Keith Lee says this Thanksgiving will look different—in the most personal way possible.
The food creator, whose thoughtful reviews have made him one of the most trusted voices on the internet, recently shared that his younger brother will be home for the holiday for the first time in eight years following his release from prison.
Speaking with People, Lee described the occasion as deeply significant. He said his younger brother was his best friend growing up, and having him back at the table feels like restoring something that had been missing.
The holiday also arrives during a major life shift: Lee and his wife, Ronnie, recently welcomed their third child, a son named Kardigan Marcus, in September. Together, the moments have reframed Thanksgiving as something quieter and more intentional.
The Lee household will stick to tradition when it comes to food. Thanksgiving is a potluck affair, and Keith already knows his assignments. “I get the mac-and-cheese, and I get the greens,” he said, noting that those dishes don’t get handed out casually.
His brother has already put in a request for Wingstop, though what he’ll contribute to the meal remains to be seen. Ronnie, still adjusting to life with a newborn, will sit this one out of kitchen duty—by design.
Family has long been the through line in Lee’s work, and it showed up again days earlier in Texas. Earlier this week, he joined Minnie’s Food Pantry for its 18th Annual Thanksgiving Giveaway in Plano, an event that served more than 4,200 families with turkey and full holiday meals.
Lee participated in the distribution and donated $12,000 worth of turkeys through his “A Familee That SNAPS Back” initiative, which supports households facing food insecurity. The scale of the event made it the largest in the organization’s history, powered by hundreds of volunteers and local partners.
That community-first mindset continues later this week as Lee takes part in Small Business Saturday. On November 29, he will support participating local businesses, highlighting their stories rather than focusing on deals or promotions.
In recent TikToks, Lee was seen visiting Texas-based spots, including Drew’s Place Soul Food in Fort Worth, a family-run restaurant tied closely to the neighborhood it serves.