Cisco's Restaurant Bakery & Bar

This article is based on an abbreviated copy of the historical marker application written by Catalina Cherñavvsky Sequeira, Preservation Austin intern

Cisco's Restaurant & Bakery

Founding of Cisco’s

J. B. Pierce & Bro. built this two-story brick commercial building for its butcher and meat market in 1914. While modest, it anchors the southwest corner of East 6th and Comal Streets and is of substantial construction and design relative to other historic-age buildings along the East 6th Street corridor. It has a flat roof and shaped parapet with simple brick pattern work on the main facade. Two raised brick digits, “9” and “4,” once read “1914” and remain centered on the parapet overlooking East 6th Street.⁶

In the 1930s, J.B. Pierce and Bro. sold the business, at which point it became the Austin Packing Company.⁷ Afterwards, the building was purchased by Rudy Cisneros’s father and served as a bakery beginning in the 1930s. In 1950 Rudy Cisneros took over the space and transformed it into the legendary diner that exists today.⁸  The main facade looks much as it did during Cisco’s heyday. This includes a plate-glass storefront framed by stuccoed, triple-arched canopy and mosaic tilework, all of which date to 1963. The two second-story windows on the main facade were enclosed at that time as well.⁹

In 1950, Rudy Cisneros opened Cisco’s Restaurant—an abbreviation of “Cisneros & Company”—turning his father’s bakery into a restaurant. It very quickly became a go-to spot for important politicians such as Lyndon B. Johnson and Bob Bullock, who were two of the many regulars who sat in the intimate back room of the restaurant, the place where Cisneros seated all of his regular customers. Nicknamed the “Mayor of East Austin,” Rudy “Cisco” Cisneros was very involved with the East Austin community. He hosted countless fundraisers and events for the community and for politicians. As an Austin Statesman article featuring the restaurant wrote: “it’s a fun and colorful Aulde Austin institution with a sign in a back room that says, “Cisco's Marriage License Dept.” on one wall and photos of Walter Cronkite, Bob Bullock and “Gunsmoke's” Miss Kitty, a fixture in there in the '80s with her hubby, Mark Spaeth, an Austin City Council member at the time.”¹⁰ Cisco’s walls are covered with portraits of customers including Congressman Jake Pickle, Governor Bill Clements, and Governor John Connally, and Mayor Lester Palmer.¹¹ Other celebrities and notable figures are featured in the many pictures on the wall, including Desmond Tutu, George W. Bush, Kevin Costner, Ann Richard, and Willem Dafoe.¹²

Political Activity

Cisneros’ political activism went beyond prominent political customers and hosting charity events. He made his restaurant a political hub when he saw a need for it in his neighborhood. His nickname as the “mayor of East Austin” came from his role as a community leader. It was well-known that if a politician wanted to garner the vote of the people of East Austin, they should come to Cisco’s and seek Cisneros’ support.¹³ Many people were swayed in local elections based on the names they saw on the signs posted up in front of Cisco’s Restaurant before each election cycle. People trusted that Cisneros had vetted these politicians and deemed they would have the community’s best interests in mind, which is what made his restaurant and Cisneros’ own role as a community leader so essential.

There are several notable events that took place at Cisco’s and reveal what an important role the site played for the political activity of Austin at large. In the 1960s, Governor John Connally used Cisco’s as his eastside political campaign headquarters.¹⁴ Cisco’s hosted Bergstrom Air Force appreciation breakfasts, an organization that Cisneros was quite involved in and of which he was a strong supporter, as well as events for the Lions Club.¹⁵ In May 1963, Cisneros hosted a breakfast honoring Senator Charles F. Herring and Travis County’s four state representatives.¹⁶ Cisneros was generous with his time, money, and food for any cause that he believed in. His good humor and charisma made him enjoyable to work with and were also what made him such a successful community leader.¹⁷

Changing Ownership

      Cisneros passed away in 1995. Upon his passing, his son, Clovis, inherited the restaurant.  Clovis maintained Cisco’s for four decades, having already worked there for most of his life when his father was the owner.¹⁸ In 2010, Clovis put the restaurant up for sale. He was unsuccessful in selling it and put it back on the market a few years later. In 2017 after a year of being up for sale, the restaurant was purchased by a group of Austinites including Matt Cisneros, Rudy Cisneros’ grandson, Will Bridges, co-owner and operator of several Austin restaurants and bars, Rick McMinn, co-owner of Hoffbrau Steakhouse and a general contractor, and Bryan Schneider, a business and real estate investor.¹⁹ The new owners promised to keep the restaurant mainly the same as it had existed under its original ownership, particularly staying true to the menu which included city-wide famous huevos rancheros, migas, and homemade biscuits. However, to keep up with the times and stay in business, they made a few changes to the East Austin institution. They added a liquor license and expanded hours to include dinner service. While updating the restaurant to keep it in tune with modern-day demands, the current owners have preserved the authentic, welcoming nature of Cisco’s along with its beloved menu items. 

Conclusion

Rudy Cisneros was an outspoken and well-known individual in East Austin. He not only created a restaurant that served iconic Tex-Mex food, he also formed political and social hubs that had great influence on the city of Austin, and gave a voice to the Mexican American residents of East Austin whose opinions were too often cast aside when it came to political activity and development in that part of the city.²⁰ In 2019, Cisco’s Restaurant gained historic landmark status, guaranteeing that the building and its legacy would be preserved for many years to come.²¹

Footnotes

6. Derrington, Lindsey. 2016. “Narrative.” Preservation Austin. March 8, 2016.

7. “Display Ad 10 -- No Title”, The Austin American (1914-1973); Apr 5, 1936; ProQuest; see also

8. Derrington, Lindsey. 2016. “Narrative.” Preservation Austin. March 8, 2016.

9. Ogee Preservation, LLC. 2019. “Zoning Change Review Sheet.” Austintexas.Gov. January 28, 2019. https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=313860.

10. Kelso, John. 2012. “Cisco’s Owner Tired of Messing with Enchiladas 90 Hours a Week.” Austin American Statesman, September 20, 2012. https://www.statesman.com/story/news/local/2012/09/20/ciscos-owner-tired-of-messing-with-enchiladas-90-hours-a-week/9954214007/.

11. ibid; see also “Cisneros Honored”, The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Feb 27, 1971; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Austin American Statesman, pg. A6; see also “LBJ Message Lauds City's Mayor Palmer”, The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Sep 10, 1965; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Austin American Statesman, pg. 37; see also “President Hails Mayor”, The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Sep 11, 1965; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Austin American Statesman, pg. 3; see also “Breakfast Set For Pickle”, The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Oct 6, 1964; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Austin American Statesman, pg. A3

12. Cowart, Holly. 2018. “Cisco’s Restaurant & Bakery Welcomes Third Generation Owner, Matt Cisneros.” Tribeza. May 28, 2018. https://tribeza.com/ciscos-next-in-line/.

13. Kelso, John. 2012. “Cisco’s Owner Tired of Messing with Enchiladas 90 Hours a Week.” Austin American Statesman, September 20, 2012. https://www.statesman.com/story/news/local/2012/09/20/ciscos-owner-tired-of-messing-with-enchiladas-90-hours-a-week/9954214007/.

14. Read, Julian. 2010. “Austin’s Cisco’s Bakery Has Long Political History.” Texas “Off The Record.” March 5, 2010. https://texasofftherecord.com/2010/03/05/austins-ciscos-bakery-has-long-political-history/.

15. “Cisneros Plans Fete For BAFB”, The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Apr 19, 1966; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Austin American Statesman, pg. 15; see also “Bergstrom--We're Glad To Have You: Faces In the Crowd At Cisco's Breakfast”, The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Apr 27, 1966; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Austin American Statesman, pg. A32

16. “Breakfast Set To Laud Solons”, The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); May 28, 1963; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Austin American Statesman, pg. 21

17. “Rudy Cisneros leaves Austin richer for having known him”, Austin American-Statesman (TX) (Published as Austin American-Statesman) - August 8, 1995, Page: A8

18. Kelso, John. 2012. “Cisco’s Owner Tired of Messing with Enchiladas 90 Hours a Week.” Austin American Statesman, September 20, 2012. https://www.statesman.com/story/news/local/2012/09/20/ciscos-owner-tired-of-messing-with-enchiladas-90-hours-a-week/9954214007/.

19. Chaudhury, Nadia. 2017. “Classic Tex-Mex Spot Cisco’s Has New Owners.” Eater Austin. August 21, 2017. https://austin.eater.com/2017/8/21/16178616/ciscos-new-owners.

20. Barnes, Michael. 2015. “A Culture Conversation: Gauging Hispanic Influence on Austin’s Scene.” Austin American Statesman, August 29, 2015. https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2015/08/29/a-culture-conversation-gauging-hispanic-influence-on-austins-scene/10092670007/.

21. Jechow, Andy. 2019. “Piece of Old East Austin Preserved as Cisco’s Restaurant Gets Historic Landmark Designation.” KUT Radio, Austin’s NPR Station. January 29, 2019. https://www.kut.org/austin/2019-01-29/piece-of-old-east-austin-preserved-as-ciscos-restaurant-gets-historic-landmark-designation.