really good bet that the kitchen is dirty. A bathroom is extremely easy to clean compared to a kitchen and they know you will see it. If they do not care about cleaning a room you will see, imagine how little they care about cleaning a room you will never see.

Good point. But thinking about it is going to make me vomit.

[browna]

None.
Dairy Queen on Elbow way back when.
Krispy Kreme notwithstanding.

It is really best not to think about things like this when eating out. Not just now..but ever.

Just like the supposed story about Denny's....reason you never see any cops there is that they hire excons to work the kitchen. You don't have to have that vivid an imagination to figure out what happens when those staff in the back peek through and see two cops roll up at 3am.

Nevermind the overall labor shortage.

[obss]

Wow, I ate at the Sharwma King last night. At least it was after they re-opened and supposedly cleaned their act up. I was wondering why there were health regulations posted all over the place though. Might be awhile before I go back there.

[8 Ball]

I'm at two, but I ate at one of them at least five times.

[Fuzzy McGillicuddy]

The Calgary Health Region is looking at a rating system for the food services industry similar to Toronto's Dine Safe program.

http://app.toronto.ca/food2/index.jsp

It could be a color rating or a letter code. Consumers would see the sticker on the door when they enter the place. Of course the rating system is only as good as the last inspection. Right now, the CHR inspects most restaurants twice a year.

[RW99]

Zero for me. Good to see a chain I worked at for years wasn't on that list.

[SpitFire40]

JORDAN'S HOT DOG STAND, hmmm, the hot dog water is fairly yellow...

j/k i've never heard of this place, but i've definetely eaten at some of these joints. Makes me want to puke.

[Pagal4321]

Well only 1 for me.

Harbour City is a favorite of ours after a night of partying. But now I undersatnd why I feel like crap the morning after...even when I'm sober.
You can bet I will NOT be going there anytime soon.

[Incinerator]

Originally Posted by Pagal4321

Well only 1 for me.

Harbour City is a favorite of ours after a night of partying. But now I undersatnd why I feel like crap the morning after...even when I'm sober.
You can bet I will NOT be going there anytime soon.

try U&Me across the street instead, I frequent that place and I'm still alive

1 for me too, no more Pho So 1 for me haha. Although I didn't notice anything the only time I ate there. *whew*