A New Jersey man is seeking damages after allegedly finding a delivery driver's dentures embedded in his Jersey Mike's cheesesteak. The lawsuit, filed in Middlesex County court, claims the incident occurred in April 2025 when Bayville resident Fernando Rodriguez ordered a cheesesteak for delivery.
According to the court filings, Rodriguez discovered foreign objects, identified as dentures, within the sandwich after receiving it. The lawsuit states that the cheesesteak appeared to be packaged and sealed with scotch tape upon delivery. Rodriguez reported experiencing "extreme shock, disgust, emotional distress, nausea, loss of appetite, and physical revulsion" following the discovery.
Rodriguez's attorney, Ian Goldman, highlighted concerns about food safety, stating, "Finding a foreign object that came from another person’s mouth, in direct contact with a sandwich, is not only shocking and offensive, but raises serious concerns about contamination and food safety."
When Rodriguez presented the cheesesteak and dentures at the Jersey Mike's location in Lacey Township, the manager reportedly noted that the bag appeared to have been tampered with, according to a police report cited in the lawsuit. An officer contacted the Grubhub delivery driver, Theresa Gildea, who initially claimed her father was responsible for placing the dentures in the sandwich. However, the officer pressed Gildea, who then allegedly confessed that she was simultaneously eating her own lunch and checking Rodriguez's order due to prior complaints about incorrect deliveries. She admitted to accidentally placing her dentures in Rodriguez's cheesesteak.
The lawsuit names Gildea for "tampering" with the food, Grubhub for alleged negligent training and hiring, and Jersey Mike's for failing to "properly package, seal and secure food."
A Grubhub spokesperson stated the company was "troubled by this report, as it doesn’t reflect the high standard of service our customers expect" and confirmed that the driver in question is no longer contracted with Grubhub. Jersey Mike's did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Gildea could not be reached for comment.