We’re a little scared to hear your answers, but have you ever gotten food poisoning from a restaurant? If so, has it happened to you more than once (we’re crossing our fingers that you say no!)?
Please tell us in the poll below, and once you’re done, leave a comment and tell us what made you sick (if you dare go down memory lane…) and if you ever went back. Were you hesitant to eat that food again for a while? We’d sure think so!
No restaurant disasters so far, but family members have gotten sick from frozen food. I imagine RV freezers could be especially prone to power loss, so beware! Also be sure the plastic tray on a frozen dinner is not damaged, and that includes the pull-away overwrap. My son got salmonella that way and was in the hospital for 3 days. Also, expiration dates matter. Don’t buy a frozen item that’s significantly (2+ weeks) out of date. Another tip: If you are at the store and pick out a frozen product, shake it. If it rattles, that’s good. It was flash-frozen and has not been exposed to warmer temperatures. But if the contents feel like a solid block, it could mean they were frozen, but then partially defrosted then froze again after who knows how long, so that everything is now encased in ice. Great potential for contamination. Toss it back and buy something safer.
I have traveled a lot in southeast Asia. Eating at a lot of small local places you get food poisoning every couple of weeks. It does not bother you that much since you are used to it. Their sanitation rules are very different from ours and it probably lingers under the surface all the time. In the US with our hyper cleanliness when you get it, it is much worse. Your body does not know how to handle it.
Only had it once, from two week old linguine and clams that I’d thought my wife had made a fresh batch of, but, no…. Worst case of illness I’d ever had in my life, and that includes kidney stones!
I suspect most people claiming it have only had a bad case of indigestion or it was just to rich for them and ‘soured their stomach’. When you get food poisoning, believe me, you WILL know it.
I suspect some of those polled have no concept of food poisoning, as most probably have never had food poisoning at a restaurant, but simply think they have.
Never from a restaurant however I ate some Jiff peanut butter without knowing there was a recall for salmonella poisoning. Worst week of my life!
Yes, twice about 7-8 years apart. Different locations of the same national buffet chain. Needless to say, I’ve never gone back.
Years ago, our unit “mess section” gave “food poisoning” to 2 companies (about 450 soldiers) after the noon meal. We had sick soldiers all over the battalion area. Med section, several medic units and 50 personnel from the post hospital. Sack lunches for two days while the engineers and other staff resanitized the facility. Investigation found the soap dispenser was leaking into the final rinse water. So all the trays and utensils had a slight film of soap on them. Our company avoided the disaster because we were on the firing range all day and had a meal provided by another unit that was training new cooks. The Army a “New Adventure every day”!
At a restaurant many years ago ate clam chowder got deathly sick that night and worse I had to go to school , was a special ed teacher and the class had a field trip that day and if i wasn’t there the trip would be canceled. So I went and managed to survive the day and the kids got their field trip.
Teacher AND Special Ed????
From a Veteran – THANK YOU for your service!
Once on a cheese pizza and once from a garden salad. Brutal!!
Waaay back when in college -small residential college of 500 students. School cafeteria. How much fun was that?? Ha! For the next week or two – two food lines – one with food for those not sick, another with toast and Jell-O for the rest of us. Toast and Jell-O line was open 24 hrs a day for a week or two. I don’t remember much about classes but do remember that. One of my later careers had me take State classes for a food handler’s license. Either 41 deg or lower or 140 deg or higher. Will never forget that now. .
Twice over the years, both from fresh salads.
Coming home from a moonlight photo shoot in Yosemite the restaurant attached to a motel in Sonora was open. I tried Chicken a la King. Big mistake. Wound up disposing of a nightgown & rug and missed a day or two of work. Worst food poisoning ever. Since then, also learned to be wary of McDonald’s near a freeway, especially during non rush times. Visalia CA & Winnemucca NV. That last one was really bad because we were in a small truck camper – 2 adults, kindergartner & big dog, several spaces from the restroom. No on board “facilities” beyond a coffee can. If you gotta get off peak fast food, ask for a special order so they have to make it, not take it out from the heating cabinet.
Yes, two or three times. Once from Red Snapper in Biloxi, MS and once from shrimp in Grafton, ND. Also, not really sure about this one -but on Amtrak in the diner from salad dressing which didn’t taste right. Regurgitated and I returned to normal in about :30 min. (Might have been from riding backwards at nite with possible vertigo – in any case I missed the steak dinner!)
Not I but DW from an apple 🍎 Bees 🐝. Several days to recover
I must have a cast iron stomach…
Me too!! LOL
It was takeout,but I assume that counts as well.
Once in Honolulu, HI. One of the most expensive restaurants. We were stationed at Pearl Harbor, and went there for our 2nd anniversary dinner. The oysters (cooked) did the poisoning, my wife got really sick. We had to go to the emergency room that night. La Rondé restaurant was put on the do not go to list and we got our money back with an apology.
First time was from a chicken dish at TGI-you know what day of the week. Put me in the ER.
Second was on a camper delivery to the Boston area. “You HAVE to try the Ipswich (sp?) clams” they said. I wasn’t sure I was going to make it home (3hr drive) without dying.
I RARELY eat out any more. Mine and my wife’s cooking is far better anyway.
Never order a fish “special of the day.” They are just getting rid of old seafood. Had food poisoning on a vacation to San Francisco and it ruined the whole holiday weekend.
salad while in St Lucia…I have been brave and tried the same type of salad again recently w/o issues