Buffalo Rising Online

Sep 6th 2007, 8:23am By Christa Glennie Seychew

I love the Lone Star. It’s one of those places where everything just is what it is. Upon first entering, some diners might be a little put off by the resin patio chairs, the faded framed posters, new country music, scruffy self-serve soda machine and less-than-Martha-Stewart open kitchen.

But please, don’t be put off by such trivial concerns. The Lone Star has been serving up “Tex-Mex” cuisine from its little storefront on Hertel for years, and though you may not find it an appropriate establishment in which to hold a business dinner or take a date you’d like to impress, it makes the food no less tasty.

I grew up on Tex-Mex on the West Coast, and the Lone Star hovers toward the top of the list of things I miss most about life there. The Lone Star is not my ideal Tex-Mex restaurant, but it ain’t bad.

The vibe is very casual, diners order from the front counter and then move on to the side counter where they help themselves to soda and as much fresh, made from scratch salsa and pico de gallo as they’d like. Personally, at the Lone Star, I like a combination of the pico and some good ol’ Tabasco on most of my choices.

The service is friendly and speedy, especially since everything is made to order. A large number of their customers use their take out service, and the wait time is always short.

I almost always get the fajita, loaded with chicken or beef, caramelized onions and a solid helping of fresh guacamole; it’s a steal at around $3. The husband always goes for the quesadilla with bacon, cheese, green chilies and pico de gallo, and the kids are big fans of the burgers and hand cut steak fries. Everything is good and very affordable, the menu lists only a handful of items over $4, and they are all large, fresh salads.

On my most recent visit I spotted a sign advertising sopapilla (soap-a-pee-ya) for only $2. This had me very excited; I haven’t had a sopapilla in about a decade, and for me, the nostalgia associated with them had heightened the memory of their simple beauty--or so I had thought.

At the conclusion of our meal, the aromatic dessert arrived at our table; two sopapilla per order accompanied by a dollop of honey butter. Sopapilla originates from New Mexico, and is a quick bread, similar to Native American frybread. It is prepared in biscuit size portions, fried and served with honey and butter or, less often, powdered sugar. The Lone Star’s version was all that I could have hoped for. Light and chewy, warm and soft, smothered in melting butter and pools of honey; it was delicious to say the least.

After recovering from my memory-steeped, intoxicated state, I spoke with the staff. They informed me that the Lone Star would most likely be offering sopapilla on the menu permanently as everyone seems to enjoy them as much as I had.

That, however, doesn’t mean that you should take your time about getting over there. After all, besides the fragrant and delightful sopapilla, it is the height of growing season and the guacamole and pico de gallo were some of the best I’ve ever had at the Lone Star. So put aside your need for slick corporate restaurants or homey diners and stop in for a great Tex-Mex meal at the Lone Star this weekend; I doubt you’ll regret it.

Lone Star Fajita Grill
1853 Hertel Avenue, Buffalo, 14216
716.833.7756