TikTok-famous Food Critic, Keith Lee, recently toured some restaurants in Toronto as part of his Food Tour. Let’s check out where he went, and his thoughts, below.
Keith Lee recently visited Toronto, Ontario with his family to try some of the city’s go-to restaurants. Back in early April, Lee posted a video (@keith_lee125) about visiting Toronto as part of the first international stop of his Food Tour. This excited Torontonians as they eagerly reached out with food recommendations in the surrounding areas.
@keith_lee125 FamiLee Food Tour 💕 would you try it ? 💕 #foodcritic
In this clip, Lee asked Torontonians who knew of any mom-and-pop shops that have “great food, great service” and may need the marketing for “absolutely free to them” to let him know so he can try to stop by. He reiterates the categories as; mom and pop shops, restaurants that are popular and embody the food scene according to the people in Toronto, and restaurants from different backgrounds and cultures.
Keith Lee Toronto
Lee tried a number of popular Toronto spots as well as some mom and pop businesses during his time in the 6ix. He posted this video with a round-up of all of the spots he was able to try and an update on how they were doing since he visited. HOLR is going to break down each food stop below.
@keith_lee125 Toronto Food taste test 💕 would you try it ? 💕 #foodcritic @SUMAQ IRAQI CHARCOAL GRILL @Old Nassau @Biscuits To Baskets @The Brandon Gonez Show @D. @Jemilla Mills-Smith ✨ @Afro’s Pizza @Jibreel Moore @No.1
Sumaq Iraqi Charcoal Grill
This was Lee’s first stop of his Food Tour in which he visited the Scarborough location of Sumaq Iraqi Charcoal Grill. He stated in this video that one of the most recommended foods to try was shawarma. He claimed that this seemed like a local favorite spot in the city. The customer service was “really good” and Lee’s rating of the Veal Shawarma was an 8.4/10 which he deemed “up there.” He also rated the Chicken Shawarma an 8.2/10 which was “high.”
Update: Since Lee’s visit this busy Toronto spot has become even busier in less than 24 hours of Lee’s review. The wait time has reportedly “doubled” since Lee visited.
Biscuits To Baskets
During his next stop here, Lee visited “somebody’s backyard” to try some cakes and pastries. “This is the most Canadian thing I’ve ever done,” says Lee in the clip. Lee credited another TikTok creator (@mixinthesix) for bringing this family-owned business to his attention to try. The TikTok creator claimed that this was a “hidden gem that you can find in somebody’s backyard.”
Lee stated that this stop had some of the best customer service his family ever experienced. Lee rated the Korean Sponge Toffee Latte an 8/10 which he deemed “extremely high” for someone who does not typically drink coffee. Lee and his wife also liked an assortment of cakes from the establishment.
Update: Biscuits to Baskets has really picked up since Lee’s visit. The establishment also had to close 30 minutes early recently after selling out earlier than expected.
Afro’s Pizza
Lee also visited Toronto’s Afro’s Pizza for a few slices here. Afro’s Pizza is a family-owned spot that gives back to the community. Lee claimed that his family stated the customer service was “really good.” Lee really liked the Macaroni and Cheese rating it an 8.5/10. He also rated the Davis Jr. Pizza (which features Cup and Char Pepperoni, House cured sausage, Pickled Jalapeno, Hot honey, Afro’s Sugo, and Crispy Basil) a 9/10.
Update: The locally beloved pizza shop got a step closer to fulfilling its goal of expanding its shop to a bigger space after Lee’s visit- in less than 24 hours of his review.
Sisters & Co
Lee made a brunch stop at Sisters & Co here which is a spot that has an Asian-fusion twist. One of Lee’s favorite dishes was the Citrus Mascarpone Waffles which he rated super high coming in at a 9/10. He also enjoyed the Earl Grey Pancakes which he rated an 8.7/10.
Update: People are still loving Sisters & Co, as the ratings on Google are pretty high.
Old Nassau
Lee then tried Bahamian food at Old Nassau here. Lee came by after seeing a video on TikTok asking him to come by. Lee stated that the whole Fried Snapper Dinner was “seasoned to perfection” paired with the Guava Duff pancake it got a 9.6/10 which is one of his highest ratings.
Update: Old Nassau has been thriving ever since Lee’s visit, in which this spot has been getting tons of love on social media and has had longer wait times recently based on the increase in traffic.
No. 1 Jerk
Lee and his family then visited No. Jerk here where they had an interesting experience with customer service that went viral online. This is because the lady who took their order said that she was “hungover” and was reportedly messing up the order. “It is what it is,” claimed Lee. One of his top dishes he tried was the Curry Goat Roti which he rated a 7.5/10.
Update: After Lee’s visit, the restaurant took to social media to share some funny videos making light of the customer service situation.
Sahan Restaurant
Lee visited Sahan Restaurant which features Somali food here. Customer service was reportedly a 9/10 and Lee rated the Goat Ribs an 8.2/10, starting his review off high. He also rated the Beef Stew an 8/10.
Update: Sahan Restaurant continues to have high Google ratings following Lee’s visit.
One thing is for certain- the Keith Lee effect is real!
Published by HOLR Magazine.
Image Credits: @keith_lee125 TikTok