SEATTLE — Some Seattle restaurants are getting an extra boost after a popular social media food critic gave them positive reviews during his recent visit to town.
Keith Lee is one of the most popular food influencers, with more than 16.5 million followers on TikTok. He made four stops in Seattle, with the most popular being King's BBQ House in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District.
In just a couple of days, this post of Lee’s review has had more than 7 million views and more than 789,000 likes. He rated the duck at the business a 9.5 out of 10.
Owners of the longtime business said they've seen a surge in new customers, especially with younger people.
"I've been following Keith Lee for a while, and I trust his judgment; he makes the food look good, and he's going to tell you the real," said Dwain Bickham, who visited King’s BBQ House on Wednesday afternoon.
"I think this is called the 'Keith Lee Effect,'” said Vincent Chen, the co-owner of FOB Sushi Bar in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood. "People are just like coming in from everywhere,” said Chen. “I saw that somebody is like driving an hour drive to try us out."
Chen said there's been a 50% increase in sales. It's a major uptick to the point he's had to order more food and call in extra help from his family.
“It really helps a small business like us,” said Chen. “Actually, it's the best thing that's ever happened to me."
Meanwhile, our friend Bickham also rated the duck at King’s BBQ House a 9.5 out of 10. A delicious experience he hopes others will have supporting local restaurants.
"Come, you just got to show up. You never know what you're missing unless you try it," said Bickham.
The two other businesses Lee visited in Seattle were Senait Restaurant Ethiopian Cuisine near Lake City Way NE and World Famous Organic Apple Cider in Pike Place Market.