Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, January 29, 1993 TAG: 9301290378
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOLORES KOSTELNI SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
FEW STARS FOR THIS LONE STAR
Cascades of golden stars on Santa Fe blue walls, cowboy boots and stirrups, pony print table coverings, terra cotta angels, a scarf-draped turquoise crucifix - appointments that signal bracing, colorful Tex-Mex and Southwestern foods.Alas. Despite this imaginative decor and a million-dollar location on the Roanoke City Market, Lone Star Cantina delivers mediocre, uninteresting food. This is compounded by vexingly slow service. Furthermore, its highly touted microbrewery has yet to produce its first glass of beer.
Although I've been here four times - twice each for lunch and dinner - I am amazed at the lack of improvement. Not only does hospitality need defining, but communications between the cooks and the servers must be established and understood.
During one dinner, a waitress was testy over our repeated requests for water. Before serving us water, she returned more than a few times to inquire about refilling our half-depleted wine and margarita glasses.
During the lunch hour a few weeks ago, the hostess was so involved in a project that kept her back to the door, my guest had to find where I was sitting so she could seat herself.
Food is invariably served lukewarm for lunch. Only a few tables have been occupied during my four meals; so I am perplexed about why this happens. Not only was a bowl of Lone Star State chili ($2.95) served barely warm, but I had to wait 20 minutes for it.
A burrito grande ($4.50), the large flour tortilla filled with beef, Mexican rice, frijoles, salsa fresca and sour cream accompanied with marinated raw vegetables, had cooled to the point that the black bean puree had begun to solidify. When I requested a reheating of the brownish-gray mess, the waitress responded quickly and pleasantly. Unfortunately, she also warmed the pickled vegetable salad, the only colorful, attractive food on the plate. A dinner burrito ($6.95) emerged hot from the kitchen and more edible than the lunch version.
Both a mesquite grilled chicken sandwich ($4.50) and a "gringo burger" ($3.95) would have been perfect had they been served hot instead of cool.
Much of the lunch menu is repeated at dinner, with larger portions, higher prices and several additions. Worthwhile starters include quesadillas supreme ($4.95) and grilled gulf shrimp ($4.75).
The quesadillas feature two soft, warm flour tortillas cut into easily handled triangles. These were filled with melted Monterey Jack cheese and slices of ham. They were not served hot, just warm: Cheese, notorious for retaining heat, did not ooze, but almost resumed its original shape.
Four large bronzed shrimp, their flavor bolstered with a perfect grilling and zippy seasonings, came with an invigorating jalapeno cocktail sauce.
A perfectly cooked Southwestern ribeye ($12.95) ranks as only decent in beef flavor and quality because of the small ratio of lean meat to fat and its almost neutral taste. The plate was full from edge to edge, making eating neatly without knocking food onto the table a virtual magic act. An abundance of food is typically Mexican, so larger dishes could be the answer.
Pescado asada ($10.50), boned and butterflied fresh trout, presents a lovely sight on the plate. Its crispy, corn meal coated flesh comes topped with a straight-line arrangement of red, white and green sauces. Although the menu listed a "stack of corn tortillas" as part of the meal, I had to ask for them and was given flour tortillas, instead. These did nothing to underscore the bright corn meal crunch and sweet flavor of the trout.
A taco salad ($4.50) was just OK. (In fact, Applebee's and Shaker's serve better versions.) One of its chief flaws was the difficult task of trying to eat neatly out of a shell that was skating around a too-small plate. The chili-seasoned ground beef was drenched with the tomatoey sauce, which infiltrated the identity of the other ingredients. Finally, there were no avocado chunks or dabs of guacamole in this salad, and they were sorely missed.
On both of these dinner occasions, service was so slow and drawn out, the meal went beyond leisurely. No more than five or six tables were occupied and we were in the place for nearly two hours.
Although the pickings are slim and the food predictably ordinary, you might content yourself by starting with a big, beautiful, refreshing margarita ($3.50-$5.50) while nibbling on the giveaway warm nachos that you dip into zingy salsa.
Then enjoy a crisp gringo's garden salad ($3.50). Follow it with an entree of camarones enchipotlados ($8.50), grilled shrimp spiked with a smoked jalapeno sauce or an enchilada plate ($6.50). Finish the meal with a delicious dessert of fried ice cream ($2.50).
Dolores Kostelni has extensive experience in the food industry, having worked as a restaurant consultant, manager and chef.
\ LONE STAR CANTINA & BREWERY\ 108 Campbell Ave. (on the Market) 344-0200\ \ HOURS: Seven days a week. Monday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday brunch, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.\ \ BEVERAGES: Full-service bar.\ \ PRICE RANGE: Lunch, $3.95-$5.50; dinner, $5.25-$14.95.\ \ CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover.\ \ RESERVATIONS REQUIRED? For tables of 8 or more.\ \ NO-SMOKING SECTION? Yes HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE?\ \ Dining Out's evaluations of restaurant accessibility to the handicapped are conducted by the Blue Ridge Independent Living Center, a non-profit organization.