Restaurants

Tik Tok food critic Keith Lee went back to his favorite BBQ spot in Dallas, or he thought

Keith Lee, a verified Tik Tok influencer with 16.4 million followers, makes videos about good food he eats, and then the restaurants tend to blow up with fans wanting to try it.

In January, Lee made a visit to Hutchins BBQ, which has locations in McKinney and Frisco. He initially went to this notorious North Texas spot because of the overwhelming 17 thousand votes by his Tik Tok viewers when he asked where he should try in Dallas.

After his visit, Lee saw a video from a fan who visited Hutchins BBQ in Frisco showing lines out the door, stating that the popularity was Lee’s doing. North Texas residents in the comments noted that before Lee, the BBQ spot established in 1991 had been popular nonetheless.

@keith_lee125 Hutchins Bbq taste test would you try it ? #foodcritic ♬ original sound - Keith Lee

Of course, his review was generous. He said that their Texas Twinkie, a jalapeno stuffed with brisket, cream cheese, and bacon, was “God**** delicious.”

He also added that when tasting the brisket, it was so good it didn’t need any barbecue sauce, rating it a 9.3 out of 10.

Lee loved this spot so much that he revisited North Texas recently to go again.

Or what he thought was the same place. Instead of Hutchins BBQ in Frisco or McKinney, he visited The Original Roy Hutchins Barbeque in Trophy Club, mistaking it for Hutchins BBQ “original location.”

The two BBQ spots are from the same family, after all. In 2023, a nasty lawsuit between the Hutchins family came out due to disagreements about expanding the family brand. The main difference between the two restaurants was revealed in a Texas Monthly exclusive interview:

Roy and Wes Hutchins (who own the Original Roy Hutchins Barbeque) use red oak to smoke their meat. Tim and Trey Hutchins (who own the two Hutchins BBQ locations) use post oak.

Despite the family drama, Lee helped both businesses out. And in his review, he even states, “I think the location might make a difference too because it tastes a little different than I remember, but still good.”

@keith_lee125 Hutchins Bbq Revisited taste test would you try it ? #foodcritic @Hutchins BBQ ♬ original sound - Keith Lee

Keith Lee’s Original Roy Hutchins Barbeque review

Very excited, Lee showed the hefty bag of Roy’s BBQ to his screen and said, “The food in my bag is from my favorite restaurant that we had last time we came out here. In my opinion, is it still the same?”

Plate of brisket, beans, and good barbecue from The Original Roy Barbecue in Trophy Club, where Tik Tok influencer Keith Lee rates the brisket a 9.1 out of 10.
Plate of brisket, beans, and good barbecue from The Original Roy Barbecue in Trophy Club, where Tik Tok influencer Keith Lee rates the brisket a 9.1 out of 10. Bud Kennedy bud@star-telegram.com

After trying what he thought was the same Texas Twinkie, brisket, and sausages, he agreed that the barbecue is still amazing, ranking some items higher than before.

  • Brisket: “I will say, this time I feel like I need the sauce.” After dipping in some vinegary BBQ sauce, a grin lit his face up and he rated the brisket a 9.1 out of 10. Without the sauce, an 8.9.

  • St Louis Ribs: “I wish it was a little more vinegary like last time but it’s super peppery, a little sweet.” He rated the ribs that fell right off the bone an 8.7 out of 10.

  • Cheddar Sausage: He was not a huge fan of it because of the overwhelming amount of cheddar, rating it a 3 out of 10.

  • Regular Sausage: “It’s like a real smokey and woodsy kind of flavor.” Ranking it a 8.9 out of 10 for the quality of meat.

  • Cheddar Jalapeno cornbread: Though he wished he had some butter with them, Lee still gave the muffins a 3.5 out of 10.

  • Texas Twinkie: He does note that he thinks the locations have a different taste, but he remembered this specialty being crazy.”I don’t care which location it’s at, just call me when you make it,” he says, ranking it a 9.3 out of 10 and calling it immaculate.

Lee has also visited other North Texas restaurants such as:

  • Roots Southern Table

  • CeeZoos bar and lounge

  • Brunchaholics

  • Taste Project

  • Terry Blacks

  • Sweetly Seasoned

  • Absolutely Edible Cakes

  • Halal Fuzionz

  • Thunderbird Pizza

Ella Gonzales
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Ella Gonzales is a service journalism reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions and write about life in North Texas. Ella mainly writes about local restaurants and where to find good deals around town.
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