TikTok’s Keith Lee shook up Atlanta’s dining scene. What Florida city should he check out?

TikTok foodie Keith Lee sparked nationwide attention after documenting his frustrating dining experiences while in Atlanta, creating discussions on the city's food scene across social media.

Lee's comments on the customer service gained more interest and support from fans, as well as backlash from the restaurants. Should the beloved critic give one of Florida's cities a chance?

Here's what to know about Lee, his time in Atlanta and where in Florida he should stop.

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Who is Keith Lee of TikTok fame? How did he get famous?

Keith Lee is a 27-year-old popular food critic on TikTok who has amassed more than 14 million followers. The former MMA fighter first started making TikTok videos in 2020, seeing attention a year later when documenting his quests to fulfill his wife’s hyper-specific pregnancy cravings.

According to Slate Magazine, Lee had 1 million followers on TikTok at the time of the pregnancy craving videos, but after he pivoted to reviewing Las Vegas restaurants, he gained more than 7 million followers in three months.

Lee has gained popularity for his direct and down-to-earth style of reviewing food, his review often helping struggling small businesses thrive. Fans will remember how a sudden review of Las Vegas pizzeria, Frankensons, last year completely revived their business.

Since blowing up, he has also released collaborations with Chipotle, Doordash and fellow content creator Mr. Beast.

How does Keith Lee find restaurants to review?

According to Lee, several restaurants reach out to him through email or social media messages, asking to be "Keith Lee-d." On rare occasions, he will completely stumble on a new business and will give them a try.

Unlike some food influencers who get paid for their reviews and opinions, Lee stresses that he pays for his own meals. To make sure the review is unbiased, he places delivery orders without using his real name while sending family members or friends into the establishment to pick up his orders so he’s not recognized and given special treatment.

"I am not a celebrity," Lee said in a video. "I am a regular person, just like anyone else. When I enter a restaurant, I want the same treatment the employees will give to someone they say is a regular person."

Once he has the food, he rates every item on a 10-point scale and usually describes his experience ordering the food.

What cities has Keith Lee visited on his unofficial food tour?

Documenting his adventures to other city's food scenes, Lee has taken his followers to Chicago and Atlanta so far.

What happened when Keith Lee went to Atlanta?

Lee's visit to Georgia sparked national discussion and think-pieces on Atlanta's food scene.

While he visited Atlanta, he tried out nine spots: The Atlanta Breakfast Club, The Seafood Menu, Juci Jerk, The Real Milk and Honey, The Dining Experience Atlanta, The Bodega, Jamaican Jerk Biz, Old Lady Gang, and Toast On Lenox.

While he said he had great experiences at most of the businesses he visited, three places stood out to viewers. And not for its food, its customer service.

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USA TODAY recounted his experience:

• At the Atlanta Breakfast Club, Lee said the waitress was nice, just that their rules were interesting. Lee's family was told they could only order once as a group and couldn't add anything later. She also told him she would only serve him once everyone was at the table sitting down.

• At the The Real Milk and Honey, Lee had his family go in and order while he waited in the car, but they were informed that the restaurant was closed for deep cleaning. When they noticed people entering the restaurant and ordering food, Lee decided to go inside and investigate. The staff recognized him and offered to serve him; However, he declined.

• At the Real Housewives of Atlanta star, Masked Singer winner Kandi Burruss's Old Lady Gang, they told Lee's family members that the wait time was an hour. When Lee decided to inquire about the wait time himself, the waiter informed him that he could be seated in just five minutes. He declined.

Overall, Lee said in a video that his Atlanta experience was very unique, with restaurants intent on catering to him when he made his presence known, just not to his friends and family when staff thought they were everyday people. USA TODAY also noted that Lee claimed 95% of the restaurants he went to didn't take phone pick-up orders, and some didn't do take-out on weekends.

How did the restaurants respond to Lee's reviews?

Two of the three restaurants responded to Lee's reviews. The Atlanta Breakfast Club had not responded to Lee's experience as of Nov. 6.

The Real Milk and Honey saw Lee's video and released a video claiming they didn't know him. The company later issued a press release apologizing for the now-deleted video.

"In no way were we trying to discredit anyone, if the comments came across as such, kindly accept our apologies," the establishment said. "It's crucial to always take feedback and make improvements for the success of our business, and our community. We've taken time to reflect on the incident and have started internal corrective actions with our team regarding communication styles."

Burruss, of the Old Lady Gang restaurant, also spoke out on her review, choosing a more positive first response. She thanked Lee and his family for visiting and elaborated on their house rules. She ended the video by inviting Lee to try out their restaurant again.

“I’m about to speak on it. No, I’m joking. I’m not about to speak on it,” the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star said. “I really just wanted to say I do appreciate Keith Lee for stopping by our restaurant and trying to show us love. It is very unfortunate that we couldn’t serve him and his family.”

What Florida cities should Keith Lee check on during unofficial food tour?

Maybe Florida will give Lee a warmer welcome — literally. Here are some cities the social media star can consider trying out:

Miami

There's no way Miami wasn't going to be an option. The South Florida staple serves as a magnet for foodies seeking unique and diverse meals. The city also boasts many global cuisines, particularly Latin American and Caribbean-influenced foods.

Orlando

There's a reason it was just named the "Best Foodie City" in the country. Orlando is a melting pot for many different cultures and eateries, from world-renowned eateries opened by Michelin chefs to quirky spots you can't find anywhere else.

Beyond the endless restaurants and unique local joints, Lee can tackle a whole new type of cuisine: theme park food. Who doesn't want to see Keith Lee chow down some Mickey Mouse-shaped waffles or review the beloved Butterbeer?

Tampa

While Lee is allergic to shellfish (so that's a huge no to Gulf shrimp), his family can easily take one for the team to try out Tampa's seafood eateries. Tampa's food scene has been ramping up over the last decade, seeing a bigger spotlight on the various Cuban, Spanish, Greek and Southern small businesses due to social media users.

If Keith Lee does come to Florida, what restaurants should he visit?

Hypothetically speaking, if Keith Lee showed up to any city in Florida, where should he visit? And what restaurants should he check out?

Sound off on your suggestions. Email sneely@gannett.com on Florida spots that should be "Keith Lee-d."

Contributing reporting: Doc Louallen, USA Today Network

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Keith Lee's Atlanta drama explained. Should he try out Florida next?