NY woman notices untouched Wagyu plate at a stranger’s table and takes matters into her own hands. Then she returns, ‘smacking those lips’

A New York woman spotted an untouched plate of Wagyu steak at a stranger’s table and asked whether she could have it. Moments later, she returned to her own table with the platter.

TikTok creator Ava Ganz (@avaganzz) shared the encounter in a post about her friend Ellie. According to Ganz’s account, Ellie first asked a server about the untouched Wagyu. She then approached a nearby table where a large group appeared to be gathered for a celebration.

Ellie asked the diners whether she could take their Wagyu because they were not eating it. The group apparently agreed. Ganz’s caption captured what happened next: “She was smacking those lips, can’t let the cow go twice right.”

Wagyu beef can be spendy.

Though often expensive, Wagyu does not have one universal price. The term can refer to beef from Japanese cattle breeds, while Wagyu products are also produced outside Japan.

The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service has a specific Authentic Wagyu Beef Program with requirements for beef marketed under that program. The USDA also operates other certified beef programs with specific requirements for participating producers and products.

Ganz’s post does not identify the restaurant or provide details about the Wagyu’s cut, grade, origin, portion size, or price. It also does not establish how long the steak had been sitting at the other table before Ellie asked for it.

What about eating someone else’s food?

The incident also raises a more practical question: Is it safe to eat food that another diner ordered and handled? The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service says bacteria can multiply quickly when perishable food remains in the temperature danger zone, which the agency identifies as between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

One commenter, identifying themselves as a physician, addressed the food safety question. The commenter wrote that there was “really no significant risk” of getting a disease from eating off a stranger’s plate. (The person’s medical credentials could not be independently verified.)

Meanwhile, another commenter told a similar story. They recalled sitting next to a family at Benihana when a teenager ordered calamari. According to the commenter, the teenager decided he did not want the dish, so the commenter offered to take it off his hands.

The family declined, saying they planned to take the food home in a to-go container. The commenter later said they overheard that the family intended to give the calamari to their dog.

In Ganz’s video, however, Ellie apparently got a different answer. The Wagyu was headed for the trash or leftovers. She chose the third option: eating it herself and sharing it with her friends.