'Completely Unfounded': Texas Roadhouse Responds to Viral Allegations Over Racist FB Group and Food Tampering

American steakhouse chain Texas Roadhouse has responded to viral social media claims alleging racist food tampering at its restaurants, calling the accusation 'completely unfounded' while saying it is investigating the matter.

The controversy erupted after a video and posts alleging that a Facebook group of more than 400,000 white servers had discussed contaminating food served to Black customers spread widely online.

Texas Roadhouse Responds To Viral Allegations

Since the allegation has gained traction online, the American steakhouse chain has pushed back and issued two statements.

In its first statement, the chain said it was committed to creating an environment where every guest is treated with 'respect and unreasonable hospitality'. It added that it does not tolerate 'discrimination, harassment, or mistreatment of any kind' and expects its employees to treat every customer with dignity and care.

The company later directly addressed the accusation in a second statement, saying: 'We believe it to be completely unfounded and we take every accusation toward our brand seriously.'

Texas Roadhouse said it was investigating the alleged behaviour and remained committed to treating every guest with 'respect, dignity, and the Legendary Service they deserve'.

The response followed an earlier post from the company explaining that it had lost its verification badge, meaning its replies were not being seen by users. Texas Roadhouse subsequently shared its response as a standalone post.

Racist FB Group and Food Tampering Claims

The controversy stems from a video in which a social media user reads out an alleged message attributed to a Facebook group called 'White and Proud'.

The alleged post claimed that a group of white servers had discussed deliberately contaminating food ordered by Black diners.

It further alleged that members would lick their fingers and touch customers' food and claimed that, when orders came from Texas Roadhouse or Logan's Roadhouse, their rolls would allegedly be contaminated with saliva.

The post also claimed that some cooks were involved and that the Facebook group had more than 400,000 members.

The video was subsequently shared widely on social media, prompting outrage and renewed scrutiny of Texas Roadhouse.

Viral Claim Later Called a Hoax

An X user, @yannaarose_, then amplified the claims, writing that she wanted them to be 'fake news' but had seen information suggesting they were real.

However, the user later issued a follow-up post after conducting further research, saying: 'Upon further research, this is a hoax.' She apologised for sharing the claim and explained that she had initially seen the material while ill and had not researched it further at the time.

The allegations remained unverified, with no evidence establishing that Texas Roadhouse employees collectively participated in the alleged Facebook group or carried out the claimed behaviour.

Furthermore, the X user's subsequent retraction does not independently establish that every element of the circulating material was fabricated. However, it reinforces that the allegations should not be presented as fact.

For now, Texas Roadhouse maintains that the accusation is unfounded and says its investigation is ongoing.

No specific Texas Roadhouse employee, restaurant location, or verified food tampering incident has been publicly identified in connection with the viral claims. Logan's Roadhouse, which was also named in the alleged Facebook post, has yet to publicly address the claims.