How Chef Annisha Garcia Built NYC’s Most Talked-About Burrito

When Chef Annisha Garcia set out to bring true Norteño-style burritos to New York City, she wasn’t chasing a TikTok trend. She just wanted to make the kind of burritos she grew up eating, rooted in Northern Mexican tradition. She unknowingly also went on to create the most talked-about burrito in the city.

Garcia is the three-time Chopped champion and James Beard semifinalist behind Son del North, a growing restaurant concept inspired by the flavors of Northern Mexico. She opened the first location on the Lower East Side in June 2024, followed by a second outpost in Manhattan’s West Village less than a year later.

The buzz all comes down to one humble item: a bean and cheese burrito. Unlike a Mission-style burrito overloaded with rice and extras, Son del North sticks to tradition: flour tortillas, simple ingredients, and precision. “We’re not doing rice or sour cream — that’s not how we grew up eating burritos,” Garcia exclusively tells Men's Journal. “Norteño burritos are about balance. Every ingredient has to earn its place.”

The now-viral burrito is built around slow-cooked pinto beans, house-made cheese, and a fresh-pressed flour tortilla. The simplicity is intentional and the tortilla alone took months to develop.

When TikTok and Instagram food content creators began posting about the original LES spot, the response was almost immediate. Lines formed down the block. The bean and cheese burrito developed a cult following. “I didn’t realize it had gone viral at first,” Garcia laughs. “People just kept walking in asking for ‘the one from TikTok.’ And I was like… it’s just a bean and cheese burrito.”

But at a time when Mexican cuisine is often packaged for mass appeal, Son del North stands out by doing the opposite: staying true to its roots. Before launching the concept, Garcia built her name through competition cooking, pop-ups, and community-driven culinary projects. The goal was never just to open a restaurant. It was to create a space that represented where she came from — with the right people beside her.

Behind the scenes, Son del North’s growth isn’t just about food — it’s also a family and team operation. Garcia’s brother, Argenis Garcia, plays a key role as the brand’s marketing strategist, shaping everything from its visual identity to its cultural messaging. Though he prefers staying behind the scenes, his influence runs through the brand’s entire aesthetic and voice. “Annisha has the culinary vision, and Argenis has the pulse of how to communicate it without compromising the culture,” Mike Moreira, Son del North’s head of operations, who oversees the expansion, logistics, and daily execution across both locations, tells MJ.

Now, with two successful locations and growing buzz, Garcia, Argenis, and Moreira are scaling carefully. Catering expansion, regional menu development, and future locations are on the table — but never at the expense of identity. “I don’t want to lose what made it special,” Garcia says. “This came from our culture, our family, and a lot of love. That always has to stay at the center.”

And that authenticity may be why her “accidental” viral burrito continues to resonate far beyond just the foodie crowd.