Used to think restaurant health scores were all that mattered until I saw the back of a A-rated place

I worked at a spot last summer that had a 98 on the door but the walk-in cooler had mold growing on the floor tiles. The manager just told us to spray bleach on it before the inspector came. Now I trust cooks I know more than any posted grade. Has anyone else seen a high score place that was actually disgusting behind the scenes?

3 comments

3 Comments

wade2501mo ago

Does a 98 on the door mean they're good at hiding stuff, because I've seen the same moldy floor trick at a place with a perfect score lol. I walked out of a cool job once after they asked me to "clean" a meat slicer with just a dry rag. Honestly, the best food I've ever eaten came from a place with a 76 grade and a cook who wiped the counter with his apron.

king.val1mo ago

I mean, you're talking about a little mold on some floor tiles. That's not even food contact. I've seen way worse at places with a 70 something and nobody got sick. Honestly, I think people just like to act like every little thing is a health crisis when it's really just gross floors in a walk-in that nobody eats off of.

the_sam1mo ago

A 98 doesn't mean much if they're just hiding the bad stuff for inspection day. That mold in the walk-in is a sign the place isn't being cleaned regularly, and if they let that go, what else are they skipping? The slicer thing is exactly the point, you see one shortcut and you know the staff isn't being trained right. A 76 might mean they're honest about their mess, or it might mean they just can't get their act together. Either way, I'm not taking the gamble on food poisoning just because the place has good vibes.