Shrimp, it turns out, was a bit of an understatement. In the latest example of reality not meeting expectations, a Houston woman has posted a video of a special deal on fried shrimp featuring a quartet of prawns so small they only take up about a quarter of their to-go box.
The questionable crustaceans were ordered from the drive-thru of the fast-casual food chain Zaxby’s. The consumer was so taken aback by the small fry meal that she took to TikTok to document the portion.
Sherika Nicole (@the_sherika_nicole) posted footage of receiving the shrimp in a Zaxby’s drive-thru on Tuesday. The video currently has over 1.2 million views and counting.
“Zaxby’s got some shrimp, and I’m trying to see what they hit like,” she tells her viewers as she enters the drive-thru. She points out the advertised special on the menu: four shrimp for $3.
“They tell me that Zaxby’s got some new doggone shrimp,” she says, removing a foam clamshell to-go container out of a plastic bag. “Now listen, for four for $3, baby, these shrimp better be big as, ooh, they better be some jumbo shrimp.”
But Sherika’s hopes were in vain. The shrimp in Zaxby’s container were hardly Jumbo. When she opened the clamshell, the four shrimp barely filled up a quarter of the box.
“I know you lying,” she says upon opening the order. “I paid $3 for these little bitty things?”
“I want a refund,” she continues.
However, instead of traveling back through the drive-thru, Sherika films herself eating the four shrimp. “They better be good,” she says before sampling the first one.
“This [is] doable,” she says after sampling the tiny shrimp. But she’s still not satisfied with the amount she got for $3. “I’m mad,” she tells her viewers.
@the_sherika_nicole @Zaxby’s count your days #fyp #foodie ♬ original sound – Big_Guuhh 😜🍑
A picture on Zaxby’s website advertises the special. While the shrimp pictured on the site don’t appear as small as the shrimp in Sherika’s video, a close inspection shows that they are photographed in a fairly tight close-up and likely appear bigger than they actually are.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Zaxby’s via email for more information.
Most of Sherika’s viewers shared her shock at the size of the “special.”
TCoop11 (@truboss11) wrote, “The way I just screamed. go get your refund.”
Another viewer commented on how tiny the shrimp appeared in the container, writing, “The fact that the 4 of them were huddled together in the corner of the box when you opened it has me in tears!!”
“They could have keep the box and put that on a napkin,” another viewer commented in disdain.
One viewer stated that it may have been a packaging mistake that made the shrimp appear even smaller. “At my zaxbys we put it in the kiddie box, but I think since they put it In a large fry box made the shrimp look tiny,” wrote Taven Coppage (@tavencoppage).
The Daily Dot has reached out to Sherika via email for further comment.
Update 5:33pm CT, March 22: In an email to the Daily Dot, Sherika shared that she used to work at a Zaxby’s in Eufaula, Alabama. She also shared that she’s a foodie who often gives reviews for new restaurants or items she tries.
“I was expecting a much bigger size,” she said regarding the Zaxby’s shrimp. She described the shrimp as “very crispy but a little salty” and said the “zesty” Zaxtail Sauce that comes with it “isn’t really needed.”
“If they make another portion size with more I really believe this can be an item they can keep,” she concluded.
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