Viral internet star Walter “Mr. Tendernism” Johnson, who became famous for his fall-of-the-bone barbecue ribs, missed out on a $4,000 gift from Keith Lee when his security guards got in the way. The bizarre encounter happened when Lee traveled to Mr. Tendernism’s workplace, Destination Smokehouse, in Murieta, California.
@keith_lee125 Destination Smoke House taste test 💕 would you try it ? 💕 #foodcritic ♬ original sound – Keith Lee
Keith Lee was turned away when trying to give Mr. Tendernism a $4K tip
Lee, who was delighted with his experience at Destination Smokehouse, was prepared to give a $4,000 tip to Mr. Tendernism. However, the famous food critic said he was not able to speak with Mr. Tendernism due to security.
“We could not get to Unc. Security said he was done for the day; he was filming something. I believe he was filming a podcast. We had $4,000 in cash they didn’t take,” Lee said, according to Black Enterprise.
Unable to reach Mr. Tendernism, Lee decided to give the money to other customers at the restaurant.
Keith Lee gave Mr. Tendernism a raving review
Lee left with a raving review of Mr. Tendernism’s barbecue selection at Destination Smokehouse, giving the oxtail a 9.5.
“For me, the standout is absolutely the oxtail, but past the oxtail, the standout is Unc,” Lee said
He also praised Mr. Tendernism for attracting people with his vibrant personality: “Not only in my opinion is it extremely hard to get people engaged like that, to show your true personality, to be yourself, no matter how fast things take off in this space. I don’t think he intended for it to go the way it’s going. I think he just wanted to show his love for food and his love of what it is that he is doing,” he said.
According to the Atlanta Black Star, owner Nick Yepremian opened Destination Smokehouse in 2020 before teaming up with Mr. Tendernism to take the business to a new level. Since then, the restaurant has been receiving glowing reviews from many customers and popular public figures.