Overview
- Tastebud initially greeted website visitors with a pop-up that said “Food is political,” “F--- ICE,” and “Abolish ICE,” alongside messages on LGBTQ+ rights, public health and other issues.
- Libs of TikTok shared a screenshot of the note to its large audience, and the restaurant then saw a rush of negative reviews, with Yelp disabling reviews for the page.
- A Tastebud spokesperson said the attention triggered hateful, harassing and abusive reviews, calls and emails, and the restaurant emphasized that all diners are welcome.
- The site now features a toned-down message that reads “Food is political because care has become political,” removing references such as the “Trump/Epstein files” while affirming broad support for human rights and science.
- Earlier posts from Jan. 30 tied the restaurant’s stance to protests over the deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti and to donation efforts, while recent coverage also cites ICE figures showing steep increases in assaults, vehicle attacks and death threats against agents in January.