• German tourist files lawsuit over spicy sauce
  • Judge rejects case in New York
  • Taquería wins legal battle

According to EFE, a federal judge in New York City dismissed a lawsuit filed by a German tourist who demanded $100,000 in compensation from a popular taco restaurant chain after claiming the food served to him was “too spicy.”

The case was brought by Faycal Manz, an engineer who lives in Schemmerhofen, in southern Germany.

The plaintiff argued that the restaurant’s green salsa caused physical and mental harm after he tried a taco during a visit to New York in August 2024.

The complaint was filed against the restaurant Los Tacos No. 1, located in Times Square.

However, federal judge Dale Ho rejected the lawsuit, concluding that the establishment had no legal obligation to warn about the spiciness of a product that is widely expected to be spicy.

Judge Rejects Lawsuit Over Spicy Food

According to local media, Manz stated in his lawsuit that after taking a single bite of his taco, he began experiencing serious symptoms.

Among them, he reported tachycardia, which he claimed to have recorded using his smartwatch.

In court documents, the tourist described the restaurant’s green salsa as “dangerous.”

The plaintiff also argued that his reaction was particularly severe because there are no taco restaurants in his hometown.

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“In my small German town there is no opportunity to eat tacos,” Manz said in his statement.

He also maintained that for someone living in Germany who does not normally consume spicy foods, the experience was a “physical and mental shock.”

The German tourist taco lawsuit sought financial compensation of $100,000.

Court Rules Spiciness Is Part of the Product

Turista demanda, Nueva York, Juez MundoNOW, German Tourist Taco LawsuitJudge Dale Ho dismissed the plaintiff’s claims in a 12-page court decision.

In the ruling, the judge emphasized that restaurants do not have a legal duty to warn customers about the inherent spiciness of foods that are commonly known to contain it.

The judge highlighted that spiciness is an essential characteristic of certain products.

“In fact, when it comes to salsa, spiciness is often the point,” Ho wrote in his decision.
The judge also stated that the plaintiff could have researched this type of food beforehand.

According to the ruling, a quick internet search about Mexican cuisine would have been enough to understand that spicy flavors are typical in such dishes.

Other Lawsuits Filed After the German Tourist’s Trip to the United States

The German tourist taco lawsuit was not the only legal action Manz filed after his trip to the United States.

According to the outlet Gothamist, Manz also filed a lawsuit against a branch of Walmart in New Jersey.

In that case, he claimed he suffered discrimination after being unable to access the store’s Wi-Fi network.

According to his complaint, the system required a local phone number to connect to the internet.

Manz said that limitation prevented him from using the service.

He later told the outlet that during a more recent visit to New Jersey he was able to connect using his German phone number.

The tourist attributed that change to the legal pressure created by his lawsuit.

In addition, the German citizen filed another lawsuit against the New York City Police Department.

In that case, he is demanding $10 million in compensation.

The complaint arose after he witnessed an assault on a homeless person near Times Square.

According to his account, when he called 911, the operator refused to send help because he could not provide an exact address for the incident.

He also claimed that the operator said the police “do not use Google.”

Manz added that the operator could not call him back because he was using a foreign phone number.

This last case remains open.

The plaintiff is seeking changes to NYPD protocols to improve communication with foreigners and people who do not reside in the United States.