Keith Lee had the culinary world in a chokehold all of 2023. The TikTok food influencer took his popular critiques on the road, stopping in major cities to check out their local food scene. On Aug. 4, 2023, Lee packed up his family and kicked off the Keith Lee and Family Food Tour. Stops included restaurants in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Houston, New Orleans, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit and New York.
After five months, the content creator wrapped up the tour in December with New York as the final stop. On Dec. 29, Lee closed out the year by ranking the cities he visited on his tour from least to most favorite. The rankings went as follows:
- New Orleans
- Houston
- Chicago
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Detroit
- New York
- Atlanta
The creator emphasized that the overall experience of each city and his personal opinion was the reason behind their ranking. He added that it was a hard decision because “some cities tied” in what they offered. Lee revealed New Orleans landed in the No. 1 spot due to their fantastic customer service.
“Everywhere we went, we felt like family,” he stated. “It didn’t feel like I was going to no restaurant, it didn’t feel like I was going to an establishment. It felt like I was going to Auntie, Mama, Papa, whoever house you wanna go to. … I left 15 pounds heavier.”
@keith_lee125 Ranking Our Food Stops Of 2023 💕 would you try it ? 💕 #foodcritic
To no one’s surprise, Atlanta came in last on the list. Lee said this was due to how “hard” it was for his family to get food. He mentions that his influencer status was possibly the only reason he got the food he did.
“If other people perceived me as a normal person and I went to Atlanta just to get food, I wouldn’t have ate nothing. I mean nothing,” he said.
Lee’s Atlanta restaurant fiascos had social media in a frenzy as he ate his way through the city in October. Based on viewer suggestions and tips, he visited The Atlanta Breakfast Club, The Seafood Menu, Juci Jerk, The Real Milk and Honey, The Dining Experience Atlanta, The Bodega, Jamaican Jerk Biz, Old Lady Gang and Toast on Lenox.
He ran into multiple issues with restaurants being closed regardless of their listed business hours, not taking online or call-in orders, or having unheard-of rules regarding reservations and wait times. His honest reviews of the videos prompted an array of responses, including death threats and accusations of him being on a mission to bash Black restaurants.
@keith_lee125 💕 Keith Speaks 💕 God Is Amazing 🙏🏽 #foodcritic
Lee went through the remainder of the list, giving New York the No. 7 spot. The Big Apple narrowly beat out Atlanta for last place, with the creator claiming the city often made him feel “on edge and unwelcome,” as well as having issues navigating through traffic.
When listing the second and third spots, Lee mentioned the incredible business owners he met along the tour. Shonya “Chef Royce” Williams, owner of Soul Prime in Chicago, and Janel Prator, owner of The Puddery, benefited from the “Keith Lee” effect. After the former MMA fighter reviewed their businesses, the owners were bombarded with customers, allowing them to keep their doors open.
Williams has had to turn hungry customers away due to selling out of her famous fried chicken.
Prator shared a similar life-changing experience with Chron.com, stating that after Lee’s visit, she went from five or six customers a day to 100 to 200 with lines outside of the door.
Do you think Lee’s ranking was accurate? Sound off in the comments.
