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Bad smells in restaurants

Started by bandit957, April 08, 2022, 06:35:30 PM

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bandit957

Ever smell bad smells in restaurants?

In the early '80s, we went to a local Big Boy. There was this horrendous greasy smell that kept popping up. Years later, I noticed it in a KFC too. I think I also detected it at some regional fast food chain on a road trip in Texas.

We once stopped at an Eat 'n' Park in Pennsylvania where a different bad smell filled the place completely. It was sort of like rotting crayons.

On my recent New Mexico trip, there was yet another bad smell filling a Denny's. It smelled like ink, oil, or something inedible.
Might as well face it, pooing is cool


Scott5114

Quote from: bandit957 on April 08, 2022, 06:35:30 PM
In the early '80s, we went to a local Big Boy. There was this horrendous greasy smell that kept popping up. Years later, I noticed it in a KFC too. I think I also detected it at some regional fast food chain on a road trip in Texas.

That's usually caused whenever grease gets poured down a sewer drain and starts to rot down there. Which is one reason why you're not supposed to pour grease down a sewer drain, but it can still sometimes happen when there's some in a dish of some kind that gets washed.

It also smells really bad whenever the hot fryer grease gets filtered or changed out, but that's usually limited to when that's actually happening. So unless you just had the bad luck to go in there every time they were changing out the grease, that probably wasn't it.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

kphoger

Yeah, most Korean restaurants smell bad to me.   :angry:
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

Road Hog

You get a table next to the shitter, good news bad news.

SectorZ

Some ice cream shops to me smell like bowling alleys. One in particular in my town.

wriddle082

Quote from: Scott5114 on April 08, 2022, 06:45:53 PM
Quote from: bandit957 on April 08, 2022, 06:35:30 PM
In the early '80s, we went to a local Big Boy. There was this horrendous greasy smell that kept popping up. Years later, I noticed it in a KFC too. I think I also detected it at some regional fast food chain on a road trip in Texas.

That's usually caused whenever grease gets poured down a sewer drain and starts to rot down there. Which is one reason why you're not supposed to pour grease down a sewer drain, but it can still sometimes happen when there's some in a dish of some kind that gets washed.

It also smells really bad whenever the hot fryer grease gets filtered or changed out, but that's usually limited to when that's actually happening. So unless you just had the bad luck to go in there every time they were changing out the grease, that probably wasn't it.

When I worked at McD's in high school, two days during the work week, they would have me come in for two or three hours after school and filter the fryer grease.  I can't remember if the smell got really bad or not because I guess at the time I was used to it, but I'm thinking it wasn't so bad because back in those days we had a store manager who was on top of things when it came to cleanliness and the fryer grease was filtered every day around the mid-afternoon lull.

bandit957

There was also an insufferable stench at my local Hardee's. It was utterly rancid.

The odors that I've mentioned in this thread either filled the whole place or were detected when I was eating at my table. They weren't limited to the area near the kitchen, counter, or restroom.
Might as well face it, pooing is cool

hbelkins

When I was young, we used to go to Louisville on a semi-regular basis. My dad's artificial limb shop was there, and we'd occasionally go shopping there as well. There was a shopping center on the south side of Shelbyville Road just west of The Mall (now known as Mall St. Matthews) and I think the store we went to most frequently there was O.G. Wilson. In that shopping center was a deli. I'd occasionally go in there to get something to drink. The place stunk to high heaven. I have no idea what kind of meat or cheese they had that smelled so terrible, but there was something that was just awfully odorific.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

catch22

On one of our trips to visit the in-laws in Oklahoma and Texas, our overnight stop was in Rolla, MO.

We went to a Denny's for breakfast.  The place smelled like someone's basement after a flood, of mildew and decay.  We went elsewhere.  On our next trip through a couple of years later, the building had been nuked and a Buffalo Wild Wings had been built in its place.

Old:  https://goo.gl/maps/SGQeUpGJWnwyrJRe9

Current:  https://goo.gl/maps/miKGkekL5MmoSyWX8

kphoger

Quote from: bandit957 on April 09, 2022, 09:25:39 AM
The odors that I've mentioned in this thread either filled the whole place or were detected when I was eating at my table. They weren't limited to the area near the kitchen, counter, or restroom.

Does the smell go wherever you do?
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

Rushmeister

Sometimes a bad smell lingers for a surprisingly long time after a stinky mop is used.  (Don't ask me how I know this.)
...and then the psychiatrist chuckled.

triplemultiplex

Wing joints tend to smell a little like old chicken to me when I pass by. Hopefully it's their dumpsters.

Subway; not sure if that's their bread baking or what, but it's just a little off.  If it's bread, that's weird because an actual bakery smells great to me.

Burger King.  Passing by a BK, sometimes that flame broiling smells a little bit like diesel exhaust to me.
"That's just like... your opinion, man."

webny99

Quote from: triplemultiplex on April 11, 2022, 02:00:49 PM
Subway; not sure if that's their bread baking or what, but it's just a little off.  If it's bread, that's weird because an actual bakery smells great to me.

I'd be pretty surprised if Subway locations bake their own bread.


Quote from: triplemultiplex on April 11, 2022, 02:00:49 PM
Burger King.  Passing by a BK, sometimes that flame broiling smells a little bit like diesel exhaust to me.

Interesting, I've never thought about how to describe what it smells like, but I know exactly what you mean.

wanderer2575

Every Chinese food buffet has the same smell.  Indescribable, but if you've been to one you know what I mean.

US 89

Quote from: triplemultiplex on April 11, 2022, 02:00:49 PM
Subway; not sure if that's their bread baking or what, but it's just a little off.  If it's bread, that's weird because an actual bakery smells great to me.

See, I actually like the distinctive Subway smell. Maybe it's just childhood memories since my family would go there a lot when I was little.

kphoger

Quote from: webny99 on April 11, 2022, 03:27:24 PM
I'd be pretty surprised if Subway locations bake their own bread.

It's my understanding that frozen bread dough is delivered to each Subway restaurant.  Then it's thawed, proofed, and baked on-site.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

hbelkins

Quote from: webny99 on April 11, 2022, 03:27:24 PM
Quote from: triplemultiplex on April 11, 2022, 02:00:49 PM
Subway; not sure if that's their bread baking or what, but it's just a little off.  If it's bread, that's weird because an actual bakery smells great to me.

I'd be pretty surprised if Subway locations bake their own bread.

Every Subway I've ever been in bakes its own bread.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

JayhawkCO

Quote from: hbelkins on April 11, 2022, 03:49:18 PM
Quote from: webny99 on April 11, 2022, 03:27:24 PM
Quote from: triplemultiplex on April 11, 2022, 02:00:49 PM
Subway; not sure if that's their bread baking or what, but it's just a little off.  If it's bread, that's weird because an actual bakery smells great to me.

I'd be pretty surprised if Subway locations bake their own bread.

Every Subway I've ever been in bakes its own bread.

The ovens are right behind the counter at all of them.

webny99

OK, so more of the process happens at the restaurant than I thought (full disclosure: I've only been in Subway once or twice in my life), but it's not like it's made from scratch on site.

abefroman329

Quote from: triplemultiplex on April 11, 2022, 02:00:49 PMSubway; not sure if that's their bread baking or what, but it's just a little off.  If it's bread, that's weird because an actual bakery smells great to me.
It's a fake smell that's pumped in.

HighwayStar

Quote from: hbelkins on April 11, 2022, 03:49:18 PM
Quote from: webny99 on April 11, 2022, 03:27:24 PM
Quote from: triplemultiplex on April 11, 2022, 02:00:49 PM
Subway; not sure if that's their bread baking or what, but it's just a little off.  If it's bread, that's weird because an actual bakery smells great to me.

I'd be pretty surprised if Subway locations bake their own bread.

Every Subway I've ever been in bakes its own bread.

Complete with the Yoga Matt flavoring?  :-D
There are those who travel, and those who travel well

HighwayStar

Can't believe no one has mentioned the fish places yet. There is a very distinctive odor to Captain D's, Long John Silvers, etc.
There are those who travel, and those who travel well

Scott5114

Quote from: HighwayStar on April 11, 2022, 05:50:10 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on April 11, 2022, 03:49:18 PM
Quote from: webny99 on April 11, 2022, 03:27:24 PM
Quote from: triplemultiplex on April 11, 2022, 02:00:49 PM
Subway; not sure if that's their bread baking or what, but it's just a little off.  If it's bread, that's weird because an actual bakery smells great to me.

I'd be pretty surprised if Subway locations bake their own bread.

Every Subway I've ever been in bakes its own bread.

Complete with the Yoga Matt flavoring?  :-D

who is Yoga Matt
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

HighwayStar

Quote from: Scott5114 on April 11, 2022, 05:53:02 PM
Quote from: HighwayStar on April 11, 2022, 05:50:10 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on April 11, 2022, 03:49:18 PM
Quote from: webny99 on April 11, 2022, 03:27:24 PM
Quote from: triplemultiplex on April 11, 2022, 02:00:49 PM
Subway; not sure if that's their bread baking or what, but it's just a little off.  If it's bread, that's weird because an actual bakery smells great to me.

I'd be pretty surprised if Subway locations bake their own bread.

Every Subway I've ever been in bakes its own bread.

Complete with the Yoga Matt flavoring?  :-D

who is Yoga Matt

More of a what, but its the proprietary chemical flavoring that Subway uses in its bread (derived from yoga mats)

(and to be clear... /s)
There are those who travel, and those who travel well

JayhawkCO

Quote from: Scott5114 on April 11, 2022, 05:53:02 PM
Quote from: HighwayStar on April 11, 2022, 05:50:10 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on April 11, 2022, 03:49:18 PM
Quote from: webny99 on April 11, 2022, 03:27:24 PM
Quote from: triplemultiplex on April 11, 2022, 02:00:49 PM
Subway; not sure if that's their bread baking or what, but it's just a little off.  If it's bread, that's weird because an actual bakery smells great to me.

I'd be pretty surprised if Subway locations bake their own bread.

Every Subway I've ever been in bakes its own bread.

Complete with the Yoga Matt flavoring?  :-D

who is Yoga Matt

A hipster with a handlebar mustache who greets everyone by saying Namaste.



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