Taco Bell Worker Slapped by Angry Customer After Food Ruined His Microwave

A Taco Bell employee was slapped by a customer who blamed the fast-food chain for breaking his microwave after it blew up when he tried to reheat his meal at home.

Footage of the swear-ridden clip was shared widely across social media over the weekend, with viewers saying that the consumer had tried to heat food still wrapped in foil. This is a catastrophic mistake as metal must never be cooked in a microwave. It remains unclear whether that was why the man’s microwave exploded, but footage of his encounter back at the restaurant shows him complaining about the incident to an employee, before he erupted in violence.

No details were given about when and where the encounter was filmed, but Newsweek reached out by email to Taco Bell on Monday, seeking further information and comment.

The attack comes as cities across the U.S. have been struggling to deal with a spike in thefts and violence against store staff. This has been driven by organized retail crime and a current trend for “street takeover” shoplifting sprees.

Sadly, fast-food workers are often on the receiving end when customers lash out. A 16-year-old worker barely survived after being shot in the head by a customer, following an argument about barbecue sauce in Arizona last year. In May 2022, a woman smashed up a McDonald’s in Lakeland, Florida, after saying her food was taking too long to cook; and a Taco Bell customer opened fire in a restaurant in a dispute over his change in North Carolina in October 2023.

The latest Taco Bell attack was caught on camera, and the footage was shared most widely on TikTok. However, it also sparked discussions on Reddit and spread across X (formerly Twitter) where it was reposted by many, including a news-sharing account called @ppv-tahoe.

The footage begins with the customer complaining about his mishap at home to an employee, who says he is one of the store’s managers. The customer replies: “You’re f****** done. I’m going to sue your a** off.” When the manager offers him some new food to replace his lost meal, the customer becomes increasingly agitated as he replies he does want “new food, plus, you guys are gonna pay for my f****** microwave. It blew up!”

The customer then says that the manager has found the incident funny, adding, “Oh, you’re smiling,” before leaning across the counter and slapping him across the face. Gasps can be heard from other customers and employees. The stunned man, who has been struck, says: “Yo, what the hell? No, what the f***? What’s going on with you, bro?”

Another manager steps in to handle the situation, telling the customer she is a manager, too. Clearly concerned, she holds her hands up in an attempt to calm the situation. The video cuts off at that point, and it is unclear what happened next.