UPDATE: Oct. 7, 9:35 a.m. CT
Maggie, the owner of Bobo Wraps & Rice Bowl, posted a video Wednesday morning, shortly after this story was published, to clarify that the unnamed influencer she had accused was not Thanh “Wayne” Dang.
“I was just sharing my experiences opening a restaurant for the first time. I wasn’t referring to Wayne, and he’s one of my favorite food creators. Creating content isn’t easy, and I hope everyone supports him,” Maggie wrote.
Maggie also said she will be using $10,000 to treat fans to free ice cream at her restaurant.
Thanh Dang, better known online as @dangitswayne and one of Houston’s most popular food bloggers, says he’s on a mission to clear his name and reputation after a supposed restaurant operator’s video allegedly put him in the crosshairs.
The video in question came from “Maggie” of Bobo Wraps & Rice Bowl, a fast-casual restaurant near the Houston Galleria. Bobo opened in 2026 and has drawn significant viewership on Instagram and TikTok, thanks to videos posted by Maggie showcasing the restaurant’s hibachi-style wraps and rice bowls, customizable boba drinks and sushi push pops. Maggie also posts videos detailing her business journey.
In the video posted Monday, Maggie alleged that a male food influencer, who she did not name, threatened to criticize her restaurant unless she paid him $10,000 for a promotion.
“When I started Bobo, my goal was simple: to give people good food at a good price. So I turned him down, but what I didn’t expect was what happened next,” Maggie said. “I was told if I didn’t work with him, he would make a video attacking Bobo, hurt my business and make it impossible for me to keep going.”
The post’s commenters heavily speculated that she was referring to Dang, who had posted a video review of Bobo on Oct. 1 and gave the restaurant a score of 7.4 out of 10. In the review, Dang criticized Bobo’s signature sushi push pops, saying the rice lacked flavor and the roll had a clumpy, mushy texture.
“I mean, it’s a fun idea, but this is not worth $11,” Dang said.
Dang had other criticisms in his review, including the apparent messiness of a sushi taco and sliminess of tapioca balls in a bubble tea drink, though he complemented the flavor of several items at Bobo.
The ‘audacity’
Dozens of commenters tagged Dang, prompting him to respond on social media. He vehemently denied trying to get Maggie or Bobo to pay him $10,000 for a positive review.
“The audacity of @bobobitesusa trying to spread lies about me is slander to the fullest,” Dang wrote. “Any Defamation lawyers in Houston? Reach out to me.”
Houston food blogger Shawn Singh, better known as @shawnthefoodsheep and mentioned by Dang in his response video, told Chron he supports Dang and believes Maggie and Bobo are using the moment to attract attention at Dang’s expense.
“There’s no one else she could be talking about,” Singh said. “There’s an easy solution to this. If she could have said, ‘No, it wasn’t Wayne,’ that would have solved this entire issue. And do you want to know why [she hasn’t]? Engagement.”
A TikTok influencer in Houston, Texas, is speaking out, alleging he was called out by a restaurant owner for demanding money for a positive review. (NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Singh said the situation felt personal because he experienced something similar involving a restaurant in Spring. The owner posted a video criticizing influencers after two content creators visited and gave negative feedback. Singh and Kent Taylor, better known as @dinewithkent, were mentioned in the comments. The video gained traction, but Singh said the owner did not address the comments and clear his name until a month later.
Love of the game
The relationship between restaurants and social media creators isn’t always so fraught. Jonathan Horowitz of Convive Hospitality Consulting told Chron that business owners can benefit from working with influencers, even sometimes paying for their services. It can be a low-cost, potentially more effective way to reach customers than broad-based marketing, he said.
This year, however, more restaurant owners have complained about requests for free meals and the high cost of promotional videos. Singh said the amounts creators charge can vary widely, from a complimentary meal or about $100 for a promotion to thousands of dollars for a dedicated video and additional usage rights, depending on the creator’s audience.
But no one in Houston is charging $10,000 for a deal like that, Singh said-especially not someone like Dang, who he said is in it for the “love of the game.”
“There’s not much benefit to being a true reviewer like Wayne is online,” Singh said. “Nobody wants to be negative online with a small business.”
Both Dang and Maggie have yet to respond to Chron’s request for comment.
Singh said Maggie could clear up the situation by simply saying whether she was referring to Dang in her video.
“Maybe it’s a simple misunderstanding, but I know how people work and how they get views online,” Singh said. “All Maggie has to do is clarify … it would take five minutes: ‘Oh, I see this comment. Hey, it’s not Wayne.’ Just don’t harm that guy’s name for no reason.”
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This article originally published at Houston food influencer claims he’s in crosshairs for alleged $10K bribe.