Keith Lee’s visit to Atlanta has gone viral for multiple reasons. Lee, 27, is a food critic who has over 12 million followers on TikTok.
He samples a variety of restaurants which include mom-and-pop businesses and major food chains. Some of his content has received over 500 million likes. When a restaurant recieves a stamp of approval from Lee, it often equates to a surge in business.
However, several Atlanta-based restaurants have felt Lee’s wrath.
He announced his trip to Atlanta to attend ONE MusicFest and decided to make stops at multiple restaurants. Some presented inconveniences that he noted.
For instance, when his family attempted to eat at the Atlanta Breakfast Club, they were told that they couldn’t even order water until their entire party had been seated. In his review, Lee said, “the people were nice, the rules they had set were very unique to me.”
When he visited The Real Milk & Honey, his family was told that they were closing an hour early for “deep-cleaning.” But some people were still allowed to order and people were eating inside.
Following the review, the owner of The Real Milk & Honey caught more backlash after making a video where he claimed to not know Lee. Some social media users shared that owners of The Real Milk & Honey should have issued a formal statement.
Lee also visited Old Lady Gang owned by Kandi Burruss. He and his family attempted to order over the phone, but no one answered. And they tried to use DoorDash, but that didn’t work as well. Lee sent his family to order the food at restaurant, but were told that they don’t do takeouts on weekends. When they attempted to sit down, they were told the wait would be an hour. However, when Lee walked in, staff noticed him and he was admittedly told that he could get a seat.
Burruss responded to Lee’s video by thanking him and his family for visiting her restaurant. She also said that Old Lady Gang does not take to-go orders on weekends because it would overwhelm her staff.
“I want to say thanks to Keith for trying to even show up. Thanks for trying to bring your family by. Maybe next time we’ll still get a chance to serve you,” Burruss concluded.
However, some restaurants in Atlanta received positive reviews from Lee. Those restaurants include Jamaican Jerk Biz in Mableton, The Dining Experience in Fairburn and Juci Jerk in Stone Mountain.
