U.S.WEIRD NEWS
Chili's degreaser in margarita rims burned five in North Carolina
The Foothills Health District says the exposure happened on Wednesday, October 28, in Forest City; a contractor had handed the degreaser over days earlier.
On air: Chip Darnell and Hank Ledger on BBN OriginalsPublished
Photo: Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0Watch it as it aired: Chip Darnell and Hank Ledger on this story, from BBN Originals at 9:32 PM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are The New York Times's, the jokes are ours.
At a glance
- First reported by The New York Times: “Chili’s Margaritas Rimmed With Degreaser Burn 5 People in North Carolina”, with reporting from WBTV.
- Covered on BBN on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at 9:32 PM ET on BBN Originals, by Chip Darnell and Hank Ledger.
- Topics: North Carolina.
- BBN covered this story before: Deer crashes through North Carolina laundromat window (October 30).
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
- The New York TimesChili’s Margaritas Rimmed With Degreaser Burn 5 People in North Carolina
- WBTV3 Chili’s customers burned after chemical reportedly mixed into drinks in North Carolina October 30, 2026 · facts used on air
What BBN said about it
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThree customers and two employees were burned on and around their mouths at a Chili's in Forest City, North Carolina, after a granulated degreaser was mistaken for sugar, a health official says.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorWBTV says a contractor power-washing the building handed it to an employee, and it ended up in an unlabeled container in the bar.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorSo what was the label supposed to be, Hank?
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThere wasn't one. The whole safety plan was that it looked like sugar, and it did.
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Photo: Maize & Blue Nation · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
Photo: GearedBull / WTCA · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
Photo: Harrison Keely · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
Photo: Rhododendrites · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Daniel Torok · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
Photo: Brett Hodnett · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Dmitry Makeev · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0
The story so far
- Deer crashes through North Carolina laundromat; Grizzlies beat Blazers · New York Post
- Brewers parade, Tar Heels land a five-star, boat show · Yahoo Sports
- Deer crashes through North Carolina laundromat window · UPI
- Chili's degreaser in margarita rims burned five in North Carolina (this story)
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Saturday, October 31, 2026 · the U.S. archive · all months
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