Keith Lee loved Hutchins BBQ so much, it had him swearing

By Claire Ballor
From: https://www.dallasnews.com/
Reprinted: Texas Netro News

The first barbecue stop on TikTok food reviewer Keith Lee’s Dallas tour didn’t wow him, but the second one had him swearing.

“I 100% see why 17,000 people told me to come here,” Lee said of Hutchins BBQ, which he picked based on recommendations from social media followers.

The restaurant, with locations in McKinney and Frisco, was the fourth stop for Lee during his visit to try Dallas-area restaurants. His method is to order takeout anonymously, eat it in his car, then rate each dish on a scale of 1 to 10. This down-to-earth approach has given him an online following nearly 16 million strong.

Lee’s first introduction to Hutchins BBQ was the restaurant’s signature Texas Twinkie, a cream cheese and brisket stuffed jalapeño wrapped in bacon. It was love at first bite.

“It’s goddamn delicious. That’s what it is,” he said before scoring it an 8.5.

The pork ribs, which Lee called some of the best he’s had in a long time, got a 9.5 rating and the brisket got a 9.3. The potato salad and sausage received a modest 5 and 6 respectively.

It was the restaurant’s peach cobbler that got the biggest reaction from Lee.

“This is f—–g phenomenal,” he said of the dessert, which he gave a 9.

The cobbler is made with yellow cake and a few other secret ingredients that Hutchins co-owner Trey Hutchins keeps close to the vest. It’s been on the menu since 2002.

Hutchins told The Dallas Morning News he was honored that his restaurant was featured by Lee. After seeing him visit Terry Black’s in East Dallas, Hutchins wasn’t sure the TikTok star would pick another barbecue spot.

“It’s super cool for us,” he said. “We’re so excited.”

Hutchins, who runs the restaurant and its two locations with his brother Tim, wasn’t bothered by the few things Lee didn’t love as much, especially the potato salad.

“Nobody makes potato salad like Momma,” he said.

Before last week, Hutchins said he didn’t really know who Lee was, but now he watches every video.

“What a neat guy,” he said. “I like his style. He orders food to-go. He’s faceless in restaurants. He’s not looking at no razzle dazzle as far as pits and buildings.”

After Lee’s review dropped, both Hutchins BBQ locations put more meat in the smokers, stuffed more Texas Twinkies and baked more cobblers than usual.

“We’re going to anticipate a little more of a rush than we would normally expect on Tuesday,” Hutchins said. “We’re ready.”

Here are the North Texas restaurants Lee has visited so far:

• Thunderbird Pies in East Dallas
• Terry Black’s in Deep Ellum
• Halal Fusionz in Farmers Branch
• Hutchins BBQ (locations in McKinney and Frisco)

This story, originally published in The Dallas Morning News, is reprinted as part of a collaborative partnership between The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News. The partnership seeks to boost coverage of Dallas’ communities of color, particularly in southern Dallas.