WASHINGTON — Imagine this -- it is a beautiful day and you want to go out to try a new restaurant. You check the reviews and the ratings are low. But, how valid are those ratings really?
Well, one Northwest D.C. man is working to verify just that for people across the DMV. Larry McLeod, also known as Big Schlim, 47, is working his way through the worst-rated eateries in the area to determine if they are really as bad as some people have determined they are.
McLeod, who has two jobs, says now he actually has three because the hobby of food reviewing has become part of his life's work. But how did it all start? That, he says, is an interesting story.
One day he found a place on U Street that allowed him to create his own pizza, but the experience was memorable for all the wrong reasons. He said there was extremely rude customer service and when finally some one helped him after an extended wait they did not have what he was looking for -- build-your-own-pizza, though the menu said otherwise.
"I was disappointed. And growing up in D.C. I got accustomed to rude customer service. I just thought, know, going to the carry out, that's just how it is. And that was the day that I broke," he said with a fire in his eyes.
He didn't get food that day, instead he got himself the Yelp app. He wrote a review and then around two people soon after liked it. The next day, he found another pizza place, but this time it had great customer service and food.
"And so I said to myself, if I'm going to talk about bad food, I also got to talk about good food," McLeod said. "So again, this time I took a picture, wrote a review on Yelp, and I posted it. Maybe five, six people liked it. So for myself, I said that every place that I go to, I'm going to review and also to remember."
Big Schlim and food he has reviewed across the DMV
Then those written reviews turned into videos, with the help of his sister's suggestion -- due to his nice voice, which can make anyone feel like a friend is talking to them. Welcoming and warm. That was three years ago, when he was a vegetarian, which he is no longer.
There are many content creators, the DMV is filled with them, but what sets Big Schlim apart is his ability to speak to everyone like he would his close circle. This and how thoroughly he evaluates each eatery -- whether it is apart of his worst-rated series or just a must try location.
During his process, he starts off with customer service.
"So when I film, I'll film the beginning of the place, and then I'll stop filming, and I go in to see what the customer service is like before I even continue. And customer service for me, includes cleanliness. It includes the greeting and the thank you at the end and all of that."
Another important metric -- the freshness of the food. Is it made to order or is it under a heat lamp?
"Even aesthetically, because we eat with our eyes first, especially most people that follow me, nobody has the food right there," he said with consideration. "They're looking at my pictures and video to see if it looks good."
Taste. Portion sizes. Appearance. He says a bit of parsley on top can make all the difference -- especially when it comes to sharing how it looks online. What can taste amazing might not display that way.
And though he is currently reviewing in the DMV, Big Schlim, who has garnered over 90,000 followers on TikTok, dreams to be even bigger one day.
"I envision me going from Maine to Miami, from Chicago to Alabama, from Colorado to Washington state on down on to California, and then I want to jump that pond and go experience other food and other places and remain myself," he says with hope in his voice. "So there is freedom in this for me because I can be who I am unapologetically."
The content creator says his videos are kid-friendly and the focus is on the food -- he doesn't even show himself and even if he doesn't get one "like" on a video, he will get up the next day and do another one.
"It's like 47 years of working, and I finally found something that I love to do," he said. "My father told me a long time ago, he asked me what kind of job would I have for free, what kind of job I would work for free. And I was perplexed at that question. But I got it. I finally got it. My father just passed last year. So I guess his spirit is with me right now and I finally got it. I understood what he was talking about. This is something that I would do, I'm going to do anyway now."
Big Schlim can be found doing what he loves, whether in video form or written, on Instagram, X, formally known as Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Threads, Yelp, and Google Reviews.
Food Suggestions from Big Schlim:
Looking for tacos? Go to Little Minor Taco.
Want pizza (which he calls his love language)? Go to Red Light Pizza.
Want really good honey glazed chicken? He says to go to Honeymoon Chicken.
Want a sit-down restaurant? Give Grazie Nonna and their Italian food a try.