Cristina Martinez Closes One of Her Restaurants

South Philly Barbacoa’s Cristina Martinez has closed El Compadre, the Italian Market torta shop she ran with her husband, Ben Miller. Martinez and Miller took over El Compadre in early 2017 after Isaías Berriozabal-Martinez, the owner and Martinez’s son, died unexpectedly. The couple will continue to run their wildly popular South Philly Barbacoa, which recently relocated and has diners lining up outside for lamb tacos and consommé, especially after Martinez and Miller were featured on Netflix’s Ugly Delicious and Chef’s Table.

Martinez and Miller are also immigrant rights’ activists.

The couple started South Philly Barbacoa as a food cart before turning it into a brick-and-mortar operation. They helped Berriozabal-Martinez open El Compadre at 1149 S. 9th Street in 2016, and moved South Philly Barbacoa into the El Compadre space when they took over the latter, operating the two restaurants together.

This past spring, they revealed they were looking for a bigger space. At the end of the summer, South Philly Barbacoa moved just up the street, to the corner spot at 1140 S. 9th Street. The casual Mexican eatery is open Saturday and Sunday from 5 a.m. until sell out (usually in the afternoon) and Monday from 7 a.m. until sell out.

Philly Mag reports El Compadre will become 1149, a cooperatively owned restaurant that will house catering company Food Everyone Deserves and Fikira Bakery.

El Compadre / Facebook

• South Philly Barbacoa Gets Back into the Torta Game With a New Sister Restaurant
• South Philly Barbacoa Is Closing, Moving to the Italian Market
• South Philly Barbacoa Has a New Home in the Italian Market
• El Compadre Has Closed, Will Become a Cooperative Restaurant [Philly Mag]
• ‘Chef’s Table’ Recap: Cristina Martinez Makes Taco Magic at South Philly Barbacoa