A woman who visited a restaurant in Palm Springs, California, with a group of friends is alleging that the owner left a rather disappointing response after she complained that a staff member had made an inappropriate comment to her friend.
The woman shared her story in a TikTok video, saying that the incident happened at an eatery called The Tropicale. According to her, when one of her friends stood up from their table, a staff member who was walking past allegedly leaned in close to her ear and whispered, “Mmm, delicious.”
The remark immediately made the group uncomfortable. The women brought the issue up with another server at the restaurant, but the employee reportedly told them, “Yeah, he does that.” Nothing was done after that.
The Owner Responded
Later on, the group left a review for the restaurant. Besides leaving a one-star rating and calling the service “incredibly slow and subpar,” they narrated their experience of how the staff had “brushed” off their complaints. “It made my friend feel incredibly uncomfortable,” the review read. “This behavior is extremely inappropriate.”
The restaurant’s owner’s response seemed to defend his staff’s behavior rather than deny it. He allegedly wrote, “Oh grow up. You should be thrilled that someone found you and your friend attractive. I’m sure it doesn’t happen that often.” He also went on to criticize the customer’s food choice, adding, “Who goes out to dinner to a packed restaurant that’s known for really good food and orders a cheese pizza?? What are you 5 years old? People like you are a joke.”
The woman behind the TikTok, who shared the screenshot of their alleged exchange, said the restaurant’s attitude only reinforced her concerns about how they treat customers, particularly women. “If you’re a group of women, or, God forbid, a woman traveling by yourself, don’t go,” she warned in the video.
Netizens’ Reactions to the California Restaurant Incident
In the comments under her post, many people were shocked by the owner’s response, with one writing, “I’m literally stunned that he said this!!!” and someone else saying, “Cannot believe the disrespect!!”
Some locals familiar with the place said the restaurant’s reputation was already known in the area. “He’s known for this lol should’ve seen the responses during Covid,” one person claimed. Another said, “It’s pretty well known by locals & reg visitors of ps to avoid this place (especially after Covid) but tourists don’t really know & end up being most of their customers.” A third added, “Yeah notorious tourist trap. Didn’t know they were this awful. So sorry this happened. ❤️”
However, not everyone agreed with the criticism. Some viewers defended the restaurant and said they had positive experiences there. “I love tropical I’ll continue to go there. Food is always amazing Services great,” one comment read. Another added, “Was just there last week. Great food, drinks and staff. The staff is fun and made it a joyful experience.”
