Watch this famous food reviewer eat his way through NC from Charlotte to Raleigh
Several hidden gems of the state’s food scene are in the spotlight — and it’s all thanks to a TikTok star.
Former MMA fighter turned social media food critic Keith Lee has made his way down South to get a taste of the Carolinas.
In his video announcing his visit — which now has nearly 100,000 views — Lee said he actually did a poll for which cities he should visit.
‘Familee Food Tour Show’
Ahead of Charleston and Greenville in South Carolina, and Charlotte and Durham in North Carolina, Raleigh was the highest pick with 17,549 votes. But he said he also got over 10,000 DMs telling him to go to Charlotte. So instead of one city, he went to all of them, plus Greensboro, Asheville and more.
Here’s a full breakdown of every place with “good food, good vibes, good people” that the TikTok foodie made a pit stop at in the Tar Heel state:
Note: Some of Lee’s TikTok video includes profanity.
Hibachi Papi in Clayton, NC
Location: Highway West, 11590 US-70 BUS, Clayton, NC 27520
Total spent: $52.12
Full order: Lamb chop Alfredo, chicken and steak hibachi, lamb chop hibachi, shrimp and steak Alfredo
Rating: 9.2/10 for the lamp chop Alfredo and 8.6 for the chicken and steak hibachi until he discovered it had caramelized onions, which brought it up to a 9/10.
In the words of Keith Lee: “The lamb chop is a little salty, but it’s seasoned to perfection other than the salt. But this Alfredo? This Alfredo gas… It’s creamy, it’s a little spicy. It’s seasoned perfectly,” he said. “The Alfredo isn’t super salty…you couldn’t season this better in my opinion.”
Cook Out in Clayton, NC
Location: Multiple
Total spent: $28
Full order: Cheddar style burger tray with a corn dog and hush puppies, a “walkin’ taco,” fries, char-grilled chicken sandwich, a Cheerwine, strawberry milkshake, vanilla milkshake and two “Arnold Palmer” drinks.
Rating: 4/10 for the fries, 7.5/10 for the hush puppies, 6.5/10 for the corn dog without ketchup but a 5/10 with it. As for what he called the best thing, which was his burger, he gave it a 7.8/10. Sorry, Cheerwine fans. The Salisbury staple drink only got a 5/10.
In the words of Keith Lee: “This is what I imagine a good burger tasting like. It’s very grilled…The bacon is real high quality too for it to be fast food bacon,” he said. “This is the best thing.”
A Place at the Table in Raleigh
Location: 300 W Hargett St #50, Raleigh, NC 27601
Total spent: $14
Full order: Chicken and waffles with hot honey
Rating: 8/10
In the words of Keith Lee: “If you gave me this and didn’t tell me where it’s from, I would one thousand percent think you got it from a brunch spot and you paid $30 for it. It’s seasoned really well, it’s spicy from the hot honey. The waffle, itself, is sweet and fluffy. This is a really good meal.”
Corner Boys BBQ
Location: Varies
Total spent: $72.74
Full order: Mac and cheese, collard greens, smoked wings, ribs, pulled pork, pulled chicken, lamb chops, brisket
Rating: 7.9/10 for the pulled pork, 6/10 for the pulled chicken, 7.5/10 for the lamb chop, 8.7/10 for the brisket, 8.8/10 for the ribs, 8.5/10 for the smoked wing, 6.9/10 for the mac and cheese, 8.9/10 for the collard greens
In the words of Keith Lee: “These collard greens are amazing. They’re cooked down perfectly. They are very seasoned — I wish a little more salt. The only thing that’s missing is salt and a little bit of spice, but I know some people don’t like their greens spicy... This is on the vinegar/sweet side so if you like sweeter greens with a little hint of vinegar, I feel like you love these. Overall, absolutely, I get it. One thousand percent. I’m happy we came.”
Crav’n Caribbean
Location: The City Kitch, 2200 Thrift Rd, Charlotte, NC 28208
Total spent: $27.42
Full order: Jerk bourbon chicken over oxtail fried rice
Rating: 8/10 for the oxtail fried rice and a 7.5/10 for the jerk chicken. Together, he rated the dish a 6.5/10.
In the words of Keith Lee: “I’m not a huge fan of the combination of things together. The bourbon jerk chicken is very sweet. It’s not really spicy — a little bit on the back end — but initially, extremely sweet. The oxtail rice is very savory and really salty... Normally it would go together like a sweet and salt, but here, for me, it doesn’t really mix. Individually, though, they do taste really good...”
JJ’s Mama’s Soulfood & More
Location: 601 W 5th Ave, Lexington, NC 27292
Total spent: $0 (Because the owner refused to charge Keith Lee a dime, he said)
Full order: Chicken seafood boil with corn, eggs, celery, potatoes and sausages
Rating: 8/10
In the words of Keith Lee: “I feel like you know exactly what it tastes like just by looking at it. It’s hot honey, it’s vinegary, all of the flavors go well together. This is an eight out of ten in my opinion. If it was anything less, I feel like that’d be crazy.”
Fonda Lupita
Location: 905 W Main St Suite 21A, Durham, NC 27701
Total spent: $12.56
Full order: Grilled cheese birria sandwich
Rating: 7.8/10
In the words of Keith Lee: “It’s really greasy. It’s really salty. It’s really cheesy. It’s delicious, but this like after a night out, you just need something to go to sleep to, because this is about to put me right to sleep. ... Is it amazing? In my opinion, no. Is it good? Absolutely.”
Keith Lee donations
Like many of his other food tour stops, Lee left tips for many of the local restaurants he visited across the state, plus some extra gifts for some staff.
During his trip to A Place at the Table in Raleigh, he surprised one of the cafe’s volunteers — a rising college student who was credited for the team’s social media efforts to catch Keith Lee’s attention — with a graduation gift of $1,000.
He even gave back to a Raleigh eatery that he didn’t get to stop by after his stop in the Tar Heel state: Madame B’s Bakery.
In a video, he shared that it was on his ‘top priority list’ after seeing several social media posts from the owner hoping to catch his attention for a taste-test and review.
Though that didn’t happen, he called the owner and offered to send a $1,000 donation — along with an extra $500 for her to give back to mothers for Mother’s Day.
This story was originally published May 13, 2025 at 9:02 AM with the headline "Watch this famous food reviewer eat his way through NC from Charlotte to Raleigh."
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