An Austin burger chain has filed a police report after a former employee posted photos of himself allegedly spreading bodily fluids in the kitchen and on prepared food.
On Sunday, September 6, users on the r/austinfood subreddit shared photos posted by user @freakyking83 allegedly showing him in the Buddy’s Burger kitchen with his genitals exposed. A subsequent photo in the post showed the employee allegedly spreading his bodily fluids on jalapeño peppers being prepared, with the employee captioning the post: “secret ingredient.” That reddit user account has since been deactivated.
The post quickly gained traction, with hundreds of comments expressing outrage and fear from customers who had recently dined at Buddy’s Burger.
On Sunday, Buddy’s Burger shared a lengthy statement on Reddit regarding content shared by “an ex employee under an anonymous account,” with restaurant officials adding: “We are incredibly disturbed by this situation and saddened by the impact it has had on our employees and community. What has taken place is deeply unsettling, and we take actions of this nature extremely seriously.”
Buddy’s Burger leaders said the man in question was a new hire employee who was fired mid-shift on September 1, after another employee filed an indecent exposure complaint. Company heads added the restaurant has filed a police report with the Austin Police Department as well as have sought legal assistance to hold the former employee accountable.
“Our inventory, equipment, and facility have undergone rigorous inspection and sanitization to protect the safety of our team and community,” the post read in part. “Further, we are also reviewing and strengthening our hiring and security procedures.”
Buddy’s Burger is a family-owned restaurant at 9001 Cameron Road, Austin, TX 78754. The Cameron Road location opened in 2020 with additional locations in San Marcos going online in 2023 and Round Rock in 2025 as well as a future Leander restaurant in development.
Company officials added they are aware of reports regarding the same man “sharing inappropriate content at other local businesses,” with Buddy’s Burger adding they are alerting other restaurants allegedly targeted. Those with information regarding these incidents are asked to contact Buddy’s Burger via email at @admin@buddysburger.com.
In a statement to MySA, an APD spokesperson confirmed the department received an online report regarding the incident and have since identified a suspect.
“The suspect has been identified, but no further information is releasable to protect the integrity of the investigation,” the spokesperson added.
Austin Public Health shared its own statement with MySA acknowledging APH had received an online report as well, and is investigating the incident.
“Austin Public Health’s Environmental Health Services Division was notified of this incident and is investigating,” an APH spokesperson said in an email. “Anyone with concerns about a food establishment may call the City of Austin at 512-974-2000.”