La historia

Empecemos

In 1967, Maria Raquel Alvarez Olvera immigrated to Wisconsin from San Miguel de Allende in Guanajuato, Mexico, where she met her husband Federico “Fred” Hernandez Vargas.
The Vargas family moved to Texas and eventually settled down in East Austin. She purchased the storefront at 901 Tillery Street in 1987, soon after Abarrotes Mexicanos opened for business.

Abarrotes offered a modest assortment of pressed ham, canned goods, chips, pickles, and sodas to its customers. Inspired by our equipped deli counter, Maria slowly started working on homemade recipes for carne guisada and barbacoa, which she cooked and served out of crock-pots. Once Maria and the Abarrotes crew hit their stride, Abarrotes quickly became a hotspot.

In 2009 the “Abarrotes Mexicanos” name was retired, ushering in the era of “Marcelino Pan y Vino.” As of 2017, we are now known simply as “Marcelino’s.” The humble beginnings that stemmed from a simple conversation, have blossomed into a respected East Austin icon and one of the few family businesses that pre-date the neighborhood’s development boom.

Marcelino’s has and will always be somewhere you can be with family, catch-up with old acquaintances, and make new friends. All while having one of the best damn tacos you’ll find in Austin.