Texas Woman Files $250,000 Lawsuit Against Torchy’s Tacos After Finding Cow Tooth in Meal
A Texas woman is suing Torchy’s Tacos for $250,000 after discovering a cow tooth in her Democrat taco. The chain confirms the object is a bovine tooth.
POLICY WIRE — Austin, Texas — A Texas woman has initiated legal action against the taco chain Torchy’s Tacos after discovering a cow’s tooth inside her takeout order.
Nohemi Castillo filed the lawsuit on October 13, alleging that she found the object while eating a Democrat taco she purchased from an Austin location. The incident, which occurred on June 9, left her feeling sickened and prompted a visit to a doctor that same evening.
According to the legal filing, Castillo was prescribed medication following the discovery. She is currently seeking $250,000 in damages.
Castillo’s attorney, Scott Vasquez, stated that his client was horrified by the find. “Her reaction was disgust. ‘What is this?’” he revealed. “Looking at it, she thought it was a tooth.”
The lawsuit includes a photograph of the tooth, which appears coated in a brown liquid next to the remains of the meal. The Democrat taco, a menu item featuring beef barbacoa, avocado, cotija cheese, cilantro, onions, and tomatillo salsa, was part of a company promotion.
Vasquez claimed that when he reached out to the restaurant, management and legal representatives attempted to deflect responsibility. “I thought they’d want to take care of this immediately, and apparently not,” he said. “They just felt, in my view: ‘Let’s blame someone else.’”
The lawsuit accuses the chain of negligence, breach of implied warranties, and violations of both the Deceptive Trade Practices Act and the Food Safety Modernization Act. Vasquez argued that the tooth should have been detected long before reaching a customer, noting, “It could choke somebody. It really could.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for Torchy’s Tacos confirmed the object was indeed a cow tooth. The company explained that their barbacoa is sourced from natural beef cheek, and while rare, such incidents can occur during meat processing. The chain stated it has since worked with its supplier to strengthen internal procedures to prevent future occurrences.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
