By Sara Atencio-Gonzales, The Paper — For Chef Marie Yniguez, the title itself does not quite fit.
“You know, people consider me a chef. I’m just a good-ass glorified line cook,” says Yniguez.
But in Albuquerque, Yniguez has become something more than that. Through her food, her businesses and her presence in the community, she has built a reputation rooted in memory, family and a distinctly New Mexican way of feeding people.
Yniguez’s journey began not with a grand vision, but with recognition.
“I guess when people started recognizing what I did and when I got to open my own place, when they see you and they understand why you made it that way,” says Yniguez. “Especially when they started tasting my concept and I started changing the traditional into my version, a New Mexican version.”
That moment came during the early days of Bocadillos, the sandwich shop that introduced many Albuquerque locals to Yniguez’s signature style. Familiar dishes like Reubens and Philly cheesesteaks were reimagined through a New Mexican lens, blending tradition with innovation in a way that felt both new and deeply rooted.
Still, Yniguez resists putting a label on what she makes. “I make home food,” says Yniguez. “You open up the fridge and you have what you have in the fridge. And that’s the way I grew up.”
Her food is not about exclusivity. It is about comfort, repetition and memory. “I want people to come here two or three times a week for that same burrito or that same sandwich,” says Yniguez “I want to make you comfortable. I want to make you nostalgic.”
That sense of nostalgia is tied directly to her family, particularly the women who taught her how to cook. “I carry all their traditions into my food – my grandma’s and my aunts’ and my mom’s, my sisters. They all taught me how to cook,” says Yniguez. “And I try to make them proud in that way.”
Even now, her family remains part of her work. They show up, help out and stay connected to the kitchen that reflects their shared history. “No matter what, they’ll never let me down,” says Yniguez.
While her cooking draws from tradition, Yniguez is also intentional about representing New Mexico beyond its borders. Being selected to showcase her food on a national stage, making appearances on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and Chopped, was not just a personal milestone, but a point of pride.
“For me to get picked that’s a total win, and to go and show my food and say, ‘Hey, my grandma taught me how to make this’. That’s New Mexico all day,” says Yniguez.
Yniguez’s pride in her home state is clear and unwavering. “Talk shit about everything else you want to, bro. But when it comes to food, this is what we do,” says Yniguez.
Like many women in the culinary industry, Yniguez has had to navigate spaces where she was underestimated. But for her, the challenge was never about proving people wrong in words, but in work.
“I think it’s only a challenge if you make it a challenge,” says Yniguez. “If you go in the kitchen and you get along with everybody, and you prove to everybody that you work just as hard as they do. That’s what earns you respect in the kitchen.”
That mindset carried her into business ownership, where the challenges shifted from the kitchen to the weight of running something of her own. “It’s hard. This business it’ll take you through the ringer in so many different ways,” says Yniguez. “You miss out on a lot of birthdays. You miss out on a lot of events. It’s always work.”
And yet, Yniguez would not trade it.
“It’s been a beautiful thing, and honestly, I wouldn’t change it for the world,” says Yniguez.
At her current concepts, including her food truck, SRB Sangwiches and My Moms restaurant, Yniguez continues to push what comfort food can be. A simple sandwich becomes something layered, intentional, and surprising.
“If you get a hot ham and cheese, you’re expecting just a hot ham and cheese, but it’s not. It’s a whole different experience,” says Yniguez. “I want you to taste everything in one bite.”
That philosophy extends beyond her menu. It shapes how she sees her role in Albuquerque’s food scene. “Support local, man. Support local,” says Yniguez. “Go to somebody’s restaurant at least twice a week. Try something new. Give people a chance.”
For Yniguez, food is not just about what is on the plate. It is about who made it, where it comes from, and the community it builds.
And in Albuquerque, that community continues to show up for her, just as she has always shown up for it.
For those looking to experience Yniguez’s food firsthand, her brick-and-mortar restaurant My Moms is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. (500 4th St NW #106), serving breakfast and lunch rooted in the same comforting, nostalgic flavors she describes. Her food truck, SRB Sangwiches, is set up at Marble Brewery downtown (111 Marble Ave NW), where she serves her signature slow-roasted sandwiches and burritos, with hours that vary by day and are often updated on social media.