“This year has brought unexpected challenges, but also incredible opportunities,” said Cisneros Restaurants Inc. President Vicki Cisneros. “We are grateful to be able to celebrate one last Christmas season with our friends here before starting a new chapter two blocks down the road at Rodeo Plaza.”

While the Cisneros family initially planned to open the new location over the summer, they extended the timeline to ensure the space reflects the authentic essence of Los Vaqueros. Collaborating closely with Bennett Partners Architecture and Design and IMGC, LLC, the family worked tirelessly to preserve the rich history of the Stockyards while incorporating modern restaurant amenities.

“We wanted to get it just right,” Cisneros explained. “This is likely the last restaurant my husband Johnny and I will personally oversee, so every detail mattered. From incorporating historic wood and barn doors from the original building to designing custom chairs, plates, and glassware, the space truly embodies the spirit of Los Vaqueros: it’s about cowboys, ranchers, and Tex-Mex cuisine.”

When the family realized that they wouldn’t be able to open the restaurant in the new location by Thanksgiving, they decided to remain open in the original location a little longer, celebrating one final holiday season in the building that has been home to Los Vaqueros for nearly 30 years.

“Moving before Christmas would have disrupted so many of our patrons’ family traditions,” said Cisneros. “We’re grateful to the building’s new owners for allowing us to stay through the season. This has been one of the most challenging times in my 40-plus years in the business, but it’s been worth it to share these moments with our friends.”

The new location — the 1910–12 Stockyards Exhibits Building — is also a historic site, drenched in history and Western atmosphere. Neighbors in the building will include the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame and the John Wayne: An American Experience Museum. Rodeo Plaza, where the building is located, also hosts the famous Billy Bob’s Texas honky-tonk, and was the site of the first indoor rodeo, an exciting piece of Stockyards history that Los Vaqueros will be honoring with a commemorative plaque.

Amenities in the new location include a banquet room that seats 100, with an adjacent patio that seats 20 and a Fiesta Room that seats 50. The restaurant is launching “Los Vaqueros After Dark” on the weekends, an extended service that features a menu of enchiladas, tacos, nachos, and specialty breakfast items until 12:30 a.m. and bar service until 1 a.m.

“This late-night menu for Stockyards’ nightlife patrons carries so much nostalgia for Johnny and me,” said Cisneros. “The first Los Vaqueros location was also across the street from Billy Bob’s. My husband and I were so young back then. We’d finish the dinner service, head to Billy Bob’s to dance all night, and then come back and serve a traditional Mexican breakfast to all our friends.”

Cisneros assures guests concerned about parking at the new location that Los Vaqueros is taking steps to make the transition as smooth and convenient as possible. The Stockyards has become a bustling entertainment district, offering plenty of attractions and activities — but also new challenges with parking.

According to Los Vaqueros:

• Parking at the nearby Billy Bob’s lot (131 Stockyards Boulevard) is free Sunday through Thursday, excluding special events. On weekends, parking fees apply, but patrons are free to explore the entire Stockyards area, and vehicles can remain until 2 a.m., with keys available at Billy Bob’s desk. For a map and more detailed information on parking, please visit the Billy Bob’s website FAQ page.

• Additional free parking options are available around the perimeter of the Stockyards, as well as separately managed parking lots that offer different rates and occasional coupons.

Cisneros encourages customers with mobility issues to park in the Billy Bob’s lot and call the restaurant front desk at 817-625-1511 to arrange for a golf cart pickup. She also mentioned that the family is working to get approval for their own valet parking location and for a drop-off location close to the restaurant’s entrance on Main Street.

“The Stockyards district is evolving into an even more vibrant destination,” said Cisneros. “We are committed to ensuring our guests feel welcome and cared for as we embark on this exciting new chapter.”

Dedicated to quality, family recipes, and the freshest ingredients, Los Vaqueros Restaurant has brought comforting and delicious Tex-Mex cuisine — including heart-healthy, vegan-friendly, and gluten-free options — to the historic Stockyards neighborhood since 1982 and to Willow Park since 2008. For the Cisneros family behind the restaurant, the preparation of Tex-Mex food is an art that has been passed down for three generations. It began many years ago when Kiki (Amelia Yvonne Cisneros) met a man named Johnny Valentine Cisneros Jr. as they worked together at the famous El Chico Restaurant. Many decades and wonderful meals later, the restaurant that Kiki and Johnny Jr. founded and named after their sons, Johnny and Michael, the two “vaqueros” — Los Vaqueros — continues to welcome guests for brunch, lunch, dinner, cocktails, and special events, and the two “vaqueros” continue to work to see their parents’ dream continue to evolve.

Visit losvaqueros.com for more information.

The post Los Vaqueros Has Moved to Rodeo Plaza first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

Los Vaqueros has been the backdrop for many memories and milestones at its current location — for the Cisneros family, staff, and customers alike — and while one chapter in the Los Vaqueros story is coming to a close, the story will soon continue with the beginning of a new chapter. Vicki Cisneros is available to talk about this transition and what it means to them, and she can also recommend customers who would be willing to be interviewed. Please let me know if you would like us to coordinate an interview.

Photo courtesy of Los Vacqueros Stockyards

Los Vaqueros is targeting mid-July to open at their new location although the exact date is still to be determined. However, their patio will be open for drinks and appetizers on Sunday, July 14, for the baseball draft.

A few things before the new locations opens:

• Free parking is available Sunday through Thursday
• Los Vaqueros will pick up customers via golf cart in the perimeter parking lots Sunday through Thursday.
• Complimentary valet parking will be available Friday and Saturday nights.
• See parking map image here

As a reminder for anyone wanting to satisfy their Los Vaqueros craving during the transition, the Los Vaqueros West location in Willow Park is open.

Please follow Los Vaqueros on Facebook for updates.

Image courtesy of Los Vacqueros StockyardsCo

The post Los Vacquero’s Last Day in Old Location first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

With rumors swirling about institutions and locations in the rapidly developing Stockyards district, Cisneros wanted fans of Los Vaqueros Restaurant to get the full story of the move directly from her — and to provide reassurance that the restaurant will remain an integral part of the Stockyards and greater Fort Worth communities well into the future.

Cisneros explained that a location change was inevitable, as the current Los Vaqueros building was no longer the right option for her family and devoted staff:

“While we’ve loved the challenge of a 34,000-square-foot building, it is time for the building to have an opportunity to grow further, and our vision for Los Vaqueros’ future does not coincide with expansion,” Cisneros said. “Our vision is to continue to operate in a way that allows us to adhere to our core values of family, food, grace, community service and hospitality — which means a smaller footprint. It will also allow us to spend more time enjoying our grandchildren, family and friends.”

Photo courtesy of Los Vaqueros

Johnny Cisneros, the Los Vaqueros chef, has reasons of his own to look forward to change. Under his guidance, Los Vaqueros has become a Blue Zone-approved restaurant, providing vegan-friendly and gluten-free options alongside traditional Tex-Mex favorites and family recipes. Johnny told his wife, Vicki, that a smaller restaurant footprint would allow his kitchen the flexibility to bring new dishes and fresh, seasonal specialties to their well-loved menu.

On April 22, through the negotiations of son-in-law Davidson Liland, an associate with Altera Development Company, Cisneros Restaurants Inc. signed a long-term lease on a new Los Vaqueros location in the 1911 Stockyards Exhibits building at 2501-2519 Rodeo Plaza. The Cisneros family is currently renovating the space and plans to close the original location on June 30 and open the new location after July 4, 2024. New neighbors in the building will include the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame and the John Wayne: An American Experience Museum, and restaurant patrons will find themselves steps from the Cowtown Coliseum and across the plaza from iconic Billy Bob’s Texas.

Photo courtesy of Los Vaqueros

For long-time Los Vaqueros fans worried about losing one of the few locations in Fort Worth that easily seats large parties on short notice, please be aware that “smaller” is a relative term in the Cisneros family. The new Los Vaqueros will occupy a massive 8,000 square feet, still twice the size of an average restaurant. The location will also feature an adjacent patio that seats an additional 85 guests.

“And not to worry if you have an event booked — the new location’s banquet rooms are very similar to the current banquet spaces,” she said reassuringly. “Not to mention, we’ll still have the Los Vaqueros West location in Willow Park, where we just added a banquet hall that seats 250 people.”

As for the long-occupied original Los Vaqueros location at 2629 North Main Street, Cisneros reveals that her family has sold the building, and looks forward to witnessing decades of careful stewardship from the new owners:

“It’s going to a unique, family-owned and -operated business, deeply rooted in America’s history and excited to be part of the Stockyards community. That building has been here for over 100 years and has had many different owners. We were the longest stewards of the space so far, but it’s time for the building to evolve as well. The Cisneros family has received many offers for the building over the years, but this is the only offer that seemed to represent the building’s integrity. I’m looking forward to witnessing its next chapter.”

Photo courtesy of Los Vaqueros

Cisneros concluded with a message to everyone who has visited the original location over the years, and who she hopes will join them at the new location:

“I’m one of the most fortunate people in the world because I love my work. Our guests are more than guests, they are our friends! Many have been dining with us since the 80s. We have customers that first came in as babies and are now celebrating marriages, births, and other special events; we feel as if we have come full circle. The message I want to get out to our faithful patrons, and to the schools, churches, and non-profit organizations we’ve worked with for 40 years is that their patronage makes all the difference to us — and we’re still here for them, just a few doors down the road.”

The post Big News (and Small Move) for Stockyards Stalwart first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

Photo courtesy of the Fort Worth Business Press

Smith, president and founder of BendOverBackwards LLC, is a man with a dream – renovation and restoration of the New Isis Theatre into Downtown Cowtown at the Isis at 2401 N. Main St.

When last we visited – in November 2017 – he was trying to close on the property

“I believe that my entire life’s work has been leading me to this theatre,” Smith said then. “I am extremely passionate about this project – it is truly a labor of love for me – and I am in it for the long haul. This is where I believe my efforts are different from those that have looked to complete this process before.”

Good thing, that long haul, because there were some hitches in the get-along.

“We’re about 50 to 60% complete. Actually, as we speak, the interior structure is being completed, which means the roof is going on,” Smith said.

“Coming up over the next, I would say, three to six weeks, we should be fully enclosed. They’re starting to work on the exterior clean-up of the building in the next couple of weeks. So we are on target right now to be completed and open and operational by the end of this year.”

He had originally hoped to be complete in late 2018.

Now he and his wife, Co-Founder and Co-Owner Debbie Garrett-Smith, think they can open in December.

Planned are three grand galas Jan. 7, 8 and 9. The featured artists include John Schneider, Katie Kadan of the Voice and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra.

What got in the way was the history.

The original Isis Theatre opened May 21, 1914, with a showing of two films, one of them the 1913 movie A Mixup on the Plains, directed by William Duncan and starring Florence Dye and Charles Wheelock. The original building at 2401 N. Main St. burned in 1935 and was rebuilt the following year, taking in two additional lots.

In its heyday, the Isis seated 950 with what was described as the largest screen in Fort Worth.

The original building – 18 feet by about 61 feet – was designed by architect Ludwig Bernhardt Weinmann. His grandson, Arthur Weinman, is the chief architect overseeing the renovation. His grandfather changed the spelling of the last name during World War I.

Smith was optimistic about the timeline in late 2017.

“But the historical process and making sure that we’re meeting all the requirements for this Historic Commission, the National Park Service when it comes to the historic designation for the building, became far more involved than what we originally anticipated,” he said.

It took 18 months to complete the process.

“There’s a lot of special quirks and unique pieces to the space that we needed to make sure that we were adhering to and that our design could actually accomplish that,” he said. “The foundational side took a whole lot more legwork, should I say, than what we originally anticipated that it was going to be.”

When finished, it will be both a cinema and a live performance venue.

“We are putting in a retractable screen, so during the day we’ll be running Westerns and classic films. And then in the evenings, we will roll that screen out, clear the stage and be able to host live entertainment,” Smith said.

Smith holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University in theatre arts and communications and for more than 35 years has been a theatre teacher, administrator and principal of a high school, and worked as a consultant and advisor to architectural companies in the design and building of performing arts space.

“When I first started this project, I told you how important the building was to me and how excited I was to be able to have the opportunity and was honored to be able to step in and be able to bring this building back to life,” Smith said.

“None of that has really diminished. If anything, I’m more excited now and more invigorated because as I see the process coming to fruition, the vision that I had, it’s starting to take shape.”

Where other people saw a deteriorated and abandoned building, Smith saw something else.

“It’s clear as day to me what it was going to look like. It’s hard to translate that to other people,” he said.

But now that the construction is coming together – for example, the structure for the stage is in place now – he’s been able to bring people in to see the work in progress.

“Now can you see now what the stage is going to look like?” he’d say. “And to see their eyes light up and go, ‘Oh, I see it now,’ it’s such a great experience for me.”

His passion for the project is palpable, even in a social-distanced telephone interview.

“Still, just as crazy passionate about the project, if anything, getting more and more invigorated with each passing day, with more and more pieces getting done. I get just tickled going and standing and looking at different places,” he said.

Smith is almost at the point now where he wanted to end up in 2018.

“I’m getting to talk with a lot of the entertainment that we’re wanting to bring in and a lot of the people that we’re already starting to book,” he said. “The last time you and I spoke, we were more concerned about the actual mechanics of getting the building done. Now I’m actually shifting into dealing with why I got into this to begin with.

“So that just feels like home. And the more we do it, the more excited I get about each of the steps that we do,” he said.

“We’ve started to kind of set up in front of the building on weekends, just to talk to people and let them know what’s coming and talking to the community. And granted, it’s very difficult right now with COVID, but at least we’re outside,” he said.

“A lot of people are very excited. The coolest thing that I’ve experienced is when people find out or talk with me about what we’re doing, they immediately get nostalgic and tell me stories of their experiences in the ISIS Theatre when it was operational.

“There’s a lot of that older generation who grew up with this building and they bring to light so many fascinating stories about their experiences. So most of the conversations have been very nostalgic and warm from that standpoint and very excited and eager to see where we end up with the space,” Smith said.

People seem to be very thrilled.

“They can’t wait to come down to the Stockyards and watch a movie, watch a Western in the Stockyards. It just doesn’t get better than that,” Smith said.

“Stockyards businesses, Northside residents and I eagerly anticipate the re-opening of the historic New Isis Theatre,” said District 2 Councilmember Carlos E. Flores. “The $175 million redevelopment of the Stockyards brings with it new hotels, restaurants, and venues. All of these bring patrons and visitors in search of entertainment.”

Flores said that in 2018, the Isis property was valued at $450,000 and is estimated to be worth more than $8 million once the restoration and renovation is completed. Smith’s background in theatre production and business management provide him with a skill set uniquely suited for this undertaking.

“When it reopens, the New Isis Theatre will once again take an exciting place in the performing arts, culture and entertainment scene of the City, District 2, Stockyards, and Northside,” Flores said.

Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Anette Landeros says she hopes that the restoration encourages other inspired eyes to see the untapped potential of North Main, particularly between the Stockyards and Northside Drive.

“As Northside neighbors, our chamber is thrilled that the renovation of the Isis Theatre is coming to fruition. There are so many beautiful ‘diamonds in the rough’ buildings on North Main Street that are radiating with potential,” Landeros said.

“I’m looking forward to stepping into the Isis Theatre and experiencing 1930s Fort Worth. That is going to be such a unique treat for generations of locals who have only seen the building as an unused relic,” she said.

Smith and his wife hope to have the front area open  by mid-November – the bar and the gift shop and the beer and wine to go window.

The theatre is an unknown variable, but he’s hoping to be running movies at the end of the year going into the first of 2021 that will give people an opportunity to come and explore and experience the space.

And, obviously, another big variable is the COVID-19 pandemic.

He considers it fortunate that the theatre project was in the heavy part of renovation during what he’s hoping is the worst of the pandemic.

Remember, he’s an enthusiastic optimist.

“I feel that from all indications, from what the news is providing, what the CDC is providing, that come January, we’re going to get back to a little bit of a sense of normalcy when we’re opening,” Smith said.

“The impact that’ll have on us, obviously if we’re at a Phase Two, which would be 50% occupancy. Our occupancy is a 500-seat house. That’s still looking at anywhere from 200 to 300 patrons that could actually come to an event,” Smith said.

Who is Jeffrey Smith?

Jeffrey Smith has been actively involved in building, running, directing, producing, and performing in theatres – both in front of the audience and behind the scenes – for more than 35 years.

Jeffery and Debbie Garret-Smith
Photo courtesy of the Fort Worth Business Press

He has run a community dinner theatre from inception to sale, served as a guest clinician for performance groups, technical director for regional theatres and TETA – a state theatre organization, and theatre consultant to industry leaders, educators, and performers throughout the past 30 years.

In December of 2016, Smith founded BendOverBackwards LLC, all in pursuit of his dream to own and renovate The New Isis Theatre in the Fort Worth Stockyards. When the theatre opens in 2021, it will be known as The Downtown Cowtown at the Isis Theatre.

Prior to starting the renovation of the theatre, his time in theatres coincided with a passion for learning, which led him to become a teacher, administrator and principal of a high school. Smith spent years in the classroom as a theatre teacher, building programs of live theatre in various high schools in the Metroplex.

He also worked as a theatre arts consultant on multiple new constructions as an advisor to architectural companies for their design and build of performing arts spaces.

This article, written by Paul Harral, originally appeared in the Fort Worth Business Press and is reprinted with permission. 

The post Restoring a Crown Jewel of the Northside first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

With a menu featuring burgers, chicken sandwiches, perfectly crisp crinkle fries, and to-die-for milk shakes, y’all better get there quick for a fun meal that won’t disappoint.

My kids and I went for a preview on Saturday, and we loved every bite. We sat a table made of reclaimed bowling alley wood from New York while right outside our window was a Longhorn tied to a post. There are not many places in the world that you can find this kind of dining experience.

Both of my boys ordered cheeseburgers and fries. They scarfed down every bite. The rush they were in was partially due to how delicious the burgers were and partially due to their excitement to get to their milk shakes. One strawberry and one cookies-and-cream shake disappeared as fast as their burgers and fries had but seconds before.

Everything was well-reviewed by my eight- and ten-year-old boys. Not only did the kids’ meals get the full stamp of approval, but mine was great as well. My burger was delicious, my fries perfectly crispy, and my chocolate shake was as good as it gets.

All in all, what a great new addition to the Stockyards for a family lunch or dinner spot! My family highly recommends heading out to the Stockyards for lunch at The Shake Shack soon. Make sure to get a picture on the Longhorn while you’re at it.  You won’t be disappointed!

Angela Weaver is a native Texan, raised in Keller, but she got to Fort Worth as soon as she could. At 17, she joined the Marine Corps and served four years active duty. After her military service ended, she went to work for a hedge fund and then a whiskey distillery, both in Fort Worth. Her most important role started in 2009 when she became a mom. She lives with her two boys in Fort Worth and loves to spend her time with her boys outdoors getting the full Boy Mom experience, even if that means being covered in dirt, catching fish, or shooting BB guns. She loves the sense of community she has found in Fort Worth and can’t wait share that with our readers.

The post A Welcome Bit of New York in the Stockyards: A Review of Shake Shack first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.