July 07, 2020

Alma Del Mar, restaurant featured on 'Queer Eye,' opens in Italian Market

Outdoor dining and takeout options available

By Allie Miller
PhillyVoice Staff

Screenshot/Netflix

Alma Del Mar opened Tuesday, July 7 in South Philly. The restaurant's owner, Marcos Tlacopilco, was featured on the Netflix show 'Queer Eye.'

Alma Del Mar gained the attention of the Philadelphia food scene when its owner was featured on the most recent season of the Netflix show "Queer Eye."

The Fab Five helped Marcos Tlacopilco design a new restaurant – and redesign himself – in the "Father Knows Fish" episode of Season Five. Now, the restaurant is officially open in the Italian Market.

Alma Del Mar, named for Tlacopilco's wife Alma Romero, held its grand opening Tuesday morning at 1007 S. Ninth Street, with a fairly large crowd reportedly in attendance.

The restaurant's menu will feature Mexican and American offerings, often with an emphasis on seafood, Tlacopilco's speciality. His famous crab and corn chowder, which he perfected on "Queer Eye" with the Fab Five's Antoni Porowski, also is available.

Additional menu items include a lobster Benedict, mango salad, salmon burger and molettes, according to Eater Philly.

For now, the restaurant is only open for outdoor dining and takeout due to COVID-19 restrictions in Philadelphia.

Tlacopilco, originally from Puebla, Mexico, also owns Marco's Fish and Crab House, located on the same block of the Italian Market.

Alma Del Mar is notably decorated with a mural featuring the cast of Queer Eye. It includes the saying "A todo lo que hagas ponle el corazon," a phrase often used by Tlacopilco, which roughly means "put your heart into everything you do."

The restaurant has been described as a family affair, as Alma and their kids participate in the business. The family posed next to the mural for opening day.