TikTok star Keith Lee’s review of JJ’s Mama’s Soul Food boosts its customer base threefold overnight.
LEXINGTON, N.C. — TikTok has a reputation for viral dances and trends, but for JJ’s Mama’s Soul Food and More in Lexington, it became a force for good—thanks to a single video from one of the platform’s biggest stars.
Keith Lee, one of TikTok’s most famous food critics, was known for traveling the country and reviewing local eateries straight from his car. His honest, no-frills style made him a trusted source for millions of followers.
During his stop in North Carolina, Lee visited JJ’s Mama’s Soul Food and More. For owner and chef Tyleata Jones, it was a moment she never forgot.
“When he was here, I was so filled with joy, I thought I was gonna cry. But I couldn’t cry because I was just so happy,” Jones recalled.
Jones, who named the restaurant after her son JJ, had poured her heart into the business. “Both of my grandmothers – they were cookers, and then I went to school for culinary. I took what they taught me, added my own twist, and I just always had a passion for cooking,” she said.
That passion helped Jones launch her restaurant in 2020, with just $800 to her name. “From $800, I had to make roughly $5,000. I worked two jobs to actually get started. Every piece I just took and gave, took and gave,” she explained. “My main focus was to show anybody that you could do it as long as you put your mind to it and do it the right way. If I could do it the right way, you could do it the right way.”
After Lee’s review—where he raved about the hot honey and vinegary flavors of the food, giving it an 8 out of 10—business at JJ’s exploded overnight.
“We went from having a hundred customers to having 300 a day,” Jones said. “To the point now that we could barely answer the phones.”
For Jones, it was never just about serving food. It was about serving love. “I loved putting the love in it. It was my way of showing whoever was eating that I loved you,” she said.
It was clear that love, and a little help from TikTok, had helped JJ’s Mama’s Soul Food and More become a must-visit spot in Lexington.
