Two women celebrated Cinco de Mayo with an extravagant meal at Talavera Cantina in the Bronx’s Mott Haven neighborhood but fled without paying their $112.77 bill. Surveillance footage captures the pair grabbing the check tray and exiting on Taco Tuesday, May 5, the restaurant’s peak night.
Incident Details
The women enjoyed frozen margaritas, chips and guacamole, and tacos during the Mexican holiday. A third companion had departed earlier. Owner Britney Cariño, who served alongside her sister amid short staffing, noted this marked the first such incident since the restaurant opened in 2023.
“Instead of waiting for their check to be cleared like everyone else, they took my check tray, got up, and left,” Cariño stated. “They even had the audacity to take a picture of the Mexican flag as they were leaving.”
Owner’s Response
Cariño expressed outrage over the theft from her woman- and minority-owned small business. “To have the audacity to do this to a small business, let alone a woman-minority-owned establishment, is disgusting,” she said. “To have this happen to me in my own neighborhood is disgusting. You three are disgusting.”
She plans to file a police report with the NYPD unless the women return to settle the tab and has vowed to keep the footage public until resolved. It remains unclear if they have come forward.
Restaurant Menu Highlights
Talavera Cantina offers three tacos for $12.50 to $15.50 and chips with guacamole for $16.50. Frozen margaritas cost $15, reduced to $10 during happy hour from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. The establishment automatically adds a 20% gratuity; it’s unknown if the total included this.
Recent Dine-and-Dash Context
In a related case, Brooklyn diner Pei Chung, 34, faced multiple arrests for skipping bills at upscale restaurants. In March, a judge dismissed five charges against her, ruling her mentally unfit for trial. Despite the dismissal, she remains detained due to her immigration status following a February psych evaluation at Rikers Island.
