Hamptons restaurant claims influencers demanded free food then said they had the ‘worst’ $2,000 dinner

Two food influencers have claimed they had the “worst” dinner at a Hamptons restaurant, prompting the business to respond.

On their popular TikTok channel, The VIP List, Meg Radice and Audrey Jongens share their honest reviews about various restaurants they’ve visited. In a now-viral video, posted earlier this week, Radice and Jongens documented their meal at Mavericks Montauk in New York.

The video started off with Radice claiming that the experience was “such a shame,” especially since the restaurant itself was “so beautiful.” While alleging that the meal cost $2,000, she showcased some of the food at her table, including a seafood tower, filled with lobster, shrimp, and oysters, Wagyu tartare covered with beet sauce, and chicken with caviar.

She went on to make multiple claims about poor customer service, alleging that she and her friends were waiting two and half hours for their appetizers. She also alleged that when they received the seafood tower, it “collapsed on its own” and the food “ruined” one of her friend’s dresses.

Radice also criticized how the food tasted, claiming that the dishes were “flavorless.” She did express that she enjoyed the steak, but only because it “drowned in butter.”

She then said that once their experience, which allegedly lasted five hours, was over, she and her friends paid nearly a $2,000 bill. However, according to the food critic, the restaurant only offered to “rectify” the situation by taking the seafood tower off their bill.

Speaking to The Independent, a representative for Mavericks Montauk issued a statement about Jongens and Radice’s dining experience. The restaurant claimed that after the party arrived, a friend of the food influencer duo allegedly told the eatery that the women would give it a bad review if they didn’t receive free food. Mavericks said they ultimately denied the request.

The business also alleged that when they served the seafood tower, it “arrived at the table fully intact.” Mavericks claimed that the VIP List and their friends were “playing with the structure, shaking it until it fell over.” However, the restaurant did confirm that they “apologized” to the group for what happened, “moved them to a new table, and let them know they would happily take it off the bill regardless of the questionable circumstances.”

In addition, Mavericks hit back at the claim that the food was inedible, alleging that all the food from the group’s table was eaten, except for “one piece.” They also denied the claim that the restaurant’s steak was made with butter.

According to Mavericks, the VIP List received their full order spaced out, with “the beverage/food timing paced as they do with all reservations, with 20 to 30 minute gaps in between beverage, appetizers, entrees.” The restaurant also logged the total amount of time the customers spent in the restaurants, claiming the group was seated at 8.22pm and paid at 11.18pm.

A representative for the VIP List also issued a statement to The Independent, doubling down on their “terrible” dinner at Maverick. “Our hope is always to give an honest review of a restaurant, and while some places are over-hyped and over-charge some really rise to the occasion,” Radice and Jongens said.

Their representative also denied the restaurant’s claims that they “demanded free food,” noting that the two influencers would never do that. They continued to make claims about the timeline of their experience at Mavericks, claiming that after the group arrived for their 8pm reservation, the appetizers didn’t arrive until 9.48pm and the entrees arrived at 10.30pm. The representative also clarified that the bill came out to $1,326 before tip, which is why they listed the ballpark price of the meal at $2,000.

Speaking to The Independent, VIP List defended their videos, noting that the duo wants to be as honest as possible in their restaurant reviews.

“The goal of the VIP List is to go and have an authentic experience and let their viewers know how it really went,” the duo’s representative added. “They’re truthful about everything whether it’s amazing or horrible or just not worth the price. They are classified as comedic food critics, so the tonality and delivery is apart of the brand.”