A brief clip of an unidentified white man hurling the N-word with a hard R at a restaurant has made the rounds online, leaving many viewers with unanswered questions.
Posted on X on May 31, the video has well over one million views and shows the man telling a bartender, “I’m not coming back here unless you get rid of these f*cking n*ggers.”
The disturbing exchange occurred at a Mexican cantina in New York City and, surprisingly, began with an argument over a service dog. According to a manager at Canyon Road Grill, who asked to remain anonymous, the man in the video used the N-word after a disagreement between a Black woman with a service dog and an uninformed employee who asked to see the animal’s certification.
The woman refused, and the discussion caused a commotion, with customers taking sides. The manager said the man in the video was allegedly fed up and responded with the vile slur and a threat to pull his business. Murky local health codes and fears of non-compliance fines often fuel the confusion.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, restaurants may ask only two specific questions to verify that a dog is a service animal and cannot require documentation. But it’s a common misconception among restaurant workers that service dog owners must produce papers.
In the end, the manager said he and the African-American woman shook hands, and she sat down to enjoy her drink with her dog. And he was just as appalled by the racial epithet as anyone else online.
“I don’t ever want anyone to call anybody that name,” he told Atlanta Black Star. “It’s not proper.”
Adding to the confusion, internet users initially misattributed to an Italian restaurant in Miami Beach, Osteria Positano, which has since responded on its official Instagram page. They wrote: “We understand the reaction. To be clear, the video circulating was not filmed at Osteria Positano and does not show our restaurant, staff, or guests. We do not tolerate racism or discrimination in any form.”
Meanwhile, the video is still gaining traction online, with hundreds of viewers dragging the anonymous man in the comments section on X and Instagram.
“Grandpa thinks it’s the 1960s still,” one person said on X.
“I can’t understand having the ego,” another wrote. “The restaurant won’t close cause a racist clown like him doesn’t want to come back after not getting their way.”
Another person chimed in, “Some people just love keeping hate alive.”
