TikToker says Texas Roadhouse hides cameras to watch diners eat, but the restaurant shuts it down

Texas Roadhouse has officially denied claims that its dining room light bulbs contain hidden cameras. The popular steakhouse chain stepped in to clarify the actual purpose of those distinctive fixtures after a conspiracy theory went viral online. The buzz started with a now unavailable TikTok video from user Zander Marlow, which quickly got nearly half a million views. 

Marlow’s video zoomed in on a lightbulb positioned over a table, highlighting a dark spot in its middle. He posted text over the video, saying, “Texas Roadhouse so good I bet y’all didn’t even know there’s a camera watching you eat.” This implied that the dark spot was a tiny lens pointed at unsuspecting diners.

Texas Roadhouse quickly set the record straight. A spokesperson firmly stated, “There are absolutely no cameras in any of the light fixtures in our restaurant.” They explained that the bulbs used are called “silver dome” bulbs, and they are not for surveillance. According to the U.S. Sun, they are designed to reflect light back into the fixture, cutting down on glare and softening the overall brightness. The chain uses them purely for “guest comfort and ambiance.”

Silver dome bulbs are a common lighting solution, not a surveillance tool

These “silver dome” bulbs are also known as “silver-tipped,” “half-chrome,” or “silver bowl” lightbulbs. A typical lightbulb blasts light in every direction, which can be harsh and create an unpleasant glare if you are sitting right under one.

With a silver-tipped bulb, the reflective coating on the tip pushes the light back towards the base, making it softer and more indirect. These bulbs are commonly found in commercial dining areas, kitchen islands, and workspaces, basically anywhere that benefits from gentle, diffused lighting.

Many TikTok users commenting on Marlow’s video were quick to point out how impractical it would be for a restaurant to monitor every single diner that closely. It simply does not make logical sense from an operational standpoint. Texas is no stranger to making headlines lately, and stories like a missing university student who stopped all contact have kept the state in the news cycle.

While there are no hidden cameras in their light fixtures, Texas Roadhouse does use regular security cameras, like most businesses. These are placed throughout their locations for standard purposes such as preventing fraud, reporting incidents, and loss prevention.

A study from 2020 found that the average American was captured by security cameras around 238 times per week. With the rise of personal security cameras like Ring devices, that number has likely gone up since then. Texas residents have also been in the news for other reasons, such as common driving mistakes during icy weather that can lead to costly fines.

In most retail locations and public spaces, security cameras are easy to spot if you know where to look. The Texas Roadhouse claim turned out to be a simple case of misunderstanding a common lighting technology.