MB Foodhouse, which was featured in the latest edition of “American Tacos: A History and Guide,” opened in Phoenix in 2023. Martinez initially brought her taquitos, breakfast tacos and more to local breweries and bars via her food trailer. She then moved the concept into Tempe’s Yucca Tap Room, taking over the music venue’s kitchen as Moodie Blacks and leaning into bar snacks such as smash burgers, hot chicken tortas and mac and cheese bites.
Her latest stop is at Cartel. Martinez’s partnership with a coffee shop is a return to MB Foodhouse’s roots. It started by slinging breakfast tacos as a pop-up at Five Watt Coffee in Minneapolis. In Phoenix, she jumped at the opportunity to partner with her favorite local coffee shop, which she visits daily for cold brew.
“It’s what I wanted to do since I (got) here,” Martinez says. “My original concept was always focus(ed) on breakfast tacos and breakfast taco culture.”
She’ll bring those tacos, served on housemade tortillas, to the Coronado Cartel on Thursdays through Sundays. The cafe is located on Seventh Street and Monte Vista Road in central Phoenix.
MB Foodhouse’s opening menu includes MB the Cartel – a refried bean, bacon and cheese taco served with salsa verde and an optional fried egg – and a house chorizo, egg, potato and cheese taco. Martinez is also putting an emphasis on vegan options, bringing back her fried cauliflower Vegan Death Taco and adding options, such as a soyrizo and potato taco and a vegan biscuit.
MB Foodhouse's Vegan Death taco is packed with fried cauliflower and guacamole, topped with salsa macha, fried Brussels sprouts, garlic chips, slaw and a Hatch chile-dusted quinoa crumble.
Sara Crocker
“We think the Coronado neighborhood is perfect for those kind of weekend specials,” she says.
Martinez also anticipates hosting evening pop-up dinners at the Coronado coffee shop and elsewhere. And the chef hasn’t slowed down with her music either. The noise rap artist will debut a new EP at Queen B Vinyl Cafe in Cottonwood on Jan. 10. In the New Year, she also plans to begin selling her tortillas to other restaurants and working with Cartel to grow their partnership.
Through it all, Martinez hopes to challenge people’s perceptions about Tex-Mex.
“Tex-Mex can be elevated," she says. “It’s a viable, serious food option. We want to be a part of destroying those stereotypes a bit with food – same thing we did with music.”
