‘Disgusting,’ ‘Zero Regard for Other People’ — NFL Fans Call Kirk Herbstreit a ‘Weirdo’ Over Viral Steakhouse Visit With His Dog
‘Disgusting,’ ‘Zero Regard for Other People’ — NFL Fans Call Kirk Herbstreit a ‘Weirdo’ Over Viral Steakhouse Visit With His Dog
Saino Zachariah Sat, November 14, 2026 at 6:37 AM UTC
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‘Obnoxious and Disgusting,’ ‘Zero Regard for Other People’ — NFL Fans Call Kirk Herbstreit a ‘Weirdo’ Over Viral Steakhouse Incident With His Dog
Peter, the golden retriever who became Kirk Herbstreit’s road companion after his beloved previous dog, Ben, died in November 2024, has now found himself at the center of a debate over restaurant manners.
A video showed Herbstreit cutting a steak into small pieces before Peter polished it off his plate on the floor at a New York City steakhouse, seemingly enjoying every second of his experience.
While dog lovers saw little wrong with the scene, Craig Carton and several fans had a very different reaction, arguing that the ESPN analyst had crossed a line with fellow diners.
Craig Carton, Fans Take Aim at Kirk Herbstreit’s Steakhouse Dinner With His Dog
The clip showed Herbstreit sitting at a table in a New York City steakhouse, carefully cutting a steak into small pieces for Peter. The golden retriever wasted little time getting through the meal, finishing his serving in seconds.
Herbstreit, a familiar face on ESPN’s “College GameDay” and Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football”, has regularly taken Peter along on his football travels. But this particular dinner attracted attention after his content team shared footage of the outing across social media on Thursday.
OutKick picked up the video on Friday morning, taking issue with the idea of a dog eating steak at a restaurant.
“Kirk Herbstreit really let his dog eat straight off his plate at a steakhouse,” the outlet posted on X.
Carton took up the video on “The Craig Carton Show,” and he prefaced his complaint with a disclaimer that he’s “not anti-dog. I just don’t want to go to a steakhouse and eat next to a dog. Because it’s disgusting.”
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He put the blame squarely on Herbstreit, saying, “Now you’re sharing your meal with A DOG. That’s right, now the dog is eating on the floor next to you because Kirk Herbstreit doesn’t care about your opportunity to enjoy yourself. And have a nice steak meal. He’s more concerned that his dog gets to have steak.”
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Carton had company among fans. One fan questioned Herbstreit’s etiquette. “Who the hell brings their pet to a steakhouse in the first place? Zero regard for the other people around him.”
Another stated that they “have a bleeding heart when it comes to dogs – I PROMISE you will never meet a bigger dog lover than me,” before adding, “But seriously, cut the [expletive] dude. This is obnoxious and disgusting.”
Another fan said he wasn’t against pets but criticized Herbstreit for this incident. “I love dogs, but this dude has some deep issues he needs to deal with.”
Another revealed he was a “huge Kirk Herbstreit fan because of his great analysis. But he’s such a weirdo with his dog that I can’t stand him anymore. Leave dogs at home, like everyone else does.”
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OutKick also put the hygiene question to its audience with a poll that asked, “Would you want to know if a dog ate off your plate at a restaurant?” After 2,604 votes, 68.6% of voters appeared to be against Herbstreit’s actions.
Not everyone agreed. Dog lovers who defended Herbstreit reached OutKick on Friday, and some of them turned their frustration on the outlet.
One of them, a man OutKick identified only as Kent, answered the criticism with a question. “Did he hurt anyone by doing that? Sounds like a judgmental busybody looking to disparage someone.”
Mike Lemke, another dog lover who responded to OutKick, made a similar case. “How about you mind your own business. What and where he lets his dog eat is none of your concern as long as he’s not harming anyone else. Try it once. Minding your own business is good for your health.”
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
