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After a gay couple alleged that they were asked not to return to a restaurant in Texas because they are gay, the restaurant's Yelp page has been pummeled with fake negative reviews. According to KLTV, Collin Dewberry and his partner ate breakfast at Big Earl's Bait House in Pittsburg, Texas and were about to leave when a waitress, who is owner Earl Cheney's daughter, told the couple not to come back. The waitress read to them a sign on the front door of the restaurant that says, "Here at Big Earl's we like for men to act like men and for ladies to act like ladies," and added, "So we want you to never return." When asked by the couple what she meant, the waitress apparently said, "We don't serve fags."
According to a local CBS station, Cheney says that the couple was asked not to return because their legs were touching, which is apparently "against policy," not because of their sexual orientation. Hard to believe, seeing as the restaurant's Facebook page claims that the waitress was misquoted and actually said, "We do not like fags." Because that is so much better. According to Dewberry, the pair was sitting on opposite sides of the table just talking. Cheney has refused to show reporters the surveillance video.
The restaurant only had two real Yelp reviews before the news broke of their ban on the gay couple. Many Yelpers have been exacting their revenge by posting one-star reviews that straight up criticize Big Earl's for its actions while some are scathingly sarcastic. "This place is great because you can really just let your freak flag fly here. No judgement what so ever. The gayer the better really. The food does kind of suck though, so watch out for that," wrote Ashley M. Plenty have also left prank reviews, similar to the stunt Yelpers pulled on a homophobic bar in Oklahoma, pretending that Big Earl's is "greatest gay bar west of New Orleans!"
Yelpers aren't having all of the fun. Many people have taken to the restaurant's Facebook page to support the gay couple by calling Cheney and his employees names like "bigot" and by tagging the restaurant in hilarious photos of gay couples. The restaurant currently has 752 one star ratings on Facebook. Big Earl's has responded to the comments in a Facebook post, nothing that the restaurant has gained new customers from the incident and received "numerous phone calls" from people "that feel the same way we do." The post notes that Cheney and company "will continue to feel the same way" as they do now, which probably means the restaurant should buckle up for a long ride of fake Yelp reviews. Go, look at the Yelp reviews:
Video: Gay Couple Asked to not Come Back to Texas Restaurant
· Couple Says they were Asked not to Come Back to East Texas Restaurant [KLTV]
· Gay Couple Told Not To Return To East Texas Restaurant [CBS]
· Big Earl's Bait Shop [Yelp]
· All Yelp Coverage on Eater [-E-]
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