When TikTok food critic Keith Lee arrived at Destination Smokehouse with $4,000 in cash and millions of followers ready to watch him meet the Unc—Mr. Tendernism—himself, he didn’t get what he expected. Instead, security guards turned him away, saying that Walter Johnson, Destination’s greatest marketing tool, was “too busy” filming a podcast. What happened next sparked a minor social media firestorm that continued to expose uncomfortable questions about who really controls—and profits from—Mr. Johnson.
Angey (@angeyb__) provided the Cliff’s Notes version of what went down in a short TikTok clip.
“Keith Lee went to review [Destination Smokehouse.] When he got to the restaurant, it was packed—people everywhere, full security around [Johnson.] He wasn’t able to meet him,” Angey explained.
“Keith went outside and basically let them know that he had $5,000—I think it was going to end up being $4,000 because he was going to give $1,000 to something else,” she continued. “He said he had $1,000 for anybody that was in line to pay for their meal, and he had money for Tenderism. But he also said he was never able to meet the man. They kind of let him know, like, ‘Oh, he’s busy. He’s doing a podcast,’ so on and so forth.”
Lee’s video included a review of the restaurant’s food. It was a largely positive review, giving props to the oxtail as perhaps the best he’s ever had. But he was not a fan of the mac and cheese and gave the brisket a less-than-enthusiastic review, with the beef rib being in the “good” range.
So what went wrong, and what’s Unc’s function at Destination?
The Reality
First of all, Mr. Johnson does not own Destination. Nick Yepremian is the owner and pitmaster of Destination Smokehouse, which grew out of a family coffee shop (Destination Coffee Bar) in Hemet, California. The coffee shop was run by his mother, Patricia Yepremian. Johnson was actually visiting a nearby museum, wandered in, and started making gumbo for them.
In 2019, after Johnson got involved, Nick decided to expand the joint into a restaurant in early 2020. At this point, however, it was a small grill, not the blown-out BBQ experience it is today.
During COVID, he teamed up with Johnson, who is a chef and pitmaster, to pivot the business into a Texas-inspired BBQ restaurant. Now, it should be stated that Yepremian has said that Johnson provided him with the signature cooking style and conviction, saying, “Walter is a huge part of my confidence to continue in the restaurant business. He is a huge part of learning how to be a better man, more than anything.”
With viral video after viral video, including a 3-million-view video featuring food influencer Jordan the Stallion, Johnson is the face and marketing driver for Destination. His “tendernism,” dramatic reactions, and genuine excitement over the food have drawn in thousands of patrons from around the world, likely leading to astronomical revenue.
The $64,000 Question
The exact ownership structure and Johnson’s financial stake in the business remain unclear in publicly available sources. Nick Yepremian is listed as “Owner/Pitmaster” on the restaurant’s Instagram page.
Johnson is described variously as a “chef,” “pitmaster,” “staff member,” and in partnership language. Johnson himself referred to Nick as his “partner” in at least one account.
This ambiguity is at the heart of the current controversy because, for some, Destination’s use of Johnson as its face is questionable at best.
The Keith Lee Effect
Keith Lee is a former MMA fighter who’s become wildly successful as a food influencer. He initially started the videos to help conquer his anxiety.
He’s widely known for supporting small Black-owned businesses and leaving substantial tips. He has stated his impact “has been a part of changing 150 families’ lives that look like us.” His viral videos have often put hidden-gem eateries in the spotlight and helped save others from closing.
Lee, who constantly travels with his family, while trying food from around the country (and the world), wanted to give Johnson some love for his impact. In this Dec. 29 video, he and his family spent $129.77 on beef ribs, oxtail, brisket, cole slaw, mac and cheese, yams, Texas toast, and BBQ sauce. He said the service was great, and the order came out in 10 minutes.
But when he encountered resistance inside the restaurant, it struck a sour note with many viewers. Lee, himself, despite his own fame, chalked it up to Johnson now being a hot commodity. Lee ended up taking the money and giving it away.
The Destination Smokehouse Owner’s Response
Yepremian and Johnson responded to the perceived slight against Lee.
“If I would’ve known he was here, I would’ve probably at least asked [Johnson] to stop for a few seconds so we could go over there. That’s what I would’ve done. But ever since I reached out, I haven’t gotten a response,” said Yepremian, who clearly wasn’t a fan of Lee’s full review.
It also seems that they might have wanted some heads-up, which isn’t Lee’s M.O.
“I thought I was very respectful. From what he watched from the review, it just didn’t seem like Keith really captured what it’s like when you come to this place. It’s just disappointing that, as popular as people can be on social media, people don’t know everyone,” Yepremian continued.
Johnson’s idea was to have Lee on for a “drink some Kool-Aid” and “do podcast.”
The Peanut Gallery Weighs in on Keith Lee’s Destination Smokehouse Experience
The comments had many opinions, with common threads.
In Angey’s video, a person said, “I don’t like anything about this owner/employee dynamic. They are taking advantage of that old man. He made them so much money and I know they barely pay him anything.”
A commenter also believed a conspiracy was afoot. “They knew it was Keith Lee, trust me!” they said. “The owner didn’t won’t Unk to get that money. If Unk starts getting money outside of what the restaurant pays him, they’re afraid he will take his charm and charisma elsewhere.”
Others couldn’t believe the pricing. “A 3 meat plate with two sides is 129$? Like US dollars[?] They can keep the tender whatever they got,” they wrote.
“It’s not Unc’s restaurant, i really hope he’s working on getting one,” said one person who commented on Lee’s original review. “He really started a whole movement that someone else is profiting off of.”
One person echoed a comment sentiment, saying, “Unc’s entourage blocking his blessings.”
Another commenter wrote: “They using that man. They don’t want him to get any outside benefits. You’re such a gift.”
But some of the comments were hilarious. “Unc, like yall let keith lee get away with foe racks, FIREISM,” they joked.
AllHipHop reached out to Keith Lee via TikTok direct message and Destination Smokehouse via its contact form. This story will be updated if either party responds.
Related
