The Bayou Effect responds after Keith Lee slams customer service issues in viral review

Louisiana restaurant ‘The Bayou Effect’ has responded after TikTok food reviewer Keith Lee called them out for poor customer service in a scathing video.

While visiting Baton Rogue, Louisiana, Keith Lee asked his fans to vote on what restaurant he should eat at for a review. The Bayou Effect was the most popular choice with 32% of the votes, so the TikTok star made his way there.

The beloved TikToker uploaded his review of the joint on June 16, 2024 — and before getting to the food, he called out the company’s “okay” customer service.

“The reason I say that is because we’ve been here since six ‘o clock. The time is 7:28. We ordered four things, and one of those things wasn’t available. When we first ordered over the phone, they said it was available,” he said.

“When my family went to pick up the food, they were sitting there for an hour. They asked about the reason behind the wait, and learned that the order wasn’t put into the system.”

Keith went on to explain that his family wouldn’t have minded the wait time if the restaurant was busy, but said there were only “five or six people” there at the time.

The TikTok reviewer said that the food he was able to try is good, but the whole experience was “underwhelming.”

His video quickly went viral, prompting the company to issue a response on their TikTok page where they took “full responsibility” for the customer service issues.

“Firstly, I take full accountability for the mishandling of Keith Lee’s order. There was a miscommunication
between the name assigned to the order, and the driver’s actual name, leading to an elongated wait time for his specific order. However, while it was an extremely busy day, we should have been better prepared,” they explained.

“We understand how this affected the experience and are truly sorry for any inconvenience caused… Keith Lee’s feedback has brought us valuable recognition and the chance to improve.”

The company also directed part of their statement to Keith Lee himself, saying that his review has prompted positive change in their restaurant.

“To Keith Lee, please be clear that we thank you for the review; it has been a catalyst for positive
change. We are not attempting to discredit who you are, what you do or seem ungrateful for your visit,” they said.

“Thank you to everyone for your continued support. We promise to learn from this experience and serve you even better in the future.”

This review comes just weeks after Keith left viewers shocked after featuring his brother, UFC fighter Kevin Lee, and his restaurant.