Dozens of savory breakfast burritos bundled in foil sat behind the bar at Durham’s Accordion Club. Former co-founder Talitha Benjamin had come in early that Sunday morning, as she did every weekend, carefully filling and folding each little bundle for a steadily growing crowd of regulars. Hatch Burritos began as a Sunday pop-up at the neighborhood spot, where it quickly grew a following thanks, in part, to the “New Mexican happy meal” special, a breakfast burrito paired with a small Pony Boy beer, a shot of tequila, and a chili back.

After selling her interest in the bar, Benjamin incorporated Hatch as her own entity in 2023. She began hosting events at many Durham staples, from Gocciolina to LocoPops, barely able to meet the demand and constantly selling out. “I popped up all over the place,” Benjamin says. “Anyone who would have me, I’d pop up.”

Once a pop-up business with a devout following, Hatch now has a brick-and-mortar location on N. Mangum Street. photograph by Sadie Maddock

What began as a dozen hot, foil-wrapped burritos had grown into a full-scale operation, and it was clear she needed to expand. After working through the logistics of finding a space, Benjamin settled on a refurbished fire extinguisher service building in downtown Durham.

Hatch opened its doors in November 2025 and with its sunny yellow brick facade, the vibrant storefront on N. Mangum Street is hard to miss. “It’s been a big project,” Benjamin says. “But it’s going really well, and I’m so lucky to be working with the people that I’m working with.”

As you approach the eatery, you’ll see paper bags ink-stamped with Hatch’s logo lining the front bay windows. They’re reminiscent of the burritos’ nomadic beginnings before customers could take a seat and enjoy them inside the brick-and-mortar. 

Any burrito can be smothered with Hatch Valley green chili, toasted in the oven, and garnished with sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo. “Smothered burritos are very New Mexican,” Benjamin says. “I think uniquely so. It goes back to the chili. Everyone wants as much of the chili as possible.”

Now with a permanent home for her restaurant, Benjamin has been able to expand the menu, adding lunch burritos and enchiladas to her usual lineup of signature breakfast wraps. Other Hatch favorites featuring the restaurant’s eponymous pepper include the roasted green chili stew and creamy pimento cheese — Benjamin’s one mash-up between Southern food and New Mexican cuisine. “Everything else is very basic, very traditional-style food,” she says.

Hatch’s crisp tostadas are generously piled with sliced avocado, over-easy eggs, toasted jalapeño and garlic oil, lime crema, and queso fresco. photograph by Sadie Maddock

Hatch Valley green chilies are grown exclusively in southern New Mexico and carry flavors that feel like home for Benjamin, who grew up in the state. After moving to North Carolina, she missed the tender, roasted pepper that suffused everyday cooking and culture out West.

“The green chilies are ubiquitous in New Mexico,” she says. “You can’t get around them at all. It’s something that New Mexican farmers protect, and they’ve secured them as a variety of chili that has to be grown in the Hatch Valley.” While heat levels vary, Hatch Valley green chilies are known for their slightly sweet, smoky flavor, best enjoyed tucked into a warm, satisfying morning wrap. For those cautious of spice, Benjamin notes, “the way the heat of the chili hits your mouth won’t make your eyes water.”

Years after Hatch’s original home at the Accordion Club closed, Sunday mornings nowadays see lines wrapped around the street corner as waves of early risers and brunch crowds fill Hatch’s bright, airy space. From Hatch’s early pop-up days to now opening a location of its own, its purpose and Benjamin’s passion have remained the same. “I want people to feel they can come as they are and get something quick, healthy, and tasty to go or to eat in,” she says. “It’s been a real privilege to be able to cook this food that I love for people.”

Hatch Burritos
723 N. Mangum St
Durham, NC, 27701
(984) 278-8548
hatchburritosnc.com