*The city of Atlanta has left viral food critic Keith Lee in a concerned state of mind after a tour stop at the famed location. So much so that he has threatened to postpone touring if he experiences the same concern in other cities.
As a result, Lee is catching less than stellar feedback from the public for his non-biased reviews of the food and service he’s received, according to Ice Cream Conversations.
Taking to TikTok, the visibly upset social media star responded to the criticism, discussing safety concerns he has for himself as well as his family and restaurants he has visited.
“You can disagree with me. You cannot like what I say. I completely understand and I’m okay with that. But, when my safety and my family’s safety are coming into play – that’s where I draw the line,” Lee expressed in his latest TikTok video. “What can’t happen is when my family or the restaurants or anybody’s safety are coming into play.”
Lee’s comments come after he recently took in some of Atlanta’s hot spots and voiced his reviews about where he spent his time. Among the eateries Lee visited were Kandi Burruss’ Old Lady Gang, The Dining Experience, and The Real Milk and Honey, among others. Although the Dining Experience generated high marks from Lee, the TikTok food reviewer wasn’t impressed with Old Lady Gang and the Real Milk and Honey, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Regarding Burruss’ restaurant, the Times reported that Lee highlighted faults such as the staff not answering the phone, food being unavailable for takeout via DoorDash and his family being told there would be a more than an hour wait while attempting to get service while waiting in the car. Old Lady Gang staff ultimately hurried to get Lee and his family a table but the critic ultimately declined on principle.
Although he has gotten love for his candid thoughts, Atlanteans did not feel Lee’s point of view when it came to the places they broke bread. The backlash from the ATL was enough for the food critic to let folks know that he would bring an end to his tour if other cities behaved like Atlanta.
“I’m going to be 100 percent transparent and 100 percent candid, me and my family will postpone touring if other cities are going to be like this,” a frustrated Lee said while seeming to realize that he’s damned if he does…and damned if he doesn’t.
“What else do you want from me? If I go to a bunch of restaurants and I have a string of good experiences, then I’m being too nice, I’m lying, a narrative is being pushed, my eye roll is fake, and I’m lying just to help people.
Scroll below to see Keith Lee share his feelings and concerns over his time in Atlanta.
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“Then, on the same hand, if I go to two or three restaurants where I don’t have the best experience – now I’m tearing down businesses, now I’m being mean, I need to shut up, I need to mind my business, I need to sit down…I can’t win for losing, “ he continued. “I walk away from everything before I lie.”
News of Lee’s harsh review of Atlanta’s popular eateries generated headlines and conversations among food lovers. Responding to Lee’s review of her Old Lady Gang eatery, Kandi Burrus shared a video where she defended her business. In the video, “Real Housewives of Atlanta” the star stated that, according to the restaurant’s hostess, a table was suddenly available for Lee because the previous patrons on the wait list were no-shows.
Burruss went on to point out that it was OK if the hostess did find a table for Lee when other people were told they’d have to wait. “We try to look out for our people who come and support us,” she said.
In addition to Burruss, Cardi B stood up for Atlanta eateries while pointing to the effort put in by the restaurants to serve their customers.
“Everybody talking about this guy called Keith, that he does restaurant reviews, and I’m like, who is that?,” the “Up” rapstress said in a since expired Instagram live story after catching wind of Lee’s comments. “I know that being a restaurant owner is a lot of hard work. And so many people have invested money in their restaurants. [For] people, this is their everything,” she said. “But I always find this eating in Atlanta: It is such an event. You could barely order in Atlanta restaurants. They don’t do no pickup orders, they don’t do deliveries.”
Going more into her experience with Atlanta restaurants, Cardi B noted that despite being a celebrity, had to name-drop herself just to get food from ATL restaurants, adding that even being famous, “it’s a hassle!”
While it can be a task, Cardi closed her video on a high note, labeling chicken wings and the food in Atlanta overall as especially delicious.
“There ain’t no place in the world that makes better chicken wings than in f— Atlanta,” she said.
To see Cardi B and Kandi Burruss’ video responses to Keith Lee’s review of restaurants in Atlanta, scroll below:
Kandi Buruss’ response:
Cardi B’s response:
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB: They Can’t Handle the Truth! TikTok Food Critic Keith Lee Getting Death Threats | Video
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