The last time I went to Lone Star I was about 12 years old. It was the quintessential family restaurant of the 1990s: a fun, themed atmosphere, friendly, somewhat theatrical staff and generous (to say the least) portions. The Lone Star hasn’t changed – but my visit on a cold Christchurch Monday night proved this wasn’t a bad thing. Taking the place of the quintessential family restaurant of the 1980s, Cobb & Co, the newly opened Church Corner venue lifts the Bush Inn shopping region up from its dated, locals-only feel: Lone Star makes the busy Christchurch corner somewhat thriving, even contemporary.
The décor is similar to traditional Lone Stars of my childhood, the Western theme is still wildly prominent and Elvis is still a regular hero. It has been updated however to feature a slightly Asian influence amongst the waiting areas (which you might need, the restaurant is still always packed and they still don’t take reservations).
We were greeted by a charming chap who looked to be from farming roots, which added favourably to the ambience. He chatted away for a few minutes in a charismatic manner before introducing us to our waitress, who promptly seated us and even asked to take our coats. She was just as perky as the waitresses I remember as a kid, much like those at Joe’s Garage, I really felt like she was happy to be here serving us - which made me excited about the forthcoming meal. As she popped off, we had another waitress take our drinks order (some may call this overstaffed, I call it attentive and synchronised), which given it’s on the menu and my favourite wine, is of course Pegasus Bay riesling.
There weren’t just families at the Lone Star, although they were dotted around the bigger tables like something out of Brother & Sisters. There were several twenty-somethings out with their parents, and a couple of tables of Uni students (handy being in the Ilam region), but the welcoming environment didn’t make me feel out of place as part of the only couple in the restaurant.
Normally, I’m pretty good at keeping to a healthy diet. I was actually going to go straight for the main meal and bypass an entrée, until the sweet smell of the all-famous Lone Star loaf graced by nostrils on its way to another table. The thought of herby, buttery goodness lathered over piping hot white bread was too enticing to ignore, and at just $7.50, it was almost rude not to break bread here.
I don’t know what kind of people can actually eat an entire full-sized meal at Lone Star, but I’m certainly not one of them. I ordered the Johnny Cash Stash ($23 for ¾ portion, $31.50 for a hearty Lone Star standard plate). The succulent breast of chicken was stuffed with perfectly cooked mushrooms and sundried tomatoes (which feature in many meals here), and was corralled in a herb crust and smothered in a chunky mushroom sauce. It was so tasty, that I downed most of it until I think the top button of my pants popped. The other side of my table featured the fantastically named Shanks Peninsula ($31 for the full size), which true to the Wild West, was so fresh and crisp the shanks could have been straight off a lamb out back.
After much deliberation, we decided to forgo the desserts, even though the Cowboy Crumble ($12) features my favourite winter team: rhubarb and raspberries. Unless you haven’t eaten for days, I don’t recommend every trying to order three courses at the Lone Star, as just two still had my stomach feeling somewhat swollen the next morning!
Lone Star Riccarton Corner Waimairi & Riccarton Roads Ph 943 9434
The Cafe is open Sunday - Thursday 5:30 - late. The bar is open seven days from 5pm
By Lee Suckling - Christchurch
