Exclusive | Female customers at ritzy NYC eatery report blacking out — feeling drugged after drinks at Tribeca spot
A group of women have reported feeling drugged and blacking out after visiting a high‑end Tribeca spot, which has prompted a police investigation and left many terrified about ordering a drink again.
In the past week, several patrons stepped forward on social media and in interviews, claiming they left the Mexican‑inspired restaurant, Casa Carmen, confused and violently ill after drinking only one or two cocktails. They’re now urging others to stay alert.
One customer who went to the Tribeca site on November 22 with friends said she lost consciousness immediately after taking a sip of her second margarita.
> “We had a drink with our meal, and we ordered a bunch of food. Right when we got our second drinks to the table, basically from starting to sip that second drink, I just completely have no memory from that point up until waking up the next morning,” the patron shared.
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> She added that she woke up shaking and disoriented the following morning, instantly knowing something was wrong.
She recalled a tall glass of water beside her bed that was not one she normally used, indicating someone else had placed it there. She later learned a concerned neighbor had helped her into her apartment after she had gotten stuck in the building’s vestibule and couldn’t get past the second door.
When piecing together the night, she discovered several online reviews that described similar incidents. One Yelp entry from over two years ago read:
> “The restaurant was beautiful, food was decent, but half of my all‑women party, after only 2 margaritas, were projectile vomiting and unconscious. Very scary. Please BE CAREFUL.”
A Google review warned:
> “Never go to this place … please be warned!!!
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> Went there with my girlfriends … we ordered two margaritas each. At the end of the night we were so buzzed. One of my friends even passed out, we were throwing up all night and the next day.”
Feeling alarmed, the November 22 customer tried to contact Casa Carmen for help or to see if staff had noticed anything out of the ordinary. She said the response was unhelpful: “He was very routine about it. He said, ‘OK, you sat at this table. Here’s your server’s name. You know, here’s what you guys ordered. Please email the owner, and I’ll tell you what, I’ll back you up,’ ” she recalled. “And that struck me as odd because I was like, why, why, why would he say that? Like, and why do I need backup?”
The general manager, Sebastian Ramirez Degollado, later spoke to the paper and suggested that other reports of incapacitation might stem from misjudged drinking habits or poor nutrition. The customer posted about the experience on Reddit, where it quickly went viral—drawing in dozens of people who claimed they also blacked out after fewer than two drinks.
She filed an incident report with the NYPD. The officers initially seemed skeptical, but the department confirmed they are investigating the matter and treating it as an isolated incident. Casa Carmen released a statement acknowledging the allegations and pledging full cooperation: “We are aware of these recent allegations and are cooperating fully with the guest and the police as we take all guest safety very seriously. We have provided video to the police and offered to show the guest as well. We look forward to the police report.”
The restaurant explained that standard cocktails contain 2–3 ounces of hard liquor. Their tap margarita mixes Tradicional Blanco (2 oz) and Combier (1 oz), noting these are quality brands. Degollado also said this is their first encounter with law‑enforcement over such an issue.
Another anonymous patron who dined at the Tribeca location in March reported leaving the restaurant “the drunkest and sickest” she’s ever been after the second margarita. She said she felt nauseous at the table and vomited in the bathroom, even though she typically can handle two margaritas while eating a full meal. She drove home the next day still ill, visited the hospital, and was given fluids and anti‑nausea medication. Bloodwork showed an elevated white‑blood‑cell count.
The New York State Liquor Authority declined to comment, and the city Department of Health did not respond to requests.
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