by Johnny Kincaid
I don’t usually write business reviews, but because I believe in supporting locally owned businesses and love eating really good Bar B Q, I recommend trying Lonestar Bar B Q on Washington Avenue. The owner recently made a prayer request on Facebook because business was slow during the fall months.
I’ve visited Lonestar several times, and the food always impresses me. The menu is simple and straightforward, exactly what I expect from a good BBQ joint. They offer beef, pork, chicken, sausage plates, sandwiches, nachos, and BBQ potatoes. The offerings for sides is equally simple, and soft drinks are served in cans instead of a fountain. If you’ve been to what I call “real deal” BBQ places, you’ve come to expect the simplicity and the counter service.
On my most recent visit, I ordered a rib plate. The ribs come already cut to single St. Louis-style ribs. You can always tell when a pitmaster is proud of the quality of his product because the sauce is served on the side. I’m a believer that great BBQ needs no sauce. The ribs have a smokey flavor and are tender with the consistency of good competition ribs. The sauce is flavorful and not too sweet, with a nice little kick. If you want a big kick, they have a hotter sauce you can ask for.
When it comes to ribs, I have a bit of experience sampling different styles. When Shlers was open in Evansville, JB sauced the ribs and cooked the sweet glaze, turning them into meat candy. It was so good that I had to take racks to Florida to share when I visited my buddy Mike Harvey. On the other end of the scale, I love going to Rondesvou in Memphis for their amazing dry-rub ribs, and one time, I even tried to propose to the chef at Hard Rock in DC because the ribs with watermelon BBQ sauce were so awesome.
Among the sides at Lonestar, the green beans stand out. First, they are sweet, and then there’s a little kick of heat. The potato salad is good but not remarkable, and the cornbread is sweet and moist.
Be aware that a real pit boss at a real-deal BBQ joint knows how much meat he is able to smoke during a day without compromising quality. Great pit masters don’t cook a bunch of meat ahead of time in hopes of selling it later. Quality is far more important than quantity. That means that great BBQ joints will sometimes run out of product, and there are days that Lonestar has to inform customers that they are sold out of some items. It’s just part of the price you pay for real BBQ.
Buy local, dine local, and support our local business owners.
