The popular TikTok food reviewer Keith Lee is from Detroit, so we’ve been wondering if and when he would visit to blow up some of our favorite underrated spots in the city, especially after just seeing he was in New Orleans for the first stop of his food tour.
Well… the time has come, as Lee announced Sunday that Detroit would be the second stop, as it should be. He’s already here and has made videos on two local spots so far.
Lee began posting on TikTok in 2020 and grew to around one million followers by the beginning of 2022, quickly skyrocketing to close to 14 million followers today. The star is known for his calm and slightly awkward demeanor, his Paw Patrol chair, and love for his wife Ronni and daughters Karter and Riley — but mainly, for his ability to change the trajectory of struggling businesses.
Growing up in Detroit, the now 26-year-old moved to Las Vegas right after high school with his family so that he and his brother Kevin Lee, nicknamed “The Motown Phenom,” could pursue careers as professional MMA fighters. Shortly after Lee got a big fighting promotion, the COVID-19 pandemic happened.
As something to do and as a way to help his social anxiety and speaking skills, Lee started a TikTok, first posting mainly family and cooking content. Now, he is known for food reviews, and “The Keith Lee Effect” is truly a thing.
In Las Vegas, he has grown small restaurants overnight with his videos, with one spot going from barely any customers to a line around the block, and another from making $200 a day to a 900% increase, according to Today.
Now, he has just begun the “unofficial Keith Lee and family food tour,” taking to TikTok on Sept. 10 to announce he would be in his hometown, prompting Detroit foodies to comment with suggestions for restaurants that he should visit in the coming days.
“If you are from Detroit or you are in Detroit and you know of any restaurants that have great customer service, great food, but just need a marketing platform, tag them below, DM me, or email me,” Lee said in the video. “A lot of people don’t even know I’m from Detroit, born and raised, Seven Mile and Outer Drive, Seven Mile and Evergreen. I went to Southfield High, I graduated in 2014.”
@keith_lee125 Food Tour 2nd Stop Announcement 💕 would you try it ? 💕 #foodcritic ♬ original sound - Keith Lee
“I can’t wait, I genuinely feel like this is about to be iconic, we are about to make history and I appreciate every last one of you on this journey,” he added with excitement.
After a “nighttime flight to Detroit,” Lee took to TikTok to showcase his order from Speedy’s Coney Island, explaining what Coney Islands are to his viewers who don’t know and laughing about how his corned beef sandwich came as a burger.
“I had to Doordash this because it’s late, I wasn’t going to no coney island this late, I got kids,” Lee joked in the video. “Before the Coney Island war starts, I’m gonna go to a bunch of Coney Islands while I’m here.”
He tried the food, rated it 1 through 10 as usual, and expressed that even if the food wasn’t perfect, he’s just happy to be home.
@keith_lee125 The Spot Truk taste test 💕 would you try it 💕 #foodcritic ♬ original sound - Keith Lee
Later in the day on Sept. 11, he taste-tested The Spot Truck in Dearborn, which serves 100% halal birria tacos. He gave their customer service a 9.5 out of 10 and all of the food around 9.5 as well.
“The Spot food truck is the spot,” he said. “OK, Detroit. We starting hot… If the line ain’t always busy, I pray and I hope, after this, that changes.”
Now, we're just waiting to see where Lee visits next and what the effect will be on metro Detroit’s food scene. Hopefully, some underrated small businesses get promoted for the greatness that Detroit foodies know.
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