HOAX: Fake viral post claims white Texas Roadhouse employees were spitting on black customers’ food

"Our current investigation, along with many other outside sources, firmly point to this being an online hoax. There is no credible evidence of food tampering, and the Facebook post has since been deleted," Texas Roadhouse told the Houston Chronicle. The investigation was undertaken by a third party.

The allegations flung across Facebook were that "white servers spit in food and licked their fingers before touching rolls that were then served to black guests," the Chronicle reports. White servers at the restaurants were accused of "anti-blackness."

On TikTok, user Sannie Yeanay shared the fake message from the satirical "White and Proud" page, saying "we are constantly being targeted." She read the post aloud so that she could "spread awareness" about the "white servers" who contaminate the food of black customers. The chain has 60 locations in 49 states and stretches internationally as well.

Screenshots from The Shade Room on Instagram.

Snopes took up the claim, saying that the rumor on social media was that servers "conspired in a large Facebook group to lick their fingers and touch or spit in the food of black customers." Snopes reported that this was "unfounded."

The rumor started from "a screenshot of an alleged Facebook post" that had allegedly been shared in a "White and Proud" Facebook group. That post referenced another alleged post from a user going under the name Nancy Smith saying that there was still another "secret Facebook group with more than 400,000 members made up of white servers discussing contaminating Black customers' food."

Snopes found that the post was fake and the page on which it had appeared was satire on a page that was managed by the same person who runs the "Blacks of Egypt" Facebook page. "White and Proud," that user confirmed, is "satirical."

In response to the accusations, Texas Roadhouse replied on TikTok. "We are aware of the video that is being shared with an accusation that has been made toward our restaurants," they said. "We believe it to be completely unfounded and we take every accusation toward our brand seriously. We are investigating this alleged abhorrent behavior and remain committed to treating every guest with respect, dignity, and the Legendary Service they deserve."

After the viral allegations on Facebook, Texas Roadhouse was was hit with massive backlash in comments and threats of boycotts. Black users across social posted their disgust with Texas Roadhouse, believing that the satirical page was telling the truth about white servers at Texas Roadhouse locations.

In response to the backlash, Texas Roadhouse issued a statement, saying "We are committed to creating an environment where every guest is treated with respect and unreasonable hospitality. We do not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or mistreatment of any kind, and we expect our Roadies to treat every guest with dignity and care."

The investigation has now revealed that the entire thing was a hoax and people believed it anyway.