PLATES YOU HAVE TO TRY FROM LONE STAR

The ol’ faithful Lone Star’s been on the Kiwi scene longer than I’ve been alive, so there’s little doubt that you’ve already tasted their divine dishes for yourself. Born in Christchurch in 1988, Lone Star has always endeavoured to provide delicious, good quality food in a relaxed, unpretentious setting. With servings suitably large, you’ll also never leave hungry – which is a feat for me, to be honest, because I’m always hungry. 5 stars for the team in having super spacious seating as well; after my three courses, I can still somehow manage to comfortably squeeze out between my chair and table when I’m leaving.

I did you guys a solid and tried most of the menu to find THE most delicious items that you just have to try if you haven’t already. The menu is almost overwhelming because everything looks and sounds amazing, but these 5 plates are absolute winners! Have a geez below; I’ve also thrown in some tips on how to make the most of your next visit to Northlands.

This is the best bean dip that’s ever bean dipped. Puns aside, this dip is bloody glorious. Spicy beans, melty cheese, tomatoes and jalapenos all blended together and served hot with sour cream and house-made tortilla chips make for a delicious “shared” starter. If you’re anything like me and like your dips all to your greedy self, its plentiful quantity also means you can scoop it out by the spoonful. It’s also gluten free and suitable for our vego friends – hallelujah!

You know the disappointment of average nachos which come out dry, with microwaved bean mix and nowhere near enough cheese or sour cream? You’ll never have that experience here! These are nacho typical nachos. (Okay, I’ll stop, I promise). Topped with the Star’s famous spicy bean mix, both chicken and beef if you so desire, plus grilled cheese, salsa, guacamole and jalapenos by the bucketload, your Mexican cravings will be well and truly satiated, plus you’ll definitely forget all about your last less-than-impressive nachos.

These might be THE Lone Star classic, and they’re still going strong. Lone Star reckon they became famous from these ribs, so, naturally, I had to try ‘em. I LOVE ribs, and these are particularly good ones. They’re tender enough that the meat’s falling off the bone, and they come with enough sticky hoisin and orange sauce to end up all over your face and fingers. Accompanied with crispy buffalo chips and slaw, they’re definitely one of the most delicious meals ever, but maybe not first date material.

The Johnny Cash Stash is a saucy number and a must-try for chicken lovers. Herb-crusted, oven-baked stuffed chicken breast. It’s stuffed with spinach, cheese, sundried tomatoes and MORE CHEESE and covered in chunky mushroom sauce. It also comes with chips for dipping and is so warming and filling that you practically become stuffed chicken after eating it. Perfect for a chilly winter.

You know that second tummy we have for dessert? Mine was struggling after the delicious mounds of “shared” starter foods and filling mains, but you can’t leave without trying a Lone Star dessert. It was a really hard call to pick only one fave from the dessert menu, but here it is. Homemade sweet pastry, layered with caramel, banana, sweet coffee cream and chocolate. It’s a dream, I tell ya. Honourable mention must go though to the Milky bar pud; a white chocolate and buttermilk pudding with hot butterscotch sauce. You can also get one for FREE like I did – read some tips below!

FREE DESSERT. Yep, it’s a thing when you download the Lone Star app. Get it from the app store and you’ll get a code inside that you can use. You’re welcome. They also have a pretty decent loyalty system too if you’re a regular diner. Each dollar you spend on meals etc earns you a point and once you get 200 points you get a $20 reward! That’s like, the bean dip or the nachos for free! Lone Star’s located near Hoyts as well, so if you want to make a night out of it, you can just waddle pretty much right into the cinemas. Tickets at the moment are just $11, so you’ll also be doing your wallet a solid.