A California woman’s TikTok storytime involving a local Mexican restaurant has viewers shocked and concerned about its hygiene and safety practices.
In her video, which has gotten over 874,000 views, TikTok creator Nora Flores (@nora_flo) says Palenque Kitchen in Riverside, California, served her a “dangerous chemical” during brunch.
Now, viewers are asking her to get law enforcement involved.
What Did Palenque Kitchen Allegedly Serve Her?
Flores explains that she and her friend went to the restaurant around 1 p.m. that day. “I ordered a Prosecco,” she says. “A split bottle of Ruffino Prosecco.”
According to her, the server unsealed the bottle in front of her. However, when he poured, she says something immediately wasn’t right.
“It was a bright purple,” she says. “When I looked at it, I said, ‘Is it supposed to be this color?’”
The server allegedly said, “Yeah.”
Still, Flores wasn’t convinced enough to drink it, so she decided to give it a smell.
“It’s Fabuloso,” she remembers immediately thinking, referring to the popular multi-purpose cleaner.
Her friend also agreed that’s what it was, saying, “Somebody must be playing a really bad prank on us.”
Flores says she took her drink to the bar, where the staff was discussing what could have gone wrong, before eventually bringing her a replacement bottle of Ruffino Prosecco.
This time, Flores said, the server unsealed the bottle the same way he had with the previous one.
“I said, ‘But didn’t you do that with the other one?’” Flores recounts asking.
The server allegedly responded, “No, that one wasn’t sealed like this one.”
She says the second time around, her drink was normal, but it got her wondering why someone would go to these lengths to open a prosecco bottle, put a cleaning solution in, and re-seal it.
“Who does this and why? With what motive?” she asks. “So that is really my concern here.”
Given that the restaurant turns into a nightclub in the evenings, she wonders if a patron drank the chemical solution.
“Has someone already ingested this before?” she wonders. “Has a client of theirs already gone home feeling sick and not sure what it was, or thinking they drank too much?”
How Did Palenque Kitchen Allegedly Respond?
According to Flores, both the manager and server informed her that there is no Fabuloso anywhere on the premises.
“Which is really strange because then it would have meant that somebody probably is bringing that from home, which is so weird,” she says.
The TikToker continues explaining she’s dissatisfied with the way that management has allegedly handled the situation. She claims the manager initially promised to review hours of footage so he could find out what happened, but later abandoned the project.
“Just today I received a response of ‘that’s it,’” she says. “What I said to you on the phone is as much as we have.”
“I’m just not sure how they are avoiding this from happening ever again,” she continues.
Flores says she has since reported the matter to the Riverside County health department and left reviews on Yelp and Google. “I hope that this saves a person from drinking this poisonous solution,” she says. “It could be fatal, and it should be taken a lot more seriously.”
How Dangerous Is It To Ingest Fabuloso?
As strange as it may sound, Fabuloso is a cleaning chemical that is often accidentally ingested, something researchers believe may be linked to its colorful liquid and bottle design. This could cause it to be confused with a soft drink.
So much so that in 2006, the company behind the product, Colgate-Palmolive, told The New York Times that it had changed the label to “more clearly communicate the intended use of the product.” To do so, the company added bolder wording and graphics that point to it being a cleaning solution.
According to a study published that same year, Fabuloso is “a minor gastrointestinal irritant” and “unlikely to cause any major morbidity or mortality.”
That said, a cleaning solution should never end up in a drinking glass. If you ingest something you believe may be toxic, contact your local poison centre immediately.
Commenters Are Appalled
In the comments, viewers urged Flores to take action.
“Health department, police, lawyer, and OASHA IMMEDIATELY,” one user wrote.
“I would have called the cops then and there,” another wrote. “No hesitation. I would have called the cops.”
“Thank you for raising awareness,” a third said. “This is a SERIOUS situation, and ppl need to be warned. This is so scary.”
@nora_flo This was scary and left me feeling anxious, especially knowing how management has responded to this situation, with very little urgency. What I went through was scary, plain and simple. It’s hard not to feel anxious and concerned for other’s safety when the response you get from management is so poor. Stay vigilant. #palenquekitchen #downtownriverside #riversidecounty #riversideenvironmentalhealth @Palenque Kitchen @cityofriverside @KTLA 5 News
BroBible has reached out to Palenque Kitchen and Flores via email for comment.