Move over, Yelp.
The tastiest way to find some of New York City’s best and tastiest eats is no longer by going to dusty rankings like Zagats. It’s moving across TikTok, where a vibrant community of viral food influencers has boosted local businesses across the city as effectively as any government program.
“Having a menu item go viral can be life-changing,” Rachel Brotman, who is behind the viral @Carboholic account, told The Post. Her videos have helped promote many foods to internet fame. “TikTok can transform a sleepy business.”
Now, sink your teeth into a tour of the Big Apple’s buzziest bites.
1. Fedoroff’s Roast Pork, Williamsburg
With juicy steaks and massive roast pork sandwiches, Fedoroff’s stands as a Philadelphia wheat oasis in the middle of Williamsburg. It’s also a TikTok favorite, with 44.5 million video views since its launch in 2016.
Early fans included Gregg Remmy and Rebecca Leigh West-Remmey, the Brooklyn couple behind the popular TikTok food account @DevourPower, which has nearly 4 million followers.
“We like to feature very high-end, decadent, interesting places, and Fedoroffs is a great example of that,” Remmy told The Post.
“(Owners) Dave and Stella Fedoroff were born and raised in South Philly, and they stay true to their roots,” he explains. “It takes great food to make great content.”
178 N 10th St., Williamsburg; www.fedoroffs.com
2. Adel’s Famous Halal Food, Midtown
If you’ve ever walked down Sixth Avenue and wondered about a snaking line at a seemingly ordinary halal cart, chances are it was probably for Adele’s. Featuring massive platters of classic carts, her stunning trays have turned Adel’s into an unlikely viral sensation.
“They do one thing and they do it really well,” says Clement Leung, better known as @insta.noodls. Based in Toronto, he visited Adel’s while on a trip to New York and filmed his experience waiting in a rain-soaked line for an hour.
“Tender tender cuts with lamb and beef gravy, well-seasoned rice and a delicious mix of sauces – it’s an incredible combination.” However, he admits, “popularity breeds popularity. When people see a line, more and more people want to go.”
1221 6th Ave.; (917) 497-2317, AdelsFamousHalalFood.com
3. Ess-a-Bagel, Multiple Locations
Moving on to the Big Apple’s more classic bites, TikTok seems to have an ongoing craving for Ess-a-Bagel, the poppy seed sensation that has inspired a plethora of food influencers to highlight the quintessential New York treat.
Apart from the abundance of goods, another hallmark of the shops is the long queues every morning. But if you’re curious about the hubbub, the store is so popular that it even has videos on how to hack those pesky lines.
Multiple locationswww.ess-a-bagel.com
4. Pasta de Pasta, East Village
Eating!
Pasta de Pasta’s East Village location regularly hosts hordes of stomach-groaning diners, lured by posts about its creamy macaroni and cheese wheels, which sell for nine bucks.
“Homemade pasta is usually an expensive product that can only be purchased for cooking at home, or at a sit-down restaurant,” Brotman told The Post.
She posted a video showing her visit to Pasta de Pasta, which instantly went viral. “This concept is fun, simple and efficient.”
192 1st Ave.; (973) 988-3347, pastadepastany.com
5. Ceremony Bakeshop, Williamsburg
Bedford Avenue’s tiny Ceremonia Bakeshop has what some call the best breakfast burrito—a chorizo-and-potato jam—in New York.
Run by a husband-and-wife team, Ceremonia boasts gourmet wares that draw on his and her respective Dominican and Vietnamese heritage.
But it’s their giant burrito that won TikTok hearts, including @cookiesncreameats. “Maybe if LeBron ate it, he’d have a few more rings,” they thought.
743 Driggs Ave., Williamsburg; (347) 384-2212, www.instagram.com/ceremoniabakeshop
6. Fellini Coffee, Soho, West Village and Chelsea
Named after the iconic Italian author behind films like “8½” and “La Strada,” Fellini Coffee’s multiple locations have become New York’s hippest coffee shops, with a heavy TikTok presence.
“It’s incredible how these platforms connect us to a wider community and allow us to share what we’re passionate about,” said owner Franco Noriega, a former Peruvian athlete and model who was previously behind Baby Brasa of the West Village.
He points to innovative drinks like the tiramisu latte and protein-ccino as a reason for their success.
“Posts and stories are a big part of the buzz.”
Multiple locations, www.fellinicoffee.com
7. L’Industrie, Williamsburg and West Village
It’s not enough that the crisp slices at L’Industrie were voted the best in the world by the prestigious Global Pizza Top 50 ranking; is also a TikTok obsession.
“People are traveling from all over the world to come try the pizza,” owner Massimo Laveglia told The Post.
Laveglia, who marvels that he doesn’t even have a social media team (“I’d rather spend the money on ingredients”) first noticed an uptick after temporarily closing his Williamsburg location for renovations in 2021.
“When we reopened, there was a line out the door,” he recalls. “I was like, this is crazy. We closed the pizzeria when we were good, and now people are fixed with us?”
However, virality does not mean smooth sailing. “Having to put out food for a thousand people a day with our kitchen is not so easy.”
Multiple locations, www.lindustriebk.com
8. Ariston Coffee Bar, Union Square
“It’s so gorgeous out there,” says TikToker Kari Dowiak from Ariston Coffee Bar in plant-filled Union Square. It is a perfect cafe and flower shop, full of flowers and java.
“It’s an immersive experience and a great place to meet up with friends or have a coffee date,” says Dowiak, who runs a popular influencer account in addition to her eyewear brand, Memori.
When she first posted her video, which garnered 100,000 likes and over 600,000 views, Dowiak noticed that few TikTokers had highlighted it before her.
“It made me even more excited to post about it because I thought it deserved more attention than that.”
78 5th Ave.; (212) 929-4226, aristonflowers.com
9. This bowl, Noho
What fork?
“I never thought I’d see the day when New Yorkers would wait in line for hours for a bowl of salad,” noted Carboholic’s Brotman in her video of the fast-casual spot Noho Thisbowl. “But here we are, and honestly I kind of get it.”
With over 45 locations across its native Australia like Fish Bowl, the outfit recently opened its first New York location to viral fame, including an appearance on Carboholic.
Fans rave about her healthy menu, which features fresh produce and heavy protein.
65 Bleecker St.; thisbowl.com
10. Lil Sweet Treat, West Village
Hey, honey.
Open for less than a month, Lil Sweet Treat’s colorful Swedish treats have already turned it into a TikTok favorite.
Perhaps the subsequent online fandom shouldn’t be surprising: The lip shop is run by Elly Ross, the TikTok food purveyor aka @EllyBellyEats.
Ella Kahan, behind the @ChewYorkCity account, was one of the first to post about her tasty delights, with 125,000 likes.
“I think between the Swedish candy fashion paired with the prime West Village location and the cool brand, they hit the trifecta,” Kahan opined to The Post of the store’s path to virality.
184 7th Ave S .
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Image Source : nypost.com