States With the Most Restaurant Cleanliness Complaints Revealed

Recent findings have drawn attention to states where complaints about restaurant cleanliness are most prevalent. Issues ranging from unkempt dining areas to pest sightings are among the concerns highlighted, emphasizing customer dissatisfaction in certain regions.

This information emerges from an analysis by Affordable Seating, a restaurant furniture company based in Chicago. They reviewed over 2.8 million TripAdvisor evaluations from approximately 40,000 restaurants. The study targeted eateries receiving 2.4 stars or fewer in significant urban centers, highlighting reviews that mentioned terms like “dirty restaurant,” “hair in food,” “rats,” and “roaches.”

Note: These rankings are based on customer reviews collected online, and not on official inspection data from health departments, which play a crucial role in restaurant regulation.

Here’s a closer look at the top 10 states where these complaints are most frequent:

1. New Jersey

Leading the ranking, New Jersey experiences a high frequency of cleanliness complaints. Specifically, there were 320,520 mentions of a “dirty restaurant,” along with 1,883 incidents of “hair in food,” and 810 reports of pests such as rats and cockroaches. These figures are significantly higher compared to other states in the top 10, as noted by Food Safety News.

2. Florida

Florida ranks second, primarily due to extensive complaints from popular tourist destinations like Miami, Orlando, and Tampa, although data from some counties like Broward and Palm Beach weren’t included. The state accumulated 4,560 mentions of “dirty restaurant,” 1,691 regarding “hair in food,” and 636 related to pests.

3. California

While California received a high number of pest-related complaints, general cleanliness issues added to its third-place ranking. The state recorded 3,332 instances of “dirty restaurant” and 1,731 complaints of “hair in food,” leading the top 10 for pest-related complaints with 960 reports.

4. Arizona

Arizona was marked by consistent complaints in all categories, especially in densely populated areas. The complaints included 1,759 mentions of “dirty restaurant,” 639 of hair in food, and 443 involving pests.

5. Texas

Texas showed a wide distribution of complaints across its many urban centers, with 1,068 mentions of “dirty restaurant,” 471 of hair in food, and 232 related to vermin.

6. Louisiana

In Louisiana, pest-related complaints outnumbered general cleanliness concerns. This was demonstrated by 951 mentions of unclean restaurants, 412 of hair in food, and 399 of pest encounters.

7. Alabama

Alabama reported significant issues with both cleanliness and food handling, while pest concerns were comparatively lower. Reviewers mentioned 918 “dirty restaurants,” along with 404 instances of hair in food, and 141 pest sightings.

8. Maryland

Maryland presented balanced complaint numbers, with 884 mentions of “dirty restaurant,” 436 of hair in food, and 201 pest-related cases.

9. Nevada

Nevada’s ranking was notably impacted by high pest-related complaints, especially in popular tourist zones. Reports included 881 mentions of “dirty restaurant,” 579 of hair in food, and 414 related to pests.

10. Georgia

Concluding the top 10 is Georgia with a stable volume of cleanliness and pest-related complaints. There were 856 flagged “dirty restaurants,” 375 instances of hair in food, and 216 pest cases.

These findings highlight the importance for restaurants to prioritize cleanliness and mitigate pest issues to maintain customer satisfaction and ensure compliance with health standards.

Deirdre Bardolf, a lifestyle writer with Fox News Digital, contributed to these findings.