Lone Star Texas Grill — Restaurant in Barrie

(March 2025 - 2nd Visit) Service 2/5 | Food 4/5 | Atmosphere 5/5

Came back here for the second time since the first visit went great. This time around the service was okay (2/5). We came on a Wednesday at 2:40pm. We came in and waited for a host/hostess to bring us to our table. After waiting for a bit, a male server came to the front, made eye contact with us and we said hello. The male server proceeded to put back a menu on the desk and walked away without acknowledging us. After a few minutes, a female server came and asked us if anyone has helped us. We told her no and so she took initiative to seat us at a table. The service was slower compared to my first visit all throughout. They were advertising 85 cent Wing Wednesday which is what we wanted to try, they were unfortunately sold out of wings when we got there a few hours past noon.

We ordered the Gator Bites, Diablo Queso and 2/3 Ribs with Fries and a side of tortillas.

Again, the Gator Bites (5/5) were cooked perfectly. It was tender and juicy while the batter was crispy. The seasoning was great. It can definitely go without the dip.

Diablo Queso (4/5) with tortilla chips was smooth and creamy with a slight tang. The cheese had a sharpness to it. It also had some ground beef in it. Although it could use more jalapenos (there was only one slice). It’s better to eat this dish while it’s fresh as the texture of the dip isn’t as great once cooled down.

2/3 Ribs with Fries and Pickle Slaw (4/5) was delicious. We had it with the Bold Texas BBQ sauce which was spiced with a slight sweetness to it, which complemented the woodfire grilled ribs. The ribs were flavourful, smoky and tender although they didn’t exactly fall off the bone. We wish there was additional sauce for dipping. The fries were good as well. The Pickle Slaw was okay. It was crunchy and tangy but definitely needed more dressing.

This place has a nice ambiance to it. It was Western rustic and cozy.

(February 2025 - 1st Visit) Service 5/5 | Food 5/5 | Atmosphere 5/5 Dined in with a friend of mine at Lone Star Texas Grill in Barrie.

We ordered: Gator Bites were cooked perfectly. It had a tender and juicy texture from the meat of the alligator tail combined with the crispiness of the batter. The seasoning was great that eating these without the dip was highly satisfactory. Although the dip added a layer of tanginess and creaminess to the dish.

Grilled Chicken Fajitas were also seasoned perfectly. The blend of smokiness with the cumin, garlic and the peppers went really great together. The tortillas were made in house. They were soft and easy to roll. The dish came with sides of shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, rice, salsa and sour cream.

They also served complimentary chips and salsa.

Overall, the food was delicious. I wish the Gator Bites had a bigger portion considering the price.

The server, Nevada, was polite and friendly. They had a nice spacious...

Note - This review applies to all Lone Star locations we have been to as it's pretty consistent across all. We are happy to say the Barrie location has not disappointed based on our expectations tied to other locations.

Vibe: Large chain restaurant with an American southwest tex-mex theme.

Expect: Friendly, energetic servers and good fajitas - - pretty much the only thing we have ever ordered in the last 25 years and when we want fajitas we go to Lone Star.

Every few years the presentation and pricing changes, as well as what they do and don't come with plus or minus an item. We were happy to learn you get unlimited refills of the fajita toppings now (cheese, pico, sour cream, etc.). This used to be an add-on price.

The flour tortillas are made in house and make the whole dish - - they're so deliciously fresh, hot and stretchy/chewy - - unlike anywhere else.

We noticed recent shrinkage in the amount of meat we received last few visits to the Barrie location (while prices have gone up significantly despite the unlimited topping refills) and the seasoning on the steak seemed bland on our last visit but could've been a one off. I would assume this is a decision made at HO and not a fault of the Barrie management or team.

For context, 10-15 yrs ago fajitas for dos (2) was $25.99. It's now just under $60! For tres (3), it's almost $90!!! We go about every 6 mos or so. We used to go every 6 wks or so. At this price can't justify that unfortunately.

Tried the chimichurri sauce add-on on second last visit and did not re order it on last visit. It unfortunately didn't deliver the flavour punch I expect from a chimichurri. It should be jam packed with garlic and herbs. What I got was mostly just a flavoured oil with some herbs floating in it.

Fun for: families, groups, birthdays and teens/young adults.

Expect a lively atmosphere, bar and dining room options. The bar is set up like a sports bar. The dining area has tons of restaurant tables and comfortable booths.

We will be back when we want fajitas or any other tex mex style meal... But as mentioned, we will visit less frequently than we used to because it's just too expensive now. This is more for a special night out now.

Pro savings tip: buy a $100 gift card at Costco for $80 to save $20 or so on your $100...

We arrived around 5:30 on Saturdat night 14 Jan 2017. We put our.name.on the list and were told the.wait would be about 10-15 minutes. We weren't seated until a little after 6:00 pm.

I have been going to Lonestar for Fajitas, since its early days in Ottawa.

They have always included chips and Salsa. Now they charge for the Chips and Salsa, I really hope they revert to the old policy. There is signage saying that a portiin of the 1.00 for chips and salsa goes to the foodbank, it is not even altruistic. If it was the whole dollar would go to the Foodbank, it would be, and I would happily pay it in those circumstances.

This was one if the best reasons to come to the Lonestar. It is a small thing, but it gave the perception of greater value. The price of the Fajitas has also gone up. Not sure I will be going back.

Our server was rushing us, and we had to ask for drink refills. The experience was not as good as it was in the past.

The nickel and diming coupled with the sub par service make me think I will have to find somewhere else to go for Fajitas

Update 11 Jan 2019 - ✴️✴️✴️✴️✴️ - for this visit.

I did not see the response from management to the last review, so I didn't ever contact them, so can not comment on resolution. I have to say that the visit tonight was excellent. The food and service were great, just as it used to be.

Update - 18 March 2019 lunch time visit. ✴️✴️ - For this visit. Arrived at approximately 2:25 pm. It was dead, in fact wondered if anyone was working, had to go and find some one to seat us, since no staff were visible in bar or restaurant. There were a few customers.

Once finally seated our drink order was taken , delivered and nachos brought out. But could not take our order as she wasn't our server. Another couple of songs played and was about to get up and leave, when our server showed up. It was 2:38. We ordered Dos Fajitas.

She apologized but, I would suggest picking somewhere else for a quick lunch.

2:51 pm still no food. Definately not a quick lunch spot.

2:55 pm the food arrived

Flavour is excellent and they brought...