Keith Lee is known for helping slow; unknown restaurants get the business they deserve with his honest food reviews. But what happens when he’s not a massive fan of the food he’s trying?
Lee recently reviewed a few meals from the Orlando-based restaurant Chicken Fire. He gave his honest thoughts about what he tried in a TikTok video, and the owner of the establishment, Kwame Boakye, also shared a few videos with his thoughts about the review.
Keith Lee Wasn’t Impressed With The Food He Tried At Chicken Fire In Orlando
Keith Lee – TikTok
Lee’s TikTok review has received more than 12.4 million views and thousands of comments since he shared it last week.
Lee explained that he spent just over $68 on four different meals and a sandwich to try so he could rate them.
“My customer service rating is a 6 out of 10. But let me explain,” he said. “I attempted to call; there’s no number on Yelp. I attempted to order online, but it didn’t let me, andnor didn’t give a reason. It just said it wasn’t going through.”
Because of Lee’s social anxiety, he isn’t a fan of ordering his food in person, so he took four points off their customer service rating.
“But on the other hand, when I got there, they were nice,” he continued. “The lady who took my order was amiable and accommodating.”
Keith Lee – TikTok
After discussing their customer service, it was time to dive into his purchased meals. First up, the hot box.
“The spice is soulful. Which means it’s not supposed to have no spice at all, but it’s supposed to have flavor,” he said. “It’s okay. It’s not the greatest fry, though. It’s sweet. I’m not a fan of that. It’s not a terrible fry, but it’s also not the best fry I’ve ever had. 5.5 out of 10.”
He mentioned that he’s eating the food in the restaurant’s parking lot and trying it all hot and fresh.
Next Up: Chicken Tenders With The House Sauce And Chicken Sandwich
Keith Lee – TikTok
Lee said the chicken tender was juicy but almost too juicy because the breading was a bit soggy. He gave the tender a 5.6 out of 10. He then made sure to add a disclaimer.
“Just because I’m not a huge fan, don’t mean you won’t be,” he said. “You might try it, and you might love it. This might be your favorite chicken spot.”
He then tried a different tender, the next flavor up from no spice. He rated that one a 3.5 out of 10.”
@keith_lee125 #stitch @Chicken Fire with Chicken Fire taste test 💕 would you try it ? 💕 #foodcritic ♬ original sound – Keith Lee
Lee then gave another disclaimer for speaking his mind about his taste.
“They did ask for my opinion, and even then, I have zero malicious intent,” he continued.
“I mean no harm or no hate comments to this restaurant. What I like and don’t like is my opinion and my taste buds. That does not mean you have the same experience. So I’m asking, please refrain from sending them hate comments. They didn’t do anything wrong to nobody.”
Keith Lee – TikTok
Lee tried one more thing before ending his review – a chicken sandwich. He said the chicken is the same flavor as the last chicken tender he tried.
“The flavor on the chicken is the same; it’s just between two buns,” he said. “And I’m not a fan of that coleslaw at all. It’s scorched.”
He rated the sandwich a 3 out of 10.
Chicken Fire Owner Shared His Videos About The Review
KwameB – TikTok
A week after Lee shared the review on TikTok, Boakye shared a video of him watching the study and another video of him talking to his kitchen staff about it.
In his reaction video, Boakye said he appreciates Lee’s honest opinions and said it’s all “fair.”
“I still stand by our team, and I still stand by they did the best that they could do. And at the end of the day, it’s not like they changed any recipe or anything,” he said.
“It’s not like they edited anything or did anything different. Thanks to Keith, again, for coming and trying us out and checking us out. I appreciate that. And kudos to him for being as big as he is and continuing to grow and flourish. I think that is excellent and that’s fantastic. Doesn’t stop our shine. Not one bit.”
KwameB – TikTok
Boakye’s follow-up video sharing their staff closing meeting received more than 2 million views and a mix of support and questions about why he suddenly claims to not care about Lee’s review.
“It wasn’t spectacular. But what I do want to say about the review and what it was is it doesn’t matter what the review was,” he enthusiastically told his staff.
“I stand by this team; those that were here, those that weren’t. I know that everyone did what they were supposed to do, did their part, and put out the best product we could reasonably provide.”
@kwamebtv Our closing meeting at @Chicken Fire the night of the @Keith Lee viral #foodreview of Chicken Fire 🔥 – Our teams work really hard and I sincerely believe they performed to the best of their collective abilities that day as they do most everyday. At the end of the day, we’ve never aimed to please everyone – that’s impossible; instead, we have always strived to be an excellent fit for all the right people (and thankfully, there are many of them). Not everyone will like or appreciate what we do, and many criticize it, and some even hate on it. That’s alright—such challenges come with the territory in our line of work. Personally, I remain unfazed by any negativity, but I was fully aware that this particular review (due to it’s virality and massive reach) could easily affect our team members directly. That’s why it was crucial for me to address the issue immediately that night. I made it clear to our amazing team that I wasn’t upset, disappointed, or discouraged. As the owner/operator, they are an extension of me, and their work reflects directly on me. I stood unwaveringly by them, and I wanted them to do the same for one another. I have complete confidence in what we do, what we stand for, and the continuous growth we’re experiencing. As we approach our fourth year, we are incredibly fortunate to have an extraordinary family of loyal and supportive guests that sustains us. At this point, no single opinion can truly harm us. Regardless of their ultimate opinion, we value and appreciate everyone who walks through our doors, whether they visit once or a hundred times. We have so much to be proud of, and there are countless opportunities on the horizon. We aren’t wasting our time dwelling on one less-than-satisfactory review, regardless of its magnitude.🔥 Much love, respect and appreciation to Keith for coming out and trying us and for sharing us with his audience🙏🏿 #keithlee #chickenfire #restaurantlife ♬ original sound – KwameB
Some shared their thoughts about Boakye’s leadership and how he accepted the review, and others called him out for saying that Lee’s opinion doesn’t matter.
“This a great leader. People forget Keith is just a regular person who gives HIS opinion on food,” wrote one follower. “Great management skills, and you handled this so well,” added another.
“‘His opinion doesn’t matter’ why did u ask him to come?,” one person pointed out. Another added, “Keith gave you really great constructive feedback in that review.”