By Sam Gnerre
Publication Date: 2026-02-02 15:00:00
The original Manhattan Beach building that once housed Cisco’s restaurant and nightclub, 3600 Highland Ave., has long since been replaced. But longtime residents still remember the northwest corner of 36th Street and Highland Avenue in its prime as a bustling nightlife hot spot.
It wasn’t always so.
The earliest mention of the address in the Daily Breeze is in a 1935 advertisement as the location of Barney’s auto repair shop. In September 1954, Joe Provencio, owner of the Beacon Cafe at Rosecrans Avenue and The Strand, applied for a liquor license for Cisco’s restaurant using that address.
As did his Beacon Cafe, the new eatery offered Mexican cuisine. In addition to “Specializing in Finest Spanish Food,” per a June 1955 ad, it also featured Latin and Spanish-themed musical entertainment.
Provencio added on to the increasingly popular restaurant in 1957. In February 1960, he asked for and was granted a dance permit for the night spot, in time for a full-on “Cinco…
