Influential TikTok food critic Keith Lee is on a tour of Big Apple eateries — and true to their nature, New Yorkers aren’t keeping quiet over his controversial orders.
Lee — a Las Vegas-based restaurant reviewer with nearly 17 million followers across TikTok and Instagram — flew into New York City with his family Wednesday to give the city’s eats a try.
His very first stop stirred the pot and prompted many New Yorkers to speak out against the local who apparently recommended Lee order an eyebrow-raising twist on a New York bodega classic.
“Me and my family are in New York, fresh off the plane when I got this DM,” Lee said in a TikTok that has been viewed more than 4.4 million times.
The video cuts to a screenshot of a message from an unnamed woman recommending Lee order a salmon chopped cheese called the “2 Smoove” from Queens bodega TasteBudz Deli.
“I got it. Let’s try it and rate it 1 to 10,” Lee says to the camera from the seat of a car — the standard setting of his take-out food review videos.
The 27-year-old TikToker and former MMA fighter got the salmon chopped cheese, a traditional beef chopped cheese and a bacon, egg and cheese from the South Jamaica spot.
He rated the latter a 4/10, stating it was too dry and the bun tasted stale; the traditional chopped cheese an 8/10 and the fishy twist on the NY staple a 7.5/10 because it was “a little salty.”
Several born-and-bred New Yorkers were appalled at the salmon chopped cheese recommendation, airing their grievances online.
“No no no no!!! WHO TOLD HIM TO GET A SALMON CHOPPED CHEESE !!!! We are not starting like this !!” one person commented on TikTok.
Several felt compelled to post videos of their reactions.
“Who told Keith Lee to get a salmon chopped cheese?! Since when did people start making salmon chopped cheese?!” TikToker The Comedian questioned in a video. “I’m not gonna lie fish at the deli is crazy. Insane. Astronomical. Bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S.”
Many Big Apple natives were concerned that Lee was getting the wrong impression of the five borough food scene with the odd choice — which was followed by a visit to three tourist trap pizzerias in Soho.
“I love New York so much but letting Keith Lee eat a fish sandwich from a deli on Day One is diabolical,” New Yorker Joeboss said in a TikTok video. “Now is not the time to get creative… Tighten up.”
Despite the controversy, TasteBudz is owning the odd-pairing and has added “home of the famous ‘salmon chopped cheese’” to its website and Instagram bio.
The eatery has seen business boom since Lee posted his review Wednesday with the “2 Smoove” salmon sandwich becoming the most popular order, co-owner Daquon Bowers told The Post Monday.
The deli, which only opened in September, now gets “at least 100” orders of the salmon chopped cheese a day, he said.
The unusual take on the New York staple — however controversial — was created specifically for Bowers.
The Queens native — who was born and raised on the same block where he opened the business with four others — decided to stop eating red meat about two years ago but missed chopped cheeses.
Bowers’ sister, who he called “one of the greatest cooks I know,” created the salmon chopped cheese as an alternative for him.
“It was specifically for me and I just decided to share it with the world,” he said.
The “2 Smoove” is now catching on as customers from all over are coming to order the salmon.
One woman, who also doesn’t eat meat, came from Brooklyn to get the chopped cheese alternative Monday night, Bowers said.
Even rapper Waka Flocka Flame made his way to the South Jamaica joint to give it a try.
The bodega is experiencing what has been coined the “Keith Lee effect” — which happens when Lee highlights a take-out spot, typically a Black- or minority-owned small business in a big city, on his TikTok and his loyal fans swarm the spots he reviews — boosting sales.
Other New York City spots reviewed by Lee have also seen lines out the door.
Family-run eatery Taste of Heaven in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn posted that they were temporarily shutting down orders via DoorDash and phone to keep up with the increase in demand after the influencer shared his highly-rated review of the local soul food spot.
Lee has highlighted restaurants in Houston, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Detroit, Chicago, and more with his popular reviews — even helping some spots on the brink of closure earn lines out the door with support from his loyal followers.
