Life & Style

‘Are you Irish?’ – Irish waitress in America left red-faced after failing to recognise Leo Varadkar

AN IRISH student on a J1 visa was left a little red-faced after she didn’t recognise Taoiseach Leo Varadkar when he came into her restaurant in the US.

Dubliner Emma Kelly, 20, admitted to the Irish PM that she didn’t know who he was before making him wait for a tiny table in Chicago.

Emma, who is studying biomedical science in Maynooth, has lived in Chicago for the last three months and said she will always remember the chance encounter.

“Honestly what is wrong with me?” she tweeted.

Emma said two men came into the restaurant and she told them they had to wait to sit outside.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Ryan Tubridy Show, Kelly said that when Mr Varadkar arrived, she thought he and his companion were “just two normal guys”.

“Half way through the conversation, I realised they were Irish,” she said. “Obviously I was excited because I don’t get to talk to that many Irish people over here.

Leo varadkar comes into our restaurant in Chicago, first I ask is he Irish then I put him on a wait list and then I put him at a tiny table

— Emma Kelly (@__Emmax3) August 14, 2017

Honestly what is wrong with me

— Emma Kelly (@__Emmax3) August 14, 2017

He honestly was so sound I'm a public disgrace

— Emma Kelly (@__Emmax3) August 14, 2017

“I told them there was a wait list to sit outside so I sent them to the bar. Then 15 to 20 minutes later, I brought them out to a tiny two-person table.

“Then my friend Emer comes in and says ‘do you know that’s Leo Varadkar out there at the table?’”

Emma then went outside to move the Taoiseach’s table and said that he was “really nice about it”.

“He wasn’t too mad we didn’t recognise him, I don’t think,” Ms Kelly said.

“When you’re working in Chicago, you’re not expecting someone like that to walk in.”

She said that Mr Varadkar and his companion to another table and that they enjoyed a nice conversation about her J1 and his holiday abroad.

The Taoiseach later saw Emma’s retelling of their encounter on Twitter, and replied with a classy response.

“Thanks Emma. The food & service was gr8. Enjoy the rest of your J1,” Varadkar said.