Texas Roadhouse calls viral claims of a racist employee Facebook group and food tampering 'completely unfounded' and says it has launched an investigation. The allegations remain unverified.
Texas Roadhouse is pushing back against viral social media claims that restaurant workers took part in a private Facebook group where mistreatment of Black customers was allegedly discussed. The steakhouse chain called the accusations "completely unfounded" and said it has launched an investigation. The controversy erupted over the weekend after an X post describing the alleged group spread to millions of users, and the claims remain unverified.
On Sunday, X user @yannaarose_ posted that a Facebook group with more than 400,000 members, allegedly made up of servers at Texas Roadhouse and Logan's Roadhouse, included discussions about spitting in Black customers' food. The post claimed workers also talked about licking their fingers and touching the dinner rolls served to Black patrons. "I want this to be fake news so bad, but apparently it's not," the user wrote.
A separate screenshot that circulated online showed an unverified user posting in a Facebook group called "White and Proud" claiming there was supposedly a separate group for White servers where members agreed to spit on Black customers' food. That post claimed the group had around 400,000 members, including some cooks, and warned Black diners they could face tampered food at Logan's or Texas Roadhouse.
None of the underlying claims have been verified. No evidence has surfaced establishing that Texas Roadhouse employees collectively participated in such discussions. The screenshots remain unverified, and the membership figure has drawn widespread skepticism.
The claims were amplified by accounts including @FearedBuck and quickly generated millions of views, thousands of replies, and calls for boycotts. One X user wrote, "So don't eat at Texas Roadhouse if you're a person of color. Got it. Apparently there is a group on Facebook with 400k members and they have agreed to spit in our food as a collective." Another added, "As if I needed another reason not to go to Texas Roadhouse."
Other users questioned the scale of the alleged group. "400k people? No way they only doing this at Texas Roadhouse," one commenter wrote. Skeptics noted the membership figure was implausibly large for a group tied to just two restaurant chains, and that the alleged group reportedly included workers from multiple brands. Some pointed out that the posts appeared to be based on screenshots of screenshots, with no named employees, locations, or dates attached.
The skepticism matters. A private Facebook group with more than 400,000 members would be one of the largest closed groups on the platform, and the combined workforce of the two chains is a fraction of that figure. Texas Roadhouse operates more than 700 locations nationwide, but the posts offered no proof that any of them were connected to the alleged group.
The backlash was not limited to social media. The story was picked up by outlets around the world within hours, and the coverage drove the controversy into national trending lists by early this week. Boycott calls spread alongside the original posts, with some users vowing not to visit the chain until the matter is resolved.
Texas Roadhouse issued a statement on August 23 addressing the allegations. The company called the claims "completely unfounded" and described the behavior in the posts as "abhorrent." The chain said every guest is treated with respect, dignity, and legendary service, and that it does not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or mistreatment of any kind.
"We do not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or mistreatment of any kind, and we expect our Roadies to treat every guest with dignity and care," the statement said. "Our commitment to the communities in which we serve remains unchanged: provide Legendary Food, Legendary Service to every guest who walks through our doors."
The company also said an investigation into the matter has been launched. Early reports noted the statement first circulated as a screenshot and appeared on the chain's TikTok account, though it was not immediately posted to the company's official website at the time of initial coverage.
Texas Roadhouse was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. The casual dining chain operates more than 700 locations across the United States and employs tens of thousands of workers it calls "Roadies." The company has built its brand around hospitality, with "Legendary Food, Legendary Service" serving as its public motto for decades.
The company's internal investigation will determine whether the claims have any basis in fact. As of now, the allegations remain unverified, and no named employees, specific restaurant locations, or confirmed group members have been identified publicly. Independent news organizations that covered the story have noted they could not confirm the screenshots or the statement's provenance at the time of reporting.
This is not the first time a viral claim has threatened a national restaurant brand. False or unverified food-tampering accusations have circulated online for years, and companies typically respond by announcing internal reviews while law enforcement and health officials decide whether the claims warrant action. The speed of the response -- a statement within hours and a promised investigation -- reflects how seriously the chain is treating the situation.
The episode highlights how quickly unverified claims can spread online and force companies into crisis-response mode. For Texas Roadhouse, the stakes are significant: the chain serves millions of customers a year, and food-safety accusations -- even unproven ones -- can damage a brand built on hospitality and trust.
Customers and observers will be watching for the results of the company's review, any further statements from corporate leadership, and whether the investigation produces findings. Until then, the claims should be treated as exactly what they are: unverified allegations that originated on social media.
Texas Roadhouse calls viral claims of a racist employee Facebook group and food tampering 'completely unfounded' and says it has launched an investigation. The allegations remain unverified.
freedomlinedispatch.com
