HOUSTON – Although Keith Lee has left Houston to continue his food tour across the states, one dedicated Houston business owner went far and beyond to get the food critic’s attention.
Ishmael Wilson, the owner of HTX Food Plug and college student, posted a video on Nov. 20, ahead of the viral food critic’s visit to Houston to capture his attention. He asked his followers to tag Lee in hopes of getting him to try his Flaming Hot Cheeto boudin balls.
I tracked all the restaurants Lee reviewed throughout the Houston area during his visit -- and unfortunately, the HTX Food Plug didn’t make the list.
But on Monday, Lee posted a video on his TikTok, stitching Wilson’s original call-out video with a boudin ball taste test.
In the video, Lee documented his and Wilson’s meet-up at the airport, stating how the owner almost got kicked out of the airport and his vehicle towed. Lee said on his last days in Houston, he saw another video of customers trying the restaurant’s boudin balls and reached out to him directly and asked if he could make some for him.
The message read:
Lee: “Yo my name is Keith, God bless you. I would love to have a quick conversation with you if you available able potentially trying some boudin balls. I never do this, but we leave soon so I’m at my last option. I appreciate you.”
He said the night before he left for his flight, Wilson reached back out with the following message:
Wilson: “Yes sir most definitely is it possible if I can whip you and your family up some boudin balls and pasta tomorrow! I’m a college student so I do open on weekends at the moment just to have time for school but I’ll be more then happy to serve you ! I know you do not like special treatment but this is the only way I can get you squared away if I go in and prep you a few orders tomorrow. Id that fine with you Mr. Keith? I do not have class tomorrow as the semester is winding down.”
The dedicated college student drove to the airport in an effort of his last attempt to get Lee to try the boudin balls. He even sent photos of him at the airport with the menu item.
Five minutes later, Lee walked outside the airport to meet Wilson.
“I told him where I was at and told him I was going to be 100% honest,” Lee said.
The owner stepped out of his truck, saying, “Man, I was slipping and sliding. This is a blessing man.” He also left his car outside as he stepped into the airport to give Lee his food, which he said was still hot.
Here’s how Lee rated the unique boudin balls with cheese sauce:
“That’s solid, I don’t even like Hot Cheetos,” Lee said. “It leaves a good crust. If it wasn’t for the crust, I wouldn’t like this at all, I ain’t going to lie to you because I’m a texture person. I don’t like it. It’s fire though.”
Lee rated the Hot Cheeto boudin ball an 8.9/10, a review that Wilson appreciated.
Lee said he respects Wilson’s hustle and grind more than anything. He also said he noticed Wilson’s truck had a dent on the passenger side door and gifted him $2,500 to fix his door, for school or to use it for whatever he needed.
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