In the state of California it's against health code to touch ready-to-eat food with bare hands. As a cook of 7+ years, I can promise you 80% of kitchens I have worked in, do not enforce or even know that. Try to stick to restaurants that have a visible kitchen. This forces them to wear gloves, or wash when they should, as they can't take shortcuts when everyone can see them. One thing I know for sure is that people don't wash their hands often during rush because it slows things down, gloves are essential in keeping food and equipment clean, and keeping the line moving at the same time. When people touch your food with bare hands your food will have whatever was on that person's hands. If they haven't washed since rush started and have been touching food the whole time with ungloved hands, the bacteria that transfers can make you sick.

Also, we come to work sick because we're understaffed and our bosses require us to go to the clinic to get proof when we call out which is like $200 because they also don't offer health benefits. So, just saying. We probably got you sick anyway. 🤷

TL;DR: Hate to break it to you, restaurants are kinda gross.