TikTok Food Critic Keith Lee Snuck into Seattle


That beef pancake roll is pretty darn good.

Forget Yelp reviews—TikTok has become the destination for restaurant hot takes, even as Congress considers banning it. One social media personality’s recent Seattle visit shows how much sway the clock app can have.

Right now, there’s no one bigger—or causing quite a frenzy—on TikTok as Keith Lee. The self-proclaimed food critic travels from city to city, documenting his thoughts on spots. Some he selects organically, others are viewer suggestions; many are small or family-owned. The results show up on his TikTok account which has over 16 million followers. His appeal comes from Lee’s straightforward style, plus his habit of reviewing food from inside his car. On a recent 24-hour visit to Seattle he snuck in a single review from a well-known local chain—Dough Zone. 

If your first reaction was Why Dough Zone?, you’re not alone. Hundreds of comments on his video (which has already surpassed 1 million views) asked why he chose a chain. At the beginning of the post, which is labeled as a DoorDash partnership, Lee notes that he found the restaurant on his own, using the food delivery app. Before reviewing any of the items, he expresses his disappointment in not receiving any utensils or napkins with his order. (Tell us you’re not from here without telling us you’re not from here.) 

Bad news first: Lee’s least favorite items were the chicken xiao long bao and the chicken potstickers—which he compared to Trader Joe’s (yikes). He didn’t have much to say about the chicken and vegetable wontons with chili sauce, but gave them a 6 out of 10. Lee’s two favorites were the sweet-and-sour cucumber (6.5/10), and the beef pancake roll (7.5)—which he described as having fatty, seasoned, tender meat with a crispy, airy exterior. 

While we love us some Dough Zone, there are a few other local spots we think would give Lee a good taste of what Seattle has to offer. It only makes sense for the TikTok-famous food reviewer to try the TikTok-famous dumplings from E-Jae Pak Mor. And though Lee has repeatedly mentioned his shellfish allergy in previous reviews, Local Tide offers has a handful of options (salmon dip, that burger!) that won’t send him to the ER. Any pie from our best pizza guide is a guaranteed 8/10—at least. And though sweets aren’t his thing, we’d challenge him to try a dessert from Alki newcomer Driftwood, a favorite from our very own food critic. 


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