Name: Numerous women say their drinks were spiked at a Birmingham bar, and their complaints were ignored | Table and Bar
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Numerous women say their drinks were spiked at a Birmingham bar, and their complaints were ignored | Table and Bar

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Their experiences are eerily similar: They ordered one or two drinks at the Rose Room in Birmingham, blacked out, and woke up sick and numb.Numerous women say their drinks were spiked at the cocktail bar, and their horrifying stories have drawn the attention of police and a state lawmaker.Metro Times interviewed five women who suspect their drinks were drugged after they became dizzy and lost consciousness after just one or two glasses of alcohol. One woman who spoke on condition of anonymity says she and two of her friends ordered cocktails on a recent weekend and felt “dizzy and numb” after a few sips before blacking out.“I don’t remember anything after that,” she says. “I don’t know how I got home. I woke up the next morning and couldn’t stop throwing up. I don’t remember anything from that night. It was awful.”Women began coming forward after Michaela Lillie shared her experience from March 13. She said she and her friends sat at the bar around 7 p.m. and ordered drinks.“We started feeling a little weird,” Lillie that went viral. “By 8:30 we were completely blacked out. I don’t remember anything.”She said her friend vomited for 48 hours.A 26-year-old Ferndale woman said on Facebook that she ordered three drinks in under three hours and “blacked out entirely.”“I have never experienced a blackout like this before EVER,” she wrote. “My best friend had 2 drinks and was JUST as bad as I was. Wow. What the hell I am disgusted.”The same woman tells Metro Times she had a similar experience at the Rose Room in 2018. She says she wrote a Google review, but it and others “all disappeared.”“My review and many others were removed today,” she says.About two years ago, another woman says she and two of her friends went to the hospital after they became dizzy and numb and had trouble walking after just one drink. She said they tested positive for narcotics.All of the women said they called Birmingham police but were told there was nothing law enforcement could do. They also said Rose Room management brushed them off.Birmingham police referred Metro Times to the following statement: "The Birmingham Police Department takes all criminal activity seriously. There are stories circulating on various forms of social media today that female patrons have been drugged while drinking at a restaurant in the City. If anyone feels they have been a victim of a crime, the Birmingham Police Department encourages you to please come forward and report the incident to us. We take pride in our safe and secure downtown dining and shopping experience and will do everything in our power to ensure you and your family are safe while visiting Birmingham."In a statement on social media, the Rose Room insisted it was unaware of “anything like this ever happening at the Rose Room,” despite the bar responding to reviews alleging people’s drinks were spiked.“We are taking these claims seriously. There is nothing more important than the health and safety of our guests," Rose Room’s management said in a statement. "We encourage anyone who thinks they may have had a concerning experience at our establishment, or any, to let police know as soon as possible.&nbsp;We have reached out to those who claim to have had these experiences at our location and hope to have the opportunity to learn more from them directly."Complaints against the bar date back at least two years, according to reviews on Yelp and Google. In one Google review from five months ago, a woman said she and her three friends were sent an opened bottle of champagne.“We had 2 drinks max,” she wrote. “Soon after I lost control of my legs, could barely speak, and was continuously vomiting – still recovering over 15 hours later. My friends also felt very unwell. WOMEN, avoid this place at all costs!!!”In another review from two months ago, a woman said her friend was “drugged” after the owner sent her champagne.“As soon as she drank she realized she wasn’t ok,” the reviewer said. “She knew this because she barely finished her first drink and after that a sip of champagne she can’t recall anything and lost control of her limbs.”Other reviewers recounted similar experiences.The allegations caught the attention of state Rep. Mari Manoogian, D-Birmingham, who is encouraging people to call the police if they believe they were drugged.“I am also working to ensure that those investigating this have every resource possible so they can understand the scale and can respond accordingly,” Manoogian said in a statement. “Furthermore, I will continue to do all that I can to make certain that anyone who lives in or visits our district is safe.”She added, “Let me be very clear: just because a woman is enjoying an evening out or having a drink is not an invitation to drug her. I’ve read many of these posts on social media. They are incredibly disturbing, often downright terrifying, and I want to acknowledge the bravery of the women who have shared their story.”Stay on top of Detroit news and views. for our weekly issue newsletter delivered each Wednesday.We welcome readers to submit letters regarding articles and content in Detroit Metro Times. Letters should be a minimum of 150 words, refer to content that has appeared on Detroit Metro Times, and must include the writer's full name, address, and phone number for verification purposes. No attachments will be considered. Writers of letters selected for publication will be notified via email. Letters may be edited and shortened for space.Email us at .Detroit Metro Times works for you, and your support is essential.Our small but mighty local team works tirelessly to bring you high-quality, uncensored news and cultural coverage of Detroit and beyond.Unlike many newspapers, ours is free – and we'd like to keep it that way, because we believe, now more than ever, everyone deserves access to accurate, independent coverage of their community.Whether it's a one-time acknowledgement of this article or an ongoing pledge, your support helps keep Detroit's true free press free.Top StoriesAdvertisement:© 2021 Detroit Metro Times

Their experiences are eerily similar: They ordered one or two drinks at the Rose Room in Birmingham, blacked out, and woke up sick and numb.Numerous women say their drinks were spiked at the cocktail bar, and their horrifying stories have drawn the attention of police and a state lawmaker.Metro Times interviewed five women who suspect their drinks were drugged after they became dizzy and lost consciousness after just one or two glasses of alcohol. One woman who spoke on condition of anonymity says she and two of her friends ordered cocktails on a recent weekend and felt “dizzy and numb”...

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Steve Neavling is an investigative reporter at Detroit Metro Times & creator of Motor City Muckraker, an independent watchdog news site.

Steve Neavling

Detroit's alternative weekly. Founded 1980. Tips: 313-202-8011 or letters@metrotimes.com

Numerous women say their drinks were spiked at a Birmingham bar, and their complaints were ignored | Table and Bar

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