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Texas Roadhouse is pushing back against an unverified viral social media claim alleging that white restaurant servers were tampering with Black customers’ food, as one of the social media users who helped spread the allegation has since retracted her post and called it a “hoax.”
The allegation spread across social media Sunday (August 23) after screenshots surfaced of a purported Facebook post claiming that white servers were part of a 400,000-member group where workers discussed intentionally contaminating food ordered by Black customers. Texas Roadhouse and Logan’s Roadhouse were specifically named in the post.
The purported post alleged that servers intentionally touched Black customers’ food after licking their fingers and contaminated rolls with saliva.
X user @yannaarose_ was among those who amplified the allegation Sunday, writing that she wanted it to be “fake news” but believed at the time that it was not. Hours later, she retracted her post.
“Upon further research, this is a hoax,” she wrote on X. ”I was sick, doom scrolling and saw a video on IG. I was fighting for my life so I didn’t get around to researching this further until now. Sorry guys. 😖.”
The original allegation has not been independently substantiated. No publicly available evidence has established that the purported 400,000-member servers group exists as described, and no specific Texas Roadhouse employee, restaurant location, or confirmed food-tampering incident has been publicly identified in connection with the claim.
As the allegation spread, Texas Roadhouse appeared to issue two statements on TikTok Sunday (August 23). In its first statement, the company said it did not tolerate “discrimination, harassment, or mistreatment of any kind” and expected employees to treat every guest with dignity and care.
In a second statement posted Sunday, Texas Roadhouse directly addressed the accusation, calling it “completely unfounded.” The company said it was investigating the alleged behavior and remained committed to treating customers with “respect” and “dignity.”
Logan’s Roadhouse, which was also named in the circulating allegation, had not publicly responded as of Monday.
Before the claim was retracted, the allegation sparked outrage among social media users.
TikTok creator @Sannie Yeanay shared the purported Facebook post with her followers, reading the alleged message aloud and questioning why anyone would go out of their way to target Black customers. She also questioned why people who harbor racist views would feel the need to “go the extra mile” to harm Black people.
TikTok user @Nellie called the claims “scary,” saying the controversy made her question what happens to customers’ food before it reaches the table.
Texas Roadhouse said its investigation is ongoing.
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