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I accidentally ordered from a “ghost kitchen” last night and I got really sick.
- Thread starter Cheesebu
- Start date
OP
OP
You pretty much have to google it, look at the address and see if it's an empty parking lot or building with no storefront. Or a chili's/IHOP or whatever
I feel like you guys are kinda pinning all the blame on the spooky ghost kitchen when the issue is the delivery apps, creating a product that makes literally everyone involved lose money, that push people into doing stuff like this. because between uber's fucked up fees and covid the restaurant industry is completely fucked. Yes the one's that are like big businesses masquerading as mom and pop restaurants is fucked.
if you don't like it, cook your own food
if you don't like it, cook your own food
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I don't have a problem with ghost kitchens as a concept. I think it's cool that I can buy chicken sandwiches in the PNW designed by a chef in the Bay area. I think there should be hygiene standards, of course, but it's functionally no different from ordering from a food cart, and pre-covid, I did that all the time.
But I do have a problem with the big national brands masquerading as something they're not. I think the food and the label should be tied together. I don't think it's the same thing. I bought from one of the Red Robin "ghost kitchens" and felt scammed (in fact I made a thread about it).
Anyway I noticed tonight that Doordash has started to label "virtual kitchens" as soon as you enter the menu and I'm good with that.
But I do have a problem with the big national brands masquerading as something they're not. I think the food and the label should be tied together. I don't think it's the same thing. I bought from one of the Red Robin "ghost kitchens" and felt scammed (in fact I made a thread about it).
Anyway I noticed tonight that Doordash has started to label "virtual kitchens" as soon as you enter the menu and I'm good with that.
Since you are a fried chicken fan make sure you check out Gus too. It is very good.
That's Chili's and it's called "It's Just Wings" through DoorDash. Don't know how the money is divided up, but I would hope it is a second revenue stream for that location to help keep it afloat. The Chili's in my town has been having to close their main dining room on the reg and only been able keep the bar and bar seating area open as they are so short-staffed the whole place can't be open.
The place I've been ordering from is a publicly advertised ghost kitchen and all the food I've ordered has been great, no problems here.
I think the problem is less ghost kitchens and more places trying to hide where/what they are. If they're doing that, odds are they're sketch enough that people don't want to know the actual brand or restaurant behind the food.
I think the problem is less ghost kitchens and more places trying to hide where/what they are. If they're doing that, odds are they're sketch enough that people don't want to know the actual brand or restaurant behind the food.
What the fuck there's a Fuku here in Miami and that shit had me almost throwing up and I felt like shit.
I find this ghost kitchen trend really scummy and deceitful. You think you're supporting some new local pizza joint "Pasqually's Pizza & Wings" when in reality it's just a fucking Chuck E Cheese in disguise.
All the major chains are doing this now. TGI Fridays is "Conviction Chicken", Applebee's is both "Neighborhood Wings" and "Cosmic Wings", Chili's is "It's Just Wings", Outback is "Tender Shack Chicken", Red Robin is "Chicken Sammy's" and "The Wing Dept" etc...
But at least with these major chains there's some level of quality control. That's not the case with other ghost kitchens that could be operating out of some dirty ass unhygienic place. A lot of them are delivery only so you can't even see the address in DoorDash etc. And if people start leaving bad reviews they can simply rebrand and continue duping people over and over again, there's no real consequences.
All the major chains are doing this now. TGI Fridays is "Conviction Chicken", Applebee's is both "Neighborhood Wings" and "Cosmic Wings", Chili's is "It's Just Wings", Outback is "Tender Shack Chicken", Red Robin is "Chicken Sammy's" and "The Wing Dept" etc...
But at least with these major chains there's some level of quality control. That's not the case with other ghost kitchens that could be operating out of some dirty ass unhygienic place. A lot of them are delivery only so you can't even see the address in DoorDash etc. And if people start leaving bad reviews they can simply rebrand and continue duping people over and over again, there's no real consequences.
Ghost kitchens are subject to the same health and food safety regulations and inspections which restaurants are
not surprised. Someone I know ordered from one the other week, and they were probably lucky that the food never showed up.
Once it gets really late at night, well known fast food is the only place I'd get food from
Once it gets really late at night, well known fast food is the only place I'd get food from
Not surprised. It's legit a shitty old food truck in a parking lot of an office building here. Here's an article about the one in Dallas
Chef David Chang's Fuku Is a Hot Mess on Its Opening Day in Dallas
Last week The Dallas Morning News reported that James Beard Award-winning chef David Chang was opening three ghost kitchens in North Texas. Called Fuku, they will serve uber-trendy hot chicken “sandos” and strips. Chang is the chef and founder of the Momofuku group of restaurants, which includes...
I feel bad for anyone that actually orders it.
Just because a place is a food truck doesn't mean that they're sketchy or don't have to follow code. This is a new business model that doesn't take as much overhead, and it's not just large corporations trying to pull one over you.
So a ghost kitchen can't rebrand easily? At least a physical location you can map it as bad.
My point is none of these things automatically mean a ghost kitchen is bad. It's just a different business model, and business owners of all sizes are utilizing them.
Not surprised. It's legit a shitty old food truck in a parking lot of an office building here. Here's an article about the one in Dallas
Chef David Chang's Fuku Is a Hot Mess on Its Opening Day in Dallas
Last week The Dallas Morning News reported that James Beard Award-winning chef David Chang was opening three ghost kitchens in North Texas. Called Fuku, they will serve uber-trendy hot chicken “sandos” and strips. Chang is the chef and founder of the Momofuku group of restaurants, which includes...www.dallasobserver.com
I feel bad for anyone that actually orders it.
You've said this twice now, a food truck parked in an office building parking lot, and so what. Why does that mean it is bad or sketchy. If people working in that office building were lined up at that food truck at lunch you wouldn't think twice.
I never knew this and ordered from there a few times.
...huh. It wasn't bad at least. When it's not soggy, that is.
Had main chick for dinner tonight, it's fine. Honey's is much better but they have different goals.
I don't think there are any ghost kitchens in my city but I got real sick from a Döner delivery from a properly labelled place. Campylobacter, either undercooked chicken or unwashed hands. The doctor told me that's commonly caused by Döner.
My favorite delivery service recently disappeared from the listings and I couldn't find any trace of it at the location where the delivery listing claimed it was but looking it up now it just seems to have moved and upgraded.
My favorite delivery service recently disappeared from the listings and I couldn't find any trace of it at the location where the delivery listing claimed it was but looking it up now it just seems to have moved and upgraded.
OP
OP
It's honestly been years since I had any type of food poisoning, so I was just surprised. I don't think all ghost kitchens are bad, I just want to make people aware. I'm going back to my 8-10 trusted places and I'll read up on Any new ones.
Lol
There's nothing more rewarding than secretly fucking up with your corporate shitty fast food gig. I applaud your ethics.
OP
OP
Hell yea. That sauce, I cry when they don't give me an extra with my extra hot.
These are known as Cloud Kitchen's I thought?
Concept is a bunch of places that use a common restaurant space for only delivery and have no sit-in space.
See this:
Sequoia - How Faasos disrupted its business model to create India's largest cloud kitchen (sequoiacap.com)
Concept is a bunch of places that use a common restaurant space for only delivery and have no sit-in space.
See this:
Sequoia - How Faasos disrupted its business model to create India's largest cloud kitchen (sequoiacap.com)
Huh??? I'm so confused I feel like I live under a rock
I've NEVER heard of anything like this
I got fucked up by Half Send Pizza, which I didn't bother to check, until just now, but yeah they run out of a ghost kitchen operated by CloudKitchens. Legit gave me the worst diarrhea and stomach pain not even 30 mins after finishing eating. Still kinda fucked up now, 6 days later lmao
That sauce is so damn good. I always try to get a side of pickles on top of everything lol
Delivery or driving to a location for curbside pickup, someone will still need to hand you your food.
I had no idea this was a thing, but it makes sense. Sucks because I want to support small businesses.
All that I can add to this thread is that I saw Rock-a-Doodle at one of those 3 movies for $1.50 theaters in an abandoned mall (Peach Tree for those in NorCal). There was a radio station booth outside doing some promotion and I won a copy of Weird Al's Off the Deep End on CD for knowing the main character's name (Chanticleer). It took like 6 months to find somebody with a CD player to copy it to a tape.
And THAT is why you don't order from ghost kitchens.
And THAT is why you don't order from ghost kitchens.
I think it's a smart business model - for larger companies, and for smaller startups. The challenge is that it's a huge umbrella term that can attract a lot of unfortunate side effects and shit.
If you're starting a business, and want to get out there, test a concept and reduce risk of overhead - it's a great way to do that. Leasing space at an existing restaurant helps the restaurant owner, and makes it easier for the startup. That's a positive thing.
The "factory" elements of this is where it gets gnarly - either someone just starting up a whole bunch at once to capitalize, or an existing company being a bit deceptive and shady about it. You get the good and the bad. Above all, just take the step to google the address before you order - that will make things clearer and help you make an educated choice on whether to support them or not.
If you're starting a business, and want to get out there, test a concept and reduce risk of overhead - it's a great way to do that. Leasing space at an existing restaurant helps the restaurant owner, and makes it easier for the startup. That's a positive thing.
The "factory" elements of this is where it gets gnarly - either someone just starting up a whole bunch at once to capitalize, or an existing company being a bit deceptive and shady about it. You get the good and the bad. Above all, just take the step to google the address before you order - that will make things clearer and help you make an educated choice on whether to support them or not.
Fuku is a legit chain. There used to be one in Boston. I've had it a bunch of times (as well as coworkers) and never had any issues
I saw a similar concept like this back in 2002/03. There was a lunch diner near downtown that closed early and another guy would come in and server his food from 10pm till 4am, I think. Targeted the after bar crowd. He did well enough, but then the diner's owner saw how much traffic was generated and kicked him out for their crap.
The problem with ghost kitchens is it will vary from location to location since they are using food trucks. The Dallas one is current rated 1.7 out of 5 stars on Google.
Yeah, lots of these popping up here. I barely trust restaurants that are subject to regular health inspections and food safety courses, and so forth, let alone some random person making mystery meat burgers on their Foreman Grill. There are tons of local restaurants that are "playing by the rules" and really need the support right now, and I'm more than happy to support those businesses, but I'm not chancing it with ghost kitchens.