A new video has taken TikTok by storm, telling the tale of a New York steakhouse allegedly eating the birthday cake Ryan Nordheimer made for his friend.
On October 1, he took to the platform to upload a how-to video of his “funfetti” cookie cake recipe. The video seemed normal until the TikToker ended it with the statement:
"Although the restaurant ate half the cake for themselves, it was nice to have my little slice with all those beautiful layers and cookie(s),”
The following day, Ryan Nordheimer issued another video clarifying things for his commenters:
"This is the story of how a restaurant in New York City ended up eating half of this incredible birthday cake that I made for my friend."
He continued, explaining the birthday cake had taken him “five or six hours” to make and valued it “at several hundreds of dollars.” He also revealed that he wasn't allowed to cut the cake himself, as the restaurant cited "safety hazards." So, after they sang happy birthday, he handed it over to a waiter. However, he only got back half of the cake, if that.
According to Ryan Nordheimer, the restaurant kept the remaining half and served the guests “thin” slices instead. He also claimed that when they asked for the remainder of the birthday cake, he was told nothing was left.
"Definitely not all the cake was served to us. So the only explanation is that this high-end New York City Midtown steakhouse took the cake back into the kitchen, cut all of us meager slices of cake to eat and they had just eaten the rest of it for themselves. I sort of understand, it's a long shift. They deserve maybe a little sweet treat at the end of their night but when the cake is my hard work and my friend's birthday present that I gifted them, it's definitely a little disappointing.”
The TikToker's posts went viral rapidly, with many empathizing with the healthcare analyst and content creator. One user commented:
"It's so wild because him making the cake was on my feed and then the drama was on my feed and I was like shocked the whole way through. I've been to a few of those restaurants in the beginning they were actually good but they went down hill soooooo fast."
Several others echoed the sympathetic sentiments:
"this would have been the beginning of my villain arc bc …….excuse ME??? aint no way,"
Soon, more and more began chiming in to point out the injustice over the missing birthday cake.
"i had noo idea who he was but seeing the update cross my fyp….so wild. i cannot imagine even touching a sprinkle on a cake thats for someones birthday. whoever made the decision to eat/give the staff the rest earned getting fired bc WHERE WAS UR BRAIN AT," one user noted.
"I’m so surprised he just let them say “there’s no more left” and he let it go, I’d be speaking to the ceo within an hour bc ain’t no wayyyyyy u r lying to me like this LOL," one user tweeted.
"When I used to be a server, we would happily cut cakes for people’s birthdays but never auto assumed we could eat the cake. If the customer wanted to give some to the waiter was they could on their decision. Yeaaa, the resturant SUCKS for doing this, and a cutting fee? DRAG EM," another user advised.
"He said the manager reached out and said they forgot to give it back and offered them a dinner for two…they told him there was no cake left so how you forget ????" another pointed out.
Others shared their own anecdotes of working in a restaurant.
"I've worked in so many restaurants over the years and I couldn't fathom eating someone's birthday cake. Hell, if the cakes were mishandled and some of the frosting smeared on the lid, you'd get an earful," one user said.
"They claimed they had to cut it “for safety reasons”, but #1, this is a steakhouse. They offer, you know, STEAK KNIVES to cut the meat they serve. And #2, why was it necessary for them to cut the cake in the back instead of at the table?" another probed.
"they owe that man money for the cake and a full refund to all 12 of them people for their meals cause that is so crazy," another stated.
Quality Meats responds to TikToker Ryan Nordheimer's claims, asserting no one ate the birthday cake
The chronically online began speculating that the steakhouse in question may have been Quality Meats. However, a representative for the restaurant told Today:
“We have referenced security footage of the kitchen that evening, and can ensure that our staff did not eat any of the birthday cake. Whenever a guest brings in their own desserts, the team tries to estimate the size of the slices with a buffer in case a guest wants seconds. Once the party of 12 was served, there were only two slices left — not half of the cake."
They continued, noting that the staff did not eat the birthday cake.
"While we acknowledge that we failed to pack up the remaining two slices, the accusations that the staff ate the cake are completely false. We’ve reached out to the guest to apologize for our team’s lack of communication that evening.”
However, Quality Meats has not released the footage, nor did they show the outlet the same, claiming their personnel refused permission. On October 4, Ryan Nordheimer issued an update, revealing the staff "most likely forgot about" giving the birthday cake back. He also revealed that "they were super kind" and gifted him a free dinner for two as an apology.
Ryan Nordheimer’s viral videos have sparked widespread discussion across TikTok, with viewers debating the appropriateness of restaurant policies regarding guest cakes.
Some users noted that while cutting fees are common, the disappearance of part of the cake was unusual. Others questioned the staff's failure to return the remaining slices, suggesting that clearer communication could have avoided the confusion.
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