On June 5, 2026, my wife, daughter, mother-in-law, and I visited the Sizzler restaurant in Merced, California, for what we expected would be a pleasant family dinner. Unfortunately, our experience was overshadowed by the unprofessional conduct of Manager Leah, leaving us feeling embarrassed, humiliated, and singled out in front of other customers.
When we arrived, the young employee who took our order was polite, helpful, and professional. My mother-in-law treated the family to dinner, while I separately purchased a salad bar on a different transaction. When completing the purchase, I was asked if I wanted my receipt and declined, as I did not anticipate needing it for a simple salad bar purchase.
After we were seated, my wife went to get her salad. At that point, Manager Leah approached our table and demanded to see proof of purchase for the salad bar, stating that her server, Mya, had informed her of something concerning our order. Her approach was abrupt, accusatory, and inappropriate. We immediately explained that the salad bar had been purchased and suggested she verify the transaction with the employee who had rung up the order.
Despite being given multiple opportunities to confirm the purchase with her staff, Leah continued to question us. I ultimately had to leave my table, locate the employee who processed the transaction, and bring her over to confirm that the salad bar had indeed been purchased. Being publicly questioned and treated as though we were attempting to steal was humiliating and made our entire family uncomfortable, especially as other customers watched the interaction unfold.
When we asked Leah why she chose to confront us before verifying the facts with her staff, she responded that "everyone does it." This explanation was unacceptable. We are not "everyone," and we did not observe her approaching other customers who were using the salad bar. We then asked how she intended to address the embarrassment and discomfort caused by the situation. Her response was simply that she was sorry and that there was nothing else she could do. Afterward, she retreated to the back of the restaurant and did not make any further effort to resolve the matter.
Another employee, Ashley, provided us with the corporate contact information after we requested it. Due to the humiliation we experienced, we asked that our meals be boxed up because we no longer felt comfortable remaining in the restaurant.
What makes this situation particularly troubling is the feeling that we were unfairly singled out. While we were being publicly questioned over a paid salad bar, we observed other situations in the restaurant that did not appear to receive the same level of scrutiny. This left us questioning why our family was treated differently. No customer should leave a restaurant wondering whether they were targeted because of their appearance, race, sexual orientation, or any other personal characteristic.
We believe this matter deserves serious attention from Sizzler's management and corporate leadership. Customers should be treated with dignity and respect, and managers should verify facts before publicly accusing paying guests of wrongdoing. We hope Sizzler takes this complaint seriously, provides additional training to its management staff, and ensures that no other family experiences the embarrassment and humiliation that we endured. read more