Restaurant bathrooms

Grandma Bobbi and I occasionally talk about restaurant bathroom cleanliness or lack thereof. She often comments that a dirty bathroom could be a reflection of how clean or dirty the restaurant's kitchen might be. Some older restaurants have older bathrooms that are clean even though they're old, so these comments don't apply to them.

Several restaurants mentioned throughout this forum have bathrooms that could be much cleaner. It's not an issue of heavy traffic and usage but one of caked-on dirt on various surfaces throughout the bathroom facility.

So GM Bobbi is reluctant to go back to some of the restaurants we've visited where their bathrooms are filthy. I tend to agree with her no matter how good the food might be.

Those restaurant owners who have less than pristine bathrooms and who peruse this forum might keep these comments in mind.

The recession is tough on the restaurant business, so IMHO a dirty bathroom is a turnoff and can be one factor that keep customers from returning.

Regards,
Grandpa Bob

Any else

I agree wholeheartedly that nothing can turn a good meal bad as fast a visit to a foul restroom. Conversely, I remember places with really nice bathrooms and I'm more apt to return there, all things being equal. I don't think P.F. Chang's has particularly inspirational food, but they're bathrooms are magnificent and kept extremely clean, so I'm prone to choose them over other similarly priced places. I'm not sure though, that I'd take the logical leap that the state of the bathroom directly correlates with the state of the kitchen.

A colleague once said "basically, almost all -insert ethnic group of which he was a member- restaurants make similar dishes - if you want to pick one, go by the bathroom"

Moderator Note: Because this topic concerns non-verifiable, health regulation-related issues, mentions or indications of specific restaurants will not be tolerated. Any such posts will be removed immediately and the thread will be locked.

Thanks, for your understanding,

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for the moderators

I have to agree, Bob. Maybe it's just that I'm getting older and more curmudgeonly but lately I find that I'm far less tolerant of a filthy restaurant bathroom and also feel that there's absolutely no excuse for it. This may sound harsh but if maintaining a clean bathroom prevents a restaurant from being viable, maybe the restaurant isn't that viable to begin with.

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Bourdain actually addresses this concept in Kitchen Confidential. He writes that, if the bathroom, which is relatively easy to clean, is awful, then the kitchen is probably worse, and he steers clear of such places. Tatty or worn is one thing, and you can't hold a restaurant responsible for a few paper towels on the floor, but dirt is something else.

Actually, one of the few stories I ever heard about Aristotle Onassis that I sympathized with was that, when he found a restaurant he liked, he'd buy a townhouse nearby, so he always knew he'd have a clean bathroom. Don't know if the story is true, but I definitely appreciate the sentiment.

I have left restaurants in the past because the restrooms were so filthy, and/or lacked soap. One of the restaurants has been spoken of favorably here, and I debated whether it would be kosher to bring it up...but now it seems it was better not to!

Anyway, yes, bad bathroom = worse kitchen, and me zooming out the door.

Suzy Creamcheese wrote:I have left restaurants in the past because the restrooms were so filthy, and/or lacked soap. One of the restaurants has been spoken of favorably here...

One restaurant which it is very hard to convince my wife to return to, because of its bathroom, happens to be a top LTH favorite.

But (not to overgeneralize), men and women have different standards. One reason is that men are pigs. Another is that nature in her wisdom made it more possible for us than women to use a bathroom and have relatively little contact with any bathroom surface other than with our elbows. So I can't begrudge my wife her aversion.

Went to Shaw's (Oyster Bar side) a couple of weeks ago. As usual the restrooms were spotless and had the linen like paper guest towels. A sign on the mirror read to please feel free to use a towel to open the door when exiting. Outside the door was a nice covered trash bin for towel disposal. Thought it was a nice touch.

Hi,

I walked into a little hole in the wall place recently. The first odor hitting me was a strong odor of urine. There were several regulars seated at different tables chatting amongst themselves. Everybody was happy to see a new customer who might enjoy the food as much as they did. If it were not such a friendly crowd, I might have taken a menu and took off. I decided to stay, which startled my guest who clearly was smelling the very same urine.

I did order only one serving of food, because I knew I was pushing my friend's patience by simply sitting down. The regulars were really very interested in my opinion of the food. I politely offered a favorable opinion, which pleased them.

I never did check the bathroom. My sense after a while it was not a plumbing issue, rather a polite suspension of belief to avoid embarassing someone there.

My friend has since had a field day reminding me of my "Favorite restaurant!"

Regards,

Marshall K wrote:Went to Shaw's (Oyster Bar side) a couple of weeks ago. As usual the restrooms were spotless and had the linen like paper guest towels. A sign on the mirror read to please feel free to use a towel to open the door when exiting. Outside the door was a nice covered trash bin for towel disposal. Thought it was a nice touch.

Yes - that a Lettuce Entertain You "thing." Not all places, though, have the trash bin outside the bathroom to dispose of the old towels. Petterino's, for example - no trash can. I always get a chuckle listening to the old ladies using the bathroom at Petterino's before a Goodman performance debate with each other on what they should with the towel after they use it to open the door. "Should I put it in my pocket?" "Don't put it in your pocket, Agnes! That sign's a joke! Who walk out of a bathroom holding a towel?," etc.

aschie30 wrote:I always get a chuckle listening to the old ladies using the bathroom at Petterino's before a Goodman performance debate with each other on what they should with the towel after they use it to open the door. "Should I put it in my pocket?" "Don't put it in your pocket, Agnes! That sign's a joke! Who walk out of a bathroom holding a towel?," etc.

I thought the proper disposal technique is to affix it to the bottom of one's shoe.

depends on the type of restaurant for me. If it is a hole in the wall, I really dont give a second thought about the state of the restrooms.

aschie30 wrote:

Marshall K wrote:Went to Shaw's (Oyster Bar side) a couple of weeks ago. As usual the restrooms were spotless and had the linen like paper guest towels. A sign on the mirror read to please feel free to use a towel to open the door when exiting. Outside the door was a nice covered trash bin for towel disposal. Thought it was a nice touch.

Yes - that a Lettuce Entertain You "thing." Not all places, though, have the trash bin outside the bathroom to dispose of the old towels. Petterino's, for example - no trash can. I always get a chuckle listening to the old ladies using the bathroom at Petterino's before a Goodman performance debate with each other on what they should with the towel after they use it to open the door. "Should I put it in my pocket?" "Don't put it in your pocket, Agnes! That sign's a joke! Who walk out of a bathroom holding a towel?," etc.

I usually end up balancing the door open with my foot while I attempt to hit the paper towel receptacle. Most of the time I make it.

I guess this makes it very obvious that I agree with Grandpa Bob and Grandma Bobbi.

grits wrote:

aschie30 wrote:

Marshall K wrote:Went to Shaw's (Oyster Bar side) a couple of weeks ago. As usual the restrooms were spotless and had the linen like paper guest towels. A sign on the mirror read to please feel free to use a towel to open the door when exiting. Outside the door was a nice covered trash bin for towel disposal. Thought it was a nice touch.

Yes - that a Lettuce Entertain You "thing." Not all places, though, have the trash bin outside the bathroom to dispose of the old towels. Petterino's, for example - no trash can. I always get a chuckle listening to the old ladies using the bathroom at Petterino's before a Goodman performance debate with each other on what they should with the towel after they use it to open the door. "Should I put it in my pocket?" "Don't put it in your pocket, Agnes! That sign's a joke! Who walk out of a bathroom holding a towel?," etc.

I usually end up balancing the door open with my foot while I attempt to hit the paper towel receptacle. Most of the time I make it.

I guess this makes it very obvious that I agree with Grandpa Bob and Grandma Bobbi.

Ah, the David Hammond method.

Going off topic slightly, has anyone seen the bathrooms at Cozy Noodle on N. Sheffield? I was in awe.

riddlemay wrote:

Suzy Creamcheese wrote:But (not to overgeneralize), men and women have different standards. One reason is that men are pigs.

Often women are just as bad. I've walked out of more public bathrooms than I can count. Nothing beats the splattered stalls at an old "department" store that no longer exists or the bloody floor of a certain burger chain location downtown. And I know it's permanent marker, but it grosses me out to sit on a seat covered in black drawings, not to mention eat on a table with sketches of flying penises.

But as for places with nice bathrooms, the one at Bar DeVille made me feel like The Princess and the Pee and I love the homey feel of the one at TAC Quick. Unless things have changed since the last time I was there, the stall at Cafe Absinthe was just cool, like I was in a space pod.

Hi,

Nice bathrooms can always be called out.

Regards,

Well in that case, my post has been edited. Thanks!

Pie Lady wrote:I love the homey feel of the one at TAC Quick.

This is the one I had in mind too. The laundry sink in the corner makes me chuckle...it reminds me of home bathrooms I've seen in India or Singapore.

But man, that bathroom is very clean & odor-free. Last time I was there, I didn't even smell air freshener, just...nothing. No gross smells, but also no overwhelming fake-gardenia perfume. From a purely olfactory perspective, that's the gold standard in bathroom cleanliness.

Cathy2 wrote:Nice bathrooms can always be called out.

Yes, I should have been more clear.

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ronnie_suburban wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:Nice bathrooms can always be called out.

Yes, I should have been more clear.

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It was really just me being overcautious. Since there are many bad-bathroom posts, I wanted to make sure naming the good ones in the same thread would be okay. This promises to be a fun thread and I don't want to see it locked!

One of my favorite local bathrooms is the one with this cool sink:



Gaetano's
7636 Madison St
Forest Park, IL
(708) 366-4010

jimswside wrote:depends on the type of restaurant for me. If it is a hole in the wall, I really dont give a second thought about the state of the restrooms.

I'm the same way, though I do make mental notes of restaurant bathrooms that are particularly clean (at least, seeming) and/or are decorated in a way I really like.

Pie Lady wrote:But as for places with nice bathrooms, the one at Bar DeVille made me feel like The Princess and the Pee

FYI. The bathrooms in the front room of Bar DeVille will make you feel less like a princess. They're perfectly fine but a little farther from Vegas than the bathrooms in the back room.

My favorite restaurant bathroom of the moment is Mana's. I like the raised design and rosy-salmon color of the walls, and it is very clean. I also like most any bathroom with Dyson hand-dryers--I know Signature Room and the new Lincoln Park Whole Foods have them, and it's my favorite thing about all of Paramount Room. I love those hand dryers. Finally, I'm also a big proponent of gender-neutral bathrooms, so Dinkel's gets bonus points from me (also very clean).

happy_stomach wrote:

jimswside wrote:depends on the type of restaurant for me. If it is a hole in the wall, I really dont give a second thought about the state of the restrooms.

I'm the same way,...

Me too, I don't let crappy bathrooms stand in the way of great food - I just try to avoid them. There are quite a few places where, before I visit, I make sure to use the bathroom at home, and limit my consumption of liquids once I'm there.

Kennyz wrote:One of my favorite local bathrooms is the one with this cool sink:

That's a SINK! Ooops!

eatchicago wrote:

Kennyz wrote:One of my favorite local bathrooms is the one with this cool sink:

That's a SINK! Ooops!

I guess the twins are still less than a year old, so you're just getting into your potty humor groove

Kennyz wrote:I guess the twins are still less than a year old, so you're just getting into your potty humor groove

I've been in this groove for over 30 years.

The bathrooms at The Publican are my present favorite - always spotless and no heavy deodorizing smell. I also like the central handwashing station design; since you're washinbg your hands after you've closed the bathroom door, no worries about a wet handle or what to do with the towels...

mchodera wrote:The bathrooms at The Publican are my present favorite - always spotless and no heavy deodorizing smell. I also like the central handwashing station design; since you're washinbg your hands after you've closed the bathroom door, no worries about a wet handle or what to do with the towels...

And the C.O. Bigelow Lime & Coriander soaps & lotions are a nice touch...after trying them there, I now have a bottle of that lotion sitting on my desk at work (it gets very dry in here).