If you’re on TikTok, you’ve probably heard of food influencer Keith Lee. And if you're in the D.C. area, you may have heard that he's announced plans to eat his way through the DMV.
Lee is known for his honest and unfiltered reviews of the best mom-and-pop eateries in the U.S. Once his video reviews hit social media, restaurants often see lines out the door. His impact, known as the “Keith Lee effect,” has brought restaurants from a slow business to mega-popular in a matter of days.
Lee announced to his 16.5 million TikTok followers Sunday night that he would be coming to the DMV (D.C., Maryland and Virginia).
“If you or anybody you know has a mom-and-pop shop or a family-owned spot that has great food and great customer service but can use some marketing, absolutely free to them, let me know,” he said in his announcement on TikTok.
Though the critic didn’t name an exact date when he would be in town, he asked his followers to recommend the best restaurants from all cultures, ethnicities and backgrounds.
“D.C., Maryland, Virginia, here we come. God is amazing and this may be one of the ones, you never know, no promises,” he said.
Many of the comments from his video are requesting Lee's thoughts on one specific Ethiopian spot, Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant on U Street.
Others are telling him to try mumbo sauce, half-smokes and Asian food in Virginia.
With Maryland known as the place for crabs and Old Bay, some followers who live in Baltimore are asking for a separate food tour to make sure Charm City restaurants get the attention they deserve.
Lee's videos began to blow up about November 2020. Since then, he's been traveling to different cities to visit some of his followers’ most recommended spots. Most recently, he's posted videos reviewing a Toronto jerk restaurant, a fry-bread spot in Mesa, Arizona and a chicken joint in Indianapolis.
If you want to recommend a spot to Keith Lee, you can message him through his business email, Instagram, TikTok, or by tagging him in any videos.
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