Customer Shares Video After Allegedly Getting Kicked Out Of A Restaurant Because Of Her Son's Behavior
People are anxiously awaiting the waiter's side of the story.
sutulastock | Shutterstock A woman claims that after she and her friends were seated at a busy restaurant, their waiter suddenly swiped their appetizers away and asked them to leave.
She claimed the waiter was concerned that her friend’s autistic son might become disruptive.
Although the party stormed out and headed to another restaurant, viewers were skeptical about what really happened and were curious to know the waiter’s side of the story.
The woman claimed that she and her friends were kicked out of a restaurant because the waiter thought her friend's autistic son might start acting out.
A TikTok video of the incident starts the moment a restaurant waiter removes the party’s appetizers and drinks from the table.
“In that case folks, we’re actually gonna cut this short tonight,” he can be heard saying. It is unknown what exactly occurred before this that prompted the waiter’s actions.
“We won’t be serving you tonight; I appreciate it,” he added before taking their items back to the kitchen.
According to the woman who posted the video, they were kicked out because the waiter anticipated that her friend’s autistic child “would become disruptive.”
The party appeared stunned by the server kicking them out, including the autistic boy’s mother, who sat in silence.
Thankfully, the little boy didn't seem to notice the drama unfolding around him as he sat quietly playing with what looked like an iPad.
When the customers refused to get up, the waiter returned and politely asked them to leave again.
“Okay, well, I really wanted my chicken sandwiches,” the mom said.
danr13 | Canva Pro
Eventually, the group left —but not before the mom decided to go off on the front-of-house hosts. “I would love that kid to be able to sit in a restaurant! But not all kids are the same!” she hollered.
She continued shouting profanities as she pushed her son in a stroller out the restaurant doors.
The group ended up at another restaurant called Ora, where the mood took a 180. The little boy was filmed laughing as his mother played peek-a-boo with him.
“Couldn’t let a stupid thing ruin the night. The food was better anyway,” the woman shared in the text overlay of the video.
Even though she anticipated viewers to be on her side, most of them were unconvinced that she was telling the truth.
Many people thought the customer left out key details regarding the incident and only chose to film when they were getting kicked out.
“There is more to this story we’re not hearing,” one TikTok user commented.
“I work in a restaurant; we put up with so much. There’s definitely so much more to this story,” another user wrote, with other restaurant workers chiming in, claiming that they would never take customers’ plates off the table and ask them to leave unless there was a valid reason.
Luckily, viewers were able to use their detective skills to piece together what may have actually happened.
Some people alleged that the restaurant appeared to be Houston’s Restaurant, an upscale dining establishment part of the Hillstone Restaurant Group.
New Africa | Shutterstock
According to the company’s guidelines and standards, parents are strongly discouraged from bringing their small children.
“Our restaurants are generally not the best environment for young children. We welcome families, but we ask parents to keep children at the table and calm vocal infants or youngsters outside of the dining room,” according to their website.
Even though the woman’s son appeared to be calm and quiet in the video, the truth is we have no idea how he was acting before the incident.
Kids often have a difficult time sitting still in restaurants, especially establishments that are not kid-friendly and do not provide kids' menus and coloring sheets.
It is possible that the little boy was acting out, and his mother refused to bring him outside, distracting other diners from their meals. His behavior may have escalated to the point where the waiter had no choice but to ask them to leave.
“I’ve been to Houston’s you have to have a REALLY bad attitude for them to actually ask you to leave,” one TikTok user shared.
“They don’t play around at Houston’s,” another wrote.
Others suggested that the waiter’s reaction had nothing to do with the child at all, pointing out a wine glass on the table that did not appear to be served by the restaurant.
“I wonder if she brought her own wine… considering that’s one of the things he specifically reached for, and the glass is poured too full for a restaurant,” one TikTok user commented.
“The way he grabbed that wine glass first tells me everything I need to know,” another user wrote.
Typically, restaurants aren’t too fond of customers who bring their own food and drinks to skip out on paying for the items they serve.
After much speculation in the comments section of the video, the woman finally responded with her version of what really happened before she started filming.
The anonymous woman who initially posted the video added more context to the video in the comments. She alleged, the group asked the waiter for a high chair for the little boy. However, since it was not a kid-friendly establishment, they didn’t have any.
The mom asked if he could sit in his stroller instead, but the waiter pointed out how it would block the aisles of the restaurant, preventing staff and customers from getting through. That sounds like a valid reason to deny the request as it could become a liability for the establishment.
When the mom insisted her son had to sit in his stroller, or else he’d have a “meltdown,” the group was asked to leave since the restaurant wasn’t the best environment for an autistic child.
While the poor mother likely felt that she and her son were being singled out if this, in fact, was what happened, parents should always be mindful of what restaurants they are bringing their children to.
Lenar Nigmatullin | Shutterstock
Check the restaurant’s website before going. Look over the menu to see if they offer a kids' section or a meal that your child will eat. Ask if they have high chairs or offer special accommodations for children.
Busy restaurants are not playgrounds, and many young children find it a struggle to sit still for extended periods of time in loud and crowded environments, especially those who are on the spectrum.
As the parent of an autistic child, it is always important to ensure that a restaurant will not be too overwhelming for them and that their accommodations can be met before bringing them.
The customers in this video deserved to have a peaceful and stress-free meal, but so did their fellow diners, who likely did not want to deal with screaming and having to weave through strollers blocking the aisles.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.