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Lone Star Texas Grill
Category: Restaurants Tex-Mex Tex-Mex [Edit]
200 Front St WToronto, ON M5V 3K2
Neighbourhoods: Entertainment District, Downtown Core
(416) 408-4064
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 am - 12 am
Fri 11:30 am - 1 am
Sat 12 pm - 1 am
Sun 12 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
28 reviews for Lone Star Texas Grill
Review Highlights
"The fajitas are absolutely the best here."
(in 13 reviews)
"Fajitas are great here, chips & salsa very good too."
(in 8 reviews)
"...salsa/bruschetta format, cool sour cream, smooth but tangy..."
(in 3 reviews)
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28 reviews in English
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Review from Reynold P.
Toronto, ON
11/5/2011
The fajitas are absolutely the best here.
Steak n' shrimp combo can't be beat. The soft, warm and tender tortilla shells are made in house. No jokes.
You can see their tortilla wrap machine as you walk into the dining room. It's pretty cool, mini conveyor belt style. Kinda reminds me of the Krispy Kreme days...
The service is top-notch too. She was friendly and visible, so it was easy to get her attention for refills or napkins. She also inspired my gf and I to continue heading to the gym but that's another story.
The atmosphere is lively and the food is fresh. I forgot to mention the complimentary chips and salsa. This was one of the highlights of our dinner. I kid you not, they were fresh, crispy and not too salty. They were perfect with the salsa!
Overall, it's a great place for buddies to hang out and eat. It's also a place for a date because it's casual and the decor around the restaurant is something to bring up for conversation.
Giddy up fellow Yelpers! -
Review from John Z.
North York, ON
2/2/2012
This place is awesome. The food is great from the fajitas, burgers, ribs, etc. You can't go wrong. The service is great, especially in the bar area where the ladies are both efficient & beautiful.
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Review from Geoff G.
Toronto, ON
12/11/2011
The BEST food. Good service. Decent prices. You wont be disappointed. EAT AT LONE STAR!!!!
If i could rate this place 10 stars I would. Food and service is always consistently great. The fajitas are legendary however if you are not in the mood for fajitas they do have other GREAT menu items. Because the fajitas are so good I've seldom had other items although when I did I was definitely not disappointed.
Bottom line, EAT AT LONE STAR !!! There are other restaurants with similar names and food but they don't even come close to the original (on Front Street). -
Review from Weez G.
Toronto, ON
11/24/2011
The place is clean, the service is efficient (if you are in a rush because you have tickets for something, this is a safe bet) and the location is convenient.
The food is good but for a casual Tex-Mex and beer joint this place is overpriced.
Much of that is the nature of the location; many of the restaurants and bars here are geared towards tourists. Another factor is that this is a chain and a lot of people will pay a little more for name-brand recognition.
That being said, this place does make its own tortillas which are quite tasty, however it is far from the only place that uses its own tortillas (and chips) in this city. I have no complaints about the food or the service, but I have had better for less money elsewhere.
We spent as much on one appetizer and two pints of beer as we would have on a whole meal in at least 6 other Mexican sit-down restaurants that I can think of in this city.
Plus, like a lot of other bars and restaurants located near the convention centre and ACC this place has no personality.
It lacks the intimate ambiance of one of the more upscale Mexican places.
It lacks the eclectic music and cool atmosphere of a real Tex-Mex bar & grill.
It lacks the homey charm of many of the smaller family-run Latin restaurants.
It is your typical chain bar/restaurant that tries to be fun in the generic and sterile way that a marketing committee would approve of.
If you are all ready in the neighborhood and looking for a good meal with good service, this place works.
I wouldn't make a special trip to this place just to have some Southwestern food, though. -
Review from Mila F.
Vaughan, ON
3/28/2011
If you've been to mexico or even texas you know this is far from the ''real deal'' but it is not terrible. This location in particular is the best one I've been to. I only order the fajitas and they come in quite an abundance. they make their own tortillas. and the chips n salsa are free so you can't go wrong with that.
You are looking at $16+ for fajitas for one (1/2 pound) so they are a bit on the pricey side. But when I crave fajitas they are my first choice. -
Review from shyni y.
2/24/2011
I've been here twice and both times the experience was...average.
Everything about the place is average - the food, the service,the decor...whatever else.Well, maybe not the decor- it's the chalkboard drawing everywhere - like Jackass' which I LOVE. So I may be biased.
I'm not saying anything was bad - in fact, when we arrived, the waiter brought us a bowl full of greasy salty nachos as an appetizer - that we didn't know we wanted until we ate it. The meat fell of the bone and was juice as can be; the wings were just spicy enough and the portions were prefect. I love the cowboy out all the staff wore - I would have totally asked to work there if I didn't already have a fantastic job I like - it really DOES bring out the best in you...from bottoms up:)
However, the rid & wing combo (which came with a side + coleslaw) was $22.99 = not cheap. ME = moderately cheap when it comes to food. If this plate was $18.99 I think I would be in agreement. There is something that is missing here - that just won't let me agree with the price or a 4 star rating.....
it is a good spot to go to if you run options of restaurants along Front street- otherwise it never dawns on me to go here - but great spot!!!! -
Review from Jim G.
7/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is a decent place to go for brews and eats before a ball game. The beer is a little pricier than most places but on par for the area, which gets spillover crowds from the Rogers Centre and the theatres in the area. The ambience--Texas trailer town--is kind of hokey, but I didn't find that the girls in cutoff jean shorts troubled me much. Not my go-to place, but I'd go back.
Listed in: Best Happy Hour
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Review from Joy S.
Woodbridge, ON
Updated - 9/26/2010
Order the wicked cheesey dip for your compelmentary bottemless tacos/salsa!
If you want to avoid kids screaming sit in the bar! Their wait staffs very friendly and quick.
The chicken/steak fajita's for 2 are also delicious!
About a 10minute walk from union station.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/19/2010
How can you say no to a place that gives you bottomless nachos/salsa!?
Really cool restaurant located… Read more »
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Review from Tamarah S.
Scarborough, ON
The fajitas are amazing. It's all I've had here though. The friends I went with had really good things to say about the coffee as well. The guacamole is really good!
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Review from Sergey S.
11/14/2010
I love this place.
Not without shortcomings, and definitely on a pricey side for a tex mex - but still one of my "default" destinations in Toronto.
My favourite plate is a stake and ribs combo with Texas-size margarita. Fajitas are also good, but be prepared to work on them - too much to stuff in, not enough to wrap around...
Staff is super-friendly, open, helpful, and overall provide a genuine feeling of hospitality. Rare thing - and I only observed that at the Front Street location, others were hugely inferior in this sense.
Safe to drop in with children. I've seen great little fiestas going around, with quite an amusing participation of the restaurant staff. They also did not hesitate a second to calm down some drunk idiots annoying the rest of the customers, and did that in a very polite and professional way.
The place is always at least half-full, but you never need to wait for more than 5-10 minutes after dropping in in the worst case.
Also, same level of service and quality of food have not changed for at least two years I am going to Lone Star - impressive. Keep on the great job, guys!
Highly recommended. -
Review from Heather B.
Scarborough, ON
7/11/2010
Now I love tacos and fajitas...and if you like them too then this is a nice place to go.
It's a family style place so you can take the whole gang there if you'd like.
The staff is quick and friendly.
HOWEVER!
I ordered the fajitas with the boyfriend.
I really liked the buffalo chicken... it spices it up from the plain old fry up.
So my waiter asks me if I wanted to add mushroom or hot peppers. We said yes to both. Well wasn't I surprised when I got my bill.
Now I think a reasonable price for extras would be $1.50- $2
Hot peppers ended up being I believe $2
THE MUSHROOM WERE AN EXTRA $5 ...are you kidding me!??!?
That is totally unacceptable in my opinion.
Am I over reacting? lol
Also they are alittle cheapish on their sides like cheese, lettace, tomatoes... like it only fills maybe 3 fajitas.
SO although I do like the food.. I don't like the fact they they rip you off on extras. -
Review from Hailie W.
7/31/2011
My husband and I had dinner here our last night in Toronto. We were over all the fancy food and just wanted something simple We sat in the rear of the dining room, which was nice and quiet. We were seated quickly and got our appetizer even quicker. (queso=awesome!) Our waitress was amazing! She even got my husband a pitcher of soda because he was so thirsty. Big thumbs up! We had the fajitas and ribs for two. The tortillas were amazing and the meats were great! If they had a LoneStar anywhere near our home we would definitely return!! If you're looking for a simple easy place to bring your family or have a drink, I suggest LoneStar!
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Review from Richie S.
1/18/2010
For anything other than their fajitas, this place is brutal. Staff are fine and friendly - no complaints there.
Had a work lunch here and with the lunch menu I ordered the Chicken Salad with pecans, etc. There WERE pecans, but in dust form. I believe there were 4-5 slender pieces from a chicken breast and the rest was iceberg lettuce and a couple cherry tomatoes.
With a diet coke and tip this cost $20.
My lunch mates commented also of the poor quality of their choices as well. Never again.
Oh, I've copied their salsa (which is pretty good), so if anyone is interested in trading recipes...Listed in: Skip these if given a choice.
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Review from Dishan W.
4/13/2010
I just spent the longest time debating on 3 or 4 stars for this place. In conclusion I give it 3.5 (as much as I try to avoid 0.5s on Yelp).
I went there after the Jays home opener (so it was pretty packed with people from the game as it's the first bar we walked by on Front Street).
They are supposedly known for their margaritas and fajitas. We all tried the Texas sized margaritas and yes they were sugary goodness.
What really makes this a memorable place though is the staff, although I do get the feeling they recommend everything that's pricey on the menu, apart from that, very friendly and it's fun to hear the "Yee haw"s across the PA system every time they do a shout out or announcement of some sorts.
A big reason I did give this 4 stars was their Birthday "song". One person in my group was celebrating his birthday and they do a very cool/"embarrassing for the birthday person" Hoedown type of song (and I believe they also take customer volunteers to help too).
As for the food, we definitely appreciated the complimentary supply of corn nacho chips with salsa that arrive with us to the table. I split a con queso (a cheesy dip) that is said to go with their complimentary chips, it was some what of a better tasting cheese dip with the taste of jalapenos than what you would find at a typical bar I guess. Worth the $6 (especially if you split it!)
The rest of the dished ordered were nothing spectacular, I would give the food here a simple 3 star rating.
I would recommend this place especially if you are looking for this type of cuisine. Prices are comparable to something like Jack Astors. This is the Jack Astors from Texas? I think I can safely say that. -
Review from Suzie G.
East York, ON
8/19/2009
As others have noted, Lone Star is decidedly more "Tex" than "Mex," but it's still a decent place to get your fajita/quesadilla/enchilada craving satisfied.
My boyfriend and I shared the 1/2 pound original chicken fajitas with honey garlic teriyaki sauce and were quite pleased. The chicken was very saucy and mixed with green peppers and onions, although unfortunately our dish was heavy on the onions with only two little green pepper strips. We had to ask for seconds on the fixings (guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, lettuce, cheese), but our waitress was very nice about that and the refills were complimentary. The tortillas were very likely my favourite part as they were fresh, bready, and super delicious.
Our group also had the complimentary nachos and salsa which I didn't think were anything to write home to mom about. We also had the spinach dip appetizer which had a little bit of a spicy kick to it, but fortunately even I, the queen of low spice tolerance, could handle it. It was served with both nacho chips and some sort of pita bread slices.
The restaurant's atmosphere was really nothing special. I really expected more of an either Tex or Mex vibe, but the most relevant decoration was Coronita bottles filled with salt and pepper on the tables. The service was friendly and prompt, and the prices were a bit higher than I would have expected, but not completely outrageous. As my friends and I were taking in a Jays game that night (stupid Red Sox beating my team, you suck!), the location was perfect, but I don't think I'd ever seek Lone Star out when I'm not in the area. -
Review from Todd V.
Toronto, ON
9/25/2008
I can't decide whether the Tex or the Mex is better here. And to be honest, it really doesn't matter. This place is pretty much like most other Lone Stars that you'll visit, except without much of a cozy feel about it. It seems like they tried to do "Texas" and "Sports Bar" and didn't do either particularly well. Yes, there's no sombreros on deer heads, but there's nothing that makes this place stand out from its supposed Rio Grande roots either. You could easily be sitting at the bar watching a game and the only thing that would make the experience novel is that there's a Dox Equis in front of you.
The staff is friendly. Almost too friendly. Like "Office Space" friendly where you become distracted trying to find the 15 pieces of flare. The menu stands up like most other Tex-Mex places and is franchise friendly. That said, the freshly made nacho chips that come out as soon as you get to the table are truly fantastic. If Lone Star get one thing right, it is this. -
Review from Eric C.
9/25/2008
Classic corporate tex-mex. What do I mean by that? The chips and salsa are decent and bottomless. They also have all of the regular mexican sounding menu items like chimichangas, enchiladas that no one really knows what they are except they have some sort of cheese and bean with them. I had the fajita enchilidas which were decent.
Our waitress struggled quite a bit with the order even though we only had three people in our party... and two people were sharing one meal. Not impressed with her but you don't go expecting nobel laureate waitresses I suppose. -
Review from Carmen M.
2/7/2010
If I could give 1/2 stars, I'd give Lone Star a 2.5, but the staff was so nice, that I'm rounding up to a 3. Eating Tex-Mex at a place called Lone Star Texas Grill and then being objective about the review is going to be difficult for a Texan in Canada, but I'll give it a whirl.
I've tried and tried and tried to find decent, even average, Tex-Mex in Toronto, to no avail. Someone mentioned Lone Star Texas Grill to me and, because I live in the area and had passed it one billion times, I finally decided to try it as my craving and hankering for food that reminded me of home had gotten completely out of control.
The place is huge, so, even though the Leafs were playing at home that particular night, it wasn't overly packed. It took a few minutes for someone to come over, but once they came, they continued to be helpful and accommodating. Four stars for the staff!
Now, the food. The chips and salsa were good. The chips were overly salty, imho, but were fresh, and the salsa was good. I wavered between the chicken fajitas and the chicken enchiladas, but decided to remain a purist and ordered the fajitas. As soon as I saw the chicken, I knew it wasn't going to be good. It looked like chicken that was processed like deli counter meat. It was definitely not the fajita chicken I'm used to in Texas. It was pretty bland, as were the guacamole and pico. The tortillas were good, and the rice was marginally good. The "saddle beans" (not sure where they got that name, as that's not what we call them in Texas) were good, as beans go. The fajitas, though, were the worst part of my meal. They were pretty disgusting.
I guess if I'm absolutely dying to have Tex-Mex, Lone Star will satiate a craving, but all in all, it's really only average. I have an idea -- let's all take a UYE to Houston so I can show you guys some *real* chicken fajitas! -
Review from Mike H.
Burlington, ON
4/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Decent place, great selections of ice cold beer. Complimentary nacho chips and dip were excellent. Service was very good.
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Review from Ed H.
Vancouver, BC
9/11/2009
Typical Tex-Mex with a big chain feel, designed more for high-volume than delivering a unique experience. The food (a chicken fajita wrap) was decent but nothing to write home about. The bartender was very friendly and kept me company during a slow afternoon. Overall, almost a perfectly average experience.
At least they were not forced to wear "flair"... -
Review from Melissa G.
North York, ON
10/1/2009
Lonestar on Front Street for me makes me think of GREAT food but IFFY service!
For the staple fajita or taco dish, this restaurant is just delicious! No matter how many times I think I am going to order something else, I always spring for the fajitas or try a different mexican-inspired dish.
The fajitas are so delicious because of the choices of meat and the toppings you get to create your yummy creation.
First off, you get a choice of beef or chicken, which is cooked and grilled with amazing seasonings and spices.
You also get a wonderful toppings platter, which consists of fresh crunch lettuce, chopped tomatos in a salsa/bruschetta format, cool sour cream, smooth but tangy guacamole and punchy cheddar cheese.
To wrap these tasty ingredients up, you get the BEST FAJITA SHELLS IN THE CITY, all warm and soft. I am telling you, after I am done with my actual food for the fajitas, if there is a shell left, I am devouring that as an extra snack. They are just amazing and are always fresh.
As for drinks, who could go wrong with a great margarita or daquiri?
Lonestar makes those amazing frozen drinks with flavours such as raspberry, strawberry, banana, mango or the traditional lime taste.
If I get my fajitas and a drink, my entire meal ends up being around $19.
The Lonestar on Front Street offers up all of this delicious food and great bar space and large screen TVs to catch any sports game, but the only thing I have to warn you about is the service.
Sometimes you get lost in the shuffle there, which can leave you at the table for a long time, either waiting to order or to grab your bill. -
Review from Lena D.
12/1/2010
friends and i were lured in with their happy hour specials. we saw that there were drinks and assumed there were HH food specials too. oops.. we were wrong!
they have $5 margaritas and so i had a strawberry margarita on the rocks. it was tasty but not very strong.
i shared a chicken quesadilla with one of my friends. it was just mehh. it was nothing spectacular.
the best thing was the free chips and salsa. lol
service was good but then after a while we couldn't get our server to get the bill. our plates had been cleared for long time before we could get anyones attention to get the bill. -
Review from L S.
9/10/2011
Fajitas are great here, chips & salsa very good too. Burgers not the best. Friendly, attentive servers. Overall, I would come back, but would only order the fajita's!
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Review from Jason K.
9/12/2009
It is what you expect it to be. Lone Star is long on that contrived southwestern bar room charm and short on really worthwhile food. I had the "Big Rig" burrito, one of the entrees the place is known for. It was a perfectly serviceable burrito, but not worth the $15 I paid for it.
The staff were very pleasant and attentive without hovering, though clearly there is a dynamic going on that you and I, as customers not employees, aren't supposed to see (but do) or understand (and can't).
The Bottom Line:
If you want a standard tex-mex meal with standard beer because you're a tourist staying nearby Lone Star makes sense and will fill your appetite. If you're interested in something more, you'll need to find somewhere else to go. -
Review from Thomas B.
North Bay, ON
6/1/2009
I like the atmosphere here. I know it's typical of most sports bar/grills but it's nice. There is something special about this place that I can't quite put my finger on. I didn't have the opportunity to star too long since we ran in and out of here before we went to sit in the CBC Hockey Night in Canada audience.
The food here was incredible OMG best nacho's ever! They bring you a small dish of complimentary nacho's when you get there and they are delicious! My friend got a burger here and said it was also phenomenal.
As for the service... IT WAS GREAT! From the moment we walked in the door we were catered to and felt like Texan Cowboys!
The only thing about this place is that it was a tad expensive but typical of it's quality of a restaurant.
If your on front, around the CN Tower drop in here if your looking for a good sports bar. It was a great experience and I'm sure it would have been better if we had the opportunity to stay longer than we did. -
Review from Cait H.
Toronto, ON
9/1/2009
Early summarization: Ehhh.
Honestly... I went with a group of friends. 2 in our party are from out of town, one used to live in Toronto, and I have recently moved here. We all have verrrry varying restaurant opinions (i'm gutsy, they.. not so much), and we came here simply because my ex-Torontonian friend had been there before and thought it would satisfy all our individual needs.
I had the veggie fajitas, which were awesome because the skillet had SO MUCH MUSHROOM! and i love mushroom. But it was very blah. I COATED my food in their hot sauce. (which I'm pretty sure was just Frank's, re-labelled. not that there's anything wrong with Frank's).
What got me was that all the food, though ordered together, came out staggered..We got our fajita cold plates loooong before the hot plates. Then my other friend's food came out... then five minutes later, my other friend's burger-- minus the fries, which they told us would be along "shortly".
?
I confused.
Anyway.. Next time I want a fajita or anything mexicanish.. I'll go to Hernando's.
I suggest you do the same. -
Review from Mike S.
Toronto, ON
9/4/2008
I have a confession to make, I love Lonestar. I know that I shouldn't I know that Lonestar represents almost everything I hate about the conglomerate food industry, but here's the thing, they make their own chips and salsa and it gets me in every time. I have yet to find anything on the menu that I really like or that is special in any way from the dozens of other chain restaurants in Toronto, but their chips are delicious and there salsa has just the right amount of cilantro and I find it hard to stay away. When do go I usually get the nachos, because they are mostly corn chips and they're not bad, and they have lots-o-cheese and meat although they do put the sour cream and guacamole directly on the nachos, when everyone knows they should be placed in separate containers for dipping. I can't really in good conscience recommend Lonestar to anyone who isn't secretly obsessed with deep fried tortilla triangles and dip, but if you are there is no better place to feed the craving.
Like the review? Check out the link to my blog on my profile. -
Review from Lorrie C.
Mississauga, ON
1/30/2010
Vey friendly staff. We enjoyed everything. The chips are nice and light.
