Texas Woman Sues Torchy’s Tacos After Finding Cow Tooth in Taco

A woman from Texas has filed a lawsuit against the well-known restaurant chain Torchy’s Tacos after she allegedly found a cow tooth in her taco. The strange discovery occurred during her lunch on June 9 at their South Congress Avenue location in Austin. She claims she nearly swallowed the tooth while eating takeout, leading her to take legal action on October 13 in Travis County District Court.

The lawsuit states that the woman, Nohemi Castillo, ordered the “Democrat” tacos, but a cow tooth certainly wasn’t on the ingredient list.

Torchy’s Tacos has since confirmed the authenticity of the tooth. In a statement to a local TV station, they mentioned that following a comprehensive review, they identified the object as a cow tooth. They acknowledged that such occurrences, while rare, can happen during meat processing.

The company explained that their barbacoa is made from beef cheek sourced from suppliers and noted they’ve taken measures to prevent future incidents.

Castillo’s attorney revealed that the restaurant didn’t recognize the object as a cow tooth until media attention drew focus to the incident in October, several months after the event. Photos provided by the attorney show the tooth alongside a tape measure, illustrating its size.

Furthermore, a witness statement from Castillo’s lawyer recounts the uncomfortable moment when Castillo discovered the tooth. While having lunch with a colleague, a witness heard her make a distressed sound and saw her pull the object from her mouth, initially thinking it was a bone.

The colleague described how Castillo inspected the item while holding her cheek and ultimately concluded it looked like a tooth.

Feeling disgusted and unwell, Castillo visited a doctor that evening, leading to medical prescriptions and a sense of distress. Her lawsuit claims she experienced physical pain, mental anguish, and incurred medical expenses. She is suing both Torchy’s Tacos and Success Foods Management Group, asserting that they failed to ensure the food was safe and fit for consumption. The suit also mentions violations of food safety standards under Texas law.

Castillo argues that she wouldn’t have purchased the meal, or would have inspected it more closely, had she been aware of the tooth, and is seeking damages of $250,000 or less, with the final amount to be decided by a jury.

Interestingly, since the issue gained coverage, her attorney has learned of other customers who have reported similar experiences with Torchy’s, although these claims remain unverified. He described the chain’s prior responses as lacking detail and appearing to deflect blame.

In response to the lawsuit, Torchy’s maintains they took the complaint seriously and conducted their review of the incident. They emphasized taking all food-related concerns seriously, though there was no immediate comment available from the company when requested.