A woman who goes by Kenzie Rogers on TikTok, where she posts under the username @mckenzie5821, has shared a story from her time working as a server at Texas Roadhouse. In the video, she describes what she called her worst experience as a server, which reportedly happened early in her time at the job.
According to the video, Rogers said she had just started working at the restaurant when she was given her first large party. The group reportedly consisted of 14 people, which she indicated was a significant moment for her as a new server.
Rogers recounted that the situation quickly became challenging in a way she said she did not expect. According to her account in the video, after greeting the table and asking everyone what they wanted to drink, the customers all stared at her with what she described as confused expressions.
Rogers’ account of the moment she realized all 14 customers were deaf
In the video, Rogers explained that the group of 14 customers was “all completely deaf.” She said the realization came after she had already attempted to take their drink orders and noticed the group looking at each other and then back at her without responding verbally.
Rogers described the overall experience in brief terms, stating, “So it was rough.” She did not elaborate further on how the rest of the interaction went or how the situation was resolved, based on what was shared in the video.
The clip, which was posted to her TikTok account @mckenzie5821, carried the caption, “it was the longest night of my life,” along with the hashtags #serverlife, #server, and #restaurant. In the video, on-screen text at the top of the frame reads “worst experience as a server,” which aligns with how Rogers introduced the story verbally. She appeared to be sitting in a dimly lit room and was wearing a white button-down shirt during the recording, based on the details of the video.
Rogers began the video by stating, “The worst experience I’ve ever had as a server is when I was working at Texas Roadhouse.” She then described receiving the large party shortly after starting at the restaurant, saying, “I had just started out and I got my first big party and it was a party of 14.”
She continued her account by describing the greeting and the moment she asked for drink orders, saying, “They come in, they sit down, I give them my greet, um, and then I ask everybody what they want to drink and they’re all looking at each other really confused and just staring at me.”
According to Rogers, it was at that point she said she came to understand why the customers had not responded to her, stating, “And it turns out they were all completely deaf, all 14 of them.”
When a commenter asked, “Genuinely how did you make it past that experience. Like actually what DID you do,” Rogers replied in the comments, saying, “i pointed and smiled.”
The video drew reactions from other viewers who said they had been in similar situations. A commenter named annelise said she had a comparable experience with a party of around 10 people, adding that the group had made a reservation in advance, which she said meant she was aware before they arrived.
She suggested that prior notification should be standard practice, writing, “I feel like that should be standard in this situation? at the very least your host had to know…?” Similar customer service challenges have recently included a woman whose Texas Roadhouse birthday surprise was ruined by a server’s question.
Another commenter said they had experienced a similar situation but with a table that could hear, and appeared to criticize customers who seem unfamiliar with restaurant norms, writing, “idk why people act like they’ve never been to a restaurant before.” Other difficult interactions at the chain have involved a woman refusing to leave until her entire bill was voided.
Published: Jul 15, 2026 06:30 am