Cosmic Saltillo opens in East Austin, serving spiked aguas frescas and tacos

A dream four years in the making, one interrupted by the nightmare of COVID-19, has become a reality for the owners of Cosmic Hospitality.

The group softly opened their new all-day bar and taqueria, branded together as Cosmic Saltillo, on Friday at a converted industrial space at 1300 E. Fourth St., with plans to open with regular hours on Wednesday.

Here’s what you need to know about the latest addition to the Austin hospitality scene.

Same folks as Cosmic Coffee + Beer in South Austin?

Yep. Partners Paul Oveisi, who old-school Austinites will remember as the owner of acoustic music venue Momo’s on Sixth Street, and Patrick Dean, who opened the original Cosmic on a plot off South Congress Avenue in 2017, are joined here by partners Jason Stevens and John Butts. The original Cosmic has been a hit for coffee, cocktail and beer lovers who appreciate the natural space and large outdoor seating areas.

How is Cosmic Saltillo different from the original?

The biggest difference is that the partners are running their own food operation at Cosmic Saltillo. The food trucks from the South location are absent, replaced by an all-day taqueria, Cosmic Tacos.

What’s on the menu?

The walk-up taqueria is inspired by the food of Southern New Mexico, El Paso/Juarez and San Diego/Tijuana. The centerpiece taco is a Quinceañera brisket taco, made with shredded brisket and served on a corn tortilla with vinegar slaw and red table sauce. The breakfast version includes pickled red onions and a sunny-side-up egg. There’s also a chilaquiles taco in the morning. The afternoon and evening offerings include guajillo-marinated chicken, pork carnitas, nopales and fish tacos.

What about drinks at Cosmic Tacos and Cosmic Saltillo?

The taqueria will serve a selection of housemade aguas frescas like watermelon and hibiscus that can be spiked with vodka or tequila. The drinks menu from partner Jason Stevens (formerly of Bar Congress, Second Bar + Kitchen, et al) will also include a take on a horchata, with sweet and condensed coconut milk, spiced with cardamom and cinnamon, served in a coconut. That horchata can be kicked up with cold brew or alcohol. The Cosmic Saltillo drinks menu will look similar to the one at the Pickle Road location. In addition to frozen drinks and creative higballs, the menu also features low-ABV drinks and a non-alcoholic beverage selection.

What’s the space like?

As with the original, owners have brought in a bunch of natural elements, including a pond with fish and live vegetation, and worked with landscape architects Ten Eyck and Spencer Landscaping to bring plenty of greenery and shade to the complex. The second floor of the outdoor patio is shaded and owners say almost all of the seating is shaded by 6 p.m. in the summer. The space will evolve over time, with a green roof eventually covering what will come to feel like an interior courtyard.  There is indoor seating in the buildings that architects Clayton Korte converted from the former industrial compound. Cosmic Saltillo and Cosmic Tacos seats about 350 people.

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“My partners and I set out with the purpose to create an oasis from the day-to-day, and we are extremely grateful to the Austin community for embracing our first location in such a strong way and for now supporting us in the opening of Cosmic Saltillo,” Oveisi said in a release. “With this historic location, it was important to us and to the neighborhood that it would be preserved. I’m proud of our team and our partners on this project for making that happen in a really exceptional way.”

What is the history of the space and location?

The old industrial buildings once formed the Texaco depot, which was built more than 100 years ago and used to hold petroleum products delivered by railcars and then dispensed in trucks throughout Austin. The history of the space also includes time as a residence in the 1960s and 1970s to a creative hippie from San Francisco, according to Oveisi, and in the early 2000s was home to the Compound, which hosted live music and art exhibitions.

Will there be live music?

Out of respect to the neighborhood and neighboring Scoot Inn, Cosmic Saltillo will not have regular live music, though it will host occasional events and has a parking lot that can be commandeered for special occasions like South by Southwest.

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Parking, you say?

While the bar and taqueria are in a dense, walkable part of town and steps away from the MetroRail, there is also a parking lot that will hold about 50 cars and plenty of paid street parking. The adjacent Plaza Saltillo development will offer free two-hour parking with a purchase at Cosmic.

What are the hours at Cosmic Saltillo?

Starting Wednesday, Cosmic Saltillo and its taqueria will be open from 8 a.m. to midnight daily. For this soft opening weekend, Cosmic Saltillo will be open 5 to 10 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday; and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday. It will close Monday and Tuesday before opening for good on Wednesday.

Details

Cosmic Saltillo. 1300 E. Fourth St. cosmichospitalitygroup.com/cosmicsaltillo, Instagram.com/cosmicsaltillo

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Cosmic Saltillo opens, serving spiked aguas frescas and homemade tacos