A Texas Roadhouse customer went viral when she took to TikTok to ask whether or not it’s acceptable to complain about food when the order is a disaster. Viewers took to her comments and explained that stating a valid complaint is different from throwing a fit.
TikToker Makingmichala (@makingmichala), a mother of three, shared her experience in a video viewed over 22,000 times as of the publication of this story. In the clip, Michala said she was staying at a hotel that shared a parking lot with a Texas Roadhouse. Since the restaurant was nearby, she placed a $50 pick-up order for her family’s dinner.
“Our order was very, very simple,” she said. “Straightforward. We literally had an appetizer, a side salad, and a bowl of chili, and then three kids’ meals—and the kids’ meals were all the same.”
She said she’d worked in the restaurant industry before and understood the location was likely busy since it was a Friday night. Despite her sympathy for the workers, she still wasn’t pleased with their service.
According to Michala, the issues started when she arrived at her scheduled pick-up time and had to wait outside for 10-15 minutes because her order still wasn’t ready. She said by the time she got her food, it had been an hour since she initially ordered. Fortunately, she said she only had to ask for one additional thing, and everything else in the bag was in order.
Or so she thought.
“I bring it all back over to the hotel, get up here only to realize that we are missing like so many things,” she said. “Like almost all the condiments … They didn’t give us enough silverware. We didn’t have the kids’ drinks. Like, all this stuff, right? … Then I open up the food—the one thing that’s supposed to be, like, warm—and it was cold.”
Speaking calmly, she continued to vent: “The whole thing is really frustrating. And it’s more frustrating because I spent like almost $50 on this food. But I don’t wanna complain. Like I don’t want to be the person to call and be like, ‘I had a really bad experience.’ Then what? You’re expecting either that they … refund you, or give you like a coupon, or a like a free meal, or something? And I’m just not that person. Like, I hate being that person. But I almost want to be when it’s situations like this when it’s just a terrible experience that was kinda expensive.”
According to Michala, the children’s mac and cheese was almost devoid of cheese, the appetizer was unappetizing, and her salad tasted like soap.
@makingmichala I don’t want to be a Karen… but food is expensive, and I hate just throwing money away. 🫠 #texasroadhouse #fail ♬ original sound – makingmichala
She finished by asking viewers what they would do. “Are y’all the type of people who will say something, or ask for a refund, or ask for something in return for your bad experience, or do you just let it go?”
Viewers told her to complain and bring back the food order.
“Call and complain,” one said.
“That close? Call or take it back,” a second agreed.
“Definitely take it back. It isn’t even edible,” a third added.
“When its justified like this, complaining doesn’t make you a Karen,” a fourth stated.
Indeed, sticking up for yourself doesn’t make you a Karen. According to The Takeout, most places don’t mind when customers bring issues to their attention as long as they aren’t rude about it. The site advises letting the restaurant know your order is wrong as soon as you notice. Be discreet and polite when making your complaint. Additionally, you should give specific notes on what is wrong with your order and have an idea of what you’d like the resolution to be. Whether it’s a replacement or refund, make sure to keep your expectations reasonable.
The Daily Dot reached out to Michala via TikTok comments and Texas Roadhouse via email for further information.
