AUSTIN (KXAN) — If you’re driving down Congress Avenue, it’s hard to miss Guero’s Taco Bar.
You’ll probably hear music playing in “The Oak Garden” and then notice the iconic lettering outside the old feed store.
Guero’s has been serving up interior Mexican food with a hint of Tex-Mex for 40 years. This family-run business was started by Cathy and the late Rob Lippincott.
“My husband and I opened the restaurant over on Oltorf in 1986,” said Cathy.
Over the next 10 years, they would outgrow their original location, so they decided to buy an old feed store on Congress Avenue.
Lyle and her mom Cathy pose outside Guero’s
“Thirty years later, and we are still on the avenue,” said Lyle Lippincott, Cathy and Rob’s daughter.
Lyle is now helping run the business with her sister Bette, it’s a place they hung out often as kids.
“My first solid foods were refried beans and rice. I used to sit at this bar and drink Shirley Temples and do my homework,” said Lyle.
Now she’s operating the business with the skills she learned from her dad, Rob, who passed away in 2022.
Historic east Austin restaurant celebrates 75 years
“I hope he is proud of what we have been able to keep doing, and Rob was always the financial wizard of the business, but he let the kids, and I do the nuts and bolts,” said Cathy.
Rob’s presence can still be seen on the walls and the love for the restaurant still lives on in his family and those who work there.
“It’s fast-paced, it’s fun, it’s a throwback to old Austin,” said DJ Phil Ross, an employee of Guero’s.
Guero’s is a taste of old Austin mixed with the new, where you never know who you might run into.
“Lyle Lovett, who is still coming here,” said Cathy.
“Quentin Tarantino was a big fan of ours years and years ago,” said Lyle. “He filmed one of his movies here.”
In fact, Cathy said Tarantino even had Guero’s painted on the outside patio wall without their permission, but she was fine with it.
Whether you are looking to catch a concert in “The Oak Garden” or catch up with old friends, the Lippincotts say stop by.
“It’s nostalgic, but it’s also still just as good, still just as tasty, the margaritas are still just as strong,” said Lyle.
Guero’s will host a 40th anniversary celebration on May 5th in “The Oak Garden.”
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.