Mexico native Martin Cisneros was raised with four brothers and four sisters by his father, who worked for the railroad, and his stay-at-home mother.
At age 18, Cisneros studied forensic medicine at a university in Mexico, but left to relocate to America and help his brother in his work with race horses in New York, New Jersey, Kentucky and Maryland.
“I started working when I came here 30 years ago and it’s been a good opportunity for me,” Cisneros says.
When his oldest daughter started school, he decided to create a more stable home life and moved to Virginia. He started out as a part-time construction worker at a grocery store in Norge, where the store manager saw promise in Cisneros and offered him a full-time job. Additionally, he worked a second job as a server in a Newport News Mexican restaurant, where he was promoted to management. After a few years and a few changes, Cisneros saw the opportunity to pursue his dream of running his own restaurant.
After consulting with his wife and his silent business partner, they began looking for a space to open their restaurant and found an available venue, opening Catrin Cantina in July of 2024. Cisneros talks of his pride in operating a privately owned enterprise. He always wanted to do something different to elevate presentation and lower prices.
“When we developed the menu, I wanted to do something affordable,” Cisneros says. “Sometimes it’s not so much the money; it’s wonderful to have customers come back a couple times a week instead of just once.”
“I was pleasantly surprised,” says Deb Levine, a recent diner. “The best part was that their prices seemed like a menu from 10 years ago!”
Cisneros’ proudest achievement is having friends work alongside him. “To have the opportunity to work together is for the future not just for today,” he says. “My employees have a secure job.”
Catrin Cantina server and future manager, Juan Carillo, met Martin at another Mexican restaurant in 2017.
“Martin gave me the opportunity to work with him because I always like to be honest and responsible. I’m his representative here,” Carillo says of being an employee and representative of Cisneros at Catrin Cantina.
“Juan knows how I like to work and how I want things done,” Cisneros says. “His son, Juan, Jr. works here as well.”
The Mexican eatery offers daily lunch specials and has a daily happy hour. “We are planning to serve different Mexican dishes nobody else has,” Cisneros says. “We offer a Mexican sandwich available anywhere in Mexico with steak or chicken and red or green salsa.”
Pinchos, a popular menu item, includes three large skewers of chicken or steak with onions and red and green peppers served on a flame-backed presentation which keeps the meat warm. The dish is served with a side of guacamole and Charro beans. And street corn is presented on a small wooden cart. Uniquely, Catrin Cantina serves tilapia as a vertical presentation.
Catrin Cantina offers a Las Vegas vibe, with tables on a raised platform in the middle to hold drinks. “The decor is handcrafted with beautiful wrought-iron chandeliers and the furnishing details are amazing!” Levine says.
Cisneros strives to offer the most authentic Mexican cuisine. Catrin Cantina uses the closest spices to those in Mexico that can be acquired. “The people who work with me are helping us to be successful,” he says. “My wife helps me out a lot, including doing our social media work.”
The restaurant likes to help local schools like Denbigh, Menchville, Yorktown and Woodside high schools. They are passionate about helping local non-profits.
The family travels to Mexico (twice annually) and Utah to visit family. They plan a future trip to Quebec and Australia.
TO THE POINT:
Catrin Cantina
Address: 12838 Jefferson Ave., Newport News, VA 23608
Phone: 757-527-2588
Email: catrincantinava@gmail.com
Website: catrincantina.com
