DALLAS — Famous TikTok food critic Keith Lee was back in North Texas to revisit one of his favorite restaurants in DFW — or so he thought.
In a recent TikTok, Lee said he was back in Dallas and wanted to revisit Hutchins BBQ. But, it looks like Lee got a little confused and instead visited The Original Roy Hutchins Barbeque in Trophy Club.
Lee's mix-up is an honest mistake, and an easy one to make. The two BBQ joints are owned by members of the same family but are distinctly different. In fact, there was a legal battle to establish a difference.
Wesley Hutchins, the oldest son of Roy Hutchins, opened The Original Roy Hutchins Barbeque last year after a legal battle over the Hutchins BBQ trademark. The new name was intended to avoid confusion.
However, the confusion still remains with Keith Lee's TikTok as proof. In his video, Lee even referenced the Trophy Club location as the "OG location" despite it not being affiliated with Hutchins BBQ. There are two locations of Hutchins BBQ, but they are located in McKinney and Frisco.
Lee's confusion is even more understandable given how similar the menus are. Both restaurants serve a "Texas Twinkie", which is a bacon-wrapped jalapeno stuffed with brisket and cream cheese. Lee said the Texas Twinkie was one of the main reasons he came back. He ended up rating the dish a 9.3 out of 10. At Hutchins BBQ, he rated it an 8.5 out of 10.
There were hints that Lee picked up on during his video that he might not be at the same restaurant. “I think the location might make a difference, too, because it tastes a little different than I remember it tasting last time,” Lee said while trying the St. Louis-style ribs, which he gave a 8.7 out of 10. At Hutchins BBQ he rated them a 9.5 out of 10.
When it came to the brisket, Lee noted it was so tender that it was falling apart as he picked it up. He ended up giving the dish a 9.1 out of 10. Hutchins BBQ got a 9.3 out of 10.
Keith Lee's reviews tend to bring massive amounts of attention to local dives. However, the Hutchins family is a dominant force in North Texas BBQ.
"I’m sure the Keith Lee effect gave them a little boost but they definitely didn’t notice," one commenter said. "There’s been a line out the door for years."
