A Phoenix restaurant’s hilarious “Rebecca O” review fooled the internet — until the owner revealed the truth
NEED TO KNOW
- A viral review about eating a tamale husk sparked widespread laughter online
- The Tamale Store in Phoenix later revealed the reviewer “Rebecca O” was fictional
- The owner said the joke reflects real experiences with first-time tamale customers
A restaurant review that’s been circulating across social media — and making millions laugh — turns out to have an unexpected origin story.
The now-viral post shows a customer named “Rebecca O” leaving a one-star Google review for a tamale she described as tough and inedible. In a second review, she dramatically reversed course after learning she wasn’t supposed to eat the corn husk, praising the dish as “the best thing I’ve ever tried.”
The exchange spread rapidly online, appearing in countless reposts and memes — but according to Newsweek, the reviewer at the center of the story wasn’t a real diner at all…