From dirty dining rooms to unwelcome pests, a viral ranking highlights where restaurant cleanliness complaints are piling up, and which states patrons say have the biggest problems.

The list comes from Chicago-based restaurant furniture company Affordable Seating, which analyzed more than 2.8 million TripAdvisor reviews across roughly 40,000 restaurants in 2024, according to reports. 

The company focused on low-rated restaurants that received 2.4 stars or fewer in major cities, flagging reviews that mentioned terms such as “dirty restaurant,” “hair in food,” “rats,” and “roaches.”

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The rankings are based on crowdsourced online reviews, not official restaurant inspection data, which is tracked by local and state health departments.

Here’s how the top 10 broke down — and what put each state on the list.

1. New Jersey

New Jersey topped the list by a wide margin, driven by an unusually high volume of complaints referencing dirty dining conditions. The Garden State had 320,520 mentions of “dirty restaurant,” 1,883 of “hair in food” and 810 of rats and cockroaches.

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The number of “dirty restaurant” mentions was more than eight times higher than the top 10 average, pushing the state far ahead of the rest, according to Food Safety News.

2. Florida

Florida’s ranking was fueled by thousands of cleanliness complaints in major tourist hubs. The analysis focused on Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville and St. Petersburg, and excluded Broward and Palm Beach counties, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported. 

It turned up 4,560 mentions of “dirty restaurant,” 1,691 of “hair in food” and 636 of bugs and rodents, according to reports.

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3. California

California’s high ranking was driven largely by pest-related complaints rather than general cleanliness issues. While diners flagged “dirty restaurant” concerns 3,332 times and mentioned hair in food in 1,731 reviews, the state led all others in the top 10 for reports of rats and roaches, with 960 complaints — the most on the list.

4. Arizona

Arizona landed in the top 5 due to steady complaints across all tracked categories, particularly in its most populated metro areas. Reviewers cited “dirty restaurant” issues 1,759 times, along with 639 mentions of hair in food and 443 complaints involving critters.

5. Texas

Texas’ ranking reflected consistent — though lower — complaint totals spread across its large urban markets. The Lone Star State logged 1,068 “dirty restaurant” mentions, 471 references to hair in food and 232 pest-related complaints, a volume likely influenced by its size and number of restaurants.

6. Louisiana

Louisiana’s placement was driven by a relatively high number of pest-related complaints compared to its overall cleanliness mentions. Reviews included 951 references to dirty restaurants, 412 mentions of hair in food and 399 complaints involving rats and roaches.

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7. Alabama

Alabama saw notable complaints about cleanliness and food handling, though fewer pest reports than many other states on the list. Diners cited dirty restaurants 918 times, hair in food in 404 reviews and pest sightings in 141 cases.

8. Maryland

Maryland’s ranking reflected balanced complaint levels across all tracked categories, rather than a spike in any single issue. The state recorded 884 mentions of dirty restaurants, 436 references to hair in food and 201 vermin-related complaints.

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9. Nevada

Nevada’s position was influenced by a high number of pest complaints relative to its total review count, particularly in tourism-heavy areas. Reviews included 881 mentions of dirty restaurants, 579 references to hair in food and 414 complaints involving rats and roaches.

10. Georgia

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Georgia rounded out the top 10 with moderate but consistent complaint volumes tied to both cleanliness and pests. Reviewers flagged dirty restaurants 856 times, cited hair in food in 375 reviews and mentioned rats or roaches in 216 cases.

More than 5,000 invasive green iguanas in Florida were removed during the state’s two-day exemption that allowed residents and visitors to capture the cold-stunned reptiles without a permit, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

The state wildlife agency announced this week that 5,195 cold-stunned iguanas were collected and brought to four designated FWC offices on Feb. 1 and Feb. 2 during South Florida’s period of record-setting cold temperatures.

“The removal of over 5,000 of these nonnative lizards in such a short time span was only possible thanks to the coordinated efforts of many staff members in multiple FWC divisions and offices, our partners and, of course, the many residents that took the time to collect and turn in cold-stunned iguanas from their properties,” Roger Young, FWC’s executive director, said at a Feb. 4 meeting in Tallahassee.

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Special regulations under an executive order allowed people to remove live, cold-stunned iguanas from the wild without a permit for two days only, the FWC said in a news release.

Of the 5,195 iguanas collected, 3,882 of them were amassed at the FWC’s office in Sunrise, about 13 miles west of Fort Lauderdale, the FWC said.

Another 1,075 were collected at the FWC’s location in Tequesta, some 24 miles north of West Palm Beach.

There were 215 iguanas collected at the drop-off location in the Florida Keys and 23 nabbed in Fort Myers on the Gulf Coast.

FWC staff worked to coordinate the transfer of iguanas collected to permit holders, including for sale outside the state. Any of the reptiles that couldn’t be transferred to permit holders were humanely killed by trained staff, according to the FWC.

Green iguanas are a prohibited species in the Sunshine State because of their “negative impacts on Florida’s environment and economy,” Young said.

Because they’re an invasive species in Florida, iguanas can be humanely killed on a person’s property and are not protected except by the state’s anti-cruelty laws.

“If you encounter a cold-stunned green iguana, you should never bring it into your home or building to warm up,” according to the FWC’s news release.

When temperatures dip, iguanas lose the ability to move their muscles. 

“Iguanas can recover from cold-stunning more quickly than you may expect — and, once recovered, can act defensively, with long tails that whip and sharp teeth and claws.”

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Low temperatures in Miami reached 35 degrees on Feb. 1, while lows in West Palm Beach hit 30 degrees — breaking records for that date, set in 1909, according to National Weather Service data.

Green iguanas were first reported in South Florida in the 1960s, according to the FWC.

When temperatures dip, they lose the ability to move their muscles and have been known to fall from trees, appearing dead. But they’re very much alive and in a state of paralysis, or torpor.

Many Floridians took advantage of the region’s rare winter freeze to round up the pesky reptiles that can damage people’s properties and “leave droppings on docks, moored boats, seawalls, porches, decks, pool platforms and inside swimming pools.”

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“In cleared habitats such as canal banks and vacant lots, green iguanas reside in burrows, culverts, drainage pipes and rock or debris piles,” according to the FWC. 

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“South Florida’s extensive man-made canals serve as ideal dispersal corridors to further allow iguanas to colonize new areas.”

The FWC is no longer accepting live iguanas from the public, the organization said. 

EXCLUSIVE: Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard detailed her ongoing election security assessment in a letter to congressional lawmakers Monday, saying President Donald Trump “specifically directed” her to be present for the execution of a search warrant in Fulton County, Georgia, last week as part of the probe.

Gabbard sent a letter, exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital, addressed to Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn. The letter was also sent to House and Senate leadership, as well as GOP leadership on both committees.

The letter is in response to one sent in late January by Warner and Himes, in which they requested Gabbard brief them on why she was present at the FBI search of an election office in Fulton County, Georgia.

Gabbard announced in April 2025 that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) was investigating electronic voting systems in order to protect election integrity.

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In the letter, Gabbard said Trump instructed her to be present at the FBI’s execution of a search warrant at the Office of the Clerk of the Court of Fulton County, Georgia, Wednesday.

“For a brief period of time, I accompanied FBI Deputy Director Bailey and Atlanta Acting Special Agent in Charge Pete Ellis in observing FBI personnel executing that search warrant, issued by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia pursuant to a probable cause finding,” she wrote. 

Gabbard said her “presence was requested by the President and executed under my broad statutory authority to coordinate, integrate, and analyze intelligence related to election security, including counterintelligence (CI), foreign and other malign influence, and cybersecurity.”

“The FBI’s Intelligence/Counterintelligence divisions are one of the 18 elements that I oversee,” she said.

DNI Press Secretary Oliva Coleman told Fox News Digital in a statement, “President Trump’s directive to secure our elections was clear, and DNI Gabbard has and will proudly continue to take actions within her authorities, alongside our interagency partners, including the FBI, to support ensuring the integrity of our elections.” 

Gabbard said senior FBI officials in twelve field offices nationwide, including Atlanta, are “dual-hatted” as Domestic DNI-Representatives under a program established through a 2011 memorandum of understanding between ODNI and the FBI, adding that she has visited several of those officials as part of her oversight of domestic threats, including risks to critical infrastructure.

“While visiting the FBI Field Office in Atlanta, I thanked the FBI agents for their professionalism and great work, and facilitated a brief phone call for the President to thank the agents personally for their work,” Gabbard said. “He did not ask any questions, nor did he or I issue any directives.”

FBI AGENTS SEARCH ELECTION HUB IN FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA

Gabbard stressed that the ODNI’s Office of General Counsel “has found my actions to be consistent and well within my statutory authority as the Director of National Intelligence.”

In late January, FBI agents were seen carrying out a search at an election hub in Fulton County, Georgia, a location that became ground zero for concerns and complaints about voter fraud beginning in 2020. 

The search warrant authorized the seizure of election records, voting rolls, and other data tied to the 2020 election, according to a copy of the warrant reviewed by Fox News.

Gabbard went on to address specific questions initially posed by Warner and Himes, detailing how election security “is a national security issue.”

“Interference in U.S. elections is a threat to our republic and a national security threat,” she writes. “The President and his Administration are committed to safeguarding the integrity of U.S. elections to ensure that neither foreign nor domestic powers undermine the American people’s right to determine who our elected leaders are.”

Gabbard said Trump “tasked ODNI with taking all appropriate actions” under her statutory authorities toward “ensuring the integrity of our elections” and specifically directed her to observe the execution of the Fulton County search warrant.

She added that ODNI has been “actively reviewing intelligence reporting and assessments on election integrity” since she took office.

“As part of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center’s responsibility to lead, manage, and coordinate counterintelligence matters related to election security, NCSC personnel traveled with me to Fulton County to support this effort,” she wrote, noting that they were not present during the execution of the warrant.

In the letter, Gabbard stressed that the DNI has “broad authority to coordinate, integrate, and analyze intelligence related to election security.”

She also said ODNI is “the lead intelligence agency in the Joint Cyber Planning Office,” which coordinates and oversees the nation’s strategy to secure critical cyber infrastructure, “including cyber infrastructure used for elections.”

The DNI told lawmakers that ODNI “will not irresponsibly share incomplete intelligence assessments concerning foreign or other malign interference in U.S. elections.”

“As I publicly stated on 10 April 2025, there is information and intelligence reporting suggesting that electronic voting systems being used in the United States have long been vulnerable to exploitation that could result in enabling determined actors to manipulate the results of the votes being cast with the intent of changing the outcome of an election,” she wrote.

ODNI and the intelligence community continue to collect and assess intelligence related to the threat, she added, to ensure the security and integrity of U.S. elections.

Gabbard previously raised similar concerns during an April 2025 Cabinet meeting, when she said ODNI had evidence that electronic voting systems have long been vulnerable to exploitation and argued the findings supported a broader push for paper ballots.

Meanwhile, in the letter, Gabbard explained that the process of assessing the intelligence “ensures that the IC’s finished intelligence products are objective, independent of political considerations, and based on all available sources.”

“I will share our intelligence assessments with Congress once they are complete,” she said.

Gabbard said that the National Security Act of 1947 specifically highlights that the law does “not require that the president obtain approval from the congressional intelligence committees before initiating a significant intelligence activity.”

“Moreover, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia issued the search warrant on the Office of the Clerk of the Court of Fulton County under seal,” she writes, adding that ODNI had no ability, authority, or responsibility to inform the intelligence committees about the warrant ahead of its execution.

Congressional Democrats have been pressing Gabbard to share additional information about the role she played in Fulton County, Georgia.

“Much of the American public are quite reasonably alarmed and asking questions after the Director of National Intelligence was spotted bizarrely and personally lurking in an FBI evidence truck in Fulton County, Georgia yesterday,” Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., said in a statement in late January. 

“There are only two explanations for why the Director of National Intelligence would show up at a federal raid tied to Donald Trump’s obsession with losing the 2020 election,” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said in response to news of Gabbard’s presence at the FBI search.

“Either Director Gabbard believes there was a legitimate foreign intelligence nexus — in which case she is in clear violation of her obligation under the law to keep the intelligence committees ‘fully and currently informed’ of relevant national security concerns — or she is once again demonstrating her utter lack of fitness for the office that she holds by injecting the nonpartisan intelligence community she is supposed to be leading into a domestic political stunt designed to legitimize conspiracy theories that undermine our democracy,” Warner added. 

Fulton County is the most populous county in Georgia and includes the capital city of Atlanta. It most notably emerged as ground zero for voter fraud complaints in the wake of the 2020 election, though the claims did not survive court scrutiny. 

News of the search comes years after Fulton County emerged at the center of concerns and complaints about voter fraud in the wake of the 2020 elections, including from Trump, who lost the state to former President Joe Biden by a razor-thin margin. 

Despite a machine count and two recounts that confirmed the results, Trump continued to feud for years with Georgia officials and claimed that various instances of fraud had tainted the results, prompting Democrats to raise fresh concerns about why the FBI executed so broad a search warrant and what role Gabbard played in the process.

Most recently, Trump reiterated those complaints earlier in January during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He said then that “people will soon be prosecuted for what they did,” though he declined to elaborate.

Trump at the end of January touted Gabbard for her work to protect elections in the U.S. 

“She’s working very hard on trying to keep the election safe. And she’s done a very good job,” Trump said. “And they, as you know, they got into the votes, you got a signed judge’s order in Georgia … And you’re going to see some interesting things happening. They’ve been trying to get there for a long time.”

Meanwhile, the Justice Department sued Fulton County in December 2025 seeking access to ballots related to the 2020 lawsuit, though the FBI’s search appears unrelated. 

Fulton County, Georgia, is fighting the lawsuit and says the Justice Department has not made a valid argument for accessing the records.

Fulton County officials on Monday said they plan to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the FBI’s raid, challenging the legality of the raid and the warrant authorizing the “seizure of sensitive election records” in Fulton County.

The lawsuit also seeks to order the administration to “return the ballots taken,” officials said.