South Philly Barbacoa

I've been wanting to visit this place since I watched the inspiring story of Cristina Martinez on Chef's Table show.This place has a very warm and family like environment and you will see groups of families eating together. It reminded me of thanksgiving dinner or a family holiday gathering. Make sure to bring cash with you since they only accept cash. And of course we only had cards and believe it or not they said the lunch was on them since we had come all the way from California. This alone made me so emotional. Sweet sweet amazing staff. The food is very authentic and simple. If you happen to find yourself in Philadelphia make sure to visit this place!

I came in on Monday around 11:30am and it was not busy. The Barbacoa tacos, which they are known for, was good and the meat was very rich and well cooked. I just wasn't wowed.We also ordered the consume is paired with the tacos however, I kind it as soup, which was a mistake. I probably should've drizzled it on top of the tacos.

I wrote a review back in the day for their previous location, El Compadre, and rather then write a new one, I'll just borrow the first line of that review, since it is still applicable:THE BEST TACOS I'VE EVER HAD!!!

Pineapple Raisin Tamale is understated!Get Pineapple Raisin Tamale if it is offered. Get two! Get Three! It's pretty awesome and I am kicking myself for getting just one and having to share! Relative to the tacos I think these tamales may not get as much publicity but they are unique and fantastic!Of course the tacos are great as well. Of the two taco versions, Lamb and Pork, the Pork was my favorite. The lamb was slightly dry and maybe needed a little spice for my taste. If you have to get them to go because of lack of seating, don't wait too long to eat!If only their standard hours of business were better I'd be there more often.

Can't believe it took this long for me to finally visit South Philly Barbacoa but alas the day has come -- and my post-meal comment is that I can only wish for this day to repeat itself again and again and again.Location: Cardboard signs on the storefront directed us to Casa Mexico, which they are currently serving out of. Fairly spacious, homey-looking place with Valentine's Days streamers still hung up. Gets the job done while (what I assume are) renovations are ongoing.Service: Um total starstruck moment but Cristina Martinez herself welcomed us in & led us to our table later... we had watched her Chef's Table episode in preparation & it was cool to witness how engaged she is in her business. Order and pay at the front and fix up your tacos; the consome and juice were waiting for us at our table. Speaking of...Food: Barbacoa tacos: Wow, that barbacoa is no joke. I can't even be mad that it was $6 a pop bc the meat is so moist and flavorful, the homemade tortilla was perfectly corn-y, and all the fixings were complimentary. Cactus, onion, salsas, etc. Pickled veggies were delicious and spicy. Craving another taco as I write this.Consome: Very salty and nice to dip/drizzle on a taco. Not as nice to consume directly. I think I prefer some of the birria consomes I've had in the past that are more suitable to straight up drinking.Guanabana juice: Very refreshing but I personally didn't jive w the natural fruit's flavor.Next time I want to come w more people and order the kilo size of barbacoa. And also try the sweet tamales bc that looks amazing.

It's kinda closed. It merged with Casa Mexico next door and Casa Mexico is terrible. Went here for my birthday and it was a huge disappointment.

Really delicious and lives up to the hype. Tried the lamb barbacoa and pancita tacos, in addition to the consome and loved it all. Sweet tamales are also worth trying.

Food delicious, taste like the lady down the street in Mexico. Service is on point, they are very friendly and helpful. the ambience has improved, but I feel they've lost clientele after moving 2 stores down.

The chef, Cristina Martinez was named best chef in the Mid-Atlantic region at the 2022 James Beard Awards. The restaurant has been on my list ever since I've seen it on "Ugly Delicious." It was also featured on two other Netflix shows- "Chef's Table" and "Somebody Feed Phil."I went out of my way to come here. I was highly disappointed because they only serve tacos Saturday-Monday. On Tuesday-Thursday they have quesadillas, tlacoyo, and gorditas, but not with barbacoa. I went with the mushroom and roasted chile poblano quesadillas. The tortilla was interesting and I enjoyed the cheese, but overall they are not memorable. I wouldn't bother coming here unless you come on the right day.

I saw this place on tiktok and decided to stop by since I'd be in the area. I wanted to get the quesadillas de flor de calabaza, but the employee told me they were out of season (it's the end of November). I saw that they also raised their prices recently, so I guess I missed the mark on that too :( I went around 1:30 on a Sunday and was worried that they'd already be out of food, but there were plenty of people that came in after me still. The place was busy, but I didn't have to wait long to order and get my food. There was also still some seating left when I came too. You can pay either by cash or Venmo. I got a 1/2 kilo of the barbacoa and pancita to go. Everything is packaged really nicely and you get a decent amount of fixins. The barbacoa is tender and fatty, but lacking some flavor imo. The pancita is where the flavor is at and was a little smoky. The salsa is awesome and spicy. I love that the fixins included nopales (cactus), I've never been to a place that served that as a complimentary addition.