An IHOP customer who said she left the restaurant because of an ant infestation was horrified after she reportedly got sick from the food, and management ignored her.
In a viral video with over 141,000 views and 10,000 likes, TikTok user Thisisnalasworld (@thisisnalasworldpaht2) captured shots of ants on her table and shared what purportedly happened after she decided to take her food to go.
“On July 21, I took two of my daughters to IHOP in Williamstown, New Jersey, and there were ants everywhere,” the woman began. “By the time we got our food, they were finally crawling across the table.”
Ultimately, the woman said she decided to pack up her food and leave the restaurant.
“There was just no way we could eat with the ants everywhere,” she said.
The TikToker said that before leaving, she complained to her server, who raised the concern with the restaurant’s manager.
“She did speak to the manager about this,” the woman said. “The manager did nothing.”
Things didn’t improve from there
To make matters worse, the woman reported that she and her family got sick after eating the breakfast.
“Later that day, all three of us ended up with food poisoning,” she reported. “I will never go there again.”
The woman further claimed that she attempted to reach out to the restaurant, but it ignored her. She also reached out to corporate but was allegedly ignored.
“It’s been several days,” she said. “I’ve heard nothing back.”
The Daily Dot emailed IHOP and Thisisnalasworld for more information.
In the comments section of the video, many urged the mother to escalate the issue.
“Call the health department!!” one viewer wrote.
“Call the health department [and send] them the video,” user Geol echoed.
@thisisnalasworldpaht2 See other videos @Thisisnalasworld @Thisisnalasworld #thisisnalasworldpaht2 #thisisnalasworld #ihop #foodpoisioning #ants @Nala @IHOP ♬ original sound – Thisisnalasworld
Some viewers blamed the TikToker
However, others questioned why she still decided to eat the food after discovering the restaurant’s ant infestation.
“Remember this,” user Lemongatta said. “If you can see the ants everywhere, and they aren’t bothered by it, imagine what you don’t see back in the kitchen.”
“If you saw the ants why take the food??” user Ebony Scott asked.
“Should have left when seeing the ants,” user Tim2501 commented.
The TikToker responded to that comment and agreed she made a mistake by staying at the restaurant and then eating the food after she left.
“Agreed my mistake,” she responded.
Restaurant cleanliness is a hot topic
This is not the first time a TikToker has gone viral for questioning a restaurant’s cleanliness. One former worker claimed he was fired after trying to get his restaurant to “food safety standards.” Another racked up thousands of views after exposing how dirty her restaurant’s kitchen was.
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