Cristina Martinez

Coming Up

Before South Philly Barbacoa became the name most tied to Martinez, she had already worked inside the discipline of professional kitchens and the demands of food-related organizing. Early on, she worked as pastry chef at an Italian restaurant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. That role placed Martinez in the daily rhythm of a kitchen built on repetition, timing, and production. She also served as co-founder at the #Right2Work dinner series, extending her work beyond service into a public conversation about food, labor, and belonging. That path led to South Philly Barbacoa, where Martinez has served as chef and owner since 2015. She later became co-owner of El Compadre, and her role as an immigration activist added another layer to her public presence. Across those roles, Martinez has stayed close to the same subject: food as sustenance, food as memory, and food as a way to keep a family table in view across distance.

Where They Are Now

At South Philly Barbacoa, the kitchen centers on a single preparation that Martinez names without excess: “The specialty of South Philly Barbacoa is marinated lamb.” That statement gives the work its frame. It points to a menu built around one disciplined core, where the craft depends on consistency and the ability of one dish to carry the identity of the place. Barbacoa functions for Martinez as more than a signature. It is a shared meal with social weight, tied to family gathering and inherited practice. She puts it this way: “Barbacoa, for me, is the place where all families come together to share the table with this exquisite dish, which is barbacoa.” At South Philly Barbacoa, that idea is translated into service through marinated lamb and barbacoa tacos that keep the dish recognizable while making it work in the room.

Signature

Cristina's signature dishes include signature barbacoa and lamb barbacoa tacos. Together, they articulate the heart of her culinary identity: a devotion to barbacoa in its most recognizable and resonant forms, and a confidence in letting the dish speak with its own depth.

In Their Words “Barbacoa, for me, is the place where all families come together to share the table with this exquisite dish, which is barbacoa.” “The specialty of South Philly Barbacoa is marinated lamb.”