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Diners Rank the 10 'Dirtiest' States for Restaurants
New Jersey tops the list with the most complaints about dirty dining conditions, pests, and hair in food.
Published on Feb. 7, 2026
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A new viral ranking from a restaurant furniture company analyzed over 2.8 million TripAdvisor reviews to identify the states with the most customer complaints about dirty restaurants, pests, and unsanitary food handling. New Jersey topped the list with over 320,000 mentions of "dirty restaurant," followed by Florida, California, Arizona, and Texas.
Why it matters
This crowdsourced data highlights growing concerns about restaurant cleanliness and food safety across the country, which can impact public health, consumer trust, and the reputation of the restaurant industry. The findings may prompt increased scrutiny and inspections by health departments in the identified problem areas.
The details
The rankings were based on reviews that mentioned terms like "dirty restaurant," "hair in food," "rats," and "roaches." New Jersey had the most complaints, with over 320,000 mentions of "dirty restaurant," 1,883 mentions of "hair in food," and 810 mentions of rats and cockroaches. Florida, California, Arizona, and Texas rounded out the top 5, with each state logging thousands of cleanliness and pest-related complaints from diners.
- The analysis focused on restaurant reviews from 2024.
The players
Affordable Seating
A Chicago-based restaurant furniture company that conducted the analysis of over 2.8 million TripAdvisor reviews.
TripAdvisor
The online review platform that provided the data for the analysis.
The takeaway
This data highlights the need for increased restaurant inspections and oversight to ensure proper food safety and cleanliness standards are being met, especially in states that ranked highly for customer complaints about unsanitary conditions. Consumers should also be vigilant when dining out and report any hygiene concerns to health authorities.
