A server says a customer told him she had no allergies and ordered red clams, then said she had a severe shellfish allergy when it arrived

A server’s story about a diner who ordered red clams and then announced a severe shellfish allergy has pulled in hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok. Alex Netherda, who posts as @yaboynerdy, says he asked the entire table about allergies before taking entree orders and got a firm no from everyone.

As reported by The Daily Dot, Netherda was waiting on a family of seven, and he says everything seemed fine at first. However, the group took a while to order, with one young woman asking about nearly everything on the menu. The food came out, and soon after it hit the table, the family waved him over.

According to Netherda, the woman told him she could not eat the clams because of a serious shellfish allergy and did not even want the dish on the table. He says she gave him some attitude, so he reminded the table that he had asked about allergies and asked her what she thought clams were. She ended up with chicken strips and fries.

Fellow servers say this kind of order happens more than people think

The comment section filled up with restaurant workers who said they have dealt with similar guests, as many related to being blamed for a customer’s own choices. One person who works at a seafood restaurant said the number of diners who show up with a shellfish allergy is “INSANE,” while another said it drives them crazy when guests stay silent about allergies.

Some shared stories with higher stakes. One commenter said a guest who claimed to have no allergies ordered a dish topped with black ants and ended up using his EpiPen, adding that staff would have warned him if he had mentioned his shellfish allergy. A former line cook described a server ringing in a tomato allergy for a guest who simply wanted salsa instead.

Others described diners who seemed confused about what was on their plates. One viewer said a relative ordered garlic salmon and then announced she could not eat it because of the garlic, while another said a customer once asked whether the omelets contained eggs. A bartender added that someone had asked whether there was mango in the mango margarita.

Not every reply focused on the customer. However, some viewers poked fun at Netherda’s vocabulary, while one longtime server said they had never asked guests about allergies in 30 years, calling it the diner’s responsibility rather than the server’s. Others said stories like this one are why they always tip servers a little extra.

The video also touched on a real safety issue, as reactions to shellfish can range from mild to life-threatening. The Food and Drug Administration lists crustacean shellfish such as shrimp, crab and lobster among the major food allergens covered by labeling rules. Mollusks like clams are not on that federal list, though they can still cause allergic reactions.

Netherda’s clip joins a steady stream of viral restaurant stories about difficult tables, including one where a server refused a $1 tip from a customer who kept complaining about his mojito. He has kept posting about his shifts since, with newer videos detailing other tough customers.

More restaurant stories are likely to follow on his page, though Netherda has not said whether the diner or her family addressed the clams mix-up before leaving.

Attack of the Fanboy was unable to independently verify the customer’s side of the story, as this account originates solely from Netherda’s TikTok video.