by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman
December 31, 2023
New Orleans beat out Houston, Vegas, Los Angeles, and New York, with Lee noting that its high level of customer service set the southern city apart.
Keith Lee has crowned New Orleans as the #1 city for good eats. The popular TikTok food reviewer has shared his thoughts on all the U.S. cities he’s toured this year and where they rank on his coveted list.
The influencer kicked off his first-ever Keith Lee and Family Food Tour on Aug. 4, venturing to eight acclaimed food hubs across America to not only dine, but also amplify smaller, diverse restaurants. Lee shared his top 8 cities on the platform on Dec. 29, selecting their placements based on his overall experience of their food scenes in addition to the overall taste of the meals he had.
@keith_lee125 Ranking Our Food Stops Of 2023 💕 would you try it ? 💕 #foodcritic ♬ original sound – Keith Lee
New Orleans beat out other cities, including Houston, Vegas, Los Angeles, and New York, to receive the top ranking, with Lee noting that its high level of customer service set the southern city a part from the rest.
“Everywhere we went, it felt like family,” recalled the TikToker. “Everything was so rich in culture and different [than] anywhere I’ve been.”
Atlanta was placed as #8 on the list, with Lee sharing that it was more so about his experience trying to order food. His food reviews, or his stories detailing his lack of obtaining food within Atlanta sparked its own controversy regarding its Black-owned restaurants and the expectations regarding customer service. According to Lee, a number of the Atlanta restaurants has restrictive rules that led to his family being able to get takeout for his stealth taste tests.
“My biggest issue with Atlanta was that it was hard for us to get food,” explained the content creator.
With over 15 million followers on the platform, it is evident that Lee’s opinion is widely considered, and his food tour has only just begun.
“This year has been absolutely insane, I can’t say thank you enough. My family’s life has changed forever,” expressed Lee on TikTok. “We’ve only been on food tour for five months, and I’ve only been doing food reviews for a year. We’re just getting started…At the top of the year, the second leg of the tour will begin, I’ll see y’all soon.”
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