We did a tour of the North Island of New Zealand, January 2025, featuring the Gisborne region around the waterside town, hardly a city, of Gisborne, which grows fresh fruit for miles, sold at Farmers' Markets.
We happened upon the Lone Star restaurant by lucky chance, sometimes called happenchance, or more grandly called serendipity. We were in Gisborne, a waterfront town, on a sleepy Sunday night, and we were hunting for a restaurant. New Zealand restaurants close early. Like Australia, I understand. End work at five. Drinks. Eat at six. Bed by ten. Up at six. Many are at work at seven in early daylight on the farm, or at school to teach by eight.
Down on the waterfront we spotted lights and heard music.
I am partial to tasty food, large portions, and popular music so long as it is not too loud. At first sight, we were not in a gourmet restaurant, but an average pub style restaurant. Small wooden tables. The place dominated by old posters of old days. We identified long-dead American singers and guitarists in their heyday, my youth, in the nineteen sixties and seventies like a time warp. I later learned that lone star is the flag of Texas. The decor and food were not instantly New Zealand but American style - however, the food fulfilled my dream.
We heard music by Prince and Stevie Wonder.
Good choice - Chicken
I like chicken. This was not just chicken. The chicken was in the tastiest sauce.
Perfect Pudding
Our marvellous meal ended in a dessert 'to die for', as the saying goes. Like treacle pudding, but better than the so-called modern puddings which often resemble insubstantial sponge cakes. Instead, what Lone Star is a lone supplier of, is - a proper, solid pudding.
What is Lone Star? An American style brand name. The Lone Star is the flag of Texas. It had a lone or single star, the flag after achieving independence from Mexico.
I wish we had lots of these Lone Star restaurants in London, like they do in New Zealand. The reason is that, according to their website, the restaurants were started in New Zealand in Tex-Mex style. They got my vote.
I think of it as a budget version of Hard Rock cafe, pictures of rock stars, music, food. Nobody troubled us for our next order. Nobody noticed what we wore. Nobody noticed us at all. It's not a gourmet place with silver service and napkins, a dress code, a booking system.
(We went to a smarter CRK around the corner the next night. Alert service. But for two days afterwards I wished I had eaten every meal every day at Lone Star.)
Yes, the food is great. If you like American music, and good food, this is the place for you.
The restaurant decor featured famous US singers and bands and jokey posters. As the New York Yiddish phrase goes, what's not to like!
Useful Website
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