Your favorite restaurant works hard to create a perfect dining experience. This often involves a bit of “kitchen magic” and a few secrets they would rather you not know. From the freshness of the daily special to the cleanliness of the ice machine, there are several hidden truths behind the swinging kitchen doors. While most of these secrets are harmless, they are a surprising glimpse into the reality of a busy restaurant.
1. The “Special” Is Often Old Inventory
The “chef’s special” is not always a burst of culinary creativity. In many kitchens, it is a clever way to use up ingredients that are about to expire. The chef will create a new dish to sell a surplus of a specific fish or vegetable. This is done before it has to be thrown away. While the dish is perfectly safe, it is not the fresh, new idea that the menu might suggest.
2. The Ice Machine Is Rarely Cleaned
The ice machine is one of the most neglected pieces of equipment in a restaurant. It is a dark, moist environment that is a perfect breeding ground for mold and slime. Health inspectors frequently cite restaurants for having dirty ice machines. The ice that is in your drink may be the dirtiest thing in the entire establishment.
3. The Bread Basket Is Often Recycled
When a table leaves behind an untouched bread basket, the restaurant does not always throw it away. In a shocking but common practice, some restaurants will simply take the uneaten bread from your basket. They will then add it to the basket for the next table. This is a clear health code violation, but it is a secret, money-saving trick that has been used for years.
4. “Market Price” Can Be a Vague Number
When you see “Market Price” on a menu for a seafood item, it seems like it is tied to the daily price from the fish market. In reality, that price can be a much more arbitrary number. The restaurant manager can sometimes set the price based on what they think the customers are willing to pay that night. It is not always a direct reflection of the actual market cost.
5. Your Decaf Coffee Might Be a Mix
In a busy restaurant, making a fresh pot of decaf coffee for a single order at the end of the night is a hassle. Some servers will use a simple, secret shortcut. They will mix a small amount of regular coffee with a lot of old decaf coffee. This gives the illusion of a fresh, hot pot of decaf.
6. Your Table Is Wiped with a Dirty Rag
The rag that the busser uses to wipe down your table has likely been used to wipe down a dozen other tables before yours. It is often sitting in a bucket of cloudy, sanitizing solution. These rags can be a major source of cross-contamination. They can spread germs from one table to the next.
7. The House Wine Is the Cheapest Available
The “house wine” is not a special blend that the restaurant has curated. It is almost always the cheapest, highest-margin wine that the restaurant can buy from its distributor. It is chosen for its profitability, not for its quality. You are often better off ordering a specific, named wine from the menu.
8. Cheaper Ingredients Are for Delivery Orders
A restaurant knows that a delivery customer is less likely to complain about a small drop in quality than a customer who is dining in the restaurant. As a result, some kitchens will use slightly cheaper or older ingredients for their delivery and takeout orders. They save the best-looking products for the in-house guests.
9. The Health Grade Is in a Hidden Spot
Every restaurant must display its health inspection grade in a visible location for customers. However, if the restaurant has a poor grade, they will often place it in the most obscure and hidden spot possible. You may have to go on a scavenger hunt to find the “B” or “C” grade that they are trying to hide.
10. The Soup of the Day Uses Leftovers
The “soup of the day” is another classic way for a kitchen to reduce its food waste. It is often made from the leftover vegetables, meats, and other ingredients from the previous day’s service. While this is a smart and sustainable practice, the soup is not the fresh, new creation that you might imagine
The Curtain of the Kitchen
A busy restaurant kitchen is a place of organized chaos. The staff use a variety of secrets and shortcuts to get the job done. While most of these practices are harmless, they are a part of the hidden reality of the food service industry. They are the curtain that separates the beautiful dining room from the often messy and high-pressure world of the kitchen. A little bit of insider knowledge can make you a much more savvy diner.
What is the most shocking restaurant secret you have ever heard? Does knowing about these practices change how you feel about dining out? Let us know!
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