A Florida woman recently took her boyfriend to Texas Roadhouse for his birthday and had something special planned. But it got ruined when the server asked her boyfriend for “consent.” Sure, consent is important, but last time we checked, that’s not how birthday surprises work.
Olivia Daquisto (@oliviadaquisto) shared a TikTok post, now with more than 100k views, about what happened, and in the text overlay, she said,
Just asked the server to do the Texas Roadhouse birthday thing as a surprise and she came up five mins later and asked him for CONSENT.”
via Olivia Daquisto, TikTok
Daquisto’s plan was ruined as she flipped the camera around to show her own disappointed face. She then panned to her boyfriend, holding his hand to his forehead with his fingers in an “L” shape, meaning “Loser.” (He said no.)
So, what is the Texas Roadhouse birthday thing?
When customers celebrate their birthday at participating Texas Roadhouse locations, at the customer’s request, servers often bring out a real cowboy saddle, place it on a bench or platform, and invite the birthday guest to sit on it as the restaurant staff and other diners cheer, shout “YEE‑HAW,” while singing a birthday song.
Daquisto was bummed, but as her comments noted, birthday surprises, and the Texas Roadhouse one specifically, aren’t for everyone. “It’s honestly embarrassing. I didn’t know I could refuse. I cried after bc I hate that level of public perception.”
Another said, “i agreed to do it on my 18th bc i thought it was funny but when i got on the saddle i could see everyone in the restaurant looking at me and all of a sudden it was notttt funny 
”
Not everyone loves birthday attention
Those commenters are not alone. Birthdays aren’t joyful for everyone. For some, birthdays put them in the spotlight, which can feel uncomfortable or overwhelming rather than enjoyable, especially for people with introverted tendencies or social anxiety who prefer quieter, low‑key interactions instead of being the center of attention.
Others find birthdays stressful because they trigger introspection about aging, unmet expectations, or life milestones.
Past negative experiences, such as being forgotten or feeling pressured by social norms and expectations around celebrations, can also make birthdays feel unpleasant or even painful for some. Altogether, what’s meant to be a happy occasion for many can instead be a reminder of discomfort with social attention, internal pressures, or personal history.
The Texas Roadhouse birthday saddle is also unpopular with the crew. One Texas Roadhouse employee chimed in,
as a roadhouse server it’s a waste of our time to bring it over & the person not want it done & then sitting there trying to convince them for them to still not get on the saddle. & to have a group of other servers stop what their doing to come. i’ll always ask right before i do it so i don’t run into that situation. hope that helps(:”
via madds, TikTok
Someone else noted, “I actually have so much respect for that worker! As someone with anxiety it was the worst part of my birthdays and to spring it on someone without checking how they feel first is just wrong.”
