Lone Star Steakhouse Seafood and Grill – Beaumont, TX

Chicken Fried Road Trip: New Orleans (Part 1 of 2)

I don’t know what it is about road trips that makes me hungry, but in the midst of a trip to New Orleans, I got the hunger bug. Fortunately, I located Lone Star just off I-10 and headed in.

The inside décor is minimal and stripped down and had the feel of a real roadside diner (which, in effect, it was). The brown vinyl covered tables, wood panel walls made the place comfortable, if not a page out of Southern Living.

The CFS: Unevenly cooked – parts that were very juicy (as juicy as I’ve tasted) but parts were tough and overcooked.

Breading: Rich, peppery. Southern style. Good flavor. The charring on the side (my friend Texas Chef told me) is probably a result of pan frying, not deep frying.

Gravy: White, cream gravy. Flakes of pepper but not overpowering. Flavorful, rich. Good compliment to the CFS overall.

Knife: Steak knife provided and was appropriate.

Sides: Choose 3 (with the “small” CFS). I chose the okra, cornbread stuffing and the mashed potato, desiring to boost my starch intake for the long drive to the “big easy.” The stuffing was a bit dry and plain, although it was tasty. The okra was very good: lightly fried and tasted of…okra, suggesting it was fresh and recently fried. The mashed potato were also very good (same gravy was on it) – well whipped, good flavor and good balance of flavors.

Cost: $ 10.99 for the “small CFS.” A bit high but the food was fresh, fast and homemade.

Service: Good. A bit slow, although I arrived at the height of the lunch rush, so things seemed a bit chaotic. My waitress was very apologetic for the delays and got my food out quickly. She kept calling me “baby,” not in a romantic way but in a mother-son kind of way (I assume). (this was not uncommon as visits to other non-CFS restaurants in New Orleans repeated this pattern).

Music Selection: None.

Overall, this was perfect road food and well worth the time to temporarily halt my journey for a brief respite from the road.

6685 Eastex Freeway, Beaumont 77706.

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