LONE STAR BBQ – CHIANG MAI, THAILAND!

Welcome To Travel And Photo Today’s KC Barbecue Tour

(If you are new to our series about Kansas City BBQ you can visit the First Stop on the KC Barbecue Tour at KC BBQ 1st Stop for a bit of history and background.)

The KC Barbecue Tour Goes International

Today’s Tour Stop is Lone Star BBQ Chiang Mai, Thailand

Note To Readers: This article is based upon a visit to Lone Star BBQ prior to the COVID Pandemic. The spread of COVID changed many things – including Lone Star BBQ. At present their Facebook page indicates they are closed “temporarily.” As the world emerges from the pandemic, countries, shops and restaurants are slowly reopening and re-establishing their business. I hope this is also true for Lone Star BBQ. I hope to return there soon and I would encourage you to do the same if you find yourself in their neighborhood.

Travel and Photo Today generally focuses it’s BBQ reviews on the great BBQ in our home town area of Kansas City. As you know, KC is, after all, home to some of the world’s best BBQ. (And if you don’t know – well come on out and visit us and taste some Great BBQ!) Still, on occasion, we here at Travel and Photo Today find ourselves on the road, away from our home base when we are hit with an unexpected but notable case of BBQ Deficiency. There’s only one cure for this malady – yes indeed – BBQ is the solution. Circumstances such as these give us the opportunity to seek out and sample BBQ in other parts of the world. And so it is that today’s BBQ review comes to you from Chiang Mai, Thailand.

LONE STAR BBQ

Lone Star BBQ – Chiang Mai is not exactly a convenient dining spot for Kansas City BBQ lovers. It’s located about 8337 miles from Kansas City. A visit requires a minimum of 3 flights and almost 24 hours total travel time.

If you happen to be in Chiang Mai however, Lone Star is well located in the walled and moated old city area. Stop by, have some BBQ, and then take in the Saturday Night Walking Street or visit one of the many temples that make the area so popular with locals and tourists alike.

Lone Star BBQ is located at 13/4 Moon Muang Soi 3, Chiang Mai, Thailand, inside the Old City Walls. It’s not exactly a big place. It doesn’t stand out and you will find no flashing neon signage to guide your way. If you have a sharp eye you just might see the flag (seen below) which is displayed outside. My suggestion however, – use Google Maps. I would never have found the place without help.

The Lone Star is owned by a nice guy named “Sweeney – Just Sweeney” he will tell you emphatically. No native to Thailand, he was born in New Jersey but spent 20 years living in Texas where he developed his taste for BBQ and refined his “Q” skills. He had been in Chiang Mai for over two years and opened The Lone Star about 1.5 years prior to my visit. He’s a great guy and as we chatted I mentioned I was from Kansas City. Taken back a bit, Sweeney said that visitors from KC tended to scared him because KC has “the best BBQ.” Clearly Sweeney knows his BBQ.

Sweeney – Lone Star Owner & BBQ Master – With His Smoker

Apparently it’s not easy to run a BBQ restaurant in Chiang Mai. As you might expect, BBQ is not a mainstay for Thais. He explained that they don’t raise many cattle in Thailand and its often difficult to get good beef. Additionally, since he is “the new guy in town,” his restaurant tends to be toward the bottom of the priority list for the suppliers in the city. Aside from limited access to product, he added that the cattle in the area are raised on a different diet so the meat and fat content are quite different than the U.S. As a result he has found it necessary to develop new cooking and smoking techniques. All this creates a challenge for Sweeney as he attempts to establish his BBQ restaurant and maintain high quality BBQ food for the customers.

The Lone Star has a rather basic and rustic feel to it. It’s definitely not a white napkin and lace table cloth kind of place – which is fine considering it’s a BBQ joint! The front of the shop is open to the street with stacked and chopped wood and smoker immediately inside – only a step from the street.

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Lone Star Wood Storage, Smoker, and Order Area

Step in off the street and simply examine the chalkboards listing the menu of the day and place your order.

Lonely Star Menu Of the Day With Smoking Wood Stacked Behind

Sides And Desserts

After ordering, pick a table and enjoy a cool beverage while your meal is prepared.

Lone Star BBQ Chiang Mai Pitmaster & Diners

Sweeney and Waitress Chat With Customers

Some food is served on plates while other items arrive on a wood plank covered with butcher paper.

Ribs and Brisket

The Canadian couple pictured below were enjoying a mixed selection of BBQ items.

The gentleman was clearly enjoying his BBQ ribs! (Note the interesting photo selection on the wall )

It’s not easy to find good BBQ in Chiang Mai. I hope Lone Star BBQ survived the COVID days and is still in business. The next time you are in Chiang Mai consider stopping by the Lone Star. When you do, give my best to Sweeney – Just Sweeney!