Restroom Ratings » Pennsylvania

Arby’s

Jon — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Seriously… I expected more from a chain restaurant. I’d expect this type of comfort (or lack thereof) from a gas-station, but not from a franchised establishment. What never ceases to amaze me is the simple things that are overlooked, like… oh, I don’t know… locking stall doors maybe?

This restroom had one urinal, and one stall. It has that nasty yellow plastic wall-paneling, and was several degrees below zero. Mind you, this was an indoor restroom, and the restaurant wasn’t at all chilly. I think I cut myself on their toilet paper too. The stall walls seemed a little higher than most other stalls I’ve visited, not that I was afraid of anyone looking in, since they could have just gawked at me through the open, swinging, unlocked stall door (that swings both in and out), and the soap smelled very institutional.

Shell Station & Restaurant

Jon — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

It was ok. It was clean two-up, two-down, four-stall, three-sink restroom shared by a truckstop, gift shop, and diner. There were no offensive smells, and the sinks used a pleasant pink-foam dispenser. Toity-paper was well stocked, and the urinals had newspapers in frames on the wall. Also, everything (flushers and faucets) were automatic, but hand-drying relied on paper.

Maggie Mae’s

Jon — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

A decent enough bar/restaurant restroom. The yellowish color was kind of off-putting though. It made me feel like I was pooping in an old movie. Though it was well-stocked and had an antibacterial-foam dispenser, it used the same textured plastic wall-paneling that the BP used (whether they matched the wall-paneling color to the floor tile, or the other way around is anyone’s guess). I would suppose that one of the benefits of this type of wall-paneling is that it can be cleaned very easily (just spray on some 409 and wipe it down with some of that sandpaper that they try to pass off as toilet paper)… but then why isn’t it clean? I mean… how do those stains get up there?

Also I don’t get the impression that this establishment cleans these restrooms that often, I mean, deep-clean… you know, more than a bottle of watered down Windex and a bottle of Lysol Air-Freshener. A growing trend I’ve seen in establishments like this is to tile the floors using a dark-colored grout so the mildew is hidden…I think they used a dark colored mildew in this establishment to hide the grout.

Double Shot Espresso Cafe

Jon — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Stay tuned as our editors refine this review.

National Constitution Center

Jon — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Large, clean and industrial, these restrooms made for a great touch-free restroom experience, though lacked some of the character, warmth or charm which is so prevalent in the rest of Philadelphia. Certainly, this facility can handle multitudes of visits, thousands of flushes daily, busloads of fieldtripping children or diaper-laden toddlers. But the sense of history through interpretation is missing. After wandering through the nearby Independence Hall and viewing the Liberty Bell and Ben Franklin’s grave (among other locations from National Treasure), I lost the spirit of discovery and sense of awe surrounding the founding of our country upon entering this restroom. Sure, I could marvel at the sparkling fixtures, the sheer size, or the usability of the layout – but that certain extra element seemed to be missing.

Palmdale Cafe

Jon — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

The ladies room at this cafe was clean and actually had a canister of disenfecting wipes to use, if you like. Nicely decorated and the mens room was neatly adorned with fish from all over the world. The floor in the mens room was white and would show dirt immediately…but guess what…it was white and clean.

I noticed a bit of sweat on the tank but the floor was dry. The fan was noisy and my husband told the hostess. The shelf in the ladies room was decorated with apples and there was little to no dust on it. I gave it the white glove test. The trash can seems to have been emptied recently as it was a busy day in the afternoon and only had 3 papertowels in it. They use single use papertowels. Hand soap despenser could be filled soon, almost empty.

Original Hot Dog Shop

Jon — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

This is one of the more popular local eateries in Pittsburgh. They make great hot dogs, as well as serving countless other dishes. It’s also a bar, and gets very busy on Friday and Saturday nights. The restrooms are down a precarious narrow staircase near the front counter. The men’s room is very small, with a sink, hand dryer, urinal and toilet. The toilet is separated from the rest of the bathroom by a half-stall with no door. Your legs and more than likely your shoulders and head are plainly visible by anyone else in the bathroom. The floor is usually covered in garbage, water and dirt, the toilet seat is usually caked in dried urine. You don’t know what pressure is until you have sat on that toilet suffering through diarrhea with a dozen angry, drunk guys waiting for you to finish and propping the door open so that not only they, but every woman who walks past on her way to the womens room gets a look at you on the toilet. Needless to say, it wasn’t a very good night.

The Porterhouse Restaurant

Jon — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Imagine, if you will, a beautiful oasis removed from the hustle of the restaurant. A quiet respite with comfortable lounges; a fountain spilling crystal clear water over perfectly arranged pebbles, meandering through a tiny forest of bonsais carefully cultivated by a Zen master. Yeah, this ain’t that. But it is a perfectly acceptable restroom. Clean, neat. 3 stalls, one that is handicapped accessible or big enough for a mom and her 5 year old. No! Don’t open that door while Mommy’s still on the potty! Grumble. Anyway, stalls are the traditional metal with huge gaps at floor and ceiling. Gaps near floor are large enough for a 5 year old to crawl under. The hot water works and the waste basket is near the door. Nice extras of Q-Tips, hair spray & tissues available in a basket near the sinks. No changing station. Drawback: Can hear what’s happening in the men’s room and, according to my husband, vice versa.