Righteous Eats highlights New York City restaurants that embody the American Dream
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- This week's Neighborhood Eats takes a flavor tour with two people who know New York City pretty well.
We're talking about the two guys behind the social media sensation that is Righteous Eats.
So how did two guys living on opposite sides of the country, with no culinary background, become a megaphone for some of the best restaurants in New York City that you'd never heard of?
Jaeki Cho and Brian Lee are the brains, and appetites, behind Righteous Eats. They're on a mission to showcase the heart and soul of the city's diverse food scene, the people behind the plates, their stories of resilience, and the American Dream.
"So Righteous Eats started during the pandemic. I was having fun on TikTok, making a lot of videos about cooking, and then I soon realized that a lot of mom-and-pop restaurants throughout New York City, it was there at a time when reports were saying that one out of three restaurants in New York was going to close permanently. So, I figured now that I have a bit of a following on social media, what if I could utilize this as a platform to highlight local mom-and-pop businesses," Cho said.
"You could catch someone a fish and they'll eat for a day. But if you can actually teach them how to fish, they'll eat for a lifetime. And that's really what our mission is," Lee said.
There are a few that stand out as the duo's favorites.
"I think one of the stories that stood out to me was where we're going to check in today, the Barzola family. They're a well-known name in Queens and beyond for serving some incredible Ecuadorian cuisine. And it's a family business, a legacy business that started in the basement of a Brooklyn apartment when a father wanted to host his cab driver friends and a mother was in the kitchen. Classic immigrant story. And I think this is an incredible story that I want to shed more light to," Cho said.
It means a lot to the businesses they feature.
"I mean, it's incredible. Ever since we had Righteous Eats come to eat, I've seen a lot of different faces," said Rene Barzola, of Barzola's.
"We usually get community recommendations so when a restaurant hits us up somebody from their corporate public relations side says, hey we'll give you a voucher to come in and try our food, 99 out of 100 times we'll say no," Cho said. "We like to have some sort of a system where members of our community and people that can't buy attention can help receive the attention."
"This is by the community, fueled by the community, and you're giving back to that same community that's putting you on a bigger platform," said Eyewitness News Reporter Joelle Garguilo.
"Yeah, and we get to do it while we try some delicious food," Cho said.
Another favorite is Burmese Bites in the Queens Center Mall.
"Just the American dream! He started with an idea of showcasing his food, his cuisine, his culture with the greater folks of this city and he started very modestly with just a food cart and now he has a storefront in one of the biggest malls in Queens," Lee said.
"It was quite phenomenal. I don't know about eating, but he is righteous though," said Myo Lin Thway, of Burmese Bites.
"Our mission is highlighting the stories of everyday heroes and restaurants define the cultural fabric of communities, so please support your local eateries," Cho said.
ALSO READ: Neighborhood Eats: See No Evil Pizza, a subway stop pizza shop, tantalizes taste buds
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