Black dad sent back untouched appetizer and ordered another for the table. Then Ruth’s steakhouse called cops on him after throwing food in trash
The cost of speaking up
A Father’s Day dinner should be a happy occasion, especially when someone is celebrating with their children. However, one Black father says his family’s visit to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse ended with police getting involved. All because he questioned something on his restaurant bill.
The father wasn’t refusing to pay for his family’s meal. He simply wanted to know why he was being charged for food that restaurant staff had allegedly thrown away. Instead of resolving the disagreement, the situation escalated, leaving his entire family facing an unexpected consequence.
According to Atlanta Black Star, a Miami father known as Junior (@junya90sjunya) visited Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Myrtle Beach with his four children. He claims staff discarded an untouched appetizer but still charged him for it. When he questioned the bill, the restaurant’s general manager called the police.
Things got out of hand quickly
Junior, whose four children range in age from one to 11, explained that the family initially returned an appetizer because it wasn’t cooked as ordered. They subsequently ordered a second appetizer for the table.
However, when the family asked for their unfinished food to be packed for takeout, Junior noticed something unusual. He alleges that a server had thrown away the second appetizer without anyone touching it.
“For some reason, they put it with the trash, like they dumped the plate over on another plate,” he recalled. “We caught them mid-act.”
The problem became worse when the bill arrived. Despite the appetizer being discarded, Junior discovered that the restaurant had charged his family for it. He questioned the charge, but the restaurant’s general manager, identified as Erin, responded by getting law enforcement involved.
Junior believes the manager had been looking for a reason to remove his family from the establishment. He explained that they were regular customers who visited the Myrtle Beach location at least three times a month. “They was tired of me coming up in there with all my kids,” he alleged.
In an Instagram video, he confronted Erin about the police call and questioned whether his race influenced her actions. “Is it because we’re Black, Ma’am?” he asked. The manager shook her head no.
Junior also claimed Erin told responding officers that there had been an incident involving his family before. However, when he pressed her for details, he said she couldn’t explain what had happened.
“I asked her. I said ‘What happened last time?’ She couldn’t even say,” he recalled.
He further accused the manager of trying to charge him unfairly again. He questioned why she had mentioned a past disagreement without explaining it.
The police didn’t agree with the restaurant
According to Junior, responding officers agreed that he shouldn’t have to pay for the appetizer that restaurant staff had discarded. Despite that outcome, he claims the establishment indefinitely banned him and his entire family from returning.
The decision left him questioning whether a white father visiting with four children would have received the same treatment. “If I was a white guy coming here with his four kids or whatever whatnot, she wouldn’t trip,” Junior argued.
His experience adds to concerns about restaurant disagreements involving Black customers escalating into police encounters. Junior believes firing Erin is the only appropriate way for the restaurant to address what happened.
The Myrtle Beach location is privately owned. When contacted about the incident, someone identifying herself as Erin reportedly answered the phone but hung up when questioned. The restaurant’s private owners did not respond to requests for comment.
For Junior, the dispute went far beyond the cost of an appetizer. His family had regularly eaten at the steakhouse, but he now claims they are prohibited from returning indefinitely, even after police reportedly sided with him over the disputed charge.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
Follow The Mary Sue:
