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Cristina Martinez Closes One of Her Restaurants

Food from the South Philly Barbacoa chef is now only available three days a week

El Compadre / Facebook

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.

The building at 1149 S. 9th Street was recently home to both El Compadre and South Philly Barbacoa
El Compadre / Facebook

El Compadre Hollywood

7408 Sunset Boulevard, , CA 90046 (323) 874-7924 Visit Website

South Philly Barbacoa

1140 South 9th Street, , PA 19147 (215) 694-3797 Visit Website