Austin, TX
Posted on 10/18/2026 2:17:45 PM PDT by DFG
A “grossed-out” diner nearly swallowed a cow tooth that was stuffed in a takeout taco from a Texas-based chain restaurant, a new lawsuit claims.
Nohemi Castillo is suing Torchy’s Tacos after she discovered a cow tooth in a “Democrat” taco — consisting of beef barbacoa made with beef cheek — from a South Congress location of the fast-casual Tex-Mex restaurant on June 9, KVUE reported.
The restaurant offers both Democrat and Republican tacos, according to its menu.
Castillo was “grossed out and sickened” by the foreign cow canine and had to visit a doctor that night, where she was prescribed medication, the lawsuit obtained by the outlet said.
The manager of the Torchy’s was informed of the unexpected tooth, but it was “unclear what, if anything, he did to remedy the problem within his food and under his control,” the suit claimed.
Castillo is suing Torchy’s for up to $250,000 as determined by a jury, alleging the restaurant negligently sold a product that did not meet food safety standards, the outlet reported.
“[Torchy’s failed to] properly inspect, prepare, or monitor food and taco meat to prevent foreign objects from entering the food product before placing it into the stream of commerce,” the lawsuit said, per Fox7.
Torchy’s confirmed in a statement to the outlet that the object was a cow tooth and vowed to step up internal procedures with their supplier to prevent another similar mishap.
“We are aware of the situation and take all concerns about our food seriously. We source the highest quality food available, which means our barbacoa comes from natural beef cheek that we source from a supplier,” a Torchy’s spokesperson said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
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I didn’t know taco meat could be al dente.
Yeah real beef cheeks can have teeth still in them. I have found no less than 3 cooking beef cheeks in a tray in the smoker. You shred it by hand and feel for any bones or teeth it’s not a big deal I mean it’s literally cow cheeks you know where the F*@king teeth live. This is just lawyer scum seeking a pay day and they found a (would get time out) that wants some of that money too.
Is the heifer missing any?
Eat red.
Thanks for the education. I’m not at all familiar with the term ‘Beef Cheeks”. It’s real. I even Googled it.
I read they are mainly used to make authentic Mexican Barbacoa Tacos.
That’s just nasty.
Anyway, it looks like a molar.
> I’m not at all familiar with the term ‘Beef Cheeks”. It’s real. I even Googled it.
I didn’t google it, I assumed it was from the other end of the cow, butt cheeks. Finding a tooth is better than finding a starfish, if you know what I mean.
“I didn’t know taco meat could be al dente.”
You win today’s Internet (and you made me spit my drink out.)
Democrat and Republican tacos,
Do cows really have canine teeth?
Some cervids ( deer family) have upper canines of varying shapes and sizes. Elk "ivories" are remnants of tusks. Some deer are fanged.
In college, I had a wierd bump on the roof of my mouth. Eventuallly picked at it and it was a shard of bone. Strange and alarming for a 20 year old. Took it to my next dentist visit, he said “Probably an old chunck of baby tooth. Don’t worry about it..”
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