South Carolina woman walks into Waffle House—and sees it deserted. Then she goes into the kitchen: ‘A whole steak is crazy’

Two social media content creators found an empty Waffle House kitchen during a late-night visit. So they took matters into their own hands.

South Carolina resident Gabriella (@lablankitax) posted a video with more than 2.7 million views. In the viral clip, she and a friend appeared to be inside what they said was a Waffle House kitchen. Gabriella recorded her friend cooking herself a steak on one of the restaurant's burners because they said no one was available to serve them.

“There ain't nobody here, they playing,” she said as the camera panned to show the entire empty kitchen area.

The unusual scene quickly attracted attention, with many viewers wondering what happened before the camera started rolling.

Why was she cooking her own food?

According to Gabriella, the women started cooking their own food after they initially ordered waffles. She explained in the comment section that employees at the Waffle House location laughed at her when she asked about her order.

“No we were waiting for the waffles and they left out back and i looked and the waffles are smoking they burnt my food the lady walks back in doesn't say nothing but just starts laughing ? why are you leaving a restaurant with people in it and with a fire going waffle house needs to do better,” Gabriella said.

TikTok user YANNIXO (@yaniladomi), who was with Gabriella and cooked the steak in her video, posted her side of the story. “@Waffle House ya need to hire better people and mangers there's nooo way I had to make my own food,” the TikToker said. “am I bugging ????”

YANNIXO confirmed that the two women were at Waffle House around 3 a.m. and that they walked toward the back to cook their own food after employees left them alone in the establishment.

Staffing at Waffle House and other establishments

While there is no confirmation that Waffle House is experiencing widespread staffing concerns, the restaurant industry as a whole continues to be affected by a staffing crisis. According to the National Restaurant Association's 2025 State of the Restaurant Industry report, 77% of restaurant operators say that although applicant flow has improved, retaining employees remains a significant challenge.

Regardless, U.S. restaurants operate under standard food safety and liability regulations that restrict kitchen areas to trained employees. Industry practice does not permit customers to be behind the grill or to prepare food themselves, even if employees aren't available.

The FDA Food Code is the official model used by state and local health departments to regulate restaurants and food service operations across the United States. It establishes rules for preventing foodborne illness and maintaining safe food handling practices in retail food settings such as restaurants and diners.

Within these standards, food establishments are required to control access to food preparation, storage and warewashing areas. In practice, this means only authorized employees or approved personnel may enter kitchen and prep spaces, and establishments must take steps to prevent contamination from unauthorized individuals.

‘I didn't know waffle House had DIY dining'

Many viewers seemed more impressed by the women's confidence than concerned about the circumstances.

Several commenters joked that the self-hired cook appeared qualified for the job. They even placed their own mock orders in the comments section.

“Fix me uh patty melt heavy! Make it slouchy,” one commenter said.

Others suggested she handled the situation better than some restaurant employees might have.

“Pleaseee this cannot be real she working that grill too she clocked in,” another said with crying emojis.

Some viewers weren't impressed, however, questioning whether the women paid for their food or followed food safety standards.

“Going somewhere else never crossed your mind,” said one commenter.

In the comment section, Gabriella said that they were not stealing. She added that they had already paid for their meals. She also said they were too hungry to leave.

Others said that placing a steak directly on a burner is not the proper way to cook it and commented on the way they approached the kitchen.

“My thing is as someone who works at Waffle House. Why is she cooking the steak on the two burner and not the actual grill,” said one viewer.

Buzz News reached out to Waffle House via email and Gabriella via TikTok and Instagram direct message for comment.