Ever wondered if the people serving your food at restaurants have their own secret “do not order” list? I was chatting with my friend Sam, who’s been waiting tables for over five years, when he whispered, “There are certain things on our menu I’d never eat.” That got me thinking – what restaurant items do servers skip? It turns out waiters and kitchen staff know all the behind-the-scenes secrets that most customers never see. From questionable freshness to overpriced dishes, here’s what they won’t touch when they’re off the clock.
Ranch dressing and pre-made sauces
Next time you ask for extra ranch with your wings, you might want to think twice. Many waiters avoid ranch dressing like the plague. Why? The process of making it can be seriously gross. One waiter shared that at his restaurant, the ranch sits out for hours during service, collecting all kinds of kitchen grime. Another mentioned that pre-made dressings often come in massive containers that stay open for days or even weeks at a time. Imagine all the hands that dip into that tub!
It’s not just ranch – many pre-made sauces have similar issues. One waitress confessed she never orders anything with hollandaise sauce unless she’s at a high-end breakfast spot. “I’ve seen how that stuff gets made in some kitchens, and it’s not pretty,” she said. The sauce can sit out at unsafe temperatures, becoming a breeding ground for bacteria. If you must have your sauce fix, ask if it’s made fresh daily or skip it altogether.
Seafood on certain days
That Monday night seafood special might seem like a great deal, but there’s a reason for the discount. Many waiters avoid ordering seafood early in the week. Fish deliveries typically happen Thursday or Friday to prepare for weekend crowds. By Monday, that “fresh catch” has been sitting in the fridge for days. One waiter who worked at a seafood restaurant for years told me he never orders fish on Sundays or Mondays. “The weekend rush cleans out the fresh stuff. Monday’s fish was either frozen or it’s been around too long,” he explained.
Sushi follows the same rule. Many sushi restaurants don’t get deliveries on Sundays, meaning Monday’s fish isn’t the freshest. A former sushi restaurant server mentioned she only orders sushi Tuesday through Saturday. Mussels and oysters are particularly risky if they’re not super fresh. They require intense cleaning and proper storage to be safe. One waiter said, “I’ve seen how rushed the prep can get during busy times. Sometimes corners get cut with seafood cleaning. Not worth the risk.”
Well-done steaks and fancy beef cuts
If you order your steak well-done, you might be getting the worst cut in the house. Several waiters mentioned that when customers order well-done steaks, chefs often use older or lower-quality cuts. “The kitchen figures you won’t notice the difference since you’re cooking all the flavor out anyway,” one server admitted. Another added that well-done orders annoy chefs because they take longer to cook and throw off the timing for other orders. This frustration sometimes results in the meat being mistreated – thrown in the microwave or left on a hot part of the grill until it’s tough as leather.
Surprisingly, many waiters also skip expensive cuts like filet mignon or large portions of wagyu beef. They say these premium options are often tasteless and overpriced compared to more flavorful cuts. “A good ribeye has more taste and costs less than filet,” shared one waiter with five years at a steakhouse. Wagyu beef in particular gets side-eye from staff who know its true cost. “The markup is insane, sometimes 300% or more,” explained another server. “Unless you’re at a very high-end place that specializes in premium beef, you’re probably not getting what you think you paid for.”
Salad bar and buffet items
That unlimited salad bar might seem like a good deal, but waiters know better. Many restaurant workers won’t touch salad bars with a ten-foot pole. The reasons are pretty gross. First, those sneeze guards don’t actually stop much. Kids (and some adults) reach under them, cough over them, and sometimes even grab food with their hands instead of the tongs. One server told me about watching a child lick a serving spoon and put it back. “The parents just laughed,” she said with horror in her eyes. Beyond customer behavior, there’s the question of how long items sit out. Lettuce wilts quickly under heat lamps, and dressings can reach unsafe temperatures.
Buffets have all the same problems, plus more. A former buffet server explained that food often sits out for hours, getting periodically topped off with fresh items rather than replaced entirely. This means the stuff at the bottom could be hours old. Temperature control is another issue – hot foods might not stay hot enough to kill bacteria, and cold foods might get too warm. Most concerning is how rarely some items get completely changed out. “Those garnishes – the lemon slices, parsley, etc. – sometimes stay there all day,” one waiter admitted. If you must hit the buffet, go early when everything is freshly put out.
Lemons and fruit garnishes in drinks
Think twice before asking for that lemon wedge in your water or cocktail. Multiple waiters mentioned they never order drinks with fruit garnishes. The dirty secret? Those garnishes are often handled by multiple people and rarely washed properly. “During a rush, there’s no time to wash your hands between touching money, clearing tables, and grabbing a lemon for someone’s water,” one server explained. Another pointed out that lemons are usually cut in bulk during morning prep and sit out all day in an open container that anyone can reach into. They aren’t individually wrapped or protected, and they’re handled by whoever needs them.
The fruit garnish issue goes beyond just lemons. Those fancy orange slices, lime wedges, and cherries in your cocktails have likely been touched by several people before reaching your glass. One bartender admitted that fruit trays are often prepared hours before service begins and sit at room temperature. “In some places, if they look OK, they even get reused the next day,” he shared. A longtime waitress added that most restaurants don’t thoroughly wash fruit before cutting it for garnishes. “They get a quick rinse at best,” she said. If you’re worried about germs, it might be safer to skip the fancy fruit additions.
Fast food coffee and ice
That quick coffee from the drive-thru might wake you up, but not in a good way once you know what’s in it. Fast food workers often warn against ordering coffee, especially from McCafé machines. Why? The machines rarely get cleaned properly. “Those coffee makers should be cleaned daily, but most places do it weekly at best,” said one former employee. The result is a buildup of old coffee oils, milk residue, and sometimes even mold. Another worker mentioned that the milk lines in specialty coffee machines are particularly problematic, collecting gunk that’s almost impossible to completely remove without taking the whole machine apart.
Ice machines have similar cleaning issues. Many former fast food employees refuse to get ice in their drinks when eating out. “The ice machine is one of those things that nobody owns – it’s not really anyone’s responsibility to clean it,” explained one ex-manager. This means ice machines can go months without proper sanitizing. One worker described finding black mold when they finally cleaned their restaurant’s ice machine after months of neglect. Another mentioned finding random objects that had fallen in and frozen into the ice. “Once I found a band-aid in there,” they said. Not exactly the kind of cooling effect you want in your drink!
Soups of the day
That hearty soup might warm your soul, but waiters often pass on the daily soup special. According to multiple servers, “soup of the day” frequently translates to “leftovers we need to use up before they spoil.” One waiter who worked at a casual dining chain for four years explained that soups were often made from ingredients that were about to expire. “We had a rotation of soups that would mysteriously align with whatever proteins we had too much of,” he said. Another server mentioned that many restaurants use pre-made, frozen soup bases rather than making them from scratch, despite menu descriptions suggesting homemade goodness.
Beyond the questionable ingredients, soup storage is another red flag. “Soups sit in warming trays for hours,” one server pointed out. “They’re supposed to be stirred and temperature-checked regularly, but during rushes, that doesn’t always happen.” This means the soup can develop a film on top or dry out around the edges. Sometimes water gets added to thin it back out when it gets too thick. Worst of all, leftover soup often gets refrigerated overnight and reheated the next day – a process that might be repeated multiple times until the batch is gone. If you love soup, your best bet is to order it early in the day when it’s freshly made.
Overpriced simple items
Those $15 eggs or $12 grilled cheese sandwiches? Waiters never order them. Restaurant workers know exactly how much food costs, and they avoid anything with an outrageous markup. One server who’s worked in diners and upscale restaurants alike said she never orders basic egg dishes when dining out. “A three-egg omelet that costs $18 contains about 60 cents worth of eggs and maybe a dollar of fillings,” she explained. Another common offender is the humble grilled cheese sandwich, which can appear on menus for $10-15 despite consisting of just bread and cheese that costs the restaurant less than $2 total.
Simple sides are another category waiters skip. “I’ll never pay $8 for a side of rice that costs the restaurant maybe 30 cents,” said one server with 10 years of experience. Pasta dishes also tend to have massive markups – that $22 plate of spaghetti probably contains about $1 worth of pasta. Pancakes are another breakfast item with eye-popping margins. “We sold a short stack for $12 that cost us about 75 cents to make,” admitted a former breakfast server. The rule of thumb: if it’s something incredibly simple that you could easily make at home, it’s probably not worth ordering. Instead, go for complex dishes with multiple ingredients or techniques that would be difficult to replicate in your kitchen.
Next time you’re staring at a menu, remember these insider tips from people who know the restaurant business from the inside out. The freshest seafood comes midweek, not on Mondays. Those fancy garnishes might have been handled by multiple people. And yes, sometimes the kitchen does judge your well-done steak order. Armed with this knowledge, you can order smarter and maybe even impress your server with your restaurant savvy. After all, the best dining experiences come when you know which menu items truly deserve your hard-earned money.
