keith lee effect

Where to eat in Dallas, according to viral food critic Keith Lee

Keith Lee hoisting fare from Halal Fusionz.

Halal Fusionz

Did you know viral TikTok food critic Keith Lee was in Dallas? If you're online at all, his visit was impossible to miss. He was in DFW all week, eating at local restaurants and spurring headlines, fanfare, and endless social media posts. He came, he ate, he conquered.

In his wake, he left a wave of attention — mostly good, some not as good — for deserving local restaurants.

For the uninitiated, Keith Lee is a social media sensation who visits various food-scene-driven U.S. cities to try food from small, local restaurants. He orders several items online, then a family member will pick up the food to help Lee avoid being recognized (and to prevent being prioritized over other diners).

Lee eats in his car, and films himself as he reviews each dish for his millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram.

Dallas is not his first city to visit in the Lone Star State. In November 2023, he and his family toured Houston where his reviews resulted in surges of customer traffic, which has been coined the "Keith Lee Effect" by several restaurants.

One such case is a woman-owned banana pudding shop in Pearland. After posting his review of The Puddery on November 28, which garnered over 26.4 million views and 4.7 million likes, the restaurant had to temporarily limit menu flavors, and pause all shipping and catering services "until further notice" in mid-January.

In the aftermath of his Dallas visit, several restaurants he visited also experienced the Keith Lee Effect, having to close early or enjoying wait times exceeding three hours.

He often seeks out Black-owned restaurants and local businesses, but in Dallas, his efforts were not always met with success. Nearly a dozen restaurants he tried to visit were unfortunately not open at the time of his arrival including Jazzy's Tacos, Cactus Mexican Cuisine, Cake Bar, Key's Chicken Wings & Things, Chef Nate's Wangz n Mo, Gorilla Nutz, Mary's Twisted Kitchen, Niecy Takeout, and Aunt Irene's Kitchen.

Lee also visited Taste Project in Fort Worth on February 1 — but instead of reviewing the food, he donated $4,000 to the nonprofit to support their mission to fight food insecurity.

The Keith Lee Effect can also have its downside: At least one of the restaurants he visited — the Sweetly Seasoned food truck in Garland — is getting lots of attention, probably unwanted, over a tip he left to staff, and who deserved to get it. (Predictably, there's an explanation from the owner on TikTok, and Lee has also posted his response to the situation.)

Keith Lee had luck at these six restaurants listed below, with the dishes he recommended:

Brunchaholics
Lee visited this Cajun-Creole brunch spot in Desoto, which is open for pick-up and to-go only.
Recommendations: The catfish and fries platter, and Soul Food Burrito (fried catfish or chicken, mac and cheese, yams, and collard greens wrapped in a jalapeño tortilla).

Thunderbird Pies
Lee visited the East Dallas location of this spinoff pizzeria from the Cane Rosso chain.
Recommendations: The buffalo wings and the Connie Detroit-style pizza (double pepperoni cups, bacon, tomato sauce).

Terry Blacks Barbecue
Lee visited the Deep Ellum location of this BBQ concept, which is actually from Austin.
Recommendations: The original sausage, smoked turkey, brisket, and ribs.

Halal Fuzionz
Pakistani-TexMex ghost kitchen in Farmers Branch is now prominently featuring Lee's recommendations on their website.
Recommendations: Nihari X birria taco with birria dipping sauce, mango mojito mocktail, paneer tikka taco, and the chipotle kheema taco (declared "the best one" by Lee).

Hutchins BBQ
Small family-owned BBQ chain with locations in McKinney and Frisco has earned plenty of press on its own, but Lee seems to favor BBQ.
Recommendations: The Texas Twinkie (a cream cheese-and-brisket-stuffed jalapeño wrapped in bacon), brisket with barbecue sauce, pork ribs, and the peach cobbler.

Absolutely Edible Cakes
Small cake shop in Rowlett was a classic Keith Lee destination.
Recommendations: The Sweet Potato Thang (sweet potato pie with a graham cracker crust) and red velvet cake.

Sweetly Seasoned
Lee visited this family-run food truck owned by a mother-and-son team.
Recommendations: The pulled pork sandwich, jerk tacos, and banana pudding.

dallas restaurants reviews local business

Closing News

Longtime Dallas restaurant Sevy's Grill to close after nearly 30 years

Photo courtesy of Sevy's Grill

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A longtime Dallas restaurant is closing in 2026: Sevy's Grill, which has been open at 8201 Preston Rd. near Preston Center for nearly 30 years, will close on June 27, 2026.

According to a release from the owners, they're closing due to what appears to be an increase in rent.

"After months of negotiations, we were not able to come to a mutually beneficial agreement for our fourth 10-year lease," the post said.

The restaurant is located in Preston Sherry Plaza, which was acquired in September 2025 by Austin-based Endeavor Real Estate. Somebody gotta foot the bill.

Sevy's says they are looking at other locations.

"Our focus now is to finish these next 6+ months taking care of our guests and staff at the same caring level we built our brand on: Warm, professional service, consistently good food and a comfortable ambiance where the guest is always first," the post says. "First on our list of priorities is taking care of our guests in December and all the wonderful celebrations of family, friends and business groups. We do still have some availability for reservations, including our last New Years Eve at Preston Sherry. Come celebrate with us as the exciting anticipation of a new year for all of us."

"Our second priority will be the search for a new location to continue doing what we love," they said. "We are already reviewing possible sites and will keep everyone updated regularly."

Owned by chef Jim "Sevy" Severson and his wife Amy Severson, the restaurant has long been a neighborhood favorite with a lively bar scene, and was nominated in CultureMap's 2018 Tastemaker Awards for Best Neighborhood Restaurant. They were a frequent choice for winemaker events and are also known for the longevity of their staff.

"Eight team members have been with us all 29+ years, with an average tenure in the kitchen of 15+ years and a Management team that you all know," their post said. "Come support our staff as we celebrate the next 6+ months.Thank you again for your support through all the normal challenges of running a restaurant as well as economic downturns, market bubbles, Y2K, and of course the COVID era. As I tell my family and friends to “enjoy the ride in life”, wow, what an amazing ride it has been for us! And as always, Sevy’s Grill is here for you."