Velasquez F.
Google
Dear LongHorn Steakhouse Management Team,
I am writing to formally report an extremely serious and distressing experience my family had at your restaurant on Thursday, January 8th at approximately 6:30 p.m.
My parents have been loyal customers of this LongHorn Steakhouse since it opened. They were genuinely excited to share their positive experiences with us and invited our family to dinner this evening. Unfortunately, what occurred during our visit was frightening, traumatic, and deeply troubling.
During our meal, a piece of steak became lodged in my father’s throat, causing him to choke. As he gestured that he needed help, my son immediately began performing the Heimlich maneuver while I loudly called out for assistance, attempting to alert restaurant staff that we were experiencing a medical emergency. Despite our clear distress and repeated calls for help, not a single staff member came to our table -no server, no manager, no employee whatsoever.
As my father choked, his eyes bulging, my two sons took turns performing the Heimlich maneuver for what felt like an eternity. The restaurant was packed, and it would have been impossible for anyone nearby not to notice what was happening. Still, we were completely alone in our efforts. Thankfully, my sons were able to dislodge the piece of steak, allowing my father to breathe again.
In the aftermath, my father vomited at the table as a result of the ordeal. A female patron-not an employee-came over to check on us. Still, no staff member appeared. My sons then escorted my father outside for fresh air, followed by my mother, who was visibly shaken and upset.
As my husband and I gathered our belongings to leave, we were finally approached by our server-only to present us with our $300 bill. Still in shock and emotionally overwhelmed, I handed over my credit card and paid. At no point did anyone ask if my father was okay, offer assistance, acknowledge what had occurred, or involve a manager.
This experience was mortifying, terrifying, and unacceptable. It is deeply concerning that during a clear, life-threatening medical emergency, no staff member-especially no manager intervened or followed what should be established safety protocols for patron emergencies.
I am sharing this not only because of the trauma my family endured, but because this represents a serious lapse in professionalism, training, and basic human responsibility. I want to be certain that this incident is formally documented and addressed, and that steps are taken to ensure this never happens to another family.
I have submitted a customer service form so that it is formally documented in some way. There does not seem to be another way to formally document a concern and I certainly do not feel comfortable contacting the restaurant directly due to their lack of assistance. If corporate manages these reviews, I would appreciate a response regarding this situation.
