HOUSTON – Before the year 2023 comes to an end, viral food critic Keith Lee shared his personal rankings of cities with the best cuisine from his food tour this year.
Lee visited eight cities, including Houston, where he boosted the popularity of many small business.
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Atlanta was the one city where his visit caused a lot of controversy due to some of his negative reviews on his dining experiences.
What happened in Atlanta?
Lee posted his dining experience and highlighted how difficult it was to order from restaurants Old Lady Gang and The Real Milk and Honey. He showed the inconvenience with weekend takeout and DoorDash options being unavailable. Lee said he was even ignored when he attempted to order over the phone.
According to Forbes, after attempting to eat in, Lee was told that there was one hour to wait to enter Old Lady Gang but was instantly offered a table after his identity was discovered. Lee reportedly refused to be served before the rest of the waiting diners, emphasizing that he wants to experience the exact same service that everyone else does.
At the Real Milk and Honey, Lee was also showed preferential treatment once he was identified. Lee’s review on The Real Milk and Honey gained over 22 million views on TikTok.
The viral review about Atlanta’s poor customer service caused an uproar, even catching the attention of some celebrities like Cardi B, who seemingly agreed with the food critic.
The backlash caused Lee to address the death threats some of the restaurants faced, stating that he does not condone such behavior and emphasized that his channel is not about bullying restaurants or their owners.
The Keith Lee effect in Houston
The Bayou City seemingly redeemed Lee’s food experience as he gave the city high rankings for its diverse food scenery.
Local small business owners who’ve experienced the “Keith Lee effect” are seeing long lines of customers outside of their doors after his reviews are posted on his TikTok.
So how did he rank the city?
Lee ranked Houston as No. 2, as New Orleans took the No. 1 spot.
“Speaking of almost every spot we visited being delicious, Houston was one of those places,” Lee said. “It was one place that carried Houston for me -- The Puddery.”
The Puddery, located at 5517 Broadway St. suite, is known to serve desserts in a cup.
The shop was visited by Lee in November, and since then, has been receiving lines of customers wrapped around its door. The owner of The Puddery, Janel Prator, said her business was impacted positively and her life has since changed.
“Every since he posted that review, my business has not been the same. It has been a total complete whirlwind,” Prator said in the November’s post on Instagram.
Lee stated that Houston was very close in the race with New Orleans but was beat by the city’s customer service.
Here’s how Lee rated the rest of the cities:
1. New Orleans
2. Houston
3.) Chicago
4.) Vegas
5.) LA
6.) Detroit
7.) New York
8. Atlanta
@keith_lee125 Ranking Our Food Stops Of 2023 💕 would you try it ? 💕 #foodcritic
♬ original sound - Keith Lee
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