Size Up a Restaurant Without Eating a Bite  Whenever I'm with a
friend looking for a place to eat, I find myself spouting off
reasons why a restaurant doesn't look good. "That place has
teriyaki and burgers," I announce, "forget it."  Or, "Look at
all those stickers on the window! Let's go there." Since wasting
money on a bad meal can be a traumatizing experience, you often
see people standing outside a restaurant, desperately trying to
size it up. The brazen among us will even go inside to examine
the atmosphere, as if we hope to find our double sitting at a
table. It's a terribly uncertain feeling. Fortunately, we have
the ability to prejudge.  Most people start with the menu. When
a restaurant tries to do too much, or throws token items on the
menu, it can be immediately off-putting. A teriyaki joint rarely
serves good burgers, and you won't find a decent slice of pizza
when gyros are also available. If they have all four on the
menu, run. I tend to be attracted to menus that are almost
condescending in th