Viral Food Critic Praises This Kentucky-Based Taco Chain
Viral food influencer Keith Lee left Indianapolis without much comment during his NBA All-Star Weekend visit. But he did name a favorite restaurant from his time in Naptown.
Lee and his team congratulated Agave & Rye in downtown Indy. It’s a local outpost of a Kentucky-based chain.
“These were the best tacos we had during our stay; hands down,” Lee said in a video posted to TikTok Tuesday morning. His team gave the food scores of 8.5, 9 and 10 on a scale of 1 to 10; 10 being the best score.
Tacos, tequila and bourbon? :Agave & Rye brings it to downtown Indianapolis
Where is Agave & Rye Indianapolis?
Tequila and bourbon room Agave & Rye opened at 336 S. Delaware St. in February 2023, offering cocktails made with fresh-pressed juices and premium spirits and serving more than 20 different tacos, including butter and garlic lobster, mac and cheese and kangaroo. varieties.
The Instagram-friendly restaurant features an urban grunge aesthetic with local artwork: bull heads and aluminum sculptures, crystal chandeliers, graffitied pipes, and large paintings of Indiana icons, like David Letterman, Jane Pauley and Vivica A. Fox, as well as Audrey II from “Little Shop of Horrors.”
Lee has around 16 million followers on TikTok, where he posts his thoughts on his restaurant experiences.
Restaurant manager Ben Neyman said the store knew Lee would be visiting, thanks to a last-minute phone call from his team. The restaurant was having a big event there, but Lee’s group was seated and he joined them later, Neyman said.
Where are Agave & Rye in Kentucky?
Agave & Rye launched in 2018 in Covington, Kentucky.
It now has 17 locations. including four as is:
- 635 Madison Avenue, Covington, 859-360-1060
- 3535 Nicholasville Road, Lexington, 859-800-5334
- 123 N. Broadway Lexington, 859-523-1170
- 426 Baxter Avenue, Louisville, 502-873-5111
Chicken Scratch review from NBA All-Star Weekend
The only restaurant to be fully reviewed by Lee and his team was Chicken Scratch, 5308 N. Keystone Ave.
The Chicken Scratch review video has been viewed more than 3.6 million times since it was posted on February 16.
Keith Lee visits Chicken Scratch:Here’s what the viral food critic says
Even the comments about Agave & Rye were part of a review of a Las Vegas, Nevada, sushi restaurant, recorded after the Lee family returned home.
Lee said the number of reviews about Indianapolis was low because of his family’s busy schedule.
“Don’t be mad at me,” he said. “It’s me who’s hungry. Of course, we were very busy.
A local restaurant, Mexican-Korean fusion Tako Seoul in Fishers, earned Lee’s praise by posting more than 19 videos to get his attention. Lee said his team was short on time and the restaurant was too far from where his family resided.
Lee and his family arrived in Indianapolis on February 13. Keith Lee attended The Players Ball: Hoops & Icons basketball event at Butler University featuring major league athletes, reality TV stars and social media giants before their team is headed to the official NBA All-Star. Weekend events in downtown Indianapolis.
His wife Ronni Lee has extended family in Indianapolis, but this was their first visit to Indiana.
They are taking part in the Keith Lee and Family Food Tour which has seen Lee’s critics direct business to struggling family stores and call on the food scenes to take stock of service and offerings.
Indianapolis is not part of this tour, although many local restaurants have tried to get on Keith Lee’s radar in hopes of securing a visit that could boost business.
“We could eat a little bit,” Keith Lee told IndyStar at the start of the visit. “But not as part of the food tour here.”
Why isn’t Indianapolis on Keith Lee’s food tour?
There’s no particular reason for Indianapolis not to participate in the food tour, Ronni Lee said.
“We just started touring last year. There are so many places,” she said. “This is where we go wherever God sends us.”
Both have a weakness for street food, especially tacos, Ronnie Lee said.
Barbecues are also very popular.
Mobile restaurants also have a good chance of catching Keith Lee’s attention, she said.
“He loves a good food truck,” she said.
Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cheryl.jackson@indystar.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com:@cherylvjackson.
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