Texas Pete Hot Sauce is being sued because it is not made in Texas.
A man in California is suing Texas Pete, the hot sauce that most probably find themselves mixing with Chick-fil-A mayo, and accusing the sauce brand of false advertising. The man, Philip White, is saying he didn't know Texas Pete was made in North Carolina, and so he is suing the Winston-Salem-based sauce maker T.W. Garner Food Co., North Carolina station WGHP reports.
White says in the lawsuit he purchased a $3 bottle of Texas Pete Hot Sauce back in September 2021 that includes a white lone star from the Texas flag and a cartoon depiction of a cowboy with a lasso.
"White relied upon the language and images displayed on the front label of the product, and at the time of purchase understood the product to be a Texas product," the complaint said. "There is surprisingly nothing Texas about them."
The complaint argues that the ingredients help support this argument, saying that the condiment is more of a Louisiana-style hot sauce, which is made with fermented vinegar, chiles, and salt. The lawsuit claims there is no such thing as a Texas-style hot sauce using ingredients unique to Texas and its "flavor profile."
It's true that T.W. Garner Food Co. is based in North Carolina. The Garner family had reportedly spiced up its barbecue sauce recipe in the 1930s and wanted to differentiate it from the original barbecue sauce, according to the Triad Business Journal. They originally thought of "Mexico Joe" but World War II-fueled nationalism led to them wanting to keep the name in the U.S.
They turned to Texas, right at the border, and used "Pete" because of the way it rolled off the tongue.
White is asking T.W. Garner Food Co. to change the name and to pay an unknown amount. T.W. Garner Food Co. has until November 10 to respond.
Steven Santana is a digital reporter and pop culture weeb born and raised in San Antonio. He graduated from Our Lady of the Lake University in 2013. Reach out at steven.santana@mysa.com. Follow him on Twitter @stevensantana88