East Austin's Cisco's Restaurant Bakery & Bar wins historic eatery grant

East Austin's Cisco's Restaurant Bakery & Bar is one of dozens of eateries nationwide to receive grants aimed at historic, small restaurants.

The details

Cisco's won $50,000 in grant support from American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the groups announced July 29. It's the fourth year of their national Backing Historic Small Restaurants program that sent out $2.5 million to 50 establishments this summer.

“Small restaurants are vital to our communities, and their impact perseveres, as they continue to innovate and make their neighborhoods more vibrant and connected,” Madge Thomas, American Express head of corporate sustainability, said in a statement. “This year’s grantees represent the rich traditions and iconic stories of communities across the [United States]. I’m so proud that we’re able to help them grow and continue to build their legacy.”

Cisco's joined two Houston eateries as the only awardees in Texas this year. In a social media post, the restaurant team said they were "extremely honored" to be selected.

"We're 74 years into this journey and we can't thank our customers and fans enough for keeping the history alive," they wrote.

What’s special about it?

Cisco's serves Tex-Mex breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes, and several drinks including house margaritas. In 2021, it expanded with the opening of a new cafe at Lions Municipal Golf Course in West Austin.

The Austin staple occupies a 110-year-old building that originally housed a local meat market. Cisco's founder Rudy Cisneros eventually moved his cafe into the East Sixth Street location where it's operated since the mid-1900s.

Cisco's was previously considered for a local historic designation that was approved in 2019.

• 1511 E. Sixth St., Austin
• www.ciscosaustin.com