A customer at a Mexican restaurant in southern California nearly blew a gasket over a Spanish word promoting specials.
Security and cell phone footage captured the tirade, which included a threat to call immigration officials, at employees of Palapas Tacos in Anaheim.
Restaurant owner Juan Del Rio told KCAL9-TV in Los Angeles that the unidentified customer became furious over the word “Viernes” — Spanish for Friday — on an outside banner advertising the fish taco special for that day. Inside, “Friday” was also clearly written in English, but the customer ordered Friday’s special on Monday and was apparently upset by the price difference, Del Rio said.
When the cashier pointed to the bilingual sign behind her, the customer angrily responded, “It says it in Mexican. We’re not in Mexico. We’re in America. I’m an American. I don’t do Spanish.”
Another customer urged him to leave and get a “hot dog” elsewhere.
Del Rio said his cashier was “really shaking” when the customer stormed out. “He was aggressive,” said Del Rio, who added that there has never been a similar occurrence in the two years he has had the shop.
Del Rio followed the man out of the restaurant and continued to record him with his cell phone. That’s when the customer threatened to call immigration authorities, claiming, “You’re not legal!”
Here’s the full footage, including the customer outside threatening to call immigration officials: