A woman called out Nobu’s Atlanta location for allegedly attempting to hide a cockroach at the restaurant on her birthday. The location opened less than a year ago.
In a video with over 586,000 views, TikTok user Mandy (@amanduuuhpleaase) shows several clips from what she says is her birthday dinner at Nobu Atlanta.
However, at the end of the video, Mandy captures what appears to be a small cockroach climbing on the walls of the restaurant. The bug is quickly swatted by an employee.
“Can’t believe Nobu had roaches on my birthday,” Mandy writes in the text overlaying the video. In the caption, she adds, “He tried to swipe it before I pulled out my phone but .. gotta be quicker than that.”
In a comment, Mandy says that the restaurant gave her “2 drinks and the dessert” as a result of the incident.
“Not with it IMO but I didn’t wanna argue on my birthday,” she said.
@amanduuuhpleaase He tried to swipe it before I pulled out my phone but .. gotta be quicker than that 🤮🤢 #nobu #noburestaurants #nobureview #fyp #atlanta #restaurant #roaches #viral #foryoupage #cockroach #dinner ♬ ABBY USED MY SOUND – livinonthedancefloor💋
In the comments section, users shared their own Nobu experiences.
“One time at the Malibu location a fly landed in my Martini,” wrote a user.
“I have an experience there too,” offered another. “They ended up giving me and my friends the meal for free.”
Finding cockroaches in restaurants is incredibly common. Regardless of their ubiquity, they are still a major problem for eateries.
“Once inside, these pests pose a threat to your customers’ experience, your reputation and your health score,” explains an article in Total Food Service. “They carry an average of 25 different bacteria that can be spread into food and cause illnesses such as Salmonella and E coli.”
“Unfortunately, once you see a cockroach in your restaurant, it is likely there are many more behind the scenes,” the article continues.
Mandy’s video is only one of many cockroach-related stories to go viral in recent memory. Back in April, a TikTok user sparked disgust after showing several roaches in an airport Starbucks. Then, in September, a user claimed they were fired from Popeyes after recording videos on the job—and got revenge by sharing videos they claimed showed roaches in the store.
The Daily Dot reached out to Nobu via email and Mandy via Instagram direct message.