Viral food critic Keith Lee reviews Indianapolis restaurant. Here's what he said

A chicken wing shop on Thursday became the first Indianapolis restaurant to be reviewed by viral critic Keith Lee.

Lee visited Chicken Scratch, 5308 N. Keystone Ave., while in town for NBA All-Star Weekend.

Chicken Scratch is a spinoff of Chef Tia & Co., the now-closed west side Cajun restaurant. It specializes in huge cooked-to-order wings in house-made sauces.

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With nearly 16 million followers on platform, Lee has become a force in promoting restaurants.

By 8 a.m. Friday, Lee’s review of the restaurant had garnered more than 1 million views on TikTok.

Lee’s operation is informal and faith-based, with a mission to bring attention to spots that could use lifts in marketing. Eschewing preferential treatment by the businesses, he does reviews from a car, often accompanied by his wife, Ronni Lee, or other team members.

Sometimes he prays with the owners, and leaves large tips or pays in advance for other customers. But he eschews special treatment.

Positive reviews have seen some restaurants immediately overwhelmed with business.

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Lee visited Chicken Scratch with a companion and recorded from the shop’s parking lot.

“This is one of the most recommended spots since we’ve been here,” he said. Folks had been suggesting the take-out shop since last year.

This is what Lee had to say about the popular chicken restaurant:

Customer service at Chicken Scratch

Lee, in the video, said his family reported that the customer service was decent.

He spent $75.97 at Chicken Scratch.

He found one 10-piece order of wings was short one wing; another order was short two wings.

What Keith Lee ordered at Chicken Scratch in Indianapolis

ATL Style (hot lemon pepper) wings

Lee said the sauce was vinegary, describing it as mixture of hot sauces with a spicy kick.

“They are super spicy and they do have flavor,” he said. “For me, this is a good wing.” But the breading was soggy, both he and the companion noted.

Rating: 7/10

Garlic pepper wings

Lee thought the wings were very sweet and a little garlicky.

Rating: 3/10 (His companion liked the sweetness and rated it a 6/10.)

Honey Hot Chicken Mac Fries

The loaded dish was a lot, in a good way, for Lee.

“The mac and cheese is good…nice and creamy and cheesy," he said. "But at the end of the day, it’s just fried chicken and mac and cheese."

He liked the signature Honey Hot sauce, and proclaimed the dish a real value at less than $20. “If you eat half of this you're going straight to sleep,” he said.

Rating: 7.9-8/10

Parmesan Truffle Fries

Lee and his companion said the fries lacked enough truffle oil and parmesan.

Rating: No rating

Mango habanero wings

The flavor was more akin to jalapeno, a milder tasting pepper, with a bit of sweetness, the critic said.

“I wouldn't necessarily say this is a mango habanero,” he said. “ This is a good wing though.”

Rating: 7.5/10

The video hinted that there are other Indy reviews in store, although the city is not on Lee’s current Keith Lee and Family Food Tour.

"I appreciate the recommendations. And I can't wait to see what Indiana’s got in store for us,” 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: Viral food critic Keith Lee reviews Indianapolis restaurant.