Mistakes Everyone Makes At A Mall Food Court

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When you're shopping in a mall and hunger strikes, there's one obvious option: the food court. If the thought of eating there fills you with dread, that might be on you. There are some mistakes everyone makes at a mall food court that makes the experience subpar, when it can be a great place to eat. And then there are the etiquette blunders that can make food courts annoying for staff or other people eating there.

Food courts have been around way longer than malls have. Early versions of food courts have been around since the Roman days, in large multi-story markets that mix food and retail — sound familiar? Since they've been around so long, it seems like there's been a lot of time to perfect the concept, but it's not totally the case. Sure, food courts in malls give you a quick and easy spot to get a meal when you're busy buying holiday gifts or doing back-to-school shopping. But, if you don't navigate them right, you can leave with a disappointing meal in your belly, or having broken all the unwritten protocol rules.

Learning what mistakes people make at mall food courts will help you avoid them. So, next time you hit one up, you'll choose the tastiest item there and leave feeling like a food court pro.

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It's easy to assume that all mall food courts are the same. A Cinnabon here, a Sbarro there, and a Panda Express to round it all out. The same vinyl flooring and slightly sticky tables that you'd find in any mall in America. But thinking all mall food courts are the same could have you missing out on some great ones, or settling for subpar options.

You can find some out-of-the-ordinary food courts, if you know where to look. The Mall of America's foot court is large and features some sit-down options that you won't find in just any mall, such as Rainforest Cafe and Benihana. Some malls, such as Roosevelt Field Mall on Long Island, have added in some healthier and less stereotypical mall options, like Maoz Vegetarian and The Little Beet. Then, there are malls that embrace the cuisines of other cultures. For instance, The New World Mall in Flushing, New York, has a two-floor Asian food court.

But, it's not all good. You'll want to avoid the worst mall food courts in America, like The Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas, which has had multiple food hygiene violations. Or, The Galleria Pittsburgh Mills in Tarentum, Pennsylvania, which has minimal options and basically nobody eating there. You don't have to settle for a bad mall food court. There are plenty that are a solid medium, then there are some that will make you wonder if you're really in a mall.

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If you've had consistently bad food from your local mall, you might just be choosing the wrong dishes. There are some food court dishes you should never eat. Avoid them and you'll have a better experience.

Any pizza slice that's kept on a food warmer isn't going to be delicious. You can tell that before taking a bite. The same goes for pasta dishes that are precooked and served canteen-style out of large chafing dishes. Chinese dishes with sticky sweet sauces often end up getting cold and goopy before you've even found yourself a table.

So, what should you opt for instead? Well, everyone has their preferences so it's tough to say exactly what one person will like. The teriyaki dishes from Sarku Japan have a lot of fans, and there's always Sbarro for pizza and pasta. Chains that also have a presence outside in the real world, like Chipotle (which is fast casual rather than fast food) and Panera, are sometimes better than eateries that you only ever find in malls. Pay more attention to what you pick and you won't have to dread a trip to the food court.

If you haven't been to a mall for a while, you might head there looking for an old favorite and leave disappointed. There are many mall food court restaurants that have disappeared over the years, some of them with so little fanfare that you might not notice until you try to go there for a bite to eat.

Jonesing for Hot Sam Pretzels? Well, there haven't been any since 2005, when the last were sold to Pretzel Times. These days, it's more likely you'll be picking up a soft pretzel from Aunt Annie's. Or perhaps you remember picking up a burger and fries from Mr. Fables in your youth and want a nostalgia trip. Well, you're out of luck because the last of them disappeared in 2000.

Whether it's a big chain or a smaller company that's in your local mall but not all over the country, you can never be certain that it will still be there on your next trip. So, it's a mistake to set your heart on something you enjoyed years ago, assuming you'll still be able to get it today. The same goes for favorite dishes that might no longer be on the menu. It's better to approach a food court with an open mind and see what looks good.

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You're in a busy food court with no free tables and you have someone come up to you and ask to sit in one of your free seats. At a sit-down restaurant, this might be a strange request, but at a mall food court, any spare spot is fair game. It's a big etiquette mistake to refuse to share your table.

You might want to have a private conversation with your friend. Or maybe you've had a tough day and you really want to be alone. We get it, but the mall food court isn't the place for that. If you go at a busy time, you have to be prepared to share seating with strangers. It's not okay to try to stake claim to a table all for yourself.

From the other perspective, it's a mistake to think there's nowhere to sit if there aren't any totally free tables. You might be wondering where to take your Sbarro slice or corndog, thinking there's nowhere to sit. But, it's always okay to ask someone if the extra seats at their table are free. You might rather eat by yourself, but that's just the way of the food court. And you never know when you'll have a pleasant interaction with a stranger.

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While you might not flat-out refuse to share space when asked, it's still a frowned-upon move to take up way more space than you need when a food court is busy. If you're the only one there, sure, take up that big table. But, if there are only a handful of spots left, it's inconsiderate to pick the biggest table and spread out.

If you're just one or two people in a booth for six, have a word with yourself. In a crowded mall, that might mean that a family struggles to find a place to sit together or has to cram around a much smaller table. Instead, find a smaller table that accommodates you and leave the larger ones for those who need them.

And, remember, your shopping bags don't need their own seat. If you totally spread yourself out, taking up a chair for your coat and another for your bags, alongside the one you're sitting on, you'd be hogging space that others might need. Be considerate of the space you're taking up in the mall food court, and then take that energy out into the rest of the world.

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When you're done eating at a mall food court, do you just leave your tray and your trash on the table? If so, you're making a rookie error. And probably making enemies of the people who work there. Some people aren't sure what the etiquette is, but we're here to tell you that you should bus your own tray.

This usually isn't the case in sit-down restaurants located in a mall, but in the food court, clean up after yourself. If you're unsure what to do, a good rule to follow is, if you brought the food to your table yourself, you take the leftovers and containers to the trash afterward. Whereas, if someone delivered your food to the table, they'll pick it up for you.

You can also consider how the food is served to you. If it comes in disposable wrappers, you clear it up yourself. If it comes on ceramic plates, then someone will usually come and collect them, though there are some exceptions.

Don't forget, clearing your table doesn't just mean putting your trash in the bin. If you've spilled drinks or left crumbs, it's good practice to wipe those up. Effectively, just don't assume that somebody else is going to clean up your mess.

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One of the many ways you can end up with a disappointing meal at a mall food court is by getting food at the first place you come to without even looking at the options. There are some classic food court chains that dominate the scene, so you might assume you know what to expect. A Sbarro here, a Charleys there, and a Baskin-Robbins for dessert. And, sure, the numbers don't lie. Those are some of the most common eateries in malls, but you never know when you're going to be surprised.

You might already know the best and worst mall food court restaurants. But perhaps you make the mistake of assuming the quality will be relatively similar everywhere. In actual fact, some places like Sarku Japan and Mrs. Fields have much better reputations than others. So, if you find a Subway as soon as you enter the food court and think, "I guess that will do," you might be missing out on something better.

Plus, every now and then, you'll find an unexpected gem at the mall. Not one of the big chains, but a local independent or a smaller chain like Maoz. And you'd be foolish to miss out on them just because you couldn't be bothered to do the rounds. So, take a lap as soon as you arrive and make sure you pick the best place to eat.

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Sometimes it makes sense to hold a table. You're with a friend, you both have loads of bags, and you're getting food from the same place. It makes sense that one of you might take a seat while the other one orders. But whether or not this is a mistake depends on the details.

If the place is empty, go ahead and sit down while the rest of your group orders. But, it's seen as a poor move to hold a table in a busy food court. When it's packed, it can take a while for someone to queue up and receive their food. Meaning, one person might be holding a table for 10 minutes while other people walk around looking for places to sit.

We get how tempting it is to claim that empty table in an otherwise full food court and hold it. But, you're going to get the stink eye from anyone who's looking for somewhere to sit with a full tray of food. And, more importantly, it's not community minded. Tables turn over quickly in food courts, so you don't need to hold a table. By the time you've queued and got your food, other people will have moved on and you'll find another place to sit. But, this free flow relies on everyone playing by the rules. If folks hold tables it slows everything down and means people with food have nowhere to sit.

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Sometimes it makes sense to rearrange tables in a mall food court. If you have a large group and there's nowhere big enough for you, pushing a couple of tables together doesn't harm anyone. But the mistake here is not returning the tables you rearranged when you're done eating. It's poor food court etiquette and can mess things up for other people.

It might seem harmless to leave the tables where you moved them. Perhaps you don't even give it a second thought, forgetting you'd even moved them in the first place. But, your actions have effects.

Firstly, someone's going to have to move those tables back. Working in a mall food court can be a busy and thankless job, and you're just adding to an employee's workload. Not cool. It can also cause seating problems before someone gets around to moving the tables back. Most people won't need a double or triple table, but they might not know it isn't supposed to be like that, so they won't separate the tables before sitting down. This means fewer spots for people, without sharing tables, which some folks are hesitant to do. It only takes a second to put things back how you found them, so be considerate.