Lone Star is a phrase that usually conjures up images of a solemn vaquero, supping on beans and tortillas, gazing over glowing embers as the last waves of sunshine set over the edge of the mesa, while he ponders the insignificant yet cerebral nature of life. Wait a minute though, we’re just in the depths of Allston. Is it possible that a taco bar can provide a readily available escape into tranquility?

Exaggeration aside, Lone Star Taco Bar has some of the best tacos I’ve had the pleasure of consuming in Boston. Relatively cheap at four dollars per taco, and with such variety, my self-control is tested every time I walk within a half-mile radius of the place. The small menu has enough variety to satisfy several repeat visits.

I’ve had the Dallas spicy beef, the beef barbacoa tacos and the fantastic baja fish of the day. The spicy beef incorporates mushrooms in its fried tortilla, something I’ve never considered as an ingredient for tacos, yet Lone Star pulls it off with ease and purpose. The barbacoa (slow-roasted cattle cheek and other parts of the head) is made even more mouth-watering by the accompaniments of pickled red onion and cotija cheese. The one qualm I have is their salsa. While the homemade chips are fantastic, the salsa lacks flavor and is a bit watery for my taste.

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Homemade chips and salsa. Photo by Anneliese Scheck

Despite the feeble salsa, the aesthetics of Lone Star are far from watery. It’s connected via glass door to Deep Ellum, a notoriously hip Allston watering hole, and it shares much of the same décor and vibes. It seems as if the paneling on the wall above the bar was ripped straight from the spur-scarred floorboards of a ramshackle saloon, and the buffalo head overlooking the diners appears to nod in approval with each decadent bite.

Only in Allston will you be treated to a subtitled viewing of The Unforgiven (featuring Audrey Hepburn as the cowgirl of my dreams) while sipping on a twenty-ounce margarita. Altogether Lone Star is the go-to taco spot in Allston/Brighton. The space is small, so try not to go during the lunch or dinner rush, but whenever you’re craving some stylish, Americanized tacos, just stop in, order one of their 12 specialty margaritas and enjoy some of the best tacos in Boston.

Location: 479 Cambridge St. Boston, MA 02134
Hours of operation: Mon-Fri 11am-2am, Brunch until 4pm, Dinner 4pm-1:30am, Sat-Sun 10am-2am, Brunch until 4pm, Dinner 4-1:30am

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