For many birria fans, Martha’s Fusion Kitchen was this town’s OG. At the very least, Martha’s Fusion Kitchen was one of the first spots in Columbus that got people talking about birria – a Mexican dish in which comforting, soft-stewed meat and a flavorful consomé take center stage.
If Matha’s introduced us to the joys of birria, it also took the joy away. In 2022, it closed its doors for a little remodeling. The remodeling project was supposed to last a few weeks, but (cue the Gilligan’s Island theme) the weeks turned into months and the months turned into years and as more eateries hopped on the birria trend, Martha’s was all but forgotten.
But now it’s back.
Martha’s is back in its original location on Maize Road, yes, with spiffed-up digs decked out in a dramatic red theme with marbled tabletops and smooth wood floors. The polished space looks intentional, and Martha’s owns it in a figurative sense, being fully at-home. In a more literal sense, it evidently holds a 14-year lease plus and has a chunk of change invested in the structure.
But more importantly than all this, the birria is back.
Start the conversation then with the original Birria Tacos ($14.99). An order yields the classic combination: lean soft beef and cheese encased in corn tortillas that have been given something of a french toast treatment. That is, they’re bathed in sauce and then griddled in a way that fortifies the shell with flavor. Finished with fresh onions and cilantro, there’s also the consomé: Home-spun, yet complex enough to generate persistent dunking and subsequent drinking. It would be shameful to waste it.
From there, there are other birria options on the menu. You could, for example, put it on fries and that offering involves sour cream as well. Alternately, the menu also has birria with noodles. Those are both likely how “fusion” becomes part of Martha’s moniker. But for more of a classic dish, there’s a Quesadilla Birria option that offers an opportunity to test-drive the house chicken birria. It comes in two sizes (10 and 12), but go big because the larger one involves a spiral of guacamole. And while the chicken might not compete with the beef in terms of comfort, the value of a good guacamole cannot be overstated ($16.99).
Beyond the birria, there is a fully developed menu that rolls from traditional appetizers (chips ‘n dips) and extends into traditional taco, enchilada and torta territory. In a classic tradition, guests can start the meal with something on the lines of a serviceable Chips and Salsa ($3.99). Based on social media comments, the kitchen is still navigating the right salt balance in the chip department. We’re always going to be team MORE SALT, because it pairs with the tomatoey zip of the salsa so nicely.
For more of a variety platter, the menu offers three different tacos for $12, and the filling options include chicken, asada, pastor, carnitas or chorizo (there are seafood options too, with a little up-charge). Of the meats tried, pastor was the favorite in terms of quality and flavor, but all of them were tasty.
There’s a bar waiting for a liquor license. For now, there’s plenty of Pepsi and Jarritos on the drink menu. You’ll find Martha’s, and its world of birria, open daily at 3331 Maize Rd. in North Linden.
For more information, visit marthasfusionkitchen.com.
All photos by Susan Post
