I’ve always been curious about bad restaurant reviews. Are they really as terrible as people say, or are some places just unfairly judged? So, in the name of adventure (and maybe a little self-torture), I decided to check out one of the worst-rated restaurants in Toronto. After scrolling through endless one-star reviews, I settled on a small diner in downtown Toronto that I won’t name—but let’s just say, the reviews were brutal.

Walking in, I immediately understood why. The place felt neglected, with sticky tables, dim lighting, and an odd smell lingering in the air. The server took a while to acknowledge me, but I stayed optimistic. I ordered something simple—a cheeseburger and fries, thinking it was hard to mess that up.

When my food arrived, my optimism quickly faded. The burger was overcooked to the point of being rock-hard, and the cheese wasn’t even melted. The bun was stale, and the toppings looked like they had been sitting out for hours. But the worst part? The fries. They were cold, limp, and tasted like old oil, as if they had been fried and refried multiple times.

I tried to give the place the benefit of the doubt, but halfway through my meal, I saw something that sealed the deal—a cockroach scurrying across the floor. That was my cue to leave. I paid the bill (which was way too high for what I got) and walked out, wondering how a place like this was still in business.

Lesson learned: sometimes, bad reviews exist for a reason. Would I do this again? Probably not. But hey, at least now I have a story to tell.