The Fresh Choice-San Jose, CA

I liked Fresh Choice; the salads and soups were generally healthy and the price was right.  But with the cafeteria style of seating, does the bathroom suffer from the lunchroom treatment?

The first sensory I encountered was the musty urine smell.  Gross and as uninviting as the chilly darkness.  There was no happy medium in lighting.  The most light was at the sink, but when I sat down at the toilet it became a cave.

Of course their toilet paper was thin as a Bibles, low and stored on top of the toilet.  At least the seat covers were stocked to warm my bottom from the plastic seats chill.  Not even the 90s music cheered me up as I waited for my business.

To add to the gross, the plunger was out.  Disgusting, uninviting, unsanitary, why did the manager think it was a good idea to leave a poo mover out?

Also, even in the dark, it was pink, pink, pink.  Yes, girls born in a hospital were adorned with a cute pink hat and blanket at birth, but it doesn't mean no other colors exist for a woman's bathroom.  But it was functional and cheap.

Further, if I was going to change my baby here, I would do it on a dining room table, the changing table here was cocked on.

Another safety issue was the light switch, it was cracked in half, just the cover, only 99 cents to fix people.

At least everything was stocked in the sink and the decoration was real flowers for once.

All together this bathroom was a dark, cold, hazard to all the senses.  5.5/10

Off The Cliff House-San Francisco, CA

One of the only bathrooms near the Sutro Baths was the Cliff House; a historical home with a history of falling into the water, but people still insist on building on the crumbling cliff.

Because it was the closest public bathroom to the many public paths on Point Lobos Avenue it was bustling with many restaurant patrons and tourists coming in from outside.

Of course the first smell inhaled was the stench of pee from the three stalls within.

It was nicely lit, with salmon and white colors on the walls, not too dated, but there was some obvious updating on the sinks, while the rest of the utilities were functional but older.

At least it was warm, actually it was a warm day in San Francisco in general, but the toilet was slightly dirty, nothing a little wipe of toilet paper didn't fix.

There were also cool historical pictures hanging on the walls, nice jazz/big band music playing and a huge real flower on the sink counter.

Everything was full: the toilet paper, seat covers, soap, paper towels.  For how crowded this bathroom was  I expected a lack of maintenance, but this restroom was certainly up to booty par.


8.5/10

Welcome to the 24 Century. Hooray.-San Jose, CA

I worked Century Theaters for over three years, so I know how clean their bathrooms can be.  Honestly, they should be almost spotless because there was about two hours of downtime between rushes, the movies all playing, nothing to do but clean or chat, most chatted, I cleaned.

Walking in the whole room smelled like urine and, good start for a bathroom blogger I must say, and the floors were dirty with bits of paper.  

Of course the first stall I enter was full of toilet paper, only toilet paper thank god, I went to another one and sat down in disgust.

It was also a little dark, not in the bathroom rape sense, but a romantic one; like trying to hide all the flaws romantic kind of lighting and it wasn't serenading me very well.

There were purse hooks, the toilet paper was full in all 11 stalls, there was only one empty seat cover dispenser and another un-flushed toilet.  Not too bad for a large bathroom.

The sink was wet, one of the soaps was empty and both trashcans were full.  I do not like washing my hands around an empty sink, because if I lean in too far my whole shirt will be wet for the day.  

The 70s pink design was updated to a modern style and thankfully didn't strain my eyes to bleeding.

Honestly, it wasn't horrible, but I go back to the two hour break between rushes at movie theaters.  I was disappointed in how just full and messy the bathroom was and the smell, there was no excuse for this bathroom to have the mess I experienced.

Cleaning the bathroom sucks, but everybody has to do it sometime and I own cats, so I have to clean their bathroom too.  I did my time and work at the theater, obviously my work ethic did not rub off of the pimply teens taking my place.  

7/10

A Perfect Finish: Plop-San Jose, CA

A Perfect Finish was an underrated bar in downtown San Jose featuring a leg lamp and a cute bathroom.

Honestly, the colors were soothing, it was warm, the light actually lit up the room well.  This was a classy bathroom at a classy bar.

There was a few small interests; like the BATH purse hook.  The hook spelled out the word bath.  It was one of those items not quite matching, but it was one of those purchases at Target that would make the bathroom shine.

Despite the simple trash cans, I felt I could sit on this john forever with the toilet paper and seat covers full.

The view may not have been much, with the giant electric box and a strange mosaic framed painting, but it was a classy sit down where I felt cleaner when I got out.

8/10

Do Not Mix Blendz in the Toilet-San Jose, CA

Blendz was a pretty good place to stop by for a smoothie, salad or sandwich with their fresh atmosphere, but was the bathroom leafy green?

Many places in downtown require you to ask for a key, Blendz was no different and I really hate it, so one point down on them already before I even go inside.


The inside was nice, white, bright green and purple paint, tacky fake flowers, a very dark brown table, vegetable pictures on the walls.  Only the plant and table were out of place, so not so bad in design.

It was also very clean.  Maybe this is the benefit for having to ask for a key, I'm not finding heroine spoons on the sink, so it may tick me off asking for a key, but there was one obvious benefit.

Everything was authentically nice, everything was full, there was the toilet brush staring at me, but all in all Blendz was a good place to go.

8.5/10

Attack of the "The Kraken"-Cardiff, CA

Visiting a bar bathroom can be risky business and The Kraken doesn't disappoint.

There was some character in the bathroom: including a urine like smell, layers of graffiti for a good time, piles of air fresheners, broken stalls and the wonderful cheap to clean red tile.

The mix of urine and Palms of Paradise air disks stacked on top of a narrow ledge above the sink made my nose twitch and itch. Just a suggestion, cleaning can also help with smell.

Of course the stall I was in was broken and I held the door.  Uncomfortable to say the least, I couldn't enjoy the games on my iPhone, but there was writing on the wall.

I loved how the writing on the stalls was dated and initialed like school yearbook blurbs.  These secret messages were for the regulars, a primitive message board still in use today.

I felt nasty going in to the barley maintained toilet hole and left wanting to take a shower.  I almost saw the germs crawling on the walls clinging to the toilet paper.  This was a place to piss, leave and drink some more drinks.

The only redeeming quality about this place was their awesome BBQ.  It was so good, but if you have to pee, better go across the street to the restaurant, better to risk the unknown at this point.

3/10 only because it wasn't a hold in a ground with poison ivy for toilet paper.

Goldfish Point Cafe-La Jolla, CA

 I was on vacation with my boyfriend in San Diego and we decided to go down to La Jolla.  While there we visited the Goldfish Point Cafe where we got a coffee and took a stop at the porecelain throne.

Inside it was rather sad because it featured hardly any personality for a cute name like Goldfish.

The red tile was a cheap kitchen tile featured almost in every resturantes back kitchen.

It wasn't really clean, no pursehook and it was a little cold.

I was hoping for decorations to feel like a fishbowl with cool colors and personality.  This bathroom featured none but a place to go and move on.

Goldfish Cafe was a place for a decent coffee, but its bathroom was an eyesore compared to the rest of La Jolla.

I think it was disappointing for the owner not to take advantage of such a creative name and only going half way with it.

Perhaps it would be best for this bathroom to be for employees only.

6/10

The Counter-San Jose, Ca

The Counter was a modern 50s hamburger joint, with overpriced food and boring bathroom.

Santana Row was supposed to be a hip-happening place filled with drunken idiots on Friday night and The Counter a place to munch on a food fit for the munchies.

The place itself felt like a place from The Jetsons cartoon without the space-spandex outfits.

Sadly the design leaves little in the memory banks and the large TVs just take away from the atmosphere.

In the bathroom it featured a large hanging white globe in the bluish white tile and painted space.  The space was very soothing, simple, but features little atmosphere other than the music to cover up toilet flushes.

Everything was clean, but the toilet paper was thin as Bible pages, one of the handles on the locks was missing, no purse hooks,  one of the seat cover dispensers was empty, there was toilet paper rolls on top of the paper towel dispensers, the toilet brush was visually obvious and the trashcan was full.

The most interesting parts in the bathroom was the hexagon tile floors, thank goodness everybody has i-Phones to keep them busy on the pot.

Overpriced burgers, with an unsure design and blase design; The Counter was just a clean toilet in a forgettable space.  6.5/10

Big Basin Cafe-Saratoga, CA

I was chilling with my friend in downtown Saratoga, you know, where the richer than Los Gatos people live?  There was this little coffee shop and I really had to pee so I went in and my friend ordered a coffee.

It was a small bathroom; warm, well lit, nice air freshner smell and it featured calm colors.

Everything was also full, but the plunger was viiable, the toilet paper was on the toilet and there was some paper towles on the floor by the trashcan.


There was also a chair in front of the toilet just in case somebody wants to watch you go.  A little creepy for my taste, but I try not to judge.

It was an average clean bathroom, boring is ok I guess especially when it is a bathroom, because who wants ropes and pepto bismol pink?

Small but charming, 8/10 for me if you just need a clean place to pee.

Trials-San Jose, CA

Trials had this wonderful English PUB feel to it and it is so nice not to see any TVs blaring sports at a bar and my butt can't help but be afraid of the woman's room.

Of course the room was a little dark to match the feel of the PUB, but it wasn't like I couldn't find the toilet, nice and clean by the way.

By the sink a plunger sat and the seat covers were a little low.

There was some trash on the floor by the little table, where I put my purse, where the tacky plastic flowers stared at me while I waited for my yellow stream to end.

The red paint and white tile were nice, but the high ceilings made the entire room cold, leaving a hint of a musty urine smell.

The light itself was just a light bulb.  Maybe there as a nice glass ornament covering the lonely at one time, but not today.

Overall, it wasn't too bad for a PUB and I just couldn't stop loving the stained glass.

6.5/10