A food critic inadvertently discovered the unfortunate story behind two popular Texas barbecue restaurants after reviewing their food.
Keith Lee, who has more than 16 million followers on TikTok, is popular for his takeout food reviews, which he often conducts while it’s still warm in his car.
Lee, who also relies on feedback from followers, placed an order at Hutchins BBQ in January of this year, a restaurant that has been around since 1978 and has locations in McKinney and Frisco, and there were lines out the door.
Last week, Lee decided to revisit the place, or so he thought.
Lee thought he was visiting a separate outpost, but it turned out he was visiting a new location established last year by different members of the same family after a spectacular fight over expansion plans.
TikTok food critic Keith Lee, who has more than 16 million followers, inadvertently intervened in a family dispute
Lee visited Hutchins BBQ in January of this year, but then visited The Original Hutchins Barbeque last week thinking it was another branch of the same restaurant.
On his follow-up, Lee visited The Original Roy Hutchins Barbecue Restaurant, which, confusingly, also states it was founded in 1978 but actually opened in 2023.
Lee could be forgiven for thinking the two restaurants were run by the same owners, however, feuding family members have left the two businesses in direct competition with each other.
The food fight began in 2023 when one side of the Hutchins family pushed to expand their popular barbecue chain.
When part of the family resisted expanding, they decided to create their own version of the barbecue restaurant in hopes of using the family name and capitalizing on its broad appeal.
Roy and Wes Hutchins, owners of The Original Roy Hutchins Barbeque, use red oak to smoke their meat.
From left to right, Zack, Wes and Roy Hutchins of The Original Roy Hutchins Barbeque
The two restaurants have very similar names, but are run by two branches of a feuding family.
Tim and Trey Hutchins, owners of the other two Hutchins BBQ locations, use oak wood.
Lee had no idea that he was actually trying a different barbecue restaurant for the first time.
When I checked his ratings, it turned out that he had actually given the second establishment better ratings than he had on his original visit, although overall he had helped both businesses with excellent reviews.
“I think the location might make a difference too, because it tastes a little different than what I remember, but it’s still good,” Lee even suggested.
TikTok followers were quick to point out the mistake Lee had made, no doubt educating some viewers in the process who might also have believed both locations were run by the same owner.
One reviewer on Facebook pointed out the absurdity of the similarities between the two restaurants and that a bad experience at one location could negatively impact the other.
One reviewer on Facebook pointed out the absurdity of the similarities between the two restaurants and that a bad experience at one location could negatively impact the other.
“It’s overly confusing and deliberately alludes to the fact that it’s the ‘original’ when it’s not,” Luke Purvis wrote in a review.
‘It downplays ‘Roy’ and adds ‘Since 1978,’ which is technically true, but this particular restaurant brand has only been open since 2023. Even Hutchins himself just went through a rebrand and perhaps ‘Since 1978’ is a family-friendly deal.
“I understand that this is simply a disagreement about franchises, but almost every ‘casual’ person I meet thinks they’re the same thing, but they’re not. They’re both fantastic in their own way, but one misstep by either side can ruin the brand for either.”
