A popular food critic has cut short a foodie tour of California's Bay Area, accusing the city of being “not a tourist destination right now” as residents are just trying to survive.
Keith Lee, who has more than 15 million followers on TikTok, posts reviews of restaurants he's tried across the country and frequently criticizes how businesses can improve.
He made his first stop on Jan. 9 at a small restaurant in San Francisco and another in Oakland. Where he left his $2,500 tip before he ended his tour prematurely.
“Unfortunately, the Bay Area visit of the Keith Family Gourmet Tour has officially ended prematurely.” Lee said in his TikTok video. It has been viewed over 2.4 million times.
Instead of food, Lee used his first-hand experience to criticize issues plaguing the city.
“I don't really believe that the bay is really touristy at this point, and that's how I was, too,” Lee said. “Managers and local residents alike are focused on survival.”
“The amount of tents and residential structures we saw people living in, as well as burnt-out cars, was shocking to say the least. Just looking in from the outside, it seemed like there wasn't much interference from the city. It doesn't look like it was.”
“As an outsider, I wish the city would have intervened, but I don't know if they have. It doesn't seem like there was much interference from the city.”
Before her trip to the Bay Area, Lee was warned about rampant crime and car break-ins, with some areas being likened to Gotham City.
Ms Lee also said she was not very enthusiastic about the meals she had and was overwhelmed by the actual food and the sometimes six-hour wait she had to endure.
Lee also developed a shellfish allergy during his trip.
The Detroit native said he went to several restaurants with his family, but he didn't want to share his criticisms about the restaurants because he didn't have anything constructive to say and feared his influence would hurt the business. He said he felt resistance.
“I would like to emphasize that it is not normal for us to go to a restaurant and not post even though we don’t like it. When we encounter situations like this elsewhere, we always try to find some kind of constructive response. I've said this before. This is just different,” Lee said.
Although he slammed his experience in the city, he said he was thankful and grateful for the people he met during his short stay.
in follow up video, Lee clarified that he never felt unsafe in the area he was in.
However, Lee added that people (mainly tourists) should not wait outside for hours to eat in areas where restaurants are located.
He also revealed the opening hours of some of his destinations in areas close to the airport and how those stores were closed for several days and were open for only six hours on business days.
Many share Mr. Lee's views on homelessness and safety in the Bay Area, including JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, who recently declared San Francisco to be in a “much worse situation than New York.”
““I think every city, every country, should think about what makes a city attractive, including parks and art, and that's definitely safe,” Dimon said. Fox. “Cities that don't do the right thing will lose population.”
