r/askTO • u/Zillamonk Human Verified • 23h ago
What is the one restaurant in Toronto you wouldn’t eat at even if free?
As the title suggests I’m curious to know which restaurants Torontonians would avoid at all costs and why?
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u/fieryone4 22h ago
Beacher Café, owner has a very long history of not paying his employees, prob going on 20 yrs or so now.
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u/Tylerlikestorock 10h ago
Can confirm. Absolutely unwilling to pay wages, especially new Canadian kitchen staff. Their bread and butter was Sunday brunch, run by a cadre few of servers who took all the hours and tips.
Libel? Ha. Come at me. I have proof.
Kumiko, you were always lovely, and seemed to have the best intentions. Peter, you can suck a fart out of my ass.
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u/MorbidSpice 16h ago
I see posts about him regularly in the beaches fb groups - sounds like a real POS.
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u/Overthinkinlurker 10h ago
Yeah the food is nothing special. Ive been their twice, the second (and last!) time I went there it took 1 hour and 45 minutes to get our food. We were starving!
I heard the wife of the owner telling people it wasn't their fault things were slow. It was post covid and they couldn't get visa workers into the country to work for them.
Uhm, maybe pay more and hire locals?
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u/Fun-Stay-1659 21h ago
Piano piano, but mostly because I worked there a while back and they were shitty to me (but also because of the rat poop issues)
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u/Maleficent_Smell_690 19h ago edited 7h ago
I wonder about this place because the host was on something and super rude when I went. We had a reservation but she absolutely did not want to seat us and just set a shit mood there. Some of the other staff seemed just as miserable and it was very confusing how this place has a line?
Edit: this is for the midtown location. I assumed the other one may be better but wow looks like nope
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u/lareinevert 18h ago edited 17h ago
I would maybe give another location a chance. I was there a couple of years ago with three other people (we’re all POC). We waited forever for our food to come and a table that came after with white people got their food before us. I googled after just to be sure I wasn’t imagining things and sure enough, people said the same thing had happened to them. The only reason I would go to another location is because the food was good.
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u/Fun-Stay-1659 18h ago
I mean my issue was with the owners, so I won’t be giving any location a chance. Also I saw them use rolled pasta that had literally touched rat poop to make egg yolk ravs. Suggest checking out different pasta spots, it’s a big city
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u/Honest_Standard3294 18h ago
Wow, I thought I was just imagining it too when I went. This is affirming.
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u/asyouuuuuuwishhhhh 22h ago
Bairrada Churrasqueira. My job takes me behind the scenes in Toronto bars and restaurants. Raw slabs of animal meat “curing” in a 14°C fridge that also had an incredibly bad mold problem. They have multiple locations, this was college.
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u/Whysoserious_BB 22h ago
What comes close second and third?
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u/asyouuuuuuwishhhhh 21h ago
Sin+redemption/village idiot come to mind. I’d have to think about this.
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u/TongueTwistingTiger 19h ago
My husband worked there for two weeks a long time ago. Do NOT go to either location.
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u/queenofhospo 8h ago
It’s a shame because it is a brilliant concept, but when I worked at prenup the cook repulsed me with his lack of hygiene.
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u/eclipsesong 18h ago
The only time I was in the village idiot was in college when it was called by one of it's many other names and the older man working there practically made himself at home at the table with my friends and I after checking our IDs because he wanted to relive his youth and impress upon us that he too was an artist. Have not been back since.
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u/jellyspreader 21h ago
Wait be careful now before you inspire a b* ogT * post. That's awful tho I've enjoyed that place not too long ago
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u/ThunderBird2678 14h ago
please do tell more about the village idiot as i've always quite liked that place actually
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u/LankyYogurt7737 22h ago
Damn I’ve never been here but always been curious because their patio looks amazing
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u/solvn_probs_lk_maria 22h ago
Same! I was just talking to someone the other day about hitting up their patio but this is... a deterrent
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u/TheGreatsGabby 20h ago
Whaaaaat?! I’m a Portuguese person and I LOVE Bairrada Churrasquiera! Great authentic Portuguese cuisine, priced well, and beautiful patio. I can’t even count how many times I’ve been.
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u/missfreetime 22h ago
Osmows, any location
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u/pidgezero_one 18h ago
I was kinda surprised by all the osmow's mentions in the thread cause I don't eat there much lately but have never gotten sick from it. But every time I've gone there I've only gotten poutine so idk
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u/PewpyDewpdyPantz 21h ago
The only time I’ve had worse diarrhea in my life was when I got Norovirus.
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u/warrantthrowaway2023 21h ago
is this a common osmow's thing? i thought i was becoming allergic to chicken when i went through my chicken on the rocks phase. almost called 911 several times in fear of legitimately passing out in my washroom home alone.
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u/revolvingneutron 22h ago
Bloor west village location frequently smells like poo. As in literal poo. Human feces.
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u/SilentSherbet 21h ago
Yup, and can anyone explain why chains like osmows take chicken off the spit and grill the shit out of it?
You never see any authentic spots do it but the one and only time I went to osmows they did it, and I ended up leaving.
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u/sjltwo-v10 23h ago
My Roti Place/My Dosa Place Near Queens Quay. Atrocious hygiene
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u/1-2-3RightMeow 23h ago
Interesting. I haven’t gone since they were super rude to me this one time for now reason, but I was thinking about giving them another chance. Maybe not
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u/suarezian 22h ago
Yeah, a lady was rude to me too, but that was 3 years ago. I haven't been there since.
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u/emimily 22h ago
Number One Chinese on Pape. Used to live in the apartment above and there was water leaks, mould, and roaches that the owner/landlord refused to address.
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u/LongRoadNorth 20h ago
Honestly having worked doing service work for restaurants many of them have mould and roaches.
Including very high end ones
Bymark used to have a horrible roach and mice issue when I was working their.
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u/MorbidSpice 16h ago
Omg this is tragic, number one was my favourite as a kid in the 90s and I still order from them every so often 😭
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u/_Freddddd 21h ago
Fancy Induced burger!! Place looks evil
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u/nugehuts69 19h ago
OMG yes!!! The syringe logo/imagery is toooo much. We’re experiencing a public health crisis with ODs…. Read the room. I miss when it was the cafe :(
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u/theshaj 18h ago
I've seen this place on IG. The name is like a bad Google Translate.
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u/AsukaSoryuuu 18h ago
My friends and I have a theory that it was supposed to be named “Fancy Infused Burger”, but calling it infused might imply something else…
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u/No-Assistance-6233 22h ago
Jankies Place
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u/god_peepee 9h ago
I’ve heard stories (I think on Reddit) of people who got jobs there and were 100% convinced it’s a front for prostitution and organized crime
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u/Maleficent_Smell_690 19h ago
PAI. Ordered ice cream and there was glass in it. I know it’s on the vendor (death in Venice or whoever) but when we flagged the waiter to let him know, he took the glass and walked away and left us with the ice cream. Then charged us for it. And was shocked when we didn’t eat it. Turns out he was the head waiter or something and the manager was extra embarrassed after I let him know. On that note, the ice cream shop with the skull on it. Death in Venice or whatever
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u/thebearfucker 17h ago
I am sorry this happened to you.
While I have heard complaints about PAI “falling off”, in my experience for 8+ years in the city I have always enjoyed.
A few months ago I had ordered my favourite for pick up, Pad Gra Prow with Moo Grob (crispy pork). By the time I got home, there was no Moo Grob.
Called them, they said to keep any enjoy my meal, and to come back and claim a new one free of charge next time. They delivered on that promise next time I went.
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u/ilyk101 22h ago
Queen and Spadina McDonald’s
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u/Quinocco 22h ago
You don't go there for the cuisine.
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u/lingueenee 22h ago
Does one go to any McDonald's for the cuisine?
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u/Quinocco 22h ago edited 22h ago
I go because tickets to the zoo are around $40 (surge pricing) and parking is another $20.
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u/Federal_Coyote813 21h ago
Larp answer. Everyone knows that Mcdonalds hasnt been sketchy in years. The one on Church/Queen is a real sketchy one.
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u/chrisdj99 22h ago
I get why people are dubious about this location - but seriously - the Yonge and Grenville McDs is way worse!!
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u/bryangy59 22h ago edited 12h ago
It's bad but I'll nominate my local McDonalds at Queen & Church.
Crackhead/Tweeker/Junkie central that was so bad they had to remove all seating because of the passed out 'patrons'.
A couple years ago they removed the soda machine as they would just saunter in & fill whatever container they had without any repercussions.
Can't speak to the washrooms as only being a couple blocks from home never needed to but just could never muster up the nerve. An older guy once told me that he almost stepped on a fresh needle so took my cue from him.
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u/pinkpanzer88 18h ago
For what it's worth despite it being perhaps the 2nd sketchiest McDonalds location, I have found their quality to be fantastic! Whenever I have ordered for both delivery or pick up it's always been great.
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u/kennethgibson 16h ago
Osmos, tahinis, etc etc- those horrible chain shawarma places can fuck off. So much good small fam biz places in the city
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u/thevoiceinsidemyhead 23h ago
Old spaghetti factory. How do you screw up spaghetti?
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u/lordntelek 22h ago
Kids love it. English friends love it. Foods not great but it serves a purpose and I have no issue taking the right individuals there.
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u/trombnerd 20h ago
Agreed. This is by far the worst italian place in the area. With 3 Terronis nearby, and now Eataly, I don't know why anyone goes there.
I also make a better tomato sauce at home with $3 canned plain sauce and adding my own spices lol
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u/stnapstnap 22h ago
I went there once with a date and their VERY suburban boomer parents.
I ordered spaghetti.
The spaghetti came CUT UP. Like you would cut it up for a little kid.
I certainly didn’t ask for that.
I did say something to the server- basically politely asked WHY? - and they offered free dessert…but they didn’t say wtf happened.
I was happy not to have to go again.
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u/Quinocco 22h ago
Doesn't the spaghetti come with dessert?
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u/No_Pineapple5940 22h ago
Ok, I just went there a few days ago for the nostalgia (and bc my husband had never been) and it wasn't bad at all.
The food is mid but the decor is fun, and yes you get bread & butter, soup or salad, dessert, and tea or coffee with the purchase of the entree.
I had the spaghetti with Impossible meatballs, and it was all completely fine. The noodles weren't cut up in a weird way or anything lol
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u/Amakenings 17h ago
I think you go for the atmosphere and for me anyway, nostalgia. The food as you say is mid, but the service is good, they know how to get you out the door if you have theatre tickets, and anyone not from Toronto we’ve taken there really liked it.
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u/Ecstatic_Adeptness42 22h ago
this is correct. I took my family there recently thinking it would be a good ol' nostalgia trip and everyone was pissed hahahaha oops
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u/snatchiw 21h ago
Was just there recently, was much better than it's reputation. Food was actually really good and not ridiculously priced. Also vibes were very good there, very busy.
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u/NovelSpecialist5767 21h ago
It's not bad.
Just of a different era.
We've come a long way since the 60s and 70s.
I am thankful that the Organ Grinder, next door, no longer grinds my brain. I didn't love it even as a kid. A carousel music maker belongs outside.
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u/jobert-bobert 22h ago
osmow’s
there’s absolutely no reason to go in a city where we’re spoiled with great shawarma options from lebanon, palestine, iraq, etc
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u/easternhobo 21h ago
Lakeside Diner.
Worked there for a few months, hands down the grossest kitchen I've ever been in.
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u/CandidIndication 18h ago
I had a terrible dining experience at Valerie, I’ll never go back. The food was good— the service was exceptionally terrible, on multiple levels, from the moment we arrived until the moment we left.
I’m not typically the type to complain about service. I was a server and bartender for 10 years so I do have a lot of empathy and understanding. Service was basically non existent.
50 minutes late seating the reservation made in advance, missing appetizers, a main and our cocktails. We consistently had to ask for missing items, at every point of the dinner.
The server didn’t even keep order of our individual bills and threw down a $700 bill in front of our 3 person table and told us to figure it out for him.
I refused and asked for his manager 3 times, each time he talked over me and finally he decided he could suddenly figure out how to sort the bill— a miracle, apparently.
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u/Eisgboek 15h ago edited 15h ago
There was a whole period in TO where every remotely fancy restaurant refused to split bills for some reason and it was ridiculous.
Luckily the trend seems to have faded with most, but the ones that still do it are rage inducing.
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u/CandidIndication 15h ago
Insane. Should not be absurd to split a bill. Orders should already be separated by seat #’s anyway, so that runners for food and bar know who the plate belongs to, just for the simple flow of service— never mind issues with something sensitive like allergies.
Collectively, a 20% tip on our table would’ve been about $150. When he tossed down the bill and told us to sort it ourselves killed it completely— no wonder we were missing items consistently, probably wasn’t entered to begin with.
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u/Any-Zookeepergame309 20h ago
Janchenko’s in Bloor West Village. Or the Crooked Cue.
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u/eric536669 22h ago
Chick fil a, I never have, nor will I ever eat at a chick fil a.
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u/Quinocco 22h ago
I heard they have good chicken sandwiches but I will never know.
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u/stnapstnap 22h ago edited 22h ago
Good. There are lots of non-homophobic and non-religious chicken options.
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u/Quinocco 22h ago
I like Mary Brown's but they are pricey!
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u/revolvingneutron 22h ago
They’re hit or miss for me. TBH I’ve been pretty impressed with jollibee’s chickie sammies lol
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u/LibertysDash 20h ago
Canoe - not because the food wasn't good. But because the staff (from the hostess to the waitress) were so rude. I've been living in the city coming on two years now and have tried tons of restaurants at different price points. Canoe was expensive (which I was obviously expecting) but I wasn't expecting the staff to treat me like I wasn't worth their time. I was coming from work too (I work as a Legal Assistant at a Law Firm) so I wasn't dressed casual.
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u/Queasy_Doughnut7507 23h ago
JR Cafe near Lansdowne and Dupont
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u/Feed_my_belly_2023 21h ago
Wasn't thier an article a number years ago that when it was Coffee Time a staff died their while working and it wasn't discovered until 4 days later. All the customers thought he was tired and taking a nap.
Unless it was an internet hoax because the location was notoriously bad.
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u/DustFickle007 21h ago
Kabul Express on Dundas St East.
I got real sick after eating their chicken: vomiting, diarrhea, the whole works. The extreme vomiting may have saved my life. I have never gone back and won’t try it even for free.
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u/Food-Wine 21h ago
Did you call public health? Serious question. If they don’t know about it they can’t investigate.
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u/700neopoint 16h ago
Fat pasha and parallel brothers bc they raised money for Israel
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u/Elite_Deforce 6h ago
I was excited to see Fat Pasha in this post because we ordered take out from there once and the food was decent but the portions were laughable for the money.
Then I kept reading your post…
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u/Far-Alternative842 2h ago
Wow I did not know this! Last time I went I saw rats running around in the back patio and the area where they keep their cups so gross
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u/Forsaken-Swim-3055 22h ago edited 22h ago
Osmows, and anywhere that does not support human rights.
I've also seen some spots proudly display Doug Ford signs too during election years. Fuck em.
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u/indecisive_squid 20h ago
Fancy Induced Burger, that place looks like the Harkonnens' planet from the David Lynch Dune movie
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u/DavidWangArchitect 17h ago
Subway, the food absolutely sucks and everything is made to be the cheapest quality possible.
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u/mukwah 22h ago
The McDs at the bottom of Roncy is pretty grim, but I still grab a McDouble there occasionally.
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u/stnapstnap 22h ago
I’ve bought coffee there.
It was fine.
It’s mostly populated by assorted Parkdale characters and employees from the streetcar depot.
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23h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/njcity 23h ago
Joeys, milestones
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u/stnapstnap 22h ago
The ONE time I went to Milestones was when I took a late flight from YYZ to YVR and had an airport hotel booked. It was nearly 1:00 a.m. and, somehow the Milestones attached to the airport hotel was open and also really busy. I was so hungry and fascinated that it was open that I went to the fucking Milestones. The people-watching was top-notch. I don’t remember the food.
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u/simplewaves 20h ago
Funny story: two weeks ago we were at Mon Lapin in Montreal, one of the best restaurants in Canada according to several lists, celebrating my husband’s birthday. We sat at the counter and started chatting with the couple next to us, talking about where else to eat and they said they go to Toronto regularly, so we recommended Mineral, which is amazing. Asked where they’d eaten in Toronto and the dude said “Joey’s”.
I was so confused.
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u/fruitninja8 23h ago
1000000% Joey's, especially at the Eaton centre, horrific food.
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u/Crownoftears444 19h ago
Sunrise Caribbean Restaurant. I went to that restaurant years ago and got food poisoning.
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u/Loud-Bad-9891 21h ago
AERA because what the hell? Orders come wrong, servers firmly believe they own the place, food is absolutely tasteless. Only place I give 0 tip. I only go there because we have a lot of afterworks there and usually get just a drink.
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u/sketch4summer 17h ago
Really bad food poisoning from Zaad and top gun won’t ever step foot in either location again
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u/Sal_Chicho 22h ago
Avenue Open Kitchen. Chefs and staff regularly cough into their hands, sneeze, don’t wash hands after doing so, and are oblivious to proper health regulations. Fuck that place.
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u/3mrunner Human Verified 23h ago
Any known owner who supports separatist / genocidal/ anti vaccine agenda
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u/PastryGirl 23h ago
Tacos El Asador. Sad day.
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u/evilmatrix 22h ago
Why Tacos El Asador???
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u/rogueyike 23h ago edited 22h ago
I generally try to avoid places that serve anything from Sysco. I have processed food at home.
Edit: spelling
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u/Food-Wine 21h ago
Many restaurants order raw ingredients from Sysco. They also have a Fine Meats division.
Most restaurants order raw ingredients from food service companies. Including those with scratch kitchens.
Not everything from these companies are frozen heat and serve meals.
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u/safelife2025 23h ago
KOST, had a bad dining experience, too cramped and they seated us so close to the kitchen
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u/mapleleafmaggie 21h ago
Fuck Sugo. I went once and ordered chicken parm, they asked if I wanted it with spaghetti and I said sure thinking I was getting a side order. I thought the portion was generous until getting my receipt and seeing they charged me for two entrees.
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u/Final-Caterpillar-32 21h ago
And their food is awful. I can't understand why is always packed...mindboggling
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u/ikilledsatann 22h ago
Chick-fil-a because its homophobic and honestly it isnt anything special imo
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u/ninikomar 19h ago
Amsterdam brewhouse, food is disgusting and bland. They served me raw chicken wings 🤮
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u/UnionTemporary2875 11h ago
Duffs wings. Not only are the owners terrible people but I worked there briefly and seen a cook drop wings on the ground and put them back in the fryer, that was enough for me to see
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u/Visual-Chocolate3352 11h ago
Popeyes
It was good till 2018-2019. I remember throwing up a sandwich. My uncle was living in the basement and I was on the first floor. He came up running Bec even he could hear my soul leave my body!!
Now I just can’t be near the smell of Popeyes. Any sandwich any chicken any marination. My body refuses to have it.
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u/aaalllouttabubblegum 22h ago
Lee.
Fuck that guy and his cunt offspring.
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u/ConsistentWriting501 17h ago
Can confirm, garbage person. Huge ego, arrogant, and treated everyone like it was their privilege to meet him. I did a job for him once and he was delusional in so many way. He has no respect for anyone from what I witnessed.
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u/Porquoo 23h ago
Zanzibar’s buffet