Lonestar Steakhouse on O'Neal

We arrived about 4:30 p.m. on a weekday, although all I remember for sure at this point about which day of the week it was is I know it wasn't a Tuesday. That's their kid eat free day and Mr. D is vehemently opposed to large crows and thus avoids such fantastic deals. This was about a month or so ago, but I'm quite sure that nothing has changed in the past month for this review to be rendered inaccurate.

The place was pretty deserted, but that's to be expected at such an odd hour.  When we walked in, we were pleasantly greeted by the hostess.  She seated us at a table in the front dining area and our waitress arrived not long after we were seated.  If I remember correctly, three other tables were occupied.  Our waitress took our drink order, disappeared, and came back in a timely fashion.  She was nice and polite, even if she seemed a little put off at the idea of having to clean up the mess Little A was sure to leave upon our departure.  After much debate about whether to go the healthy or indulgent route, I ordered steak with an add-on of shrimp; and because my order sounded so delicious, Mr. D bypassed the salad for a steak, as well.  I ordered my steak cooked medium-well; he opted for medium.  Little R ordered the kids chicken strips.

The food arrived in a timely fashion, and that's about the end of anything decent I have to say about the food.  The chicken strips were frozen, but that's not an oddity in Baton Rouge. Very few restaurants serve fresh chicken strips, and we would know since Little R is a chicken strip connoisseur.  Now, I don't profess to know much about food.  In all honesty, my proper place is probably right next to Little R in the expert chicken strip department.  However, Mr. D does know a thing or two about food (and wine) and usually gives his opinion on both subject rather freely.  Needless to say, even with my underdeveloped palette, our meal was a step above horrible.  Both steaks were cooked for what must have been a week because that's how tough and tasteless they were.  Mr. D choked his down because he had no choice.  I took one bite, ate the 5 shrimp because I was sure I could chew them without breaking a tooth, and pushed the plate away.  When the waitress came to take our plates away and most of my meal was still sitting on my plate, she gave it one glance and asked how the food was.  Having learned from a few past experiences that the young employees of such places don't take well to criticism, we smiled politely and said fine.  We paid our bill and left.  We haven't been and I dare say will not be going back anytime soon. 

Lonestar, like many restaurants in that area of Baton Rouge, needs a serious tuneup.  The ambiance was okay but not great.  The service was decent at best but with an inattentive and uncaring attitude from a waitress who would obviously much rather be texting her buddy about what happened in last week's episode of Glee than paying attention to her customers.  The food was atrocious, almost inedible.  The bathrooms were clean, though, so that's a plus.