Restaurant critic Keith Lee headed for Indianapolis. Local eateries hope for pop-ins
Tighten up, Indianapolis restaurants. Keith Lee is coming to town.
The earthy and influential food critic is participating in an Indianapolis event ahead of NBA All-Star Weekend, meaning there’s a chance for him to shine a spotlight on some local eateries.
Lee has nearly 16 million followers on TikTok and has changed the fortunes of struggling restaurants with his reviews.
Lee will be on hand for the Hoops & Icons basketball game produced by The Players Company at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Feb. 14.
Lee himself hasn’t made an announcement about visiting restaurants while in Indianapolis.
Prior to hitting a city on his Keith Lee and Family Food Tour — he’s stopped in 10 in the past seven months — he usually takes to social media for restaurant suggestions.
Game organizers though are selling packages promising food entrepreneurs interaction with the influencer at the event.
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Who is Keith Lee?
A former professional MMA fighter, Lee began making videos for TikTok to help overcome his anxiety from interviews. He typically records his reactions from his car.
In the past, he has focused on mom and pop shops that have standout food and customer service, but are in need of exposure. Many of the restaurants featured have been Black-owned.
What is the Keith Lee effect?
A Keith Lee review gets attention for an eatery, no doubt.
The Puddery dessert shop outside of Houston, Texas, for example, saw such a huge increase in business following his November 2023 visit, with customers camping outside the store, that the owner had to temporarily close the shop to restock and accommodate the growth.
While restaurants are eager to have him visit to with hopes of getting a thumbs up, Lee has also drawn attention to shortcomings on entire culinary scenes. In Atlanta, Georgia, Lee expressed frustration with inconsistent customer service and seating policies, which led to much scrutiny of the city’s dining culture.
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Lee's notoriety within culinary communities now leads him to typically have family or team members place and retrieve restaurant orders to ensure that he gets no preferential treatment.
What type of restaurants does Keith Lee visit?
Lee has been known to pop in at carryout-only joints and food trucks as well as dine-in restaurants.
Last week, he announced he was expanding visits to eateries that highlight local food scenes, as well as more restaurants from various backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities.
Indianapolis restaurants are ready to welcome Keith Lee
All manner of restaurants around Indianapolis say they'd like to get their food in front of the influencer.
Among them is Hazel Toledo, who has baked specialty desserts, pastries and cakes infused with Delta 8 THC at Hazeables, 5545 E. Washington St., since October 2022.
She’d welcome him in to try her vanilla bean mil hojas, cheesecakes and brownies — with or without THC.
“That’d be so cool,” she said. “It’d help the business get more known because the biggest problem we’ve had in getting known has been because our location is just so hidden. It’s been hard to get out there.”
It’s not just the newer shops that would appreciate a visit.
Chef Steve Oakley, a four-time James Beard award semifinalist and one of the pioneers of Indy’s modern culinary scene, would be thrilled with the attention.
His Oakleys Bistro, 1464 W. 86th St., is one of the city’s longest-running independent chef-owned and chef-driven restaurants.
The move there, he said, would be the shrimp corndog with which he bested Bobby Flay on Food Network in 2017, then maybe a duck dish or a twist on comfort food that the restaurant has used to help raise the profile of Indianapolis dining.
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“We need some little bumps in letting people know that we're here and there's a lot of great places, a lot of fun places to eat and and we're growing,” he said. “The hospitality here shines through and we need to capitalize on that, especially during the All-Star game and all that coming in. We need to impress these people and let them know that we got some great stuff here. “
Terry Anthony, owner of The Block Bistro & Grill, 115 W. Market St., gets lots of attention.
His signature Boomerang jumbo grilled chicken wings were praised by Food Network host Tyler Florence during a television competition last year. And he’ll serve them as a guest chef at Gainbridge Fieldhouse during All-Star Weekend.
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Still, he's ready for Lee to sink his teeth into his Thai chili wings.
“Anytime, you get an opportunity to have someone of his stature with the number of TikTok followers and you can shine light on Indianapolis, it’s a great thing,” Anthony said.
Ryan Greb, owner of John’s Famous Stew, 1146 Kentucky Ave., wants Lee try the namesake stew and massive breaded tenderloin at his century-old business.
Greb, who bought John’s Famous Stew after it closed in early 2020 then revived in 2022, is used to the likes of David Letterman and various race teams and drivers at the site.
The restaurant, about six blocks southwest of Lucas Oil Stadium, will host a food truck rally during All-Star Weekend.
“Hoping great success for all area businesses, especially the mom and pops that really need the exposure,” he said.
Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cheryl.jackson@indystar.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com: @cherylvjackson.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Restaurant critic Keith Lee will be in Indianapolis next month
