When ultra-popular food critic Keith Lee comes to a new city, it can be a revitalizing moment for any restaurant looking for serious exposure. His “everyman” approach to food criticism is brutally honest yet extremely personable, and that’s why he can garner millions of followers across various social media platforms. Lee is well-known not just for his viral video reviews of local restaurants, but also for his generous acts, like leaving substantial tips or covering the cost of other patrons' meals.

That was witnessed again when the former mixed-martial arts fighter announced last week that he would visit the DMV area. Though Lee had found some respectable spots in Virginia and Maryland, Washington, D.C., disappointed him. After giving lackluster reviews to two D.C. area eateries and criticizing the city's focus on alcohol over food, he announced that only six of the 12 restaurant reviews he recorded would be posted online. In the video, Lee highlighted health code violations at unnamed restaurants, noting that sharing the full videos would be "not constructive" and could harm the business owners, so he chose not to post or name them. Many were reminded of his time criticizing Oakland’s food scene. 

One of the videos involved one restaurant not having running water. D.C. locals with eagle eyes noticed that the brown bar top and lime-green walls were from Omari’s Music Bar & Agave Lounge. According to owner Kia Williams, it was the ultimate case of Murphy’s Law, as the visit coincided with a day when her water was cut off due to a billing error. Someone even called the health department on her, coincidentally shortly after Lee's visit, and she was ultimately cleared.

"It was the worst experience of my life," Williams recalled and said the situation felt like a lost opportunity. "I really wanted him to experience my food and see what we offer. I explained to Keith Lee, I showed him the receipt. I let 'em know this was an error and it was beyond my control. It was even people coming in and I told them that I couldn't serve them and other people that were sitting and they wanted to order food. And I said, I can't serve you anything else because our water is not working.”

Entrepenurialship has been a tough road for Williams over the past decade. In 2013, she was forced into opening a business after losing her job due to an injury. Williams turned her side gig of hosting events into her main source of income. Split between creating a scratch kitchen and a sauce line, she was inspired by her daughter to adopt a pescatarian diet, which further influenced her culinary direction. 

"I wanted to show people that good food can be healthy, vegan, and fun," she said. 

In 2020, Williams and her business partner signed a lease for a new location for Shaleafa Kitchen, only to discover severe issues with the property, including mold and leaks, which the landlord had yet to disclose. "We lost all our life savings," Williams said, expressing her frustration with the legal battles and lack of support from local authorities. 

Despite these setbacks, she continued to pursue her dream, opening a second restaurant, Omar's Music Bar, in 2022. "We have been open since July 2022, but it's been a struggle to keep it running," she admitted.

The financial strain of running two businesses and the high overhead costs in D.C. have taken a toll on her and her partners. "We haven't paid ourselves in years, and we're constantly in debt," Williams shared, highlighting the challenges of sustaining a small business in the city.

She also expressed her concerns about the broader issues facing small Black-owned businesses in D.C. "It's frustrating that small places like mine don't get any light. The overhead costs are killing us, and we don't get the same opportunities as big corporations," she stated. She pointed out the systemic barriers that prevent small businesses from thriving, such as gentrification, high rents, and lack of financial support.

Local D.C. natives around social media echoed the same sentiment, including Ousanas B Jabulani, who highlighted how gentrification has driven out many of the city's beloved mom-and-pop shops. He noted that many local businesses have been "priced out, voted out, and shut down," making way for Michelin-starred restaurants and pop-ups that often leave once they've had their run. While Jabulani agreed with Lee's critiques, he emphasized that the decline in food quality is rooted in the displacement of D.C.'s vibrant cultural and culinary heritage by outside forces that "never cared" about the city's original character.

“I think it's important to understand why the food he's seeking sucks,” Jabulani wrote on Facebook.

Williams is also getting help from local D.C. food vloggers like Big Schlim Food Reviews, who gave Omar's Music Bar rave reviews. The local influencer was a fan of the food offerings, including the complimentary popcorn featuring blue organic kernels topped with local scallions and a sweet agave-infused herb sauce, Jerk Chicken Bankroll, Salmon Bankroll, Agave Fries, Strawberry Mocktail, Jeriyaki Noodles, Shaleafa’s Noodles, and Salmon Tacos. 

As she looks to the future, Williams is exploring new opportunities, including relocating her business outside of D.C. "We're in court with our landlord, and we're looking for a new space, but it won't be in D.C. We've been through too much here," she concluded.

BET.com contacted Keith Lee's team for a response, but have not heard back.