A new Puerto Rican barbecue restaurant that has been in development for two years is nearing completion on Easy Street in Ocala, next to at least six other restaurants that have opened along the roadway since July 2023.
Signs are up at the new Martin’s BBQ, which is located at 2601 SW 19th Avenue Road. The new building replaces The Gathering Cafe, which moved to downtown. The old building was demolished in late 2023 to make way for the new Martin’s BBQ.
Founded in 1962 in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, the restaurant chain specializes in “asado, juicy, tasty” rotisserie chicken. Led by Héctor Raúl Rosado Velázquez, the company says its mission is to offer fresh food that provides a “connection to the roots and the flavors we love.”
While the “About Us” section on the company’s website previously projected an opening “by 2024,” a specific official opening date for the new Ocala location has not yet been announced.
When it opens, the Ocala location will be only the third in Florida, joining existing restaurants in Kissimmee and Tampa.
The menu at Martin’s BBQ focuses on authentic Puerto Rican cuisine and traditional “wand ribs.”
Diners can expect a variety of more than 15 typical accompaniments, including arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), maduros (sweet plantains), yuca (cassava), and mofongo (mashed plantains).
Martin’s BBQ is the latest addition to a rapidly changing culinary corridor along Ocala’s Easy Street (SW 19th Avenue Road).
Chicken Guy!, Samurai Hibachi & Ramen, Todd and Shelly’s Pub, K-Pot Korean BBQ and Hot Pot, Kluck Chicken, and Big Lee’s BBQ have all opened new restaurants along the road in the past three years…