Texas Man Orders Triple Dipper at Chili’s. Then He Spots Something on His Table That Shouldn’t Be There—
When eating out at a restaurant, the food itself isn’t the only thing that makes or breaks your experience. There’s also the service, ambiance, and, of course, level of cleanliness.
According to one Houston couple who was having a pleasant meal at a Chili’s restaurant, it’s that last part that ruined their experience entirely and immediately killed their appetite.
In a recent TikTok video that got over 46,300 views, one half of the couple, Daysi (@daysi.lisbeth), showed both the good and the ugly of their date at Chili’s.
What Went Wrong During Their Chili’s Date?
She says the restaurant was nearly empty, but the couple started with Cokes, chips, and salsa while waiting for their food.
“Everything was off to a really good start,” Daysi says.
Her boyfriend ordered the Triple Dipper, while she got a burger. She films the food arriving, looking fresh, including a particularly impressive cheese pull from one of his mozzarella sticks.
“Everything tasted really good,” she says. “My burger was juicy, the fries were hot, and my boyfriend was really loving his mozzarella sticks.”
And that’s when things went bad.
“I was sitting there eating my burger when something caught my eye,” Daysi says. “And I thought to myself, there’s no way.”
There was, in fact, a roach crawling across their table.
Daysi immediately grabbed a napkin and tried to kill it, but it took off before she could.
“Me and my boyfriend just looked at each other like, are you serious?” she recalls. “We had been enjoying our meal so much, and then this happened.”
The closest thing she could grab was the ketchup bottle, so she started squishing the roach with that.
“Definitely not something I thought I’d be doing during dinner,” she says.
By that point, the couple had lost their appetite and left much of their food unfinished.
Unfortunately, Daysi says this wasn’t even their first disappointing experience at that Chili’s. A few weeks earlier, her boyfriend had allegedly found a hair in his food while they were there watching the World Cup.
After paying, Daysi completed the restaurant’s customer survey, which gives diners a chance to leave feedback about their visit. She wrote that the service had been great, but noted that there had been a roach on their table.
“I don’t know who reads those or where they go, but hopefully it helps improve things,” she says. “We really wanted to give this location another chance, but after two disappointing experiences, I think we’ll be taking a break from Chili’s.”
Is A Roach In A Restaurant A Health Code Violation?
Potentially, yes.
Texas food-establishment rules require restaurants to control insects, rodents, and other pests and eliminate their presence. A cockroach crawling around a restaurant can absolutely raise a health-code issue.
That doesn’t mean spotting one roach automatically gets a restaurant shut down, though.
After a customer reports the issue, an inspector would investigate whether there are more live roaches, droppings, egg cases, or other signs of an infestation.
Commenters Weighed In
Some viewers argued that, unpleasant as it is, finding a roach doesn’t necessarily mean the entire restaurant is dirty.
“Unfortunately, roaches do happen, especially in states like Texas and Florida. If one is seen, the manager needs to know so they can have another bug nite. Chili’s does it once a month, but will have them come out when one is seen,” one commenter wrote.
Another thought Daysi should have told an employee immediately.
“I mean bugs be everywhere, you should’ve said something they would’ve discounted your meal,” they wrote.
One person who said they’ve worked at Chili’s for several years had a very different experience.
“I’ve worked at chilis for about 3 years and i’ve never seen a roach at my location, we keep that place clean,” they wrote.
The Mary Sue has reached out to Chili’s and Daysi via email for comment.
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