Shaquille O’Neal aka Shaq Attack aka DJ Diesel is a larger-than-life personality. The NBA hall-of-famer, media personality, actor, artist, businessman, and chicken franchise owner is known for a lot of things – among which are his humor and generosity. Shaq expressed both recently during his visit to The Original Ninfa’s Uptown, where he delighted staff and customers before leaving a $1,000 tip.
The big man stopped into the Tex-Mex institution for lunch earlier this July. A man of the people, Shaquille opted to dine among the customers rather than inside one of the restaurants private dining rooms, according to CultureMap Houston.
Furthermore, Shaq didn’t shy away from photos, taking pictures with both staff and customers. Executive chef at The Original Ninfa’s Uptown, Patti Delgado, complimented O’Neal for his kindness and generosity, saying Shaq was ‘offering to take pictures with anyone who wanted one and giving high-fives”.
True to his personality, Shaq had a little fun with the staff. Delgado personally served Shaq during his visit, upon which Shaq couldn’t help but do a little trolling:
“I took him his plate and when I set it down he said, ‘Wait a second, what is this?’ and I said, ‘The crispy tacos you ordered.’ and Shaq looked at me and said, ‘I didn’t order that,” Delgado told CultureMap. “Then he said, ‘No, I’m just kidding! Look at your face!’ He’s very funny and so down to earth.”
When Shaq was finished eating – which by the way was the El Eddie three crispy taco plate – Shaq paid for another customer’s table and left a hall-of-fame tip of $1,000.
The Original Ninfa’s wasn’t the only Houston establishment Shaq visited while in town. O’Neal also made an appearance at Houston’s new celebrity hotspot and nightlife-spun dining destination Confessions Restaurant & Lounge.