A ribbon-cutting unveiled artwork honoring decades of culture and hospitality as the iconic restaurant kicks off anniversary events through 2026.
SAN ANTONIO — Casa Rio, one of the San Antonio River Walk’s most colorfully recognizable restaurants, marked nearly 80 years of feeding downtown visitors Tuesday with the unveiling of a new mural celebrating its legacy.
Owners commemorated the milestone with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the artwork, created by local artist Cristina Sosa Noriega. The mural, titled “The Flow of People, the Passage of Time,” harkens to a historical chapter in the Alamo City’s history when the Commerce Street Bridge was comprised of just a handful of logs.
Noriega said she was honored to be selected for the project, which reflects both the history of Casa Rio and her personal connection to the area.
“It’s something that means so much to me because I grew up in downtown San Antonio,” Noriega said. “It’s had many lives in between and so much has happened. So I got to learn its history as well as create a piece of art that’ll be here for visitors and locals alike.”
Elizabeth Lyons Houston, co-owner of Casa Rio and its accompanying restaurant group, said the mural was commissioned as a “way to show the visual history” of the first crossing of the San Antonio River.
“This literally is a crossing that changed the entire trajectory our great State of Texas,” Houston said. “We’re so honored to share that with our visitors, our customers, our locals alike.”
The mural unveiling kicks off a series of anniversary celebrations planned by Casa Rio, with events scheduled to continue throughout 2026. That includes the eventual debut of a new Casa Rio logo.