AUSTIN (KXAN) — Cisco’s Restaurant Bakery & Bar has been a cultural beacon for nearly 75 years. The restaurant is the oldest Tex-Mex restaurant in east Austin and has had a role in shaping the Hispanic community.
Rudy Cisneros opened the restaurant in 1950. Today, his grandson Matthew Cisneros manages the restaurant since purchasing it in 2017. He spoke about the role his grandfather played in making Cisco’s what it is today.
“The legacy starts with my grandfather. I think that this place would not be what it was or what it is without him,” Cisneros said. “I think that [the] legacy was kind of developed upon his ability to kind of interact with anybody. And just since then, it’s generationally, just been a very kind of inclusive place for the city.”
Cisco’s was recognized in 2019 as a historic landmark by the Austin Historic Landmark Commission. Cisneros spoke about any pressure they feel to keep the legacy alive without the guidance of Rudy.
“We’re hitting 75 years next year, and our sole goal was to maintain what this has always been… I think we’ve got a great staff that manages day-to-day very well. We’ve got customers that are very, very into the idea of Cisco’s living forever. And our sole job here is to just ensure that we keep everyone happy. Serve great food, great customer service and the rest kind of follows,” Cisneros said.
The Tex-Mex restaurant in July 2024 received a $50,000 grant from the National Trust of Historic Preservation and American Express. Cisneros spoke on what that meant for the future upkeep of the restaurant.
“So for us, it means utilizing that money is really important, because we’ve got a building that’s rather old. We have amazing murals on both sides of the building that need touch-ups or just updating. Our full plan here is to maintain the building, keep the structure intact, and to keep Cisco’s as, you know, cool, vibey, and historic feeling as possible,” Cisneros said.
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Cisco’s Restaurant Bakery & Bar on East Sixth Street in Austin (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) -
Cisco’s Restaurant Bakery & Bar on East Sixth Street in Austin (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) -
Cisco’s Restaurant Bakery & Bar on East Sixth Street in Austin (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) -
Cisco’s Restaurant Bakery & Bar on East Sixth Street in Austin (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) -
Cisco’s Restaurant Bakery & Bar on East Sixth Street in Austin (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) -
Cisco’s Restaurant Bakery & Bar on East Sixth Street in Austin (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey)
Cisneros spoke on how Cisco’s has helped cultures integrate in east Austin, and no matter your background you are welcomed at the restaurant.
“It allowed cultures to [integrate], to be inclusive of all types of life, whether you’re Hispanic, White [or] Black. So I think our kind of onus is to keep celebrating what this restaurant started as, which was kind of a tent pole in east Austin that invited everybody to a historically more Hispanic part of town,” Cisneros said.
Cisco’s said it was proud to be a Latino-owned restaurant, and the pride exudes beyond its walls.
“We’ve been able to garner such attention across the whole city and have people come into this space and realize that Rudy Cisneros started this in 1950. He was a man who was friends with everybody, he was proud of the culture that existed around this restaurant and east Austin,” Cisneros said.
The restaurant next year will be celebrating its 75th anniversary and is proud to still be in business while also embracing its Hispanic roots.
“Check out Cisco’s, come see why this place is still here, and what’s been being built for 75-plus years. And just what east Austin means to Austin as a whole,” Cisneros said.