“A writer, like a boxer, must stand alone…having your words published, like entering a ring, puts your talents on display; and there’s no where to hide. The truth is revealed, and sometimes, the results can be disastrous…”
– Resurrecting the Champ (2007)
Photographed for Voyage LA.
About Cue the Critic
Cue the Critic, Your Guide to Gastronomic Decadence
Because everything you eat has some effect on you. You might as well savor the journey.
Cue the Critic, in his element.
My name is Quincy James Freeman, but everyone calls me Cue. I am a Los Angeles-based food critic, writer, storyteller, and the creator of Cue the Critic.
I launched Cue the Critic in 2013 because I wanted somewhere to document the meals, people, and experiences that stayed with me long after I left the table. What began as a personal food blog grew into restaurant reviews, culinary adventures, collaborations, and The Burger Crawl, a 78-episode video series inspired by my lifelong fascination with hamburgers. That journey eventually took me from neighborhood restaurants throughout Southern California to an appearance on the Travel Channel’s Food Paradise.
My relationship with food has never been limited to deciding whether something tastes good. I am interested in the entire experience: the people who prepare the meal, the culture behind it, the room in which it is served, the price of admission, and how a restaurant makes its guests feel. Sometimes that produces celebration. Sometimes it requires criticism. The purpose of Cue the Critic is to tell the truth about both.
Where It Started
Food has been part of my story for as long as I can remember. One of my earliest food memories is eating In-N-Out fries during a cross-country road trip with my father and Uncle Ronnie. That experience helped begin a lifelong curiosity about restaurants, different cuisines, and the people behind the food.
As reality television, blogs, and YouTube changed how people discovered food, I became increasingly interested in documenting what I was eating and where those experiences took me. Throughout my life, I have been known for two things: my love of food and my impressive capacity for it. Cue the Critic gave both somewhere to go.
Burgers became my original specialty, but never the boundary of my curiosity. My work has taken me through burger counters, family-owned neighborhood institutions, restaurant openings, food festivals, culinary challenges, home kitchens, and fine dining rooms.
What I Write About Now
I am particularly interested in the connections among food, culture, race, class, community, and Los Angeles itself.
I do not believe every restaurant needs to be luxurious, fashionable, expensive, or “Instagrammable” to matter. A meal becomes worth writing about when it has something honest to say, or when it leaves me with something honest to say about it.
After several years away from publishing consistently, I returned to Los Angeles with a different life, a stronger voice, and a deeper understanding of what it means to sit down at a table. Cue the Critic is not beginning again. It is continuing with more experience, greater purpose, and considerably more story to tell.
Cue the Critic began in Los Angeles in 2013.
Now I am home. Pull up a chair.
Editorial Independence
I pay for my meals unless an article clearly states otherwise. Invitations, complimentary meals, sponsorships, and other material relationships are disclosed.
I know some of the restaurant owners, chefs, publicists, writers, and content creators whose work may appear on this site. Those relationships do not purchase or determine my opinion. No restaurant, publicist, advertiser, or sponsor can pay for positive coverage.
A complimentary meal may provide access to a table. It does not purchase what I say after leaving it.
You Don’t Say?
- Red is my favorite color.
- Contrary to popular belief among my friends, I do not consume excessive amounts of bacon.
- I failed ninth-grade English and struggled with reading and writing well into adulthood.
- I do enjoy vegetables. Broccoli, snap peas, winter peas, and asparagus are among my favorites. I also like raw carrots, but not so much when they are cooked.
- Depending on the situation, I can be extremely shy or remarkably arrogant and prudish.
- I prefer pie over cake. Sometimes I like cupcakes, though. I absolutely love carrot cake.
- For me, cooking for a woman is one of the deepest expressions of love and care.
Behind the Scenes
Cue the Critic has been produced with everything from early-generation iPhones and a Nikon D40 to contemporary mobile and camera equipment. The tools have changed considerably since 2013. The purpose has not.
The words, photographs, and videos exist to preserve an honest record of the experience. Some stories require a carefully composed image. Others only require being present when something worth remembering happens.
Cue the Critic is independently published using WordPress.
Work With Cue
Cue the Critic is available for select restaurant visits, culinary events, interviews, collaborations, media appearances, speaking opportunities, and partnerships that fit the publication.
Sponsored work and complimentary experiences are always disclosed. A commercial relationship does not guarantee positive editorial coverage.
For inquiries, contact me or follow Cue the Critic on Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, Threads, YouTube, and Medium.
Last updated 12 September 2026
