The Honor of Becoming a Regular

The Honor of Becoming a Regular

I’m pretty sure I spent somewhere in the realm of $5000 on tacos my second year out of college. Crazy, right? And not just any tacos, any margs, any queso – specific tacos and humongous margaritas from my husband’s, Ethan, and my favorite place: Lone Star Taco Bar, in Allston, MA.

What began as an initial visit after watching their Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives episode quickly became a part of our Friday night ritual. Rain or shine, New England winter or blazing summer, you would find us there at around eight o’clock every Friday night. No reservations allowed, so we’d wait sometimes up to 30 minutes for a table. We were committed.  Once inside, I’d order carnitas and barbacoa tacos, along with a mugarita: a huge margarita in a beer pint, with a salted rim. Ethan would get a draft beer and the chili con carne. This was how we punctuated the week, good or bad, and kicked off the weekend. 

As we hustled in the beginning of our careers, we were short on both time together and money, but we always saved a little of both for this. And we knew we’d picked the right place to be our go-to when one random Friday, the doorman saw us outside and said, “Listen, what time do you normally come by?” We told him eight o’clock was our tendency. “Alright, you got it. I’ll have a table waiting for you for eight o’clock.”

Two things happened then: we always had a table, and we never missed a night. And it made getting ready to go out that much more exciting. To know that when we showed up, we could exchange a brief smile at the door and walk right into the busy restaurant, to the table just for us.  We could genuinely get to know servers, bartenders, and food runners. Ethan and I also added in a “no phone” policy, and even left our phones at home on Fridays just to zone in on our date nights together. I soaked up every moment of those dinners out.  

When we became regulars, the restaurant became more than any eatery – simply because we were more than just guests. Lone Star was something we could always count on: to be delicious, to be hospitable, and to be a respite. And they could always count on us.

We’ve been out of Boston for four years, but as soon as we walked into Lone Star for the first time after busy life changes, a familiar face saw us seated and asked about our wedding, where we’d moved, and told us it was good to see us. Even today, I have tacos elsewhere, and they may be good, but there’s no denying being a regular adds a bit of intangible seasoning that just brightens everything: from taste to experience.