A Chili's Grill & Bar in Texas came under fire over the weekend after its manager questioned a veteran's military service and took away his free meal.
Ernest Walker, a U.S. veteran who served in the Army's 25th Infantry Division from 1987 to 1991, took part in Chili's free meal for veterans promotion on Friday with his service dog Barack.
Walker, who is black, wrote on his Facebook page that he was wearing his old Army uniform when he was approached by an elderly white man wearing a Donald Trump shirt.
The man told Walker that he fought in Germany and that black men were not allowed to serve at that time. He then went to the back of the restaurant and told the manager that he did not believe that Walker was a veteran and that Barack was not a service dog.
Despite providing his military ID, discharge papers and showing that his dog had a service vest and certified service tags, Walker's to-go box of food was taken away by the manager.
Walker captured the exchange on his cellphone and posted it to Facebook and YouTube. He did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is unlawful to require proof of a disability or identification for the service dog.
"In situations where it is not obvious that the dog is a service animal, staff may ask only two specific questions," according to the Department of Justice. "(1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform? Staff are not allowed to request any documentation for the dog, require that the dog demonstrate its task, or inquire about the nature of the person's disability."
Chili's parent company, Brinker International, did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. However, the company did respond to several Facebook posts stating that they are aware of the situation and are taking it "very seriously."