A Tampa restaurant unsuccessfully sued a diner who left a negative review online that ripped the eatery over its “subpar” meat quality, “dry” spare ribs and lukewarm coffee.

Irene Eng, a blogger and frequent poster on Yelp, Google and TripAdvisor, was hit with a defamation lawsuit seeking at least $50,000 last fall after she left a one-star review of her dining experience at Hales Blackbrick in December 2023.

The restaurant, described in the filing as an “innovative, inspired, seasonal Chinese restaurant” operated by award-winning chef Richard Hales, alleges that Eng’s review contained false statements about her dining experience and even included a photo of his wife, Jenny Hales, who is not a public figure, according to the lawsuit filed in Florida state court. 6

Eng’s Dec. 11, 20

See Full Page