History of Austin

The 9 restaurants that changed Austin's dining scene forever

Cisco's Restaurant Bakery for sale 1511 E 6th St Sixth Street mural

Cisco's is one of the restaurants that has changed the history of Austin's dining scene.

Photo courtesy of JBGoodwin Realtors

It is no secret that Austin is on an international trajectory, with people flocking here from all over the globe due to our abundance of sunshine, award-winning parks, music venues, and increasingly dynamic restaurant scene.

Gone are the days when Tex-Mex ruled the town and meals were eaten on the go en route to a show. These days the meal is the show, and Austin is establishing itself as a culinary destination appealing to foodies all over the spectrum.

From meat lovers waiting in line at Franklin Barbecue to food connoisseurs carefully watching chefs preparing meals at Counter 3-FIVE-VII to hordes of tourists catching culinary tour buses to sample typical Austin cuisine like breakfast tacos, brisket, gourmet donuts, vegetarian/vegan offerings, and good ol' Southern-inspired comfort meals, Austin's dining scene has never had so much to offer.

In reflecting on where the city's culinary scene is going, it's important to remember how it got here. Austin has been fortunate in that a number of restaurants have not only survived, but thrived since the early days of serving locals. And lucky for locals today, many of these storied places are still serving the classic fare that has kept on them on the scene for decades.

Scholz's Garten
Established in 1866, this historic establishment is the oldest operating business in the Lone Star State and the oldest operating beer garden in the country. Scholz's achieved historic status in 1967 and has long served as the unofficial headquarters for Longhorn fans and journalists covering the legislative session. The restaurant and bar has a huge outdoor patio and was once one of the few places in town where customers could relax and find shade under the elm trees. Today, Scholz's is increasingly surrounded by the University of Texas campus and Dell Medical School, but it remains a popular gathering spot for locals.

The Frisco
This popular restaurant was started in 1953 by the legendary Harry Akin. His restaurants were the first to be integrated in the city. Today, a single restaurant, The Frisco, remains on Burnet Road, serving plenty of comfort food and desserts to an established base of customers.

Hut's Hamburgers
Hut's has been serving hamburgers, fries, onion rings, and other delicious foods since 1939 to an eclectic mix of locals, hipsters, and celebrities including Willie Nelson and his bandmates. Originally located on South Congress, Hut's moved to 807 W. Sixth St. in 1969. Behind Hut's is Frank & Angie's Pizzeria, another long-running shop serving pizza and pasta dishes. The restaurant is also owned by Hut's and originally opened in 1955.

Cisco's Restaurant & Bakery
Cisco's has been an East Austin staple since 1943. Serving breakfast and lunch daily from 7 am-2:30 pm, Cisco's has a storied history as a politico hangout, and even counted President Lyndon B. Johnson as a frequent patron. Still family-owned and -run, the migas and biscuits are not to be missed.

Hoffbrau Steakhouse
Hoffbrau was started in 1932 by brothers Robert "Coleman" Hamby and Thomas Hamby. They originally delivered ice, and when refrigeration was introduced, the brothers bought land (they each paid $125) on West Sixth Street to start a restaurant. Hoffbrau is still owned and operated by family members and serves steaks, salad, potato wedges, and chicken breasts. Hoffbrau also owns the Rustic Tap Beer Garden next door.

The Tavern
The Tavern sits at 12th Street and Lamar Boulevard and is instantly recognized for its "The Tavern — Air Conditioned" neon sign out front. The property was purchased in 1916 and served as the Enfield Grocery store until 1931. (In fact, "Enfield Store" is still carved on the outside of the establishment.) Afterwards, it briefly became a steakhouse before turning into The Tavern in 1933. Today, the restaurant still serves burgers, wings, queso, and sandwiches, as well as plenty of beer, wine, and liquor. The upstairs patio is rumored to have at one time hosted a secret speakeasy and is said to be haunted.

Dirty Martin's Kum-bak
This longtime campus eatery has been on Guadalupe Street since 1926. It is a favorite of both neighbors and UT students, as well as alumni, and even former football coach Mack Brown. Originally called Dirty's because of its dirt floor, the floor is long gone, but the food remains tasty as ever with burgers, fries and tater tots, fried pickles and jalapenos, and even veggie and turkey burgers to choose from. There are also multiple television screens to watch sporting events (preferably UT games). Dirty's also serves alcohol and hosts live music and private events in its new backroom bar.

Matt's El Rancho
Matt's El Rancho restaurant began on Cesar Chavez Street (on the current site of the Four Seasons Austin) and moved to its present location on South Lamar Boulevard in 1986. Known as "The King of Mexican Food," Matt's El Rancho serves Tex-Mex and had many firsts, including lime margaritas; Mexican seafood dishes; and the famous Bob Armstrong dip (queso with guacamole, taco meat, and sour cream added to the dip). Although the original owners Matt and Janie Martinez, are now deceased (as is local politician and regular Bob Armstrong), the restaurant is still family owned and run by the Martinez children.

And finally, a nod to one restaurant that has vanished from the Austin scene but altered it forever ...

Katz's Deli
Katz's Deli, also located on West Sixth Street, was opened in 1979 by the colorful Marc Katz. By 1985, Katz's was serving meals 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Katz's Never Kloses was its motto, and most Austinites remember grabbing a late-night bite at one time (or at least seeing the ubiquitous yellow cab parked in front). After a few bankruptcies and family squabbles, Katz's closed its doors in January 2011. Gone, but certainly not forgotten.

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Red Light

San Antonio leads Texas on ending horse-drawn carriage rides by 2030

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Horses will no longer pull carriages on the streets of downtown San Antonio.

San Antonio has pulled off something that the rest of Texas has yet to do, but it didn't come without some contentious conversations. City Council has unanimously voted (with one abstention) to phase out the use of horse-drawn carriages over the next five years. That means by January 1, 2030, there will be none on the streets at all; instead, there will be electric carriages.

These plans have been in the making since 2022 — if not always at the same level of intensity — when District 2 Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and District 3 Councilmember Phyllis Viagran wrote up some concerns about the horses' wellbeing. A special session at the end of October 2024 hinted to San Antonians that the end for this practice was neigh — sorry, nigh — and the final vote was made on December 12. In addition to accepting the plan, it extended its timeframe by two years.

The initial proposal included worries about the horses' exposure to traffic and pollution, as well how their presence might exacerbate those issues for the environment at large by slowing traffic. It also raised concerns about the effects of standing or walking on hard surfaces for too long, or spending time in extreme weather.

At the December 12 meeting, San Antonians gave impassioned speeches about animal welfare — both to call attention to the need for better conditions and to defend the reputations and jobs of current horse drivers — but it wasn't the first time the council heard from the public about the issue.

In a prior city survey, 50,476 respondents weighed in. Of those respondents, 51.98 percent said they liked the idea to "Transition horse-drawn carriages to electric carriages and pedicabs and ban horse drawn carriages completely." There were alternative solutions listed, but respondents were less drawn to them.

A cultural divide emerged in the data and continued in the December meeting: some people avoided the carriages because they worried about the treatment of the horses, while others enjoyed them because of their historical echoes and living legacy. Many speakers in favor of the plan used this to form their argument, raising questions about history versus progress.

More tangible objections to the plan hinged on the businesses — specifically five companies — and jobs that would be lost, which was the main factor behind extending the adjustment period.

Discussions about the particulars of the electric vehicles are still to come, as confirmed in the discussion near the end of the meeting. Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez addressed concerns about what would happen to the horses, mentioning the Brady Hunter Foundation as a future partner in finding them rescue homes.

Some council members also brought up rhetorical questions about animal exploitation by groups like Sea World, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, military and police forces, and even various groups in the Fiesta parade, although these did not come with a formal motion to pick the issues up.

This decision could have a ripple effect on other Texas cities. Dallas has recently considered a similar ban, but it appears to have stalled; Austin's attempts at a ban have been unsuccessful, but according to the Austin-American Statesman, only one operator is permitted to bring horses downtown. She declines to do so because the long hours are unfair to her and the horses. Houston does have horse-drawn carriages, and there seems to be little conversation about banning them.

Cities like Chicago and Salt Lake City have led the charge in the United States with some of the most prominent successful bans. Other cities around the world with bans include Brussels and Guadalajara, which both switched to electric models. Bans that have been around for years, like Guadalajara's and Prague's, still aren't out of the woods — people are still pushing back on the decision, so it sounds like San Antonio still has much work cut out for it.

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