A pizzeria in Portland, Ore., has changed its website to tone down the language used in a newsletter promotion that included criticism of Donald Trump and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as well as support for Palestine and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Tastebud, an independent restaurant that has been in business for more than 25 years, went viral earlier this week for a pop-up ad on its website. Visitors were immediately met with a message reading, “ICE OUT EVERYWHERE.” (If you visited the website with ad-blocking software such as AdBlock, you may not have seen it.) The newsletter promotion then asked users to sign up and includes comments such as “Food is political” and “No one is illegal on stolen land.”
As of Tuesday morning, the statement and newsletter promo now reads:
“Around our hearth and table • Food is political because care has become political • Tastebud stands for human rights, equality, science, and collective care • From justice and inclusion to public health, truth and looking out for one another.
“Waiting is not caution • Silence is not neutrality • Both are permission • Our country does not survive because it is written down • It survives only if people refuse to endure its unraveling.”
Tastebud, a woke Portland, Ore. pizza restaurant on SW Capitol Highway, has released a statement warning the public that the business is political and that “trans women are women,” “trans men are men,” “masks save lives,” “no one is illegal on stolen land” and other leftist… pic.twitter.com/5wN4yIKF5E
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) February 16, 2026
A Tastebud spokesperson explained the changes to Fox News, clarifying that they welcome all customers and have “never stated otherwise.” Tastebud also said it was concerned by reviews, calls, and emails the restaurant had received since going viral.
Tastebud had previously addressed the negative feedback in an Instagram post Sunday night, sharing a review urging customers to ignore any “low reviews” and review-bombing for “standing up for their neighbors being terrorized by the federal government.”
Inquisitr News tried reaching out to Tastebud for comment via Instagram early Monday morning, though the restaurant later changed its privacy settings to restrict who could privately message them.
He’s got a right to his opinion, but that’s just a sad mistake for a business owner. Restaurants are tough enough to keep going, much less say things that alienate customers.
You’re better off creating a space where people can just enjoy food, laugh, and have fun.
— Jennu (@JennuHarroc) February 16, 2026
Netizens and social media users widely mocked Tastebud in recent days, with many questioning why a pizza parlor would try to potentially alienate customers by being political. The controversial message also told visitors to “get your damn vaccines” and “masks save lives.” Although the promotion had an uncensored expletive in the initial post, Tastebud later added an asterisk before removing the word entirely.
“Not everything has to be political, but increasingly everything seems to become political,” Tastebud told Fox News. “We believe many of today’s arguments function as false flags that further divide our communities, when in reality we have far more in common than we realize. Pizza and food have the power to bring people together.”
