20 Things To Never Order At A Restaurant, Ranked In Order

You Should Never Eat These Menu Items At A Restaurant
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You Should Probably Skip These Menu Items At A Restaurant
jonathanalvarez | More | 4 Mar 2026
We'd all love to think that eating at a restaurant is always a safe option. Sometimes it is, but other times it isn't. Luckily there's enough information available to compile a list of items that you'd be better off avoiding unless you're feeling particularly adventurous that day.
With the following information, you'll be armed with the knowledge on how you can safely navigate restaurant menus and avoid ordering anything that could cause problems. Here are the items you should say "pass" to the next time you eat out.
Hollandaise Sauce Can Be Left Out For Hours
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For those of us that are unaware, Hollandaise is often made by using raw or lightly cooked eggs, and whisked together using butter, lemon, and various seasonings depending on your chef. The problem here being that raw eggs may carry bacteria such as salmonella, and the only way to effectively kill this bacteria is by bringing the internal temperature to at least 160°F.
Anthony Bourdain once said "How about hollandaise sauce? Not for me. Bacteria love hollandaise. And nobody I know has ever made hollandaise to order."
The chicken dish coming up is a big restaurant no-no
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Bottled Ketchup On The Table Is Often Combined With Other Bottles
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Businesses don't like being wasteful and sometimes go to certain lengths to assure efficiency. With that being said, it's relatively common practice to combine ketchup bottles at the end of the night. I know what you're thinking, isn't that against health codes?
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The short answer: not really but it varies depending on the state you live in and of course, the practices of the restaurant. Refilling ketchup bottles after they've been properly sanitized and cleaned is one thing, but marrying two bottles is a disaster waiting to happen.
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Chicken Parmesan Is Always Overcooked
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Chicken Parmesan may be a surprising addition to the list, but valid nevertheless. Evidently, a lot of chefs won't order Chicken Parmesan due to the very nature of the dish which makes it easy to conceal overcooked chicken. The dish is made by baking a breaded chicken cutlet, then covering it with mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce.
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Chef Phil Pretty, of Long Beach's Restauration says "I would never, ever order Chicken Parmesan, It's always frozen before cooked and tastes like a gross version of chicken nuggets."
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Tap Water Is Safe To Drink...Technically
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While tap water is under federal regulations by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, it can still be loaded with trace amounts of contaminants that can be harmful over time. While the presence of these contaminants doesn't exactly indicate the water poses an immediate health risk, sustained intake of tap water can lead to gastrointestinal illness.
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A good option would be choosing bottled water next time you dine out, but a better one is buying a water purifier at home and bringing your own clean water. Why take any chances, right?
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The Soup Special Is Yesterday's Special
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The soup specials could be a seemingly innocent way to disguise the leftovers from a previous day. A discussion took place on Reddit with various anonymous users chiming in with there unique - and sometimes scary - accounts of working in restaurants. One tip from an anonymous user reading: "Soup of the day. It's just yesterday’s leftovers."
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Further in the thread another user states: "[I avoid] Soup if it's late. That soup has been sitting on the warmer all day."
Keep reading to see which salad you should avoid at all costs
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Raw Sprouts Breed Bacteria
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Who doesn't love a little extra crunch in their dish? Evidently, people who would like to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Sprouts can be a breeding ground for harmful bacteria like Salmonella, Listeria, and E.coli. This is because these harmful bacteria thrive in a warm, humid environment associated with growing sprouts.
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With as many health benefits as they have, sprouts are probably best saved for consumption at home unless they've been cooked. Raw sprouts at restaurants should be avoided.
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Buffet Food Is A Room-Temperature Disaster
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Who doesn't love a good all-you-can-eat-buffet? You get a little this, a little that, everyone's happy, and everyone's full. While recent regulations have improved the safety and quality of the food in buffets, it can still be very dangerous. Hot foods need to be kept hot, cold food needs to be kept cold, and room temperatures are often the enemy of a bacteria-free diner.
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When eating out, make sure you're checking for cleaned and sanitized serving utensils that are aren't being used to cross-contaminate your food.
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The House Salad Is Marked Up
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This suggestion is the least scary of the list because it has nothing to do with health. Rather, ordering a house salad merely limits the diner in what they are ordering. When paying top dollar to eat out, you want it to be worth the expense. Sometimes house salads are one of the most marked-up items on the menu.
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Chef Kayson Chong tells Reader's Digest , "I prefer to have something special that a chef created with seasonal products and interesting combinations."
Coming up, your favorite appetizer is breeding bacteria
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Wedge Salads Aren't Much Better
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House salads may be ordinary, but they don't always have the exact same ingredients. Wedge salads are not only pretty much universally the same, but they are also made with some of the cheapest ingredients in the restaurant.
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A few small bits of bacon that equates about one bacon strips top a giant chunk of iceberg lettuce and is drizzled with blue cheese dressing. If you're lucky you'll get a few onions and tomatoes. All in all, you could make that at home for the cost of a piece of gum.
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Fresh-Squeezed Juices? More Like Fresh-Squeezed Bacteria
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Unlike pasteurized juices, freshly squeezed juices are dangerous for the same reason as drink garnishments. When squeezed, any bacteria on the surface of your fruit can contaminate your juice. A good option for enjoying freshly squeezed juice is do it at home.
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You'll need to wash your hands, remove any fruit that's bruised or damaged, and thoroughly wash the surface before slicing and squeezing. Or you can simply purchase fruit juice that's been pasteurized and treated for bacteria and harmful pathogens.
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The Bread Basket Is A Home For Dirty Hands
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This goes for all shared baskets of cheap foods - Like peanuts, popcorn, and various breads. These bar style snacks are teeming with bacteria due to the many hands typically passing over them.
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If that weren't bad enough, bread baskets generally contain white bread which isn't great for your waistline. While a slice of white bread isn't really…

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