Cisco’s claims to be the oldest Tex-Mex restaurant in Austin, and considering their start in 1950, we have very little doubt about it. There's a small counter up front that feels like (and probably is) an old school diner bar, and an open kitchen in the middle of the room. Behind that, is some kind of Narnia-esque hallway that leads to a series of large dining rooms that make this place infinitely bigger than it initially looks. 

The menu is made up mostly of Tex-Mex staples—migas, huevos rancheros, and breakfast tacos by morning, fajitas and enchiladas by night—which is exactly what you want out of a place that pioneered the cuisine. But you can also get some of their other signature items, like their homemade biscuits, available by the basket or as the base of a breakfast sandwich. 

On a street that changes by the day, with tall, new buildings casting shadows onto long-standing residents of the neighborhood, it’s nice to see the familiar face of Cisco on the wall out front, looking out across East 6th St. It’s a welcome retreat from the busy bar district it’s managed to find itself in.

photo credit: Holly Dirks