Keith Lee had an abrupt ending to his food tour of the Bay Area.
The TikToker revealed on Thursday night that he and his family cut their trip short for a few reasons—namely that he had an allergic reaction to shellfish and had to seek medical attention. The other reasons he gave were that, as a tourist, the Bay Area didn’t feel safe, and that there weren’t enough restaurants to review.
However, the highlight for Lee was meeting those who live in the Bay: “The people of the Bay were absolutely amazing,” Lee said in a TikTok, “and I’ll never forget the hospitality and the love that y’all showed me.”
Further explaining his departure, he described what exactly happened when he had an allergic reaction, likely due to cross-contamination with shellfish. An employee said that they cook meat on the same grill as seafood but that they can clean it before making Lee’s food. “The second I ate it, I blew up like a balloon,” Lee said.
Elsewhere, he discussed the state of the Bay, saying that he doesn’t “believe the Bay is a place for tourists right now” because the people are “focused on surviving.” He and his family witnessed a “shocking” amount of people living in tents and cars.
He also said that while he did film over six videos, he didn’t feel comfortable sharing them. "I’ve always been big on honesty, I’ve always been big on transparency, but I’ve never been big on completely tearing down anybody and I feel like those videos are doing that.” Since he pays for his meals himself, the trip was getting costly, particularly if he wasn’t posting content.
That being said, Lee did post three reviews on the platform—and two of those restaurants saw a boost in patrons afterward. His tour of the Bay was part of his Keith Lee and Family food tour. He kicked the venture off last year and ranked his favorites at the end of 2023, with New Orleans grabbing the No. 1 spot.
