No one man should have all that power.
Kanye West once said of this of himself on a song, but in the world of foodies, Keith Lee‘s rule borders on unprecedented.
First gaining notoriety in the mixed-martial artist on the Bellatore circuit, Lee would lose his contract with the league in 2021, a move that would ultimately prove to be his true claim to fame.
Over the course of the subsequent year, Lee, who resides in Las Vegas, hit various local food spots, as well as eateries across the country, giving endearing, yet no-frills reviews of each establishment. Lee’s style caught on with social media users, particularly on TikTok, who commended him for his seemingly honest takes, as well as his patronage of family-owned establishments that may be struggling to build a customer base to keep their business afloat.
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Yet, in 2023, Lee’s profile would rise to a crescendo, with a series a viral moments that transcended the foodie landscape and bled over into the world of pop culture. With stories of his cosign helping turn businesses around, the term “The Keith Lee Effect” grew a life of its own, soon becoming akin to a one-way ticket to success as a destination for culinary enthusiasts.
Soon, Lee was a bonafide celebrity himself, with the likes of Chipotle, which created a signature dish in his honor, knocking at his door. Yet, despite the goodwill and heartwarming vibes that have come from Lee’s reviews, there have also been a share of moments that were simply bad and even bordered on ugly, proving that Lee’s aforementioned effect can sometimes be as much of a curse as it is a gift.
VIBE highlights 12 of Keith Lee’s most viral food reviews that showcase the good, bad and the ugly sides of “The Keith Lee Effect.”
Frankensons Pizzeria
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In January 2023, Lee posted a review of food from Frankensons Pizzeria, a Las Vegas restaurant that reached out to Lee in hopes of him promoting their establishment on their channel. On the verge of going out of business due to failure to pay rent, the owners had attempted to pay an influencer for their cosign, but were unable to afford the asking fee.
Accepting the family-owned business’ request, Lee noted that he had not charged Frankensons Pizzeria to review their food and had purchased his order with his own money. “This taste test is to really see: Is it really the marketing, or is the food bad?” he told his followers. Ordering Frankensons’ wings, pizza and garlic knots, Lee raved about the offerings while thanking the owner, Frank Steele, for his patience and assistance.
@keith_lee125 Frankensons Pizzeria 4 day update @keith_lee125 💕 2-3 hour wait times ALL DAY , line down the street , him and his family are working 16 hour shifts EVERYDAY 💕 God is amazing, God bless you all 🙏🏽 #foodcritic
Not long after Lee’s review, Frankensons experienced an uptick in both foot traffic and delivery orders, which immediately helped turn the restaurant’s fortunes around for the better. “I had this guy come in and didn’t know who he was, and I started talking to him because I like talking to all my customers,” Steele told local news station KTNV. “I asked him where he was from and what he did for work and that’s when he said he was a food critic.
“Our phone never stopped ringing… It’s been a blessing. This restaurant has been a dream of mine for thirty years. This has been life changing.”
Sushi & Joy
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In March 2023, Lee visited Sushi & Joy, a restaurant in Las Vegas that specializes in Asian cuisine. In his review, the tastemaker complimented the owner of the establishment on her patience, despite the language barrier, deeming her a “sweetheart” and noting the care she took in providing him service.
The items he purchased included Sushi & Joy’s Spicy Salmon and Philadelphia Rolls, with both receiving subpar ratings. However, options such as the Kiss of Fire Roll and the Spicy Miso Ramen garnered favorable feedback from Lee, deeming the latter as some of the best ramen he’s had thus far.
In a follow-up to Lee’s review, Irene Kim, the daughter of Sushi & Joy’s owners, voiced her appreciation for Lee’s patronage and exposure, as business immediately began booming following his visit. “I’m really glad that he enjoyed the food and that people on the Internet are really, really supporting our business and saying a lot of positive things,” Kim said. “It does mean so much to our business.”
@keith_lee125 #stitch with @ireneykim Sushi & Joy taste test 💕 would you try it ? 💕 #foodcritic
Chicken Fire
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A Florida eatery named Chicken Fire caught heat in May 2023 after Lee gave the spot’s chicken tenders and sandwiches ratings ranging from dismal to subpar, at best. “Just because I’m not a huge fan don’t mean you won’t be,” Lee said during his review. “You might try it and you might love it. This might be your favorite chicken spot.”
Yet, while Lee’s opinion led to additional scrutiny aimed at Chicken Fire on social media, owner Kwame Boakye seemingly took the Detroit native’s feedback in stride, as he released a video of his own commending his team of employees.
@keith_lee125 #stitch @Chicken Fire with Chicken Fire taste test 💕 would you try it ? 💕 #foodcritic
“I stand by this team. Those that were here, those that weren’t here,” Boakye said. “I know every single person did what they were supposed to do, did their part, and put out the best product that we can reasonably provide.”
However, at one point, Boakye seemingly disregards Lee’s appraisal of his reflection of his team, yelling, “it doesn’t matter what the review was!” Another staffer voiced their surprise at Lee not liking their food, which had a 4.6/5 star review prior to his visit. “I thought he was going to give a good review,” the Chicken Fire employee said. “We did a really good job.”
The Real Milk And Honey
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Atlanta is renowned for its soulful culture, which would lead many to believe the city has a wealth of attractions for food lovers to choose from. Lee challenged this notion during his time in town, as he gave the most lackluster reviews of service he’d received up to that point.
In October 2023, Lee attempted to partake in food from The Real Milk & Honey, a restaurant located in the heart of the A, with a reputation for its stringent “house rules.” However, upon calling to place an order, employees informed him that delivery and pick-up orders were only accepted through DoorDash, however, they were listed as being closed on the app, leaving Lee with the remaining option of visiting the restaurant in person.
Upon arriving at The Real Milk & Honey, Lee’s family went in to order without him, but were told that the restaurant was closed for the day for deep cleaning. Yet, the viral critic says that he witnessed people continuing to enter the restaurant after his family was denied service, but speculated that those customers may have ordered prior to the closing.
@keith_lee125 The Real Milk & Honey taste test 💕 would you try it ? 💕 #foodcritic
Lee added that when he walked in and introduced himself, he was offered immediate service, but declined due to wanting to be treated like a normal customer and receive an authentic experience.
The foodie’s review caused waves within the local Atlanta community and on social media as a whole, with many bemoaning the aforementioned “house rules” that are typical at many establishments in Atlanta. In response to the backlash, The Real Milk & Honey would release a statement apologizing for their inability to service Lee and his family at the time.
“We extend our apologies to all as we address a recent incident that highlighted a review from a high-profile food blogger. In no way were we trying to discredit anyone,” the statement read. “If the comments came across as such, kindly accept our apologies.”
The release continued, “It’s crucial to always take feedback and make improvement for the success of our business and our community. We’ve taken time to reflect on the incident and have started internal corrective actions with our team regarding communication styles.”
The Real Milk & Honey has since updated its house rules, with other Atlanta eateries following suit.
Old Lady Gang
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In October 2023, Lee passed by Old Lady Gang at the behest of an unidentified social media user who recommended he pay the eatery a visit. “He said he’d been constantly emailing me and constantly DM’ing me to come to Old Lady Gang,” he said in a clip documenting his experience. “I got it, let’s try it, and rate it one to 10.”
Longtime viewers of Lee’s reviews are accustomed to witnessing him then trying the food at said establishment, however, the critic notified his followers that he had declined to patron the Old Lady Gang due to his family not being serviced upon request. He did note that he and his family were offered immediate service once the restaurant’s employees realized who he was, but he ultimately declined.
“As always, I don’t want any special treatment. I wanna be treated like everybody else,” explained Lee. “I pay for my food like everybody else. I’m a normal person. I’m a normal customer. Things like this is exactly why I do reviews the way I do.”
@keith_lee125 Old Lady Gang taste test 💕 would you try it 💕 #foodcritic
After Old Lady Gang was subjected to backlash on social media and elsewhere, Kandi Burruss, the owner of Old Lady Gang, released a statement responding to the buzz surrounding her business. “I’m about to speak on it. No, I’m joking. I’m not about to speak on it,” she said of the criticisms aimed at Old Lady Gang. “I just really want to say, I do appreciate Keith Lee for stopping by our restaurant and trying to show us love. It is very unfortunate that we couldn’t serve him and his family.”
She continued, adding, “On the weekends, we get a lot of community support, people in our city that show up for us, as well as a lot of people from out of town. So, with that being said, we don’t want to overwhelm our kitchen by having to, you know, have such long times for the people who are actually at the restaurant, plus having to do to-go orders.”
The Puddery
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Keith Lee popped up at an unassuming desert shop in Pearland, Tx. in late November of last year named The Puddery, ran by Janel Prato, a self-described “one-woman show” aside from occasional assistance from her daughter.
Little did Prato know that her fledgling business would be put on the map following Lee’s taste of her treats, particularly her Oreo Croffle, chocolate and creamy cross between a croissant and a waffle, which was highly touted by the Detroit native.
Lee’s review would quickly spread word about The Puddery’s offering, resulting in an uptick in customers lined through the door. The turnouts were so massive that Prato was forced to temporarily close the eatery down out of exhaustion in fulfilling the seemingly never-ending orders.
@keith_lee125 The Puddery taste test 💕 would you try it ? 💕 #foodcritic
“Usually I would just thug it out and work through it,” Prator said in a video describing the enormity of it all. “But because of all the influx of all the customers we have, I really feel like I need to stop for a second and make sure I’m OK. Because the weekend is coming, and I want to make sure that I’m on point for all the customers that we have coming this weekend.”
In another video, she added she’d yet to fully allow the overflow of support to sink in. “I’m still in shock. I’m literally in shock,” Prator said. “Even when Keith Lee posted the review, I was still in denial like, ‘I don’t know if y’all are really going to come.’ … When that line formed, I was like, ‘Oh, crap. It’s happening.’
“First of all, I want to say thank you. This has been crazy,” she expressed to those who had visited The Puddery in the wake of Lee’s visit. “When (Lee) posted that review, my business has not been the same at all. It has been a total, complete whirlwind.”
TasteBudz Deli
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One of the more anticipated stops on Lee’s foodie tour was The Big Apple, as New York City is known as one of the cuisine mecca’s of the world. At the behest of one of Lee’s supporters on social media, the first spot he and his family hit up was TasteBudz Deli in South Jamaica, Queens, to try the store’s popular “2 Smoove” salmon chopped cheese sandwich.
Lee gave the “2 Smoove” a solid review, while the deli’s beef chopped cheese yielded the highest score and bacon, egg and cheese was panned by the influencer. In the aftermath of Lee’s review, TasteBudz’s profile has risen to unprecedented heights, with the “2 Smoove” sandwich attracting the likes of rapper Waka Flocka and averaging over 100 orders per day, according to co-owner Daquon Bowers.
Alex Riley, another owner of TasteBudz Deli, gave his take on what has been dubbed “The Keith Lee Effect.” “It was definitely a great surprise and that we were the first stop in his New York City tour,” Riley said. “He was able to get that publicity, so he definitely helped with that. We’re looking forward to it the weekend, really.”
@keith_lee125 Taste Budz Deli taste test 💕 would you try it ? 💕 #foodcritic
Taste Of Heaven
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Lee’s visit to New York yielded another gem in Taste of Heaven, a soul food haunt in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn that the martial artist slid through in December 2023.
Lee noted that when he and his family arrived, there was a line outside the door, with customers who appeared to be loyal to the restaurant. After ordering a smorgasborg of items, including jerk ribs, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, oxtail with rice and peas, turkey wings, sweet potatoes, and cabbage, Lee gave Taste of Heaven some of his highest ratings to date and left a $1,500 tip to pay for the food of the customers in line.
In the wake of Lee’s review, Taste of Heaven announced that they were temporarily shutting down orders via DoorDash and phone in order to keep up with the increased demanding following Lee’s recommendation.
@keith_lee125 Taste Of Heaven taste test 💕 would you try it ? 💕 #foodcritic
DYNAMITE Korean St. And Sushi Grill
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In December 2023, Lee stopped by Dynamite Korean St. Food and Sushi Grill, a small business in Las Vegas with an uncertain future prior to the pro fighter crossing its path. Lee would order a heaping amount of food, including the orange chicken and korean short ribs, all of which were given his coveted taste-test of approval.
Sadly, the grill’s owner would pass away shortly after Christmas from Stage 4 Cancer, prompting Lee to rally the local community around the deceased’s restaurant for a Taste Test Event held on New Years Eve. Personally paying for the first 300 customers in line, the social media sensation’s goodwill touched the hearts of many and led to yet another viral, yet genuine, moment from Lee.
@keith_lee125 #stitch with @dynamitevegas Dynamite Korean St Food & Sushi/Grill taste test 💕 would you try it ? 💕 #foodcritic
The City Of Oakland
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One of Lee’s first foodie treks of 2024 was to the Bay Area, particularly San Francisco and Oakland. Yet, this trip proved to be a departure from Lee’s previous ones, as he only compiled a handful of reviews before he and his family decided to cut their visit short. To make matters worse, Lee revealed that he was hospitalized due to an allergic reaction to shell fish, which occurred after ordering food from one Oakland eatery.
In his accompanying recap of the trip, Lee explains why he didn’t feel comfortable with giving a standard review of the city’s food, as he believes the town has more pressing issues to deal with. “I truly don’t believe the Bay is a place for tourists right now,” Lee said of the area. “The people in the Bay are just focused on surviving.” The number of unhoused people living in tents and cars was “shocking to say the least,” Lee says. The social media sensation also seemingly criticized local officials with failing to help improve the city. “I don’t know if they have, I don’t know if they’ve been trying,” Lee says. “But from the outside looking in, it doesn’t seem like there was much city interference.”
Lee concluded his video, adding, “I’ve always been big on honesty, I’ve always been big on transparency, but I’ve never been big on completely tearing down anybody and I feel like those videos are doing that.” However, Lee would later make it clear that he and his family were not in fear of their safety during their time in the Bay, and commended the hospitality he received while in the city.
Sweetly Seasoned
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In late January 2024, Lee made the trek to Dallas, Tx., an excursion that would go down in infamy due to a clash of differences regarding a hefty tip left by the influencer. Sweetly Seasoned, a food truck specializing in soul food, had reached out to Lee to try out their food, with Lee obliging by stopping by and placing an order.
While all the food he tasted was to his liking on some level, particularly the chicken tacos and pulled pork sandwich, controversy about the $4,000 tip he left for the owner of the food truck and to give free food and haircuts to customers, soon arose on social.
Kim Viverette, the owner of Sweetly Season, her son, and other parties would post videos telling their sides of a dispute over how Lee’s tip was distributed, causing him to address the situation himself in a follow-up of his review.
@keith_lee125 #stitch with @Ignoranttrey Sweetly Seasoned taste test 💕 would you try it ? 💕 #foodcritic
“For the mom to go in the back end and disregard where my heart was at and what I felt like God was telling me to do in that moment and distribute the money how she felt necessary is 100% wrong in my opinion,” Lee said of Viverette.
“I learned through this journey that sometimes, it’s deeper than the food, it’s deeper than the marketing, it’s deeper than the customer service. This is one of those cases in my opinion. Sweetly Seasoned has got a lot to figure out, and I thank God in advance that they do figure it out,” Lee said.
Sweetly Seasoned would later post an apology on its Facebook page. “We thought and believed we were right but unfortunately we were wrong!” the post read. “This has been a huge miscommunication on our part and all funds are being released!”
Sweetly Seasoned would suffer immense backlash from fans of Lee and ultimately shut down days after his visit.
Lillie Bell’s
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In May 2024, Keith Lee arrived in Michigan, on the hunt for some local eateries to patron. After receiving a direct message on social media recommending he and his family try out a soul food spot called Lillie Bell’s, Lee and his family decided to head over to the restaurant in hopes of catching a good meal.
Located inside of a liquor store in Southfield, MI, Lillie Bell’s held a 4.4/5 star rating on DoorDash, with an estimated delivery time of 45 minutes upon the Las Vegas resident’s entry into the establishment. However, he began his review by sharing that he and his family had actually waited 90 minutes for their order, but that Lillie Bell’s appeared to be a popular establishment in that area.
Purchasing items including lamb chops, turkey chops, chicken wings, macaroni and cheese, fried turkey chops, potato salad, and greens, with a side of cornbread, Lee returned to his car to give his review. First up were the lamb chops, which he described as fatty, gamey, and chewy, giving it a rating of 4/10. Next up were the chicken wings and turkey chop, with the latter receiving a high mark of 8.5/10, with Lee touting the seasoning of both.
Yet, things took a turn for the worse when the MMA fighter dug into Lillie Bell’s collard greens, which he described as “extremely pungent and strong” and having “a taste that doesn’t taste like greens.” Visibly taken aback by the dish upon tasting it, Lee can be be seen appearing to throw the rest of the serving away, concluding his reviewing by deeming the Lillie Bell’s collards “one of the worst things” that he’s had in both recent and distant memory.
Giving the collard greens a rating of 0/10, Lee admitted that the disappointing side had ruined his appetite, capping off what he had previously foreshadowed as “one of the most rollercoaster reviews” he’s ever given.
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