Recent findings reveal the states with the most complaints concerning restaurant cleanliness, based on an analysis of over 2.8 million TripAdvisor reviews spanning nearly 40,000 establishments in 2024. The Chicago-based company, Affordable Seating, compiled this data, focusing on eateries rated 2.4 stars or lower. They specifically looked for reviews mentioning terms related to uncleanliness and pests, such as “dirty restaurants,” “hair in food,” “rats,” and “cockroaches.”
Interestingly, these rankings arise from online reviews, not official inspection records from health departments. This could lead to some discrepancies, as diners’ perspectives can vary widely.
Here’s how the top 10 looks:
1. New Jersey
New Jersey leads significantly with a staggering number of complaints about dirty dining conditions. In all, there were 320,520 mentions of “dirty restaurants,” along with 1,883 references to “hair in food” and 810 mentions of rodents.
2. Florida
Florida’s position is largely due to cleanliness complaints from key tourist destinations like Miami and Orlando. The data revealed 4,560 mentions of “dirty restaurants,” along with 1,691 references to hair found in food and 636 pest-related issues.
3. California
Here, issues mainly arise from pest complaints rather than general cleanliness, the state reported 3,332 mentions of dirty dining environments, 1,731 regarding hair in food, and the highest number of complaints about rats and cockroaches, totaling 960.
4. Arizona
Arizona captured attention for a steady flow of complaints across multiple areas. Reviewers reported 1,759 instances of “dirty restaurants,” 639 mentions of hair in food, and 443 related to pests.
5. Texas
In Texas, while the complaints were lower in number compared to others, they were still notable. The state saw 1,068 complaints regarding “dirty restaurants,” 471 about hair in food, and 232 pest-related complaints, likely influenced by the vast number of restaurants available.
6. Louisiana
Here, complaints were higher about pests relative to overall cleanliness issues, with 951 mentions of dirty restaurants and 412 of hair in food, plus 399 complaints about rodents.
7. Alabama
Despite having fewer pest complaints than other states, cleanliness concerns were prevalent in Alabama. Diners recorded 918 mentions of dirty restaurants and 404 about hair in food.
8. Maryland
Maryland displayed a more balanced complaint ratio across various categories. They noted 884 mentions of dirty restaurants, 436 of hair in food, and 201 related to pests.
9. Nevada
Nevada’s ranking is attributed to a high rate of pest complaints correlated with tourist-heavy areas. Reports included 881 mentions of dirty restaurants, 579 complaints about hair in food, and 414 involving pests.
10. Georgia
Finally, Georgia found itself in the top 10 due to moderate but consistent complaints about cleanliness and pest issues, with 856 mentions of dirty restaurants and 375 about hair in food.
