The viral ‘bacon, egg, and cheese’ meme, explained

There’s a new and delicious viral TikTok meme on the block, and it’s making everyone hungry while also asking the question, “How you know I’m Dominican?” Utilizing the song “Bacon, Egg N Cheese” created by Dominican-American rapper Wavyrioo, the bacon, egg, and cheese meme showcases different people, animals and pictures dancing or moving to the rhythm of the song.

Popularized by the “how you know I’m Dominican,” or “How you know I was Dominican” TikTok trend (highlighting humorous and primarily male Dominican-American stereotypes), this meme celebrates the catchiness of the song while also incorporating and commenting on Dominican-American stereotypes, including enjoying meringue beats, tight clothing, and—of course—the enjoyment of a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich.

@blitzhiscat #baconeggandcheese #dominican ♬ original sound – Wavy Rioo

Where did the bacon, egg, and cheese meme come from?

In 2022, the song “Bacon, Egg N Cheese” by Wavyrioo was released online. It featured other New York-based rappers including D-Dotty and DellyDell, and espoused the joys of buying, eating, and celebrating a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich from a local bodega.

While mostly performed in Spanish, the chorus energetically and repetitively lists the ingredients of a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich (bacon, egg, and cheese) and alludes to this food being integral to the rapper’s identity.

While the song itself didn’t go viral, because of it’s Dominican-American authorship and celebration of one element of Dominican-American culture (a love of neighborhood sandwiches, especially bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches), it became the soundtrack to a different TikTok trend, called “how you know I’m Dominican?” Which began around 2022 and 2023, but gained traction in early 2025.

This trend—which primarily makes fun of the wardrobe and styling habits of Dominican-American men, started using the song “Bacon, Egg N Cheese” to further emphasize the culture that it is satirizing.

@.an1tt #baconeggandcheese #fyp #dominican ♬ original sound – Wavy Rioo

Because of the song’s exposure to TikTok audiences by way of the “how you know I’m Dominican?” trend, the song itself became the focal point of a new crop of videos in March 2025, the bacon, egg, and cheese meme.

@adrian_pena4 #fyp #bacon #egg #cheese ♬ Bacon egg n cheese – 🤦‍♂️

What does the bacon, egg, and cheese meme mean?

In essence, the meme is a playful celebration of the song, an actual bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich and/or Dominican-American culture. It can also be used to further satirize elements of Dominican-American culture, including its “how you know I’m Dominican?” predecessor, or to perpetuate common meme themes, including cute animals dancing, people dancing, and a love of consuming food.

Why does Fanum appear in so many of the bacon, egg, and cheese memes?

Fanum, a Dominican-American streamer and content creator, began being incorporated into the meme because of his playful personality and Dominican-American heritage, in addition to a 2024 GQ video where he talked about his favorite things, including a classic bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich.

“To New Yorkers, sandwiches are just a way of life.” Fanum asserted. “And for some reason y’all don’t want to accept it.”

In a video posted March 3, 2025, by TikTok account @Celo.Clips, Fanum acknowledged his inclusion in the bacon, egg, and cheese meme trend, and laughing, asked, “why they always put me though?”

Cultural Context

As the largest reported Hispanic group in New York City and its surrounding areas, Dominicans represent about 7.9% of the city’s population, with over 800,000 residents.

Because of this large Dominican presence in New York City, along with the meme’s ties to Dominican-American heritage, many New York institutions have embraced the meme and what it means, including the Brooklyn Nets, who humorously referenced the meme in a Feb. 26 video.

In a larger sense, the bacon, egg, and cheese meme humorously celebrates Dominican-American culture as a whole, offering a playful take on an often underrepresented or misunderstood culture, embraced by both the online Dominican-American community and TikTok at large.

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