The short versionOn Kirk Franklin's Den of Kings, food reviewer Keith Lee told 2 Chainz that after his face became known, he sent his mother-in-law to ten restaurants and she could not get food, service or an experience, while he arrives to a table ready. 2 Chainz said he couldn't judge Lee's review of his restaurant because it's Lee's opinion, while acknowledging that entertainers get perks other people don't.
Keith Lee has a problem most reviewers would like to have: everyone knows his face. On a new episode of Den of Kings, he explained why that makes his job harder, and why it should worry restaurant owners too.
What happened
Lee and 2 Chainz sat down on Den of Kings, Kirk Franklin's YouTube series, and talked through Lee's review of 2 Chainz's Atlanta restaurant, Esco Restaurant & Tapas (formerly Escobar), Complex reports. It stayed respectful, but they didn't end up in the same place.
The details
2 Chainz on the review. He told Lee he had seen the reviews of his restaurant and others, and that he couldn't really judge them because they're Lee's opinion, per Complex.
Lee on the test. Lee says that after his face became known, he sent his mother-in-law to ten restaurants and she couldn't get food, service or an experience. When he goes himself, he says, the table is ready. He wants his reviews to reflect what a regular diner gets, because his followers travel and spend money on his recommendations.
2 Chainz on perks. He pushed back that special treatment comes with success. "I'm an entertainer and obviously we get perks that other people don't get," he said.
Why brands should care
This is one reviewer's account of his family's experience, not a study of restaurants. But the gap it describes is one every business should think about. Staff treat the person they think matters differently from everyone else, and the owner often sees only the best version of their own place.
It also matters more than it used to. A single creator can send a crowd to your door, and those people arrive expecting what they saw on their phone. If the influencer got the table and the attention and they don't, they'll post about that gap. Your best marketing can end up exposing your worst shift.
2 Chainz has a point too. Some people will always get special treatment. The question isn't whether VIPs exist. It's whether the regular customer who walks in with no name still gets looked after.
What to do
Our suggestions:
- Send a mystery customer. Have someone your staff doesn't know come in on a busy night, and ask them to report honestly.
- Serve the mother-in-law. Train staff to treat the person with no following the way they'd treat the reviewer. Assume any table could post.
- Check your slowest moments. Look at the wait for a greeting and the wait for a check. That's where regular customers feel ignored.
- Prepare before you invite a creator. If you ask for a review, be ready for an honest one, and fix what you can before they arrive.
- Answer criticism calmly. Treat a bad review as an opinion to learn from, as 2 Chainz did here, rather than starting a fight.
Sources
- Den of Kings on Kirk Franklin's YouTube channel: Keith Lee, Mojo Brookzz, Desi Banks & 2 Chainz (Nov 1, 2026)
- Complex: 2 Chainz Talks to Keith Lee About Bad Review He Gave His Restaurant (Nov 2, 2026)
FAQ
What did Keith Lee tell 2 Chainz about restaurants?
On Den of Kings, Lee said he sent his mother-in-law to ten restaurants and she couldn't get food, service or an experience, while he gets a table right away, according to the video and Complex.
What restaurant did Keith Lee review for 2 Chainz?
Coverage names 2 Chainz's Atlanta restaurant as Esco Restaurant & Tapas, formerly Escobar.
What did 2 Chainz say about Keith Lee's review?
He said he really couldn't judge it because it's Lee's opinion, and also said entertainers get perks other people don't, per Complex.
