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El Compadre reopens after death of its chef and founder

The South Philadelphia Mexican eatery is starting this weekend with dinner hours.

El Compadre - the South Philadelphia Mexican restaurant whose 23-year-old owner, Isaías Berriozabal-Martinez, died unexpectedly Jan. 11 - will reopen Friday, Jan. 20.

Ben Miller, his stepfather and the co-owner of South Philly Barbacoa with Cristina Martinez, said the restaurant would serve dinner Friday through Sunday, Jan. 22 with a menu of carnitas tacos, chorizo tacos, chicken tinga, and burritos.

The restaurant will resume with its signature tortas Tuesday, Jan. 24. Regular hours will be 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. Usual weekend hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday with tacos and burritos.

Balfre Montero will make the tacos on the weekends. Lesly Lopez (the cook) and Vicky Hernandez (the baker) will run the shop during the week.

The city Medical Examiner's Office said Thursday that autopsy results were pending. Miller said Berriozabal-Martinez died of heart failure.