5 Dishes Restaurant Workers Say They'd Never Order

"As an ex-chef, I don't order oysters or mussels unless it's a restaurant that specialises in them and is very busy (high rotation and expertise in handling). Flip side: always order the roast lamb in a Greek restaurant. And sometimes a menu has an item that seems out of place, but it stays on the menu. This is the chef's hangover dish, and it's awesome."

"Ice in your drink. Our ice machine never got cleaned enough. I remember feeling really bad serving people ice from it, and staying overtime attempting to get every last bit of pink mould out of it. I'm sure some places are better... so take it as you will. The one that stands out is the ice cube machine. They're slimy AF on the inside. Never have ice in your drinks."

"Soup near closing time. Usually, whatever protein is in that soup has been scooped out by staff to appease their tables (even if the pot has been replenished multiple times that day). Sometimes restaurants also just dump the next pot into the current one instead of replacing it fully... so [there's a] high chance when you order it near closing you're just getting a leftover soup cocktail that has been out all day."

Restaurant shellfish is risky unless the venue specializes in oysters or mussels and maintains high turnover and handling expertise. Roast lamb at Greek restaurants tends to be reliable, and strange-but-enduring menu items can indicate chef favorites. Ice from restaurant machines can be contaminated when machines are not cleaned regularly; internal slime and pink mould have been reported and electricians servicing equipment warn against using ice in drinks. Soups ordered near closing may lack protein because staff scoop portions for other tables, and kitchens sometimes top off old pots with new batches, resulting in a mixed, stale 'leftover soup cocktail.' Avoid soups at sports bars.

Read at BuzzFeed