‘Dream come true’: Chef Marie Yniguez brings beloved Bocadillos back as food truck at Marble Brewery

Chef Marie Yniguez remembers the lines of people waiting to order her renowned sandwiches at Bocadillos like it was yesterday.

“It made me feel so good that people trusted me enough to come try my food,” Yniguez said.

Three years after the closure of the Downtown staple, Yniguez is finding renewed joy in bringing the business back as a food truck that will be permanently stationed at Marble Brewery’s Downtown taproom at 111 Marble NW.

Yniguez has dubbed the new iteration SRB Sangwich Shop, in honor of the former business’ full name — Slow Roasted Bocadillos — and a slang variation of the word “sandwich” common in Italian and Latino communities, including New Mexico. The food truck officially opened last week.

“To get a second chance is a dream come true because not many of us have it,” Yniguez said. “It was a second chance to bring back something that I loved, that I worked so hard on for so many years. I sacrificed everything for it.”

Yniguez started the first iteration of the business alongside her wife, Karla Arvizu, in 2009, operating at different brick-and-mortar spots around Albuquerque before eventually landing on the first floor of the Wells Fargo building at 200 Lomas NW. The business became a local favorite known for selling large bocadillos, or Spanish sandwiches, with bold flavor.

Yniguez’s cooking journey started as a child growing up in a family with three siblings and two working parents. She learned to cook out of necessity but quickly discovered she had a knack and a talent for it.

“It’s like an adrenaline rush when you finish a line full of tickets, and I just loved it,” Yniguez said.

Cooking also allowed Yniguez to connect with and learn about other people’s cultures.

“Food brings people together,” she said. “It doesn’t matter who you are, where you are from.”

Multiple business ventures were born as a result of Yniguez’s passion, including My Moms, a New Mexican restaurant that opened in Downtown in 2022, and Smokin’ Fred’s ’46, a mobile smokehouse Yniguez brought to events for a few years.

Yniguez’s culinary journey is also marked by several accomplishments, including making appearances on the Food Network and being named a James Beard Foundation semifinalist for Best Chef Southwest.

Despite its success, Bocadillos closed in 2022 as a result of rising meat prices and people not returning to the office after COVID, Yniguez said.

“Downtown went dark, and it was too hard for me to recover,” Yniguez said, calling the closure “the hardest breakup of my life.”

Yniguez didn’t think reopening the business was in the cards, but that changed when the new owners of Marble Brewery, Jarrett Babincsak and Bert Boyce, reached out to Yniguez earlier this year.

“We love Marie and Karla, and their team. They are special people,” Babincsak said. “Marie’s Albuquerque comfort food is the perfect addition to our Downtown taproom experience. ... Now people can come to Marble and also get world-class food from one of the best chefs in our city.”

The partnership creates a full circle moment for Yniguez, who said she remembers sitting inside Marble’s Downtown taproom when it first opened nearly two decades ago and imagining what it would be like to open her business there.

“I think we’re two good community names and we’re trying to bring our community together,” Yniguez said. “We’re going to lose everything if we don’t stick together. I think that’s what Marble’s about and that’s what I’m about.”

The community welcomed Yniguez and her food back with enthusiasm, she said, adding the truck nearly sold out last weekend and has stayed busy since.

SRB Sangwich Shop will feature many familiar favorites from the Bocadillos menu, including the TNA, Duke City Reuben and 505 Philly. Some new items are also being introduced, including roasted carne adovada nachos, meat-smothered skinny fries, wings, chicharrones and a Monte Cristo sandwich.

Many people tell Yniguez they never got the chance to try her food at Bocadillos because it was only open for breakfast and lunch, so she’s hoping SRB Sangwich Shop’s afternoon and evening hours will accommodate more people.

“I just hope it brings people together,” Yniguez said. “I hope it brings people happiness.”