Keith Lee is known for his honest food reviews on TikTok. So when he tried something that he instantly regretted, it was impossible to hide it.
While sitting in his car in the Houston Hot Chicken parking lot, he first explained what he was about to try. Then as he got moving on the taste testing, he realized he made a big mistake.
Keith Lee Reviews Houston Hot Chicken With A Side Of Regret
His first clue that things were about to get hotter than the dessert in the middle of summer was that he had to sign a waiver before getting his order. (And maybe also that the spiciest tender on the menu is named ‘Houston We Have a Problem.’)
Along with his food, the restaurant supplied gloves and ice cream. (The gloves were another red hot flag.) This wasn’t his first time trying out this place, but it was the first time he got brave enough to try the spiciest chicken tender they serve.
“I’ve been here before, but last time I got the second to spiciest tender. This time I got the spiciest,” he said. “I got six tenders gradually going up in the heat.”
The last tender was the one that required a waiver. Lee was told that “the only thing that helps you is gonna be ice cream.” Lee was then given a large cup of ice cream and a drink and told he would need them both.
“They marked the spice level, so I don’t get confused,” he said before digging into the first tender with no spice. After tasting that, he rated it 7.5 out of 10 for flavor. Next was the mild tender.
“That’s mild?” he said, slightly confused. “That already has some spice on it, but it’s a good spice right now. It still got flavor. Flavor-wise, I like that better than the first one.”
He rated that one 8 out of 10. The medium tender was up next.
“We’re already getting spicy. I can tell by looking at it,” he said as he held the next tender up. “I think I ate those backward because that’s not nearly as spicy as the mild.”
Time To Open The Box With The Spicier Tenders In It
Then it was time to open the second box that contained the spicier tenders. One bite of the next spiciest tender, and Lee’s face said it all. This was when regret entered the chat.
“I’m genuinely starting to regret this,” he said with his hand over his mouth. “That one got a good spice. It’s not; oh my god, it is. I was about to say it’s not crazy spicy, but the more it built, it’s very crazy.” He rated the spice level a 6 out of 10 and the flavor a 7.9.
Lee then said if this were for a personal order, he wouldn’t go any spicier than that. But since this is for TikTok, the show must go on, and there were two more tenders in the box waiting for their time to shine…or burn.
“‘Lift off,’ the second to the spiciest. This is the spiciest I got last time, and this was crazy if I remember right,” he said before taking a bite. “Oh, there it goes. I remember. That’s why they call it ‘Lift Off.'”
He explained that it starts here and then gets here quickly, showing low to high with his hands. As he’s talking, the spice is taking over more and more. He rated the spice level at 7.5 out of 10 and flavor at 7 out of 10.
“I gotta let my mouth cool down before I go to that last one. My nose is starting to run, and it just keeps getting worse,” he said as he reached for the ice cream in the hopes of it helping the burn. “It’s always been a dream of mine going on ‘Hot Ones,’ which is making me rethink that dream.”
Lee then pulls the last tender out of the box, which looks spicy!
“‘Houston, We Have a Problem,'” he announces. “This is scorpion pepper and Carolina Reaper. I don’t even play with spice like that, so I never had either. I’ve heard horrible things about them, though.”
As he gears up to take a bite, he takes a deep breath and dips the tender in the sauce. Not much could have prepared him for what would happen to his taste buds. Within seconds of a small bite, his face said it all. He looked around, confused, and said, “Oh no.”
It seemed to get hotter from that point. Frazzled, the “ohhhs” got louder as he struggled to grab the ice cream. Even after a few spoonfuls of ice cream, he’s screaming louder.
“I think everything happens for a reason, but that’s the biggest mistake I’ve ever made,” he said. “Flavor 0. Spice 10. Ahhhhh! That’s the spiciest thing I’ve ever had in my life.”
Many Of Keith Lee’s Followers Had Fun In The Comment Section
The video received over 22 million views, 4.5 million likes, and 55,000 comments.
Famous TikToker Elyse Myers dropped into the comments to say, “NO, THE CRUST ON THE HOTTEST ONE LOOKS SO DANGEROUS.”
One person thought a comment was hilarious, “The comment he went from Keith Lee to Keith Sweat hilarious. 😂😂😂”
“Imagine u walking past his car seeing this😬,” another person hilariously wrote. Another added, “It’s going to burn later. 😂😂😂”
Many people also tagged the show “Hot Ones” in the comments because they still think Lee should run with that dream despite his reaction to the spicier tenders.
