Texas Roadhouse is doubling down on its denial of viral claims that white servers deliberately contaminated food served to Black diners, with the company now calling the accusation “100% a hoax” and bringing in an outside firm to investigate where the story came from.
According to USA TODAY, the Texas Roadhouse allegations spread after screenshots of a now-deleted Facebook post began circulating across social media. The message was allegedly posted by a user named Nancy Smith in a group called “White and proud” and claimed white restaurant servers were part of a separate group coordinating food tampering against Black customers. Texas Roadhouse and Logan’s Roadhouse were specifically named. No restaurant location or employee was identified in the post.
The lack of identifiable evidence has become a major part of the story. A Snopes fact check reported that it found no verifiable evidence confirming or disproving the existence of the alleged massive group of white servers. Snopes left the broader claim unrated, while Texas Roadhouse maintains that its own investigation points to an online hoax.
The accusation still triggered immediate concern among Black customers. According to USA TODAY, one TikTok user said, “To mess with someone’s food is the highest level of disrespect,” while another wrote, “As a black woman who loves Texas Roadhouse, I will NEVER eat here again bc I cannot be sure that my food is being handled safely.”
Texas Roadhouse first publicly addressed the Texas Roadhouse allegations on August 23. The company wrote on TikTok, “(We) remain committed to treating every guest with respect, dignity, and the legendary service they deserve,” according to USA TODAY. The company later said it hired “a third-party firm to find more information about the source and motives around these unfounded allegations.”
A statement provided directly to KTXS similarly said the company’s investigation and information from outside sources pointed toward an online hoax. Texas Roadhouse said it had found no credible evidence of food tampering and noted that people who initially amplified the accusation had since retracted posts.
Texas Roadhouse chief communications officer Travis Doster went even further in comments to USA TODAY. Doster said there was “zero evidence” supporting the claims and questioned whether the person behind the original Facebook post was real.
“We believe this is 100% a hoax,” Doster said. “We don’t know why somebody would do this or if it’s to drive down stock prices, but there is zero evidence.”
Doster also rejected claims that videos or other proof showed Texas Roadhouse workers participating in the alleged conduct. “There’s no video of any of our servers,” he said. “There’s no video of anybody saying they have evidence. It’s very frustrating because it’s not true.”
“There is zero credible evidence this is true,” he said. “This did not happen in any of our restaurants.”
His advice to people following the controversy online was brief: “Do research.”
The viral post also attempted to connect the alleged conduct to the April 2025 fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf by Karmelo Anthony. Anthony was convicted of murder in June 2026 and sentenced to 35 years in prison. There is no verified evidence establishing that the criminal case caused Texas Roadhouse employees to tamper with anyone’s food.
The controversy involves one of the country’s largest casual dining chains. According to Texas Roadhouse investor information, the company and its franchisees operated 755 Texas Roadhouse restaurants as of June 30, 2026. In statements provided during the controversy, the company has continued to insist that no current or former employee has been connected to the viral accusation and that its investigation into the source of the Texas Roadhouse allegations remains ongoing.
