‘Ben’s Chili Bowl’
courtesy of ‘Michael T. Ruhl’

When picking a restaurant for your next meal out, why not choose a place where workers haven’t coughed all over your dinner because they’ve been forced to work with the flu?

Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC-United) and their local branch ROC-DC just released their first annual Diners’ Guide: a Zagat-like booklet that scores national and local restaurants based on how they treat their workers. The guide includes the 150 highest revenue restaurants in America as well as some local spots already working toward better standards for their employees.

Some of the results aren’t exactly shocking (no, Hooters doesn’t lead the industry in fair treatment of their workers). Others may be more of a surprise: Capital Grille, for example, makes it onto a special list of shame for restaurants charged with discrimination and wage theft.

Congrats to the DC area restaurants that won the Gold Prize (the highest recognition offered by the guide):

• Busboys and Poets
• Jack Rose
• José Andrés / Think Food Group (TFG): Jaleo, America Eats Tavern, Zaytinya, Oyamel

And congrats to the local Silver Prize winners:

• Ben’s Chili Bowl
• Inspire BBQ
• Yola

To top off our local successes, burger heartthrob Five Guys was the only national fast food chain to win the Gold Prize. (Don’t worry displaced Californians. In-and-Out won Silver.)

Foodies: Get your copy of the guide. Restaurant owners/workers: Place your business in the next guide by contacting ROC.

Joanna Castle Miller

Joanna moved to DC in 2010 knowing she’d love it, and as usual she was right. She enjoys eating fried things, drinking scotch and smoking cigars, and makes up for the damage done by snacking on organic oats and barley and walking long distances to wherever with her dog Henry. Joanna now lives with her husband and said dog in Los Angeles, and they all miss DC terribly. Follow her on Twitter or contact her at joannacastlemiller.com.