Maurice McKoy thought he was in for a memorable dining experience last week — but not like this.
While on a trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the Maryland pastor visited Salt & Honey Grill, a restaurant he’d heard buzz about online.
“A TikTok sensation,” he called it. But instead of a nice dinner, McKoy walked out feeling humiliated, sharing what he described as a racist confrontation with the restaurant’s owner in a Facebook livestream that has since gone viral.
The incident unfolded at Salt & Honey Grill, on North Kings Highway in Myrtle Beach, after McKoy’s wife asked for adjustments to her steak.
“My wife sent back the steak because it wasn’t cooked to her liking,” McKoy said in his livestream on July 9. The dish was returned to their table unchanged, he said, and they were told, “that’s the way it’s supposed to be.” McKoy pushed back, arguing that the customer should have the meal prepared the way they want.
“But that wasn’t the topper, guys,” he continued.
McKoy said the restaurant’s owner came over to their table, claiming he had searched Google for what a medium-well steak should look like — and insisted theirs was correct. When that explanation didn’t resolve the issue, McKoy said the conversation took a sharp turn.
“He told my wife and I that Black people are not welcome in his establishment, and that I can leave and I’m barred from his restaurant,” McKoy said. He also alleged the owner told them “that Black people play with his money too much.”
McKoy broadcast his description of the encounter on Facebook, where it drew hundreds of thousands of views and sparked a flood of online reactions, ranging from outrage to skepticism. While many have rallied behind the couple and pledged to boycott the restaurant, others question what exactly happened and whether the full story was being told.
In a Facebook post on July 10, Salt & Honey Grill offered a different account of the incident. The restaurant denied any racist behavior, saying McKoy and his wife had requested that several dishes be remade and were served by “both valued Black team members” who “did their best to accommodate these requests.”
“When it became clear we could not meet their expectations,” the statement read, “we offered to cover the entire bill.” The restaurant said it then informed the couple they would no longer be served.
“At no point were any comments made about race or any group of people,” the statement added. “Our only goal was to protect and preserve a healthy working environment for our staff and a peaceful dining experience for our customers.”
McKoy claimed the owner refused to give his name during the encounter. Public records show the restaurant is owned by Donald Asllanaj and his family, who also own Donald’s Pancake House, located down the street at 2600 North Kings Highway, according to The Sun News.
Comments on the restaurant’s Facebook page were mixed in response. Some longtime patrons defended the business and the owners, sharing their own positive experiences. Others sided with McKoy, saying they’ll no longer spend their money at the restaurant.
