Kee's Loaded Kitchen

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Kee's Loaded Kitchen
Map
Restaurant information
Owner(s)Kiauna "Kee" Nelson
ChefKiauna "Kee" Nelson
Food typeSoul food
CityPortland
StateOregon
CountryUnited States
Coordinates45°33′34″N 122°39′41″W / 45.5595°N 122.6613°W / 45.5595; -122.6613

Kee's Loaded Kitchen (stylized as Kee's #Loaded Kitchen) is a soul food restaurant in Portland, Oregon.[1][2]

Description[edit]

Kee's is a Black-owned, soul food restaurant on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in northeast Portland's King neighborhood. The menu includes smoked brisket, fried catfish,[3] chicken wings, loaded baked potatoes, macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, and desserts.[4][5]

History[edit]

Kiauna "Kee" Nelson is the restaurant's owner and chef.[4]

In 2020, Kee's and Nelson appeared in a music video by Aminé.[6] In June, during the George Floyd protests, donations from community members and Don't Shoot Portland allowed Kee's to provide free food to Black Portlanders.[5] For Thanksgiving, Kee's offered turkey, smoked brisket, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, cornbread stuffing, collard greens, and sweet potato casserole. Desserts included banana pudding, coconut layer cake, and sweet potato pie.[7]

The restaurant was featured on the Netflix series Street Food in 2022.[8]

Reception[edit]

In 2018, Kee's was named Cart of the Year by Willamette Week.[9] Kee's was included in multiple Eater Portland lists in 2021. Nick Woo and Nick Townsend included the restaurant in "14 Real-Deal Fried Chicken Spots in Portland", writing: "When Kiauna Nelson of the MLK food cart Kee's Loaded Kitchen starts frying chicken for her loaded plates, it's a run-don't-walk situation. Nelson's chicken gets a heavy, spice-laden rub before it hits the fryer, and then gets hit with the 'magic dust,' a sweet-spicy powder almost reminiscent of barbecue potato chips. There's nothing in town like it. Now, Kee's can get some serious lines, so the real move is to get to the cart before it opens for a takeout order."[10] Additionally, Woo and Brooke Jackson-Glidden also included Kee's in "15 Outstanding Portland Food Carts",[11] and Ron Scott included the food cart in "9 Spots for Serious Soul Food in Portland and Beyond".[12] The website's Ron Scott and Nathan Williams included the restaurant in a 2022 list of "13 Spots for Serious Soul Food in Portland and Beyond".[13]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Moore, Jenni (2020-10-06). "Kee's Loaded Kitchen Wants to Feed Everyone". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2021-05-21. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
  2. ^ Corbell, Beverly (2019-10-01). "Kee's #Loaded Kitchen Cooks up Soul". The Portland Observer. Archived from the original on 2020-08-12. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
  3. ^ Scott, Ron (2021-10-05). "9 Spots for Serious Soul Food in Portland and Beyond". Eater Portland. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 2021-10-11. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
  4. ^ a b Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2018-08-22). "Where to Eat or Drink for Support Black-Owned Restaurant Week". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-06-02. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
  5. ^ a b Frane, Alex (2020-06-02). "Northeast Portland Food Cart Kee's Loaded Kitchen Is Feeding Black Portlanders for Free". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-09-26. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
  6. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2020-02-27). "An Essential Portland Food Cart Makes an Appearance in Aminé's New Video". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-06-03. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
  7. ^ Frane, Alex (2016-11-15). "Where to Order Thanksgiving Dinner in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
  8. ^ "Which Portland Food Celebrities Made It to Netflix's 'Street Food USA'?". Portland Monthly. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  9. ^ Korfhage, Matthew (2018-03-21). "Kee's Loaded Kitchen Serves the Biggest, Baddest Down-Home Plates in Portland". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2021-06-08. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
  10. ^ Woo, Nick (2015-05-28). "14 Real-Deal Fried Chicken Spots in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
  11. ^ Woo, Nick (2015-06-10). "15 Outstanding Portland Food Carts". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-09-18. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
  12. ^ Scott, Ron (2021-10-05). "9 Spots for Serious Soul Food in Portland and Beyond". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-10-11. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
  13. ^ Scott, Ron (2021-10-05). "13 Spots for Serious Soul Food in Portland and Beyond". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
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