‘Bro you in Houston’: Traveling man goes to Ojos Locos Sports Cantina by hotel. Then he realizes what it actually is

These days, it's borderline impossible to take menu prices at face value. Hidden charges are as common as they are annoying, and everything's getting just a tad bit more expensive.

One traveler experienced two surprises in one dinner—and only one of them involved showing skin.

‘What other restaurant charges you for each soft drink refill?'

Content creator Michael Blanchard (@michaelblanchard1111) shared a two-part story from a dinner at Ojos Locos Sports Cantina, a bar next to his hotel. His video has since accumulated more than 9,700 views. 

“Unknowingly, this place is like the Mexican version of Hooters,” Blanchard said. “When I walked in, the first thing I saw was just an enormous amount of [women with exposed chests].”

Apparently, this was surprise number one for Blanchard.

Blanchard said he'd ordered a Coke Zero and gotten two refills over the course of dinner. When the check arrived, it listed three Coke Zeros. He asked the waitress to take two off, assuming she “might've put two on there by accident.”

The waitress explained the charge for his two refills.

“You could've told me that before I got two refills,” Blanchard said. “I would've sipped a lot lighter. Who does that? What other restaurant charges you for each soft drink refill? That's crazy to me.”

@michaelblanchard1111 #fyp #ojoslocos #houstontx #explorepage ♬ original sound – Mikexpenn

A Houston welcome: Commenters chime in

Native Houstonians flooded into Blanchard's comment section, jokingly welcoming him to their reality.

“Oh, you in Houston,” one viewer commented. Another joked, “The H in Houston stands for hustle… welcome!”

“It's the modern restaurant model in Houston,” a commenter wrote. “Scamming.”

But one resident advised against painting the whole city with one brush.

“Don't judge Houston by that!” they commented. “There are MUCH better places to eat that don't charge for refills.”

Does Houston have an upcharge-happy food culture?

Houston has generated a fair amount of local news coverage of restaurant fees in recent years. 

The Houston Chronicle reported that “Houston diners [were] fed up with service charges,” with one customer taking aim at a restaurant called B.B. Italia. According to the customer's receipt, B.B. Italia gave them a 3% “Restaurant Operations Fee.” The restaurant's owner defended this as a clearly disclosed way to cover rising labor and ingredient costs rather than raising menu prices outright. 

The Chronicle also reported on a Houston Thai restaurant that ultimately dropped a “controversial service charge” amid pushback. It found that Houston diners have been vocal about disliking credit card surcharges, even as restaurant owners argue the fees are necessary to survive.

Fox 26 Houston similarly reported on a Bellaire restaurant adding a 3.5% card surcharge this year, citing rising food and operating costs.

Buzz News reached out to Blanchard via TikTok comment, as well as Ojos Locos Sports Cantina via email.