If you’ve ever had to kill time between flights, you know that the airport dining experience is usually pretty miserable. You’re already paying absolutely crazy prices for even the simplest sandwich, so you’d really hope that the service would at least be decent. Unfortunately, one traveler recently recounted a bizarre experience at Chicago O’Hare International Airport where she was actually kicked out of a restaurant after ordering a second drink, following a totally unbelievable accusation.
TikTok user Alanah, who goes by @alanahstory21, posted a video detailing how she was told to leave the Goose Island Beer Company restaurant while waiting for her flight. This whole situation is just wild, and I have to say, it sounds like awful customer service.
Alanah explained that she was sitting at the bar, just trying to relax before boarding. She ordered and consumed one drink, and then decided to order a second. However, right after she received her new beverage, the server immediately told her she needed to leave the premises. Alanah was understandably confused. She told the server, “I want to just sit here and finish my stuff. I don’t want to drink this at the gate. Like, I just want to sit at the restaurant.”
This level of paranoia from the airport restaurant can hardly be justified
Instead of offering an explanation, the server immediately escalated the situation with a truly bizarre question. Alanah recalls the server asking her, “Have you been overserved?” Given that she had only had a single drink so far, Alanah reacted with shock. She shot back, “What the hell are you talking about?” That reaction seemed to set the server off even more. Alanah said the server then asked if she was going to swear at her, before picking up the second drink, which Alanah hadn’t even started yet.
She noted that other patrons around her were equally confused, with some saying, “What in the world? Like, she hasn’t been overserved.” A manager eventually came over, but instead of de-escalating the situation, they simply backed up the waitress’s story. Alanah tried to reason with them, saying, “I’m like, ‘I’ve had one drink sitting here. Like, can y’all issue me a refund? Something?’” Instead of getting her money back, Alanah says the restaurant threatened to call security on her.
This whole mess left Alanah feeling “so freaking helpless.” She worried about the serious consequences of fighting the establishment, asking, “What am I gonna do? Get on that f— no fly list over some goofy-a– s— that is, I guess, having a bad f— day?” I can only imagine how stressful that would be. Being threatened with the no-fly list over a single beer is just ridiculous.
While Alanah’s treatment was clearly unfair, there is a reason why airport bars in Illinois might be quick to toss around the “overserved” accusation. In reality, there is no strict legal limit that defines when someone has been overserved. Instead, servers are tasked with monitoring patrons to ensure they do not become intoxicated.
If a bar fails to do this, the consequences are severe. First, they risk losing their liquor license entirely if they cannot effectively manage intoxicated guests. Second, Illinois has a Dram Shop Law. This means if a person is overserved and then goes on to cause harm, the establishment that served them can be held liable for damages. Plus, if a flyer becomes intoxicated, they could be denied boarding or even cause an onboard issue that requires an emergency landing.
Given all that risk, it’s understandable that bars are careful, but this level of paranoia is just unacceptable.
Published: Jan 7, 2026 12:30 pm