Yee-haw! Texas barbecue and soul food restaurant opens on Evansville's East Side.
EVANSVILLE – You may already have heard of LoneStar Bar-B-Que and Soul Food. It’s the barbecue that has been building a name for itself all summer at Ellis Park.
Fans will be happy to hear there now is a LoneStar restaurant on Washington Avenue in Evansville. Here are some facts about the new eatery.
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LoneStar Bar-B-Que and Soul Food has real Texas roots
Owners Tommy and Tabatha Washington are from Dallas, Texas, and Tommy barbecues in the Texas style. He started cooking with his grandmother, who was a chef, when he was 5 years old. He worked at some upscale restaurants in Texas and continued with barbecue as a hobby, even when he chose teaching as a career.
Then, 10 years ago, he sustained a traumatic brain injury. He worked hard to recover and didn’t feel he could go back to teaching, but he knew he could cook. So he began applying himself to the craft of barbecue and looked for ways to start a business.
How LoneStar Bar-B-Que and Soul Food grew
The Washingtons first used the name LoneStar Bar-B-Q at Friday after Five in Owensboro, Kentucky, selling Texas Torpedoes, a barbecue-stuffed potato. Next came the offer to set up at Ellis Park, and soon Washington was cooking for the jockeys as well as the public. The name began to get buzz and LoneStar was invited to come cook at Churchill Downs. Louisville was too far away, however, so Washington started looking for a brick-and-mortar spot here in Evansville.
They were offered space in Ross Center, most recently housing a Spudz-N-Stuff.
“God just blessed us and opened door after door after door,” Tommy said.
They invested their savings, did a lot of renovation work and opened in late September.
On the menu at LoneStar Bar-B-Que and Soul Food
True to the name, the meat entrees are Texas-style barbecue with favorite soul food sides such as greens, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese and banana pudding.
Washington’s Texas-style barbecue is smoked low and slow over hickory wood (cut on the North Side of Evansville) with a signature dry rub. The sauce is dark and sweet with molasses and sugar and is served on the side. Ribs are drizzled lightly with honey before serving.
In true Texas style, brisket is on top of the menu. Other meats include pulled pork, ribs and chicken. These meats can be served as plates with sides, as a sandwich, or as a part of other entrees, such as the Texas Torpedo loaded baked potato, Cyclone loaded nachos, Texas twister loaded fries, and street tacos.
The sides are all made from scratch. The macaroni and cheese is made with American cheese and Velveeta, whole milk and butter melted into a sauce. It’s combined with the cooked elbow macaroni and topped with shredded cheddar cheese.
The collard greens are a favorite family recipe. They are hot with a touch of chili and a little sweet with sugar as well as other secret spices to combat the natural light bitterness of collard greens. Since some diners do not eat pork, the greens are cooked with smoked turkey for savor.
Bread choices include sliced white, wheat, and homemade cornbread with just a touch of sweetness. We suggest the cornbread, and be sure to use it to soak up the juice from a serving of greens.
For dessert, southern banana pudding is made with banana pudding stirred with whipped cream and crumbled vanilla wafers.
LoneStar Bar-B-Q location, hours and contact
Location: 2403 Washington Ave.
Phone: 812-303-3351
Hours: Wednesday-Thursday 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5-8 p.m.; Friday 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5-9 p.m.; Saturday 1-9 p.m.; Sunday 1-7 p.m.; Monday-Tuesday closed.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: LoneStar Texas Bar-B-Que opens in Evansville
