What Keith Lee got wrong about the food scene in Washington, D.C.

In his most recent tour de food, popular TikTok food reviewer Keith Lee made his way to the Washington D.C. area much to the excitement of his countless online fans, including myself. The fact that Lee had chosen the DMV (short for D.C., Maryland and Virginia) — an often overlooked area within the food and restaurant spaces — as his next destination spot was major. Upon his request for local mom-and-pops that serve up “great food and service, but could use the marketing,” Lee received over 20,000 recommendations from his 16.5 million followers. 

Lee, a Las Vegas-based mixed martial arts fighter and beloved online food critic, is best known for spreading positivity through his honest, yet well-mannered reviews. Through his efforts, Lee helps promote the “Keith Lee Effect,” in which he provides generous tips and donations to struggling, mainly minority- and family-owned local restaurants in an effort to boost their sales.   

That doesn’t mean Lee isn’t afraid to leave behind a bad review. If a place has poor customer service or is simply not on par with his own taste, Lee is quick to say, “I’m not the target audience,” and refrains from showing videos of the restaurants that left him unsatisfied.

Unfortunately for D.C., the city earned few praises and a handful of complaints from Lee. He criticized the D.C. dining scene, saying it’s “geared directly towards alcohol,” and added that for those who don’t drink (like himself), “it seems like slim pickings.”

Indeed, many D.C.-based restaurants take pride in their happy hours and the nation’s capital, as a whole, is also hailed for its bottomless brunches. But to conclude that the city’s main focus is solely on alcohol is erroneous and takes attention away from the diverse cuisines that D.C. has to offer. Yes, the city caters to those who enjoy drinking — whether it’s socially or in a more professional setting. But it also caters to those who choose not to. 

In his criticism, Lee added that only six of the 12 D.C. restaurants he visited and reviewed would be named and featured on his TikTok account. “A lot of food we’ve been recommended since we’ve been here looks like this,” he said, showing pictures of several unappetizing, and what appeared to be soggy and discolored, foods. Lee also alleged that several restaurants, which he left unnamed, followed unsanitary practices and risked cross-contamination with shellfish, to which Lee said he’s allergic. Lee did not post or name those specific restaurants out of respect for their owners and business. 

As for the restaurants he did mention, Lee visited Okonomi Asian Grille, a fast-casual Asian-American restaurant in Fairfax, Virginia, that serves rice and noodle bowls. Lee was pleased with some of the bowls he tried and gave them a rating of 8.5 out of 10. Lee then made his way to Flavor Hive, a food truck based in Alexandria, Virginia, that went viral for its “walking nachos.” Customers bring their own bags of chips, which are then filled with their choice of protein, vegetables, and sauces for just $10 each. Despite the cool concept, Lee wasn’t all that impressed after trying three large bags of chips. The beef and Fritos bag earned the highest rating of 7.9, while the chicken and gyro meat bags earned much lower scores.

Lee’s favorite spot was Dukem on U Street. The family-operated Ethiopian restaurant received widespread support on TikTok after Lydia Tefera, the daughter of one of the owners, said the restaurant was on the brink of shutting down. Lee gave the short ribs a 9 out of 10 and praised Dukem as “the best food we’ve had in D.C.”

Lee also ventured into Southwest D.C., where he stopped by Hong Kong Delite Carry Out to try fried rice and chicken wings coated in the District’s famed mumbo sauce (he gave his $12 takeout order a rating of 8.6). He also visited Cane, a Trinidadian spot on H Street that earned its highest rating of 7.9; along with Smize & Dream, Tyra Banks’ D.C.-based pop-up shop.

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Where Lee fell short was his choice of restaurants. Aside from trying Ethiopian food (a cuisine the DMV area is especially known for due to its large Ethiopian community) and mumbo sauce, Lee didn’t try any other notable D.C. specialties. Those include half-smokes, a type of hot dog that’s made from coarsely ground meat (usually half pork and half beef) and is spicier in flavor; pupusas, a thick, stuffed corn cake that’s the national dish of El Salvador; Peruvian chicken; Ghanaian food or, even, a jumbo slice of greasy pizza. There’s also the Chesapeake blue crabs and oysters, (but for the sake of Lee’s health, he can pass on those).

If Lee decides to give D.C. a second chance, he should consider popping into Roaming Rooster, a DMV chain that serves delicious fried chicken sandwiches, wings and fries; along with Stachowski’s Market, a chef-driven butcher shop, deli and market that touts a half-smoke with onions and mustard. There’s also Ercilia’s Restaurant, which serves tacos, pupusas, burritos and various Central American foods; and Hedzole, a hot spot for Ghanaian-American food.

D.C. isn’t the first major city that Lee (politely) criticized. He garnered backlash last October for his not-so-positive reviews of Atlanta’s food scene.

As for whether Lee will return to D.C., only time will tell. As for whether he should, the answer is a confident yes.