Women go out to eat at BJ’s in Cupertino. They didn’t expect the burger to come with a side of biohazard: ‘I’m gonna get…a full meal paid for’
While eating out has become common with how busy people’s lives are, we sometimes forget how much trust we’re putting in strangers to make sure what we’re served is hygienic.
One Cupertino woman was reminded of this fact while eating at a BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse in Cupertino, California.
TikToker Maddy (@madzmain26) posted a short clip of her experience in a viral video that has garnered over 3.2 million views.
In the clip, her friend films her tray, which appears to have a mysterious substance stuck between the tray and the paper liner on top of which her burger and fries sit.
“Do not eat at Cupertino BJ’s worst service ever!!” Maddy wrote in the video’s text overlay.
“Maddy… Maddy,” the friend exclaims behind the camera.
“That’s disgusting,” Maddy says. “I better get free—free, I’m telling you. Whole meal paid for.”
“Oh my god…” the friend says again.
“Are you kidding me?” Maddy asks. “Write a bad review.”
She added more details in the caption.
“WORST EXPERIENCE EVER!!” she wrote. “Was so excited to get dinner. Just to receive a side of mint gum with my entrée!! The manager’s damage control was awful! Immediately accusatory of the whole situation. DO BETTER BJ’S!”
Even More Details in a Follow-up Storytime
In a storytime video, Maddy said the situation “is being investigated,” and that it has since been “solved.”
She described finding the chewing gum and immediately reporting it to her server and another worker, who she says were both apologetic. However, when the BJ’s Restaurant manager approached them, the tone allegedly changed.
“He immediately came over, accusing us that we were the issue, that we did it,” she says.
Maddy says they ended up paying for the appetizers and drinks before leaving the restaurant.
Later, after the video went viral, she says corporate refunded the amount they paid and told them the situation was being actively investigated.
Commenters Focus On the Wrong Thing
In the comments section, much of the conversation centered on Maddy’s weight rather than the incident itself. Others stepped in to defend her.
“Regardless of her size… that is her meal she bought with her money that she worked for and that’s [expletive] nasty,” one commenter wrote.
“The people in the comments worried about her weight, but not the nasty [expletive] gum on the tray. Just miserable lost souls,” another said.
Others shared similar stories from their own restaurant experiences.
“One time me and my wife @Jasmine Navarro ate at bj s and asked for cheese and it stunk so bad it even had mold on it never been there again,” one user wrote.
What to Do if You Find a Foreign Object in Your Food?
The first step is, of course, to immediately stop eating and report the issue to your server.
In many cases, restaurants will try to resolve the situation right away. However, some customers may get pushback from management.
Because of that, legal experts say it’s important to document what happened. According to attorneys cited by LegalMatch, diners should take photos of the foreign object and the meal it was found in, and keep their receipt as proof of the purchase.
If the situation isn’t resolved, you can also report the incident to your local health department. In California, for example, multiple county health agencies handle restaurant inspections and complaints.
@madzmain26 WORST EXPERIENCE EVER!! was so excited to get dinner. Just to receive a side of mint gum with my entrée!! The managers damaged control was awful! immediately accusatory of the whole situation. DO BETTER BJ’S ! #horribleservice #fyp #bjsbrewhousresturants @bjsrestaurants ♬ original sound – Maddy
The Mary Sue has reached out to BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse via email and Maddy via TikTok messages for comment.
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