If A Buffet Refills Their Food Like This, Get Out Fast

It might not be your favorite way to dine, but sometimes, all-you-can-eat buffets are the way to go. You'll save some money, and you'll be able to dine without worrying if certain people in your party won't like what's on the menu. There are some buffet red flags you should look out for, though, and each of them should make you turn around instantly and find a new place to eat. One of the worst red flags is spotting an employee putting new food on top of old food. Not only is this a food safety issue, but it is also a clear sign that the buffet isn't on top of its game in other realms, too, and that it should be avoided at all costs.

In general, buffets are full of bacteria, primarily because bacteria from people's hands can contaminate food as they're serving themselves. This is why you seriously need to consider food safety before hitting up a buffet. Serving new food over old food exacerbates the already-existing bacteria: Older, room temperature food allows bacteria to multiply quickly, so if new food is served over old, that new food is going to become instantly contaminated, meaning your fresh plate of piping hot mac and cheese might not be so fresh after all.

According to Washington State University, buffets should remove and replace the entire serving receptacle that contains the old food, rather than simply placing food on top and mixing it in with the old stuff. Additionally, if there's any sort of visible contamination in the food, the buffet staff should replace the the batch right away, regardless of the food waste that will inevitably ensue. If you spot this lapse at your favorite buffet, it's definitely time to find a new favorite, as it's likely that the buffet is committing even more food safety crimes behind the scenes.

While this might not be something you're able to observe on your first visit to a buffet, there are a few things you can look for to get a feel for the restaurant's cleanliness and food safety habits. For starters, there should absolutely be a sneeze guard to keep as much bacteria out of the food as possible. If the food is just out in the open and exposed to the elements, that's a major red flag. Beyond that, there should be an abundance of clean plates. You're supposed to grab a new plate every time you get up to pick more food, so again, the presence of clean plates shows that the buffet not only cares about cleanliness, but that it wants the customer to follow kitchen safety rules, too.