Viral food critic Keith Lee made stops in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, where he donated money to local restaurants while critiquing the D.C. food scene.
During last week’s tour, Lee ate at spots such as Cane on H Street, Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant on U Street, Hong Kong Delite Carryout on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, and SMiZE & DREAM on Connecticut Avenue.
The TikTok influencer has more than 16 million followers on the platform, gaining prominence in 2021 when he began posting restaurant reviews. His previous food tours have included major cities like Atlanta, Houston, and New York City.
Lee has gone viral for his reviews, often resulting in a surge of support and patronage, coined “The Keith Lee Effect” by social media users.
The Detroit native is known for giving preference to reviewing mom-and-pop restaurants along with Black-owned businesses. Since visiting the area, Lee donated approximately $30,000 to various local restaurants.
Lydia Tefera, a member of the family-owned establishment Dukem on U Street, grew up with the Ethiopian restaurant since its inception as a carry-out spot in 1997. Tefera posted a TikTok on Aug. 14, expressing the business’ challenges since her father’s passing in 2022.
To her surprise, Lee showed up just a couple of days later and left $500 for each staff member and $1,000 to cover the following patrons after eating inside, Ethiopian-style.
“People in the D.C. area who grew up and have been going to the restaurant for a while, they have a story when it comes to Dukem,” Tefera said. “We’re not only seeing people who have been going and know of the restaurant for the past two decades plus, but there have been some new faces, and it’s been really exciting to see those new faces come in and just be excited to even try Ethiopian food as a whole.”
The 27-year-old also visited Jerk At Nite, a Caribbean restaurant founded by Howard University alumnus Denville Myrie Jr. He rated the spot a 9.3 out of 10.
“Overall, for whatever it’s worth, I’m officially stamping this as the best Caribbean food I’ve ever had,” Lee said in his review.
Mariah Washington, a junior business management major from North Carolina, witnessed “The Keith Lee Effect” in action. She said the line outside Jerk At Nite was the longest she had ever seen and plans to return to the spot after seeing the popularity it’s gained.
“Jerk At Nite is my go-to Jamaica spot because it’s the best,” Washington said.
Though, Lee’s DMV food tour was not without controversy. He received backlash for his comments regarding his issues with the D.C. food scene being too alcohol oriented.
The former mixed martial artist said he visited approximately 12 restaurants in the DMV; however, he decided not to post most of them.
“A lot of those videos, in my opinion, aren’t constructive at all,” Lee said in a TikTok in response to the backlash of his reviews.
The video showcased unseen footage from said restaurants, including photos of alleged unappetizing food and a plate cooked in shellfish oil, a major food allergen for Lee.
While Lee did not name the restaurants, social media users quickly deduced one source of the bad experience was Oohh’s and Aahh’s, a soul food restaurant with three locations in the DMV. The establishment apologetically responded.
“We do feel like it’s extremely unfortunate the food they did get from us, they weren’t able to try based on the way it was served,” Keya Barnes, director of operations, told Fox 5.
Soul Wingz, a soul food spot familiar to Howard University students, was recognized as another source of the photos shown in Lee’s video. The owners, Anthony Holmon and Menyana Williams, defended their restaurant on Instagram, saying, “We stand by our food.”
Kalu Azu, a senior financial analyst from Hyattsville, Maryland, has lived in various parts of the DMV his entire life.
“The food scene here, I think, is great. You can really find whatever it is that you want as long as you’re looking,” Azu said.
Azu has a more nuanced take on the situation.
“A lot of people, especially in this area, are professionals. So a lot of the food spots are catered towards more adult enjoyment,” he said. “You’re gonna have more alcohol-oriented spots because people want to go out after work or just to have a nice drink with a friend.”
Darren Neblett, an audio production major from Fort Washington, Maryland, would be glad to see Lee return and try other restaurants for a better experience.
“There’s just so many different cultures, so many different flavors that you can explore,” Neblett said. “I always say that DC is so many different cities packed into one space. So, if you go to the wrong area, you might have different experiences. But if you go to a different area, you might have some really amazing experiences.”
Copy edited by Camiryn Stepteau
