When going out to eat, customers expect the restaurant to be clean and the food to be at least somewhat appetizing. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. In fact, some of the places people love to visit for a meal may be far less sanitary than they realize. A man in Secaucus, New Jersey proved just that when he made a disgusting discovery inside a BBQ restaurant. The man finds multiple cockroaches crawling around the establishment, and social media users are having a hard time looking away.
The TikTok video posted by the account @cashthephotographer starts off with the man making the discovery right off the bat. It is unclear if the New Jersey man and his group had already eaten at the BBQ restaurant. Although we can only hope they hadn’t sat down for a meal just yet.
New Jersey Man Discovers Roach Infestation At BBQ Restaurant
In the clip, viewers can see multiple cockroaches scurrying along the booth seat and windowsill when the man zooms in. At this point, the man recording can also be heard saying loudly, “We don’t want nothing!” as he repeats the phrase a few times. Needless to say, the discovery seems to have been enough to make him reconsider dining at the establishment.
As the New Jersey man’s TikTok video comes to a close, social media users can see the cockroaches running back and forth. There are even two of the bugs appearing to fight with each other. The surface they’re crawling on also appears to be piled with trash and leftover food from a previous customer.
The video ends abruptly, and it’s unclear what happened afterward. However, social media was completely grossed out by the scene.
‘Why Are They So Big?’
The TikTok comment section also had a lot to say regarding this man’s nasty discovery, with many users hurrying to the video to leave behind their own thoughts. Many were shocked by what they saw. Others were appalled by the fact that the restaurant was still serving food to customers.
“Why are they so big?” asked one user. Another pointed out, “Roaches are nocturnal and don’t like to be seen. If they are out in the open during the day, that means there is no space for them to hide. AKA, there is a major infestation.“
“If that’s the seating area, imagine what it’s like in the kitchen,” a third person chimed in. Finally, one last person’s comment also read, “Imagine what the opening shift sees when they turn the lights on in the morning.“
While the video certainly gave viewers plenty to talk about, the possibility of an infestation inside a place where people prepare and serve food is particularly concerning. After all, nobody wants to discover that their dinner comes with a side of cockroaches.
Bugs In Restaurants And Food Isn’t Uncommon
Restaurants should be clean and free of pests, but that is clearly not always the case. Sadly, this seems to be an issue that can affect establishments across the country.
A separate video posted by @FoxNews, showing what was described in the coverage as gross working conditions at a Long Horn Steakhouse in Georgia. In that clip, viewers can see roaches and trash scattered throughout the restaurant in a truly overwhelming mess.
A second clip features a woman telling a worker at a restaurant in Chicago that she found a cockroach in her sandwich, leaving the employee uncomfortable.
What Are The Penalties For This Kind Of Health Code Violation?
Restaurant cleanliness and pest control are taken seriously under New Jersey’s food safety regulations. The state’s Sanitation in Retail Food Establishments regulations (N.J.A.C. 8:24) require food establishments to maintain sanitary conditions and take appropriate measures to prevent pests from contaminating food and food-contact surfaces.
Under New Jersey Administrative Code Section 8:24-8.11, restaurants can receive different inspection ratings, including satisfactory, conditionally satisfactory and unsatisfactory. Serious violations that create an imminent health hazard can lead to an establishment being ordered to stop operating until the problems are corrected.
Depending on the severity of the violations, restaurants may also face additional enforcement actions and penalties from local health authorities. So, while seeing a cockroach inside a restaurant is certainly disturbing, a more serious pest problem could potentially have major consequences for the business.
Of course, it remains unclear whether the restaurant featured in the New Jersey man’s video was ever inspected or faced any official consequences. Nevertheless, the footage is a pretty unpleasant reminder that customers don’t always know what’s happening behind the scenes when they sit down for a meal.
Noticed News reached out to the restaurant via email and will update the story if they respond.
