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Top 4 Tips for Dining Out Safely

Trying out a new restaurant can be exciting.

However, if you are unfamiliar with the restaurant, you won’t know how good their personal hygiene, cleanliness, and other food safety standards are, putting you at a higher risk of contracting a foodborne illness or having an allergic reaction to a dish. That’s why it is so important to do your research beforehand and know what to look out for while you’re there.

Here are a few tips to help you properly vet a new restaurant before giving it a try to keep you safe.

1. Proof of Certification

There are a couple of things that we suggest that you do before you even arrive at a restaurant, but our number one tip would be to look for certificates set out to show that staff is food safety trained.

They may also have something else displayed that they are food safety trained, such as a food safety training badge.

You can also ask the cooks and servers about their food-safe certifications.

2. Look at Reviews - Trust people's feedback

This may require only a quick Google search. A bad report is going to be the first thing that a search brings up, but keep in mind the amount of time that has passed since that incident.

Consider the more recent reviews. If a restaurant has survived from a previous failure and the reviews suggest that it has cleaned itself up accordingly, you may use your discretion. You can always excuse yourself if you make a visit and it does not appear as the reviews had suggested.

Sites like Yelp list the most current health inspection ratings of restaurants along with the reviews, so you can see how your local health department has rated the health and safety of local restaurants to decrease your risk of contracting a foodborne illness.

3. Look for Red Flags

You should consider what the practices are for the prep work—what is done behind closed doors. If the staff appears orderly and prepared, you can relax. Red flags are obvious—look out for things like handling food without gloves, preparing food on unclean surfaces, and not washing your hands when leaving the restroom.

4. Do they take food allergies seriously?

If you have food allergies, let them know what your allergies are, whether it is gluten, peanuts, or dairy, and ask what sort of alternative they have. If they seem clueless about the question, start looking for another restaurant.