You feel flush, so you want to dine out. You desire a restaurant that serves excellent food and provides hospitable service.

The City of Boston publicizes health inspection data, so it’s easy enough to find reports of dirty kitchens or untended food. But what about toilets? A clean, soothing restroom can make a meal complete — just as a filthy one can lead a customer to question what else might be left to chance.

Enter Toilets of Boston, a new Instagram account that meticulously ranks local loos on a five-point scale for factors including cleanliness, ambiance, and utilities. Each post features a photo of the toilet in question, as well as a wider shot of the lavatory’s atmosphere (or lack thereof). The account focuses on restaurants, with an occasional detour to a spa or tourist attraction.


Think twice before relieving yourself at downtown’s Ruth’s Chris Steak House, which “smells horrible,” rating a measly “2” for ambiance. Contrast that with the Del Frisco’s in the Seaport, which offers a “beautiful backsplash” and high-quality paper products. Mei Mei near Audubon Circle adds a diversionary component to nature’s call, featuring a mural with different types of tomatoes, and Tresca in the North End thoughtfully provides a potty seat for junior diners. Fenway’s Oath Pizza maintains a “stunningly clean” restroom, receiving a “4,” and the Capital Grille boasts a spotless bathroom that “meats” all expectations, notes the spy.

Messages to Toilets of Boston went unreturned at press time, but the site is updated regularly. Check it out before draining your paycheck.

KARA BASKIN