Bacon, Egg N Cheese–From Bodega, To Viral TikTok Anthem, Explained

Forbes

21-03-2025

How did the bacon, egg, and cheese go from a classic NYC breakfast to a viral sensation?
The bacon, egg, and cheese isn't just a breakfast order—it's a way of life in New York. Step into any bodega, and you'll hear the bacon hitting the griddle, the spatula scraping against the flat top, and that classic request: 'Lemme get a baconeggandcheese. Salt, pepper, ketchup.'
But this year, the BEC is making noise far beyond bodega counters. Thanks to TikTok, it's now a viral anthem.
Wavy Rioo's 2022 track "Bacon, Egg N Cheese" exploded across TikTok in 2025, becoming the soundtrack to the viral 'How You Know I'm Dominican' trend. The meme features exaggerated but familiar nods to Dominican-American culture—tight jeans, flashy outfits, big personalities—all set to the song's infectious merengue beat.
With #BEC racking up 2.5 billion views in a week, it's clear this isn't just about a sandwich. It's about identity, culture, and the internet's love for a hyper-specific inside joke.
Bacon, egg and cheese New York style—quick, affordable, and the fuel of the city that never sleeps.
In New York, a bacon, egg, and cheese isn't just a sandwich—it's a daily ritual. It's quick, cheap, and dependable, fueling everyone from students to construction crews to Wall Street execs. Bodegas, many of them family-run, has been slinging BECs for generations, and in a lot of ways, this sandwich captures the city's pace: fast, unfussy, and always moving.
But the BEC isn't just a New York staple—it's part of into Dominican bodega culture. By the 1990s, Dominicans owned about 80% of Latinx-run bodegas in NYC, according to Christian Krohn-Hansen's Making New York Dominican, cementing their influence on the city's food scene.
For many Dominican New Yorkers, the bodega is more than just a corner store—it's a neighborhood hub, a community gathering spot, and now, the birthplace of a viral phenomenon.
'Lemme get a bacon, egg, and cheese...' How a simple order turned into a TikTok anthem with billions ... More of views.
The "Bacon, Egg, N Cheese" trend has intertwined with the "How You Know I'm Dominican?" meme, but it didn't stay in one lane for long. While it still celebrates Dominican culture and humor, it's also turned into something bigger—a full-blown love letter to NYC's bodega culture and, let's be real, the undeniable greatness of a bacon, egg, and cheese.
The meme? At first, it was all about showing off Dominican pride. But soon, it became way more than that. Bodega regulars, food lovers, and even brands hopped on board, because everyone understands the magic of a perfectly wrapped, foil-lined sandwich.
And a big part of why it blew up? That hook.
'Bacon, egg, and cheese. Cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese!'
It's infectious. It's got rhythm. It was practically built for becoming a TikTok trend. And now, it's more than just a meme—it's a whole vibe, bringing together people who know the feeling of biting into a hot BEC and instantly knowing the day is off to a good start..
It's more than just breakfast—it's culture, comfort, and the fuel that keeps NYC running.
The internet thrives on hype and cultural moments, and the bacon, egg, and cheese checks every box. It's the kind of thing that just clicks—instantly familiar, rooted in NYC and Dominican culture, and ridiculously easy to remix. The memes? Loud, exaggerated, made to be shared and lots of dancing—whether you're Dominican, a New Yorker, or just someone who can't resist a good sandwich.
But it's not just the song's merengue-rap energy that made it blow up. The original music video is basically a love letter to the sandwich itself, packed with shoutouts to favorite bodegas, playful debates over prices, and the kind of everyday moments that define a New York morning.
And that's the beauty of food culture—what's every day for some is iconic for others. The BEC isn't just a sandwich, and the song 'Bacon Egg N Cheese' is more than audio for a Dominican TikTok trend—but its bodega roots, NYC swagger, and undeniable popularity make it instantly recognizable and deeply tied to the communities that shaped it. The only question left? What iconic NYC food will go viral next?