YEP....
If there is one there will be many.

That being said...
Give the owner the courtesy of saying..."Hey, There's a problem FIX IT NOW!!!!!!!"

Sometimes, it really does come from the restaurant below them!!!

Years ago we took a important out-of-town guest to the restaurant named after a large metal mammal. He and I both saw a large roach run across our table (my husband was looking elsewhere). He winked at me and said "We have them in New York, too." It hasn't kept us from going back.

I've never had to make that decision. I think I would never go back, but, if it was a place I'd gone to often and loved, it might be a harder choice.

I grew up in Florida and it was very difficult to keep the "palmetto bugs" (think REALLY big roaches) out of anything. I would generally give a restaurant a second chance, but after that I'd complain.

I don't give second chances. I suppose that once I run out of restaurant options I'll reconsider that approach...

Bugs are a "given"--food attracts them. I would bring the presence of one bug to the attention of my server. I would bring the presence of more than one bug to the attention of the manager as I was hastily exiting the place, never to return.

I've been pondering this posting for quite a while and I still don't know what I would do. While I believe it is true that "where there is one there are many," I also believe that just because you can't or don't see the vermin does not mean they aren't present. It's the nature of the beast (metal mammal or other). Would viewing an insect or rodent inhibit me from returning to a restaurant? I suppose it depends on the establishment itself. Keep in mind, however, that most if not all of us are rarely privy to what goes on behind those kitchen doors. I'm just saying ...

If you see one roach, there's about 1,000 more right nearby.

Am I the only one who doesn't know what you mean by "Metal Mammal"?

Barb - Dahlink is referring to a popular, expensive restaurant but disguised its identity. You can catch real live examples of the mammal at noon today near Lexington Market. LOL

I'm guessing The Brass Elephant.

Whoa. No, it wasn't a city restaurant. EL

If a place looks clean and well-cared for otherwise, you shouldn't cross it off your list after noticing one roach. Do report it to the server--or a manager if one is around. They will want to know.

I worked in a kitchen for many years--a very clean kitchen--and we had monthly pest management; I'm sure any restaurant that serves good food does the same. Even with careful procedures and pest control, a roach will occasionally appear. Then the pest guy is called in to sort it out and address the problem.

As one of the posters mentioned, roaches also just come in from adjacent buildings and then you're stuck with the "symptoms" of someone else's neglectful management.

Frankly I'd worry more about the microscopic critters on the hands of restaurant workers who don't follow the rules about handwashing. But, that's just another thing that you have to set aside if you want to eat out eh?

Reminds me of a visit to a local restaurant we had been patronizing for a few years, although we had begun to be less-than-satisfied with the service and the food. As we waited a while (with our feet tapping) to be seated in a nearly-empty dining room, we could see into the area where the meals came from the kitchen to be picked up by the servers. The fellow who put the dishes on the pick-up counter casually plucked something from one and popped it into his mouth. We turned around, walked out out and have never returned.

chez G wrote: "Frankly I'd worry more about the microscopic critters on the hands of restaurant workers who don't follow the rules about handwashing."

That's the truth! Great point.

But rodents are definitely a turn off. I'd never go back to a place if I saw one there...unless of course they're on the menu (stir-fried rat anyone?)

I have seen mice run across the floor at a grocery store and a restaurant in the past month.

If mice are out and running around, especially at the grocery store on a Saturday afternoon, then how bad is the infestation behind the scenes and in the rest of the store?

If I go back to the restaurant, it will only be for it's proximity to the water and for its mojitos. But the grocery store is off my list forever.

I grew up with roaches. We had them so bad in our apartment in Fells Point in the 70s, I would have to stand aside when I opened an overhead kitchen cabinet, else have one fall on my head. 30 years later, in a completely different domicile, I still stand back, out of habit. I survived eating in a house full of roaches, so they're not so scary.

Once while at a Thai restaurant on North Charles Street a roach ran across the table as my friend and I perused the menus. We both saw and chose to ignore. I'm sure with all the construction in that area now there have been plenty of recent roach sitings.

I have also lived in an apt. (student housing in Chicago) where roaches fell from the ceiling. I had all my food stored in Tupperware. But in a restaurant, I always wonder where the food was stored and was it roach-proof?
Maybe I'll give the restaurant in question a second chance...hmm, maybe a stiff drink first!

I had this occur once. I never went back to the restaurant. Funny as the original roach story is so close to mine. A roach crawled out from a wall decoration. I did leave as we had not ordered yet.

If the incident happened at a place I frequent I'd pull the manager over and point out what happened. They want to know. And yes, it's difficult to control in some city restaurants with shared walls.

I grew up in an end rowhouse in Baltimore. The neighboring house was infested. Whereas my mother's floors were so clean you could eat off of them, we still got bugs (waterbugs... ugh). Eventually the tenants were kicked out and the owner fixed things.

And there's the Seinfeld episode where Poppy did not wash his hands after he used the restroom and proceeded to cook dinner for Jerry. That's a big eewww. RATATOUILLE.

I've been in the presence of both bugs and rodents in restaurants...but unless the situation is truly dire, I choose to ignore their presence. I just have to, for the sake of my sanity.

Long, long ago when I lived in Canton, I managed to convince myself that every furry creature scuttling across the street was a cat.

It's a delusion that works for me, so I think I'll keep it.

I'm guessing The Brass Elephant.

Whoa. No, it wasn't a city restaurant. EL

Yes, it was. Sorry to cause head-scratching ...

Sorry, I got confused because I read the comments in chronological order as they're posted, not under a particular entry as you do. I thought she meant that Barb's restaurant was the Brass Elephant, which it wasn't. EL

Sometimes I think we're all confused! Is that what happens if you subscribe to the RSS feed as well?

Perhaps having lived in India for years has made me less finicky than most, but I would not be upset by the occasional roach. Some years ago I lived in an apartment house with a (very good) restaurant on the ground floor. The whole building was infested with roaches. The very conscientious landlord had the exterminators in the building every week, but it was a losing battle. I never heard of any tenants getting sick.

This might not strickly belong here, but, since these are one of my few food fears, I have to say eewww...

While I understand the visceral emotional reaction, permanently writing off a restaurant because you saw a roach is really rather extreme.

Many people who live in city rowhouse neighborhoods have experienced the situation where a neighbor had his place fumigated and roaches fled to the neighboring houses. The unfortunate new roach hosts then have to have them gotten rid of, but it doesn't in anyway indicate bad housekeeping.

One night during dinner at Vespa (which is now something different) as we were paying our check a roach dropped from the ceiling on to our table. Somehow that seemed fitting to what ended up being a very disappointing meal.

Rosebud, peeps are great if you put them in the freezer before eating. It gives them a great styrofoam quality.

It takes longer (like a good wine), but let Peeps get stale. So much better.

Thanks, Dave, but I don't think I'll try that. Anymore than I'll try the suggestion I got from one of the guys on our floor, who said I should let them "age" for at least a month and then eat them. He says they're nice and crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Run away...run away...

Saw a recent close due to mouse infestation for some French restaurant off University Pkwy., but we still ate there.

I'm with Rosebud about Peeps.

Here's a good way to deal with them:
How to microwave a Peep.

You have stumbled upon a weird subculture.

Anna Nicole Smith sculpted from peeps:
http://intuitionkitchenproductions.com/gallery/functional/file/AnnaNicoleRestinPeeps.jpg

Video of microwaved peeps
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkBwIAVecgQ

Jaws reenacted with peeps:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezScWcym1AY

Expect irate posts from the Peeps Anti-defamation League.

The truth about the Easter Bunny ... Everyone should show this video to small children right before Easter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg-TwaxTPSs

What a great blog - where else can you ask people's opinion about roaches in restaurants, get some thoughtful comments, AND read about Peeps? Where do I join? I'm not sure I fit in. I don't have a special user name and I'm not good at writing amusing, pithy, snarly or just plain strange comments. But I do love food.

The annual favourite around my house, PEEPS BRULEE'.
1. Peeps, should be yellow chicks, no strange colours allowed (purple and blue especially).
2. Gas stove
3. Skewer
4. Place Peep on skewer and slowly roast it over the gas flame until the external sugar caramelizes and the interior marshmallow melts.
5. Wait one minute (hot sugar=napalm)
6. Eat your PEEP.

This year, I am contemplating Peeping my Ride with the placement of a yellow peep hood ornament. Should last at least all day on Easter.

Oh foie gras protesters, PLEASE come to the aid of abusded Peeps everywhere. Its a protest all right thinking people can get behind.

I'm late to the roach discussion, but I do have something to add. Someone upthread mentioned palmetto bugs, and I remember that my dad (a restaurant manager), once told me when we lived in the south that palmetto bug type roaches are much more mobile, and don't actually prefer kitchen conditions, so seeing one of those wasn't automatically an indication of an infestation - it could have just wandered in. However, German cockroaches (You really don't want to click this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_cockroach ), like exactly the restaurant kitchen kind of environment and stay close to home, and if he saw one in the dining room he'd assume the kitchen was infested and would not eat there.

More peep abuse:
http://www.peepresearch.org/

A call for the Peep Anti-Defamation League:
http://saint-loup.livejournal.com/7149.html