'Don't tip black people': US waitress left racist note on receipt

Rather than receiving a tip from customers at a Virginia restaurant, a waitress was instead left a racist note.

When Kelly Carter went to collect the receipt from customers she had served, she was confronted with a note which read: "Great service don't tip black people".

"It was just total shock", Ms Carter, who is black, told NBC Washington.

"I looked at the receipt three times, because I was shocked. I have never seen that before."

Ms Carter told local media the couple, who were white and appeared to be in their 20s, had even complimented her on the food she served them on Saturday.

While Ms Carter, a waitress at Anita's New Mexico Style Cafe in Ashburn, described the message as "hateful", she said her "arms are still open to them [the customers who left the note]...

"I keep my head up, you got to keep moving, one hateful remark can't stop me. You've got to forgive and forget and move on."

Ms Carter, who has worked at the cafe for years, added there was nothing out of the ordinary with the customers when she served them.

Tom Tellez, owner of Anita's, added he was "appalled" and "outraged" by the "disheartening" incident, but believed it was "kind of in line with the political landscape unfortunately".