Keith Lee walks out of ‘the dopest restaurant’ in Fort Worth without bags, only love
When this popular social media food critic walks into a restaurant anywhere in the country, his more than 15 million followers on TikTok hang on his every word.
Then Keith Lee mania makes it west to Fort Worth, taking his family to Taste Community Restaurant, a faith-based nonprofit with a mission “to feed, educate, and serve our community,” according to its website.
Lee’s review was effusive as it was reverent.
And, surprise, no food talk.
“I have found one of the dopest restaurants I have ever seen,” Lee tells his fans in a TikTok video. “As you can see, I have no bags.”
Instead, the Las Vegas-based social media star tells his legions of fans how taken he is by the restaurant’s mission. The concept is simple as it is “mind blowing,” Lee preaches.
“Whatever you got to pay or whatever you want to pay is what you pay for your meal,” Lee explains. “And I mean everything on the menu. You pay a $100, a $1,000, a penny, a dollar, zero dollars, whatever you feel the meal is worth.”
This visit was a departure from how he has approached the half dozen restaurants he has visited in North Texas since he arrived Sunday as part of his national food tour. He normally rates the items in a restaurant’s menu, delivering on his catch phrase: “He got ‘em, he tried ‘em and rated them 1-10.”
He was there, but he did not try the food.
“We didn’t want to take the spotlight or the shine off the food or the mission they’re there to accomplish,” Lee said.
But how did he rate the place?
“This is a place that should be shined, celebrated and highlighted everywhere in this community, not only in this community but the world,” he tells his millions of followers.
The Taste Project was started a few years ago by Jeff Williams, who with his wife, Julie, and an army of volunteers they call Taste Buds, help fight food insecurity in Tarrant County. The restaurant is open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with sit-in service only and has rules on over ordering.
“To avoid food scarcity and make sure everyone can eat,” Lee declares in his video message. “It’s a mission that I personally agree with 1,000%.”
To back up his words, Lee and his family asked if they could leave a $4,000 donation for the project, to which Julie Williams responds: “That is so sweet, you can absolutely do that.”
Of course because Lee is a food critic but did not try the food at the restaurant, he asked his followers to share their impressions of the food, “If you’re comfortable sharing.”
Other North Texas restaurants Keith Lee has visited so far
According to our news partners at WFAA:
- Thunderbird Pies in East Dallas
- Terry Black’s in Deep Ellum
- Halal Fusionz in Farmers Branch
- Hutchins BBQ (locations in McKinney and Frisco)
- Absolutely Edible Cakes and Catering in Rowlett
- Sweetly Seasoned food truck
This story was originally published February 2, 2024 at 2:45 PM.
