Ever wondered what sets the really great restaurants apart from those that are just fine? So did I! So I browsed the forums to see what other foodies say are the telltale signs of truly exceptional restaurants. Whether you're a seasoned foodie or just looking not to be ripped off, these clues will help guide you to spending your money only in restaurants that are really, truly, worth it.
No-Shortcut French Onion Soup
French onion soup seems easy enough to make, and it can be. But there are also so many steps along the way where you can either do it the right way, or take a shortcut. The best resraurants? They didn't take those shortcuts, and instead made the broth from scratch and caramelized their onions well. And if they didn't take shortcuts with this dish - they likely don't anywhere else either.
Cold Water
Next time the waiter asks you if you want to start with some water - make sure to take him up on it! And if you don't even get the question, get out of there. Such a simple thing as water can say a lot about a restaurant: How is it served? Is it chilled? How does it taste? And while it might not say everything, if you get a good, ice-cold, glass of water, you sure are off to a good start.
Great Desserts
Who doesn't love a great dessert to end a nice meal? Many restaurants will serve up decent sweet treats, but the best of the best have desserts that will rival any specialty gelato shop, pastry bakery, or gourmet chocolate store. There's a reason the real fancy places often have a whole pastry department!
Clean Bathrooms
This one might be more of a minimum requirement - if hygiene is bad in the bathroom, then what does that say about the kitchen?! One foodie puts it perfectly: "If they're not routine about cleaning the bathroom they're no different in the kitchen".
Good Bread - And It's Fresh!
Stale bread? Not in any decent restaurant establishment! However, one foodie says this does not apply in Italy: "I’ve had many a crappy bread basket only for the main meal to be delicious. Florence especially..."
Asian Restaurant? Look For Spelling Mistakes!
One foodie says his main criteria when choosing an Asian restaurant, is that the menu has a lot of spelling mistakes. The more, the better! Another foodie suggests looking at the reviews: "Your ideal Asian restaurant has between 3 and 4 stars with lots of 5-star reviews for food from Asian names and 1-star reviews for service from white names."
Deli? The Pickles Need to Be Good!
When trying a new deli, make sure the pickles are good. If they are, you're likely to be satisfied with the rest of the meal as well.
Hot Plates
And no, we don't just mean that the food is hot - but the literal plate as well! Serving hot food on a cold plate is a surefire way to make sure your dining experience will be sub-par, and something good restaurants make sure to avoid.
Perfect Eggs
If you've ever watched a cooking competition on TV, you know eggs can say a lot about a chef - and hence, about a whole restaurant. The perfect fried or poached egg is not as easy to achieve as it seems - especially not when attempting it in a busy restaurant kitchen!
Small Menu
In a clear case of "try to do everything well, end up doing nothing well", restaurants with massive menus seldom excel at anything. But those restaurants that serve only a few choice items? They've likely perfected them, including sourcing the best ingredients for them.
Mexican Restaurant? Try The Beans!
As a staple of Mexican food, a Mexican restaurant really needs to know their beans. If the beans are off, then likely they have no idea what they're doing. Even worse if those beans came out of a can...
Source: Reddit.
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