A California woman recently shared a story on TikTok about her experience at a local Mexican restaurant that has left many people feeling uneasy about food safety and hygiene. The creator, Nora Flores, who goes by the handle @nora_flo, documented a visit to Palenque Kitchen in Riverside, California, where she claims she was served a drink containing a dangerous chemical.
The video has gained significant traction online, amassing over 874,000 views as viewers express their concerns about what occurred during her brunch visit, BroBible reported. Flores explained that she and a friend arrived at the restaurant around 1:00 PM on the day in question. She decided to order a split bottle of Ruffino Prosecco.
According to her account, the server unsealed the bottle right in front of her at the table. While the process seemed standard at first, Flores noticed something was off as soon as the liquid hit her glass. She noted that the drink was a bright purple color, which immediately struck her as unusual for a prosecco. When she asked the server if the drink was supposed to be that specific color, she claims the server simply responded, “Yeah.”
Despite the server’s insistence, Flores felt something was wrong and decided to smell the drink before taking a sip
Upon catching the scent, she immediately identified it as Fabuloso, a well-known multi-purpose cleaning solution. Her friend agreed with her assessment, with her friend remarking, “Somebody must be playing a really bad prank on us.” Flores took the glass to the bar area to discuss the situation with the staff. After some discussion among the employees, they provided her with a replacement bottle of Ruffino Prosecco.
The second time around, the server unsealed the bottle in the same manner as the first. This led to a confusing exchange between Flores and the server. Flores recounted asking, “But didn’t you do that with the other one?” The server allegedly replied, “No, that one wasn’t sealed like this one.”
While the second bottle appeared to contain a normal drink, the experience left Flores with major questions about how a cleaning agent could end up inside a sealed bottle of prosecco. She expressed her concerns about the potential motives, stating, “Who does this and why? With what motive? So that is really my concern here.”
Because Palenque Kitchen functions as a nightclub in the evenings, Flores is worried that other patrons might have already consumed the chemical solution without realizing it. She wonders if anyone else has gone home feeling sick, perhaps mistaking the symptoms for having consumed too much alcohol. When she brought these concerns to the restaurant management, she was told that there is no Fabuloso kept on the premises.
Flores found this explanation strange, as it would imply that someone might be bringing the cleaning product from home. She also expressed frustration with the restaurant’s management, claiming that while they initially promised to review hours of security footage to investigate the incident, they later abandoned the effort. She received a final update from them stating, “that’s it,” and “What I said to you on the phone is as much as we have.”
Flores has since taken steps to report the incident to the Riverside County health department and has left reviews regarding her experience on Yelp and Google. She emphasized the seriousness of the situation, noting, “I hope that this saves a person from drinking this poisonous solution. It could be fatal, and it should be taken a lot more seriously.”
The incident highlights a broader issue regarding the accidental ingestion of household cleaners. Fabuloso is often accidentally consumed, and researchers have previously suggested that the product’s bright colors and bottle design can lead people to mistake it for a soft drink.
In 2006, the manufacturer, Colgate-Palmolive, updated the product’s label to include bolder graphics and clearer warnings about its intended use as a cleaner. While a study from that same year indicated that Fabuloso is generally a minor gastrointestinal irritant and is unlikely to cause major mortality, it remains a substance that should never be ingested.
Viewers who watched the TikTok video have been vocal about their reaction to the situation. Many commenters have urged Flores to take further action, with suggestions ranging from contacting law enforcement to seeking legal counsel. One user wrote, “Health department, police, lawyer, and OASHA IMMEDIATELY,” while another stated, “I would have called the cops then and there. No hesitation. I would have called the cops.”
Other viewers expressed their gratitude for her sharing the information, with one saying, “Thank you for raising awareness. This is a SERIOUS situation, and ppl need to be warned. This is so scary.”
Published: May 4, 2026 07:00 pm