Tacos are a Love Language at Lone Star Taqueria

Lone Star Taqueria | 2265 Fort Union Blvd, Cottonwood Heights, UT
(801) 944-2300 | lstaq.com
Mon-Thur: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. | Fri-Sat: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.

There’s a certain type of restaurant that exists purely to be photographed. You know the ones: neon signs telling you how to feel, tacos stacked too tall to eat, menus that read like a branding exercise. Lone Star Taqueria is not that restaurant. Lone Star does not care about your ring light, your caption or whether the salsa matches your aesthetic. Lone Star cares about one thing only: feeding you well, consistently and without unnecessary commentary.

Sitting on Fort Union Boulevard, Lone Star Taqueria has been quietly holding its ground since the mid-90s, long before “street tacos” became a personality trait. Walking in feels like stepping into a place that knows exactly what it is and has zero interest in reinventing itself to impress strangers on the internet. The decor is casual, a little chaotic and unmistakably lived-in. It’s like your favorite hoodie that somehow still looks cool no matter how many times you’ve worn it.

I wanted to try a wide range of menu items to see if I could pinpoint a favorite. I ordered four tacos: Pescado, Carne Asada, Carne Deshebrada and Pollo Asado ($2.69 each) and topped it off with some Chips & Salsa ($2.09). The tacos arrived quickly with warm tortillas, generous fillings and the quiet confidence of food that knows it’s about to be eaten, not analyzed.

I bit into the fish taco first, and it was exactly what I wanted it to be — lightly battered, flaky, still juicy, tucked into a soft corn tortilla with crunchy cabbage, pico and a drizzle of that jalapeño-cilantro sauce that somehow manages to be creamy, bright and addictive. It’s the kind of taco that doesn’t ask you to pause. It wants momentum.

The chips and salsa got bites in between (and sometimes at the same time) as the tacos for texture mix-ification. The chips were thick, sturdy and crunchy. I think it’s impossible for them to snap under pressure or disintegrate mid-dip. The green salsa I went with struck a perfect middle ground of just spicy enough to wake everything up without hijacking the meal.

Next up: the carne asada, well-seasoned and chopped into pieces that actually fit the tortilla. The flavors were clean and savory, elevated by nothing more than a squeeze of lime and a hit of their green salsa. It’s simple in a way that only works when the fundamentals are nailed.

The carne deshebrada leaned fully into comfort territory and might have been my favorite. It was tender, slow-cooked and rich in savory flavor. This is the one you order when you want something that feels familiar without being boring. The pollo asado rounded out my lineup, and sure, chicken can sometimes feel like the safe choice. This one, however, held its own as juicy, well-marinated and grilled with just enough char to add depth. Each of the protein options at Lone Star are balanced and quietly dependable.

What became clear halfway through my meal is that Lone Star isn’t trying to surprise you; it’s trying to satisfy you. Every taco feels intentional, built for repeat visits. There’s no weak link, no filler order, no sense that anything exists just to pad out the menu. The food is designed to be craved, remembered and ordered again without hesitation.

Lone Star Taqueria proves that longevity comes from knowing what you do well and continuing to do it well. Just solid tacos, made with care, that keep people coming back because they work, every single time.

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