A longtime Fort Worth Mexican restaurant is relocating: Los Vaqueros Restaurant, which has been at 2629 N. Main St. in the Stockyards for 42 years, is moving to a new address, but also in the Stockyards. Keep your shirt on, people.

“We’re not leaving the Stockyards!” says Cisneros Restaurants Inc. President Vicki Cisneros, whose family owns Los Vaqueros. “We’re staying right here in the community we love. We’re just moving down the street to another historic building, right across the plaza from Billy Bob’s."

The new location is in the 1911 Stockyards Exhibits building at 2501-2519 Rodeo Plaza, near the the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame and the John Wayne: An American Experience Museum, with proximity to the Cowtown Coliseum and iconic Billy Bob’s Texas.

Renovations are underway, with a plan to be open by July 4. The old location will close on June 30.

According to a release, the current Los Vaqueros building was getting to be too big. The new location will occupy a massive 8,000 square feet, still twice the size of an average restaurant. The location will also feature an adjacent patio that seats an additional 85 guests.

“While we’ve loved the challenge of a 34,000-square-foot building, it is time for the building to have an opportunity to grow further, and our vision for Los Vaqueros’ future does not coincide with expansion,” Cisneros says. “Our vision is to continue to operate in a way that allows us to adhere to our core values of family, food, grace, community service and hospitality — which means a smaller footprint. It will also allow us to spend more time enjoying our grandchildren, family and friends.”

Los Vaqueros has been in the Stockyards neighborhood since 1982, through three generations, starting when Kiki (Amelia Yvonne Cisneros) and her husband Johnny Valentine Cisneros Jr. met at El Chico Restaurant. They founded Los Vaqueros and named it for their sons, Johnny and Michael.

Under the guidance of chef Johnny Cisneros, Los Vaqueros has become a Blue Zone-approved restaurant, providing vegan-friendly and gluten-free options alongside traditional Tex-Mex favorites and family recipes. According to the release, the chef welcomes a smaller footprint that will allow for the flexibility to bring new dishes and fresh, seasonal specialties.

They also have Los Vaqueros West, a location in Willow Park, where they've just added a banquet hall that seats 250 people.

Cisneros' family owned the original location and sold it, but they do not say to whom.

“It’s going to a unique, family-owned and -operated business, deeply rooted in America’s history and excited to be part of the Stockyards community," Vicki Cisneros says. What a tease.

"That building has been here for over 100 years and has had many different owners," she says. "We were the longest stewards of the space so far, but it’s time for the building to evolve as well. The Cisneros family has received many offers for the building over the years, but this is the only offer that seemed to represent the building’s integrity. I’m looking forward to witnessing its next chapter.”