What would you do?

[House Cat]

My family and I ate at our favorite Pho Noodle Restaurant two nights ago, for the second time this week. We are kind of addicted to the place. The restaurant is relatively new to the area. It's probably been around for two or three months. It has stellar reviews on Yelp and it is much, much better than the other Pho place in town.

As we were finishing up our meal, my son pointed out a fly on the wall and I concurred that it was indeed a fly, turned around and ate another bite. My husband kept his eyes on "the fly" and a moment later said, "No, that wasn't a fly. It scurried up to the ceiling." I searched for the bug and found it, sure enough, it was a cockroach. I watched it for several minutes as it walked up and down the wall. There was no doubt, it really was a cockroach.

We left as fast as we could. I know we should have said something but they had very dark crown molding and by the time the waitress was in our sights, the roach was hidden from view.

Since the incident, my husband and I have been debating on what to do. The owners are so incredibly sweet. We don't want to bring them any harm. Giving a negative review on Yelp would probably keep customers from eating there. Calling the health inspector would harm them. We aren't sure what to do. On one hand, I would like to know as a naive customer. On the other hand, I don't want to harm the sweet owners. What would you do?

We will never eat there again.

 

[amc80]

I understand that you don't want to harm their business, but other people have the right to know. I'd call the health inspector.

 

[Circe]

This may say too much about where I live, but not a damn thing (except for maybe buying them one of those plug-in verminators or dropping a word in the owners ears). They're roaches. There's not a thing anybody can do to keep them out 100% of the time. My home is - THANK GOD KNOCK ON WOOD - roach-free and once in a while one of the little bastards will still fly through a window, or something.

If you see half a dozen roaches at a time, or one EVERY time you go I , call the health department. 1 roach? No, that's probably not going to help in any way.

 

[House Cat]

This may say too much about where I live, but not a damn thing (except for maybe buying them one of those plug-in verminators or dropping a word in the owners ears). They're roaches. There's not a thing anybody can do to keep them out 100% of the time. My home is - THANK GOD KNOCK ON WOOD - roach-free and once in a while one of the little bastards will still fly through a window, or something.

If you see half a dozen roaches at a time, or one EVERY time you go I , call the health department. 1 roach? No, that's probably not going to help in any way.

Circe,

If I saw a half dozen roaches, I would faint.

They really aren't common where I live. There has to be filth in order for them to thrive in this area.

 

[Circe]

For context, I'm currently at the zoo with my kid, and he just insisted on spending half an hour by the hissing cockroach exhibit, which is teeming with them. I'm actively phobic about them, so AAAHGGG! So I share your pain. But I still think one roach could be an accident ....

 

[House Cat]

For context, I'm currently at the zoo with my kid, and he just insisted on spending half an hour by the hissing cockroach exhibit, which is teeming with them. I'm actively phobic about them, so AAAHGGG! So I share your pain. But I still think one roach could be an accident ....

I share the phobia for sure. When my son was 5, he thought it was funny to go to the dollar store and pick up the motorized cockroaches and plant them around the house. They look real out of the corner of your eye! I would lose my mind each time I would see one!

The hissing cockroaches are more than I can bear. That is a daddy job!

 

[packrat]

Icky. I don't know what I'd do, 'specially if it was a place we loved.

I can't do the bug hut at the zoo. We did it once before the kids came, and then once two years ago and that's enough for me. The first time, I was looking to see what was in there and sat back on my heels real fast and made a noise. This little boy was about pressed against the glass and said "Lady, it's just a bug, you're ok. It can't get to you, see? It's got glass" hahahaha

 

[JulieN]

I worked in an office building that had a roach problem. We had no food laying about, no filth.

No yelp reviews, let the owners know discreetly. on Chowhound we are forbidden from talking about things like roaches, conversation is supposed to focus on the food and and the restaurant.

 

[JewelFreak]

Tell the owners, if you do anything. I don't know where you are, but in some areas (like here!) roaches are a common problem. It's not surprising for one to escape the exterminator -- but I wouldn't want to eat there again anyway either. The owners might want to know -- maybe their exterminator isn't very good.

For one roach, mentioning it on Yelp is overdone & can harm their business bigtime. As long as you like them, I wouldn't do that. Or the health inspector -- if more of the critters are around, he'll find them soon. If not, it creates a hassle for the family.

Gosh, I can't imagine going into a bug exhibit at the zoo, not for a kid, not to save my life! I'd die of a stroke in there anyhow. I'd have nightmares the rest of my life.

--- Laurie

 

[AprilBaby]

I'm betting they already know and have an exterminator but the little buggers are really hard to get rid of. They say after a nuclear war only the roaches would still be alive. Walk away and don't eat there again.

 

[Gypsy]

My husband is a property manager and I can tell you, where there is one, there is almost always more.

I understand not wanting to harm the owners. But you aren't. All you are doing is reporting a concern. If they are not keeping the place as clean as it needs to be, that's on THEM, no matter how nice they are. And they need to learn how to keep the place pest free. If the cockroach was a fluke and the place is clean-- no harm at all.

I wouldn't talk to them directly--there's no point in involving yourself personally. And I wouldn't post on yelp about it. Let the people empowered to handle it do so.

 

[Mayk]

For context, I'm currently at the zoo with my kid, and he just insisted on spending half an hour by the hissing cockroach exhibit, which is teeming with them. I'm actively phobic about them, so AAAHGGG! So I share your pain. But I still think one roach could be an accident ....

Circe! My whole body convulsed just reading this! You get mother of the year award! We live in FL and also see Palmetto Bugs (translation giant roaches). dh will run over me to get away from them. I would have walked out for sure... Behind DH who left without thinking about me once or twice....

 

[OreoRosies86]

I would tell the owners directly via phone call. Likely this will be the result:
1. They will be mortified
2. They will handle the problem immediately
3. They will appreciate your discretion.

Though I certainly wouldn't blame you for never eating there again

 

[aljdewey]

I'd report it to the health department. If there's something to it when they investigate, they will take corrective action (and then people will know if they need to know). If there's nothing to it, you won't have harmed them by alarming the public when nothing's amiss.

 

[momhappy]

I have lived in the midwest and the south. Roaches are much more prevalent in the south and it's not uncommon to see them. While I certainly don't care to see roaches in a restaurant, the sighting of a single cockroach in a southern restaurant would not prompt me to run screaming out the door... If you have sincere concern, tell the owner or manager of the noodle place that you saw a bug. They would probably appreciate the constructive criticism.

 

[Dancing Fire]

If you see half a dozen roaches at a time, or one EVERY time you go I , call the health department. 1 roach? No, that's probably not going to help in any way.

No sucha thing as ONE roach ... anyway, I seen them running around in Chinese restaurants many time, no big deal to me.

 

[Meezermom]

I would have brought it to the attention of the manager.

 

[mdmc]

I used to work in a nice restaurant. Occasionally we to got roaches. They can come in in the food stuff from suppliers. You just need to make sure the restaurant is kept clean and we had pest control once a month. I would let management know what you saw so they can take action.

 

[FrekeChild]

Lol. At some point or another EVERY RESTAURANT has roaches. If the restaurant is new, it has likely been through a TON of inspections in the last few months just to open. I'd bring it to the attention of the owners, and I'd continue to eat there.

Also, no matter how clean a restaurant is, if it's in a strip mall, and their neighbor isn't as clean, they will have a roach problem.

I used to live in an area where I would walk outside at night and there would be a dozen of them in the walk to my car - it's just the area of town. It never occurred to me that I shouldn't eat at any of the restaurants that are in that same area because they experienced the same cockroach issues I endured.

Also, just because you don't see them, doesn't mean they aren't there.

Did I mention I've worked in everything from ice cream shops to fine dining establishments?

 

[justginger]

Lol. At some point or another EVERY RESTAURANT has roaches. If the restaurant is new, it has likely been through a TON of inspections in the last few months just to open. I'd bring it to the attention of the owners, and I'd continue to eat there.

Also, no matter how clean a restaurant is, if it's in a strip mall, and their neighbor isn't as clean, they will have a roach problem.

I used to live in an area where I would walk outside at night and there would be a dozen of them in the walk to my car - it's just the area of town. It never occurred to me that I shouldn't eat at any of the restaurants that are in that same area because they experienced the same cockroach issues I endured.

Also, just because you don't see them, doesn't mean they aren't there.

Did I mention I've worked in everything from ice cream shops to fine dining establishments?

I thought I was going to be the only one -- but I couldn't care less. If saw a parade of roaches, I'd avoid the spot. One? And small enough to mistake for a fly? Not on my radar. I'm not sure I'd even mention it to the owner. That little baby cockarochie (as we call them at work) could have come from anywhere.

 

[kalomeli]

I work in food industry (candy factory actually ) and I think you should report to the owners at least. Roaches aren't necessarily more than just bad luck but they are tough and they reproduce quickly. You saw one roach and very likely there will be more because those disgusting little creatures are good at hiding.

Long-acting poison is usually pretty good for killing the whole population at once. (One roach eats the poison and runs to its friends, dies and the others eat the now poisonous roach.)

I feel mildly disgusted that I know this.

 

[dk168]

I would have informed the proprietors at time of paying my bill, and gauge their response and reaction before deciding what to do next.

If they just shrug their shoulders and give the impression that they don't really care, then I may call the environmental health inspectors.

If they are horrified and take immediate action(s) to address the issue, then I shall give them the benefit of the doubt and leave it as that, and shall return another day to enjoy the food and ambience that attracted me to the joint in the first place.

DK