Food
Is your state in the top 10 states with the dirtiest restaurants?
A recent analysis found that New Jersey has the dubious distinction of having the dirtiest restaurants in the United States. According to data from TripAdvisor reviews, New Jersey had an overwhelming number of complaints about restaurant cleanliness, far surpassing other states.
The study, conducted by Affordable Seating, analyzed reviews that mentioned hygiene issues such as “dirty restaurant,” “rats,” “cockroaches” and “hair in food.” New Jersey led the pack with a whopping 320,520 complaints about dirty restaurants – 854 percent higher than the average in the Top 10 dirtiest states. New Jersey had 1,883 reviews mentioning hair in food and 810 complaints about rats and cockroaches.
After New Jersey, Florida and California were the next states with significant cleanliness problems. Florida had 4,560 complaints about dirty restaurants and 636 reports of rats and cockroaches. Although California had fewer complaints about dirty restaurants (3,332), it had the highest number of rodent complaints, with 960 reviews mentioning rats and cockroaches.
Top ten states with dirtiest restaurants
- New Jersey
- Dirty restaurant: 320,520 reviews
- Hair in food: 1,883 reviews
- Rats and Cockroaches: 810 reviews
- Florida
- Dirty restaurant: 4,560 reviews
- Hair in food: 1,691 reviews
- Rats and Cockroaches: 636 reviews
- California
- Dirty restaurant: 3,332 reviews
- Hair in food: 1,731 reviews
- Rats and Cockroaches: 960 reviews
- Arizona
- Dirty restaurant: 1,759 reviews
- Hair in food: 639 reviews
- Rats and Cockroaches: 443 reviews
- Texas
- Dirty restaurant: 1,068 reviews
- Hair in food: 471 reviews
- Rats and Cockroaches: 232 reviews
- Louisiana
- Dirty restaurant: 951 reviews
- Hair in food: 412 reviews
- Rats and Cockroaches: 399 reviews
- Alabama
- Dirty restaurant: 918 reviews
- Hair in food: 404 reviews
- Rats and Cockroaches: 141 reviews
- Maryland
- Dirty restaurant: 884 reviews
- Hair in food: 436 reviews
- Rats and Cockroaches: 201 reviews
- Nevada
- Dirty restaurant: 881 reviews
- Hair in food: 579 reviews
- Rats and Cockroaches: 414 reviews
- Georgia
- Dirty restaurant: 856 reviews
- Hair in food: 375 reviews
- Rats and Cockroaches: 216 reviews
Using food safety news guide for restaurant inspections
To help consumers make informed decisions about where to eat, Food Safety News has created a guide to restaurant inspections. Local public health departments regularly inspect food establishments to ensure compliance with food safety regulations. These inspections are intended to prevent contamination from food handlers, cross-contamination and other sources.
Environmental health inspectors check for several important safeguards, such as ensuring employees wash their hands properly, utensils and surfaces are disinfected, and that no pests are present. Inspection reports can be accessed through local health departments or online and provide valuable insights into restaurant cleanliness.
Food Safety News has compiled a comprehensive list of available online inspection data, which consumers can access to find inspection reports in their area. The directory is continually updated based on reader input, and contributions from new sources are encouraged.
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