As you may know, popular social media food critic Keith Lee has made Miami his next stop. With over 16 million followers on TikTok and more than 2 million on Instagram, he’s been traveling to eateries across the country, giving his honest opinions about their dishes and service.
His reviews are known to break or make a restaurant’s reputation and have often helped the smallest of businesses thrive, thanks to the so-called “Keith Lee effect.” You’ll notice his videos often take place inside of his car, as he’ll send his family members to place orders with the establishments to avoid being recognized and getting special treatment.
After calling on his followers to recommend their favorite local hot spots in Miami, they’ve answered. And here’s what Lee has been getting a taste of in the Magic City so far:
1. Braised by Kevin Lee
Lee’s first stop on his South Florida excursion was his brother’s restaurant, Braised by Kevin Lee. As stated in the video, his brother Kevin moved from Las Vegas to Miami, bringing his own pop-up to Yellow Green Farmers Market in Hollywood. In order to keep his visit a secret, Keith hired someone in the parking lot to order food for him, which included short ribs that were with mashed potatoes that he rated an 8/10, and duck with potatoes and gravy, a 7.5/10.
📍 3080 Sheridan St, Hollywood, FL 33021
2. Coops Pit BBQ
At the BBQ food truck, which he stumbled upon on Memorial Day, Lee and his family ordered ribs and chicken with a massive side of greens, baked beans and coleslaw. The ribs alone scored an 8.7, which Lee described as tender, juicy and “downright delicious.” The chicken received similar praise at an 8.8/10, although the beans were too sweet for his liking. Lee went back to give the owner, who ran the truck all by himself, a $3,000 tip as thank you.
📍 10301 NW 7th Ave, Miami, FL 33150
3. World Famous House of Mac
One of the better-known spots he’s visited in Miami, House of Mac was actually requested by 60,000 people on Lee’s Instagram. Here, he ordered truffle fries, “Keith’s Favorite Burger,” (a wild coincidence) sweet cornbread, a mac & cheese sampler platter and lemonades. As a “truffle fry connoisseur,” he was let down by the fries, claiming that they were seasoned well but tasted like they came from the freezer, garnering a 3/10 rating. He added that many of the mac & cheese flavors did not compliment each other, mostly scoring a 6, until he reached the original Five Cheese, which he gave an 8.5.
📍 1951 NW 7th Ave Suite 190, Miami, FL 33136
4. Mr. Vert’s Kitchen
Miami boasts some of the best Haitian food in the country, and a stop at Mr. Vert’s Kitchen marked Lee’s second time having the cuisine. He enjoyed the Pate Kòde (Haitian patties), calling it “really good” with a 7.9/10 rating. Pairing his meal with plenty of pikliz, he gave the turkey a 4.5 and griot an 8.5.
📍 1066 N Miami Beach Blvd, North Miami Beach, FL 33162
5. Fatman Hotdogs & More
Known to serve some of the best hot dogs and sausages in the city, Lee’s next stop was at Fatman Hotdogs, which he noted were giving out free slushies to people in line because of the heat. After just one bite of the mac and cheese-fueled Mac Daddy, Lee said Fatman “probably got the best hot dogs in Miami” and rated it an 8/10, as well as the Chili Sausage dog. But the Chicken Bacon Ranch was his favorite, which he gave an 8.2/10.
📍 1302 NW 54th St, Miami, FL 33142
6. Chef Nessa Pop-Up
Chef Nessa, a private chef that offers catering services, recently had a pop-up that happened to be SO successful, everything sold out in less than an hour. Lee managed to get there right before she sold out and got his hands on a plate of lamb chops, asparagus, mac and cheese with mashed potatoes and black rice. The “juicy” and “tender” lamb chops were his favorite, garnering a 9/10, while the mashed potatoes were a 7.5 and the mac and cheese a 7.2. Find Chef Nessa on Instagram.
7. King’s Miami Conch
Since he’s allergic to shellfish, Lee’s family took over this review of King’s Miami Conch. They noted that the conch pineapple bowl from the food truck had a lot going on, with 8/10 for being “seasoned very well” (although another gave it a 4/10 for flavor), but the texture was “very mushy on the inside”, rating its consistency a 5. Conch is an acquired taste, after all! They praised the slushies, one mango flavored and the other strawberry pomegranate, earning a 9 and 7 out of 10 respectively.
📍 2195 NW 103rd St, Miami, FL 33147
Stay tuned for any more restaurants Lee might plan to visit in Miami!