Lone Star Manukau

About Lone Star Manukau

Lone Star Manukau, on Great South Road in the heart of Manukau city, is the South Auckland home of Lone Star Bar & Cafe, where the team takes pride in making every guest feel like family. Whether it's an important event or a low-key family dinner, the promise is the same: old-fashioned Lone Star hospitality, generous plates and a table that always feels like yours.

The restaurant sits in a handy pocket of Manukau, right next to the Vodafone Events Centre, the Wero White Water Centre and the Ramada hotel, with Westfield just down the road — an easy stop before a show or after some retail therapy. Doors open from 4pm on weekdays and from midday on weekends, with the kitchen and bar running late every night.

The menu is classic Lone Star: famous pork ribs in that hoisin, orange and sesame seed sauce, sirloins and ribeyes off the grill, burgers in sourdough buns, market fish and green-lipped mussels, and a dessert cabinet stacked with the legendary Kahlua and Moro Bar cheesecake and the Jack Daniel's chocolate fudge pudding. Functions for up to 60 guests are well looked after too, with set menus, a private dining area and a bar and outdoor space for stand-up gatherings.

Lone Star Manukau: Legendary Ribs, Big Steaks and Cowboy Hospitality on Great South Road

Lone Star Manukau has a simple philosophy: nobody should leave hungry, and every guest should feel like family. Their motto says it plainly — leaving hungry's a crime. The South Auckland branch of Lone Star Bar & Cafe brings the brand's cowboy-spirited, big-flavoured style of hospitality to Great South Road, pairing generous plates with a welcome that holds up from the first hello to the last spoonful of dessert.

Where to find it

You'll find the restaurant at 792 Great South Road, in a handy pocket of Manukau city. The Vodafone Events Centre and the Wero White Water Centre are right next door, the Ramada hotel sits alongside, and Westfield is just down the road — which makes Lone Star an easy call for dinner before a show, a refuel after retail therapy or a night out in its own right.

Kitchen and bar hours run from 4pm Monday to Friday and from midday on Saturdays and Sundays, with service going late every night. Tables can be booked online, and functions can be arranged directly with the team.

The food: ribs that made them famous

The headline act is the Legendary Ribs. Pork ribs are blanched in honey and spices, fire-blasted, then smothered in the famous hoisin, orange and sesame seed sauce and served with buffalo chips. Redneck Ribs — the full-length spare ribs the menu calls the ones that made Lone Star famous — share the section with BB King Ribs, tender St Louis rib fingers, and The Cross Roads, a half-and-half for the undecided. Ribs come in three serves: the Trail Serve as a starter, the Maverick Serve as the classic main, and the Outlaw Serve built for two.

Steak lovers get the 220g Wrangler Sirloin, the 300g Stir Crazy Sirloin and the 300g Rockin' Ribeye, each with onion purée, buffalo chips, Lone Star coleslaw and a choice of steak sauce, plus a From the Ranch special where the chef selects the day's premium cut. Chicken dishes run from the creamy Dixie Chicken to the herb-crusted, stuffed Jonny Stash and the Cajun-spiced Cajun Chicken. Seafood covers Blue Pacific fish 'n chips in Steinlager beer batter, the parmesan-grilled Rock the Boat, Prawn Star tiger prawns and Mussel Mania — 500g of New Zealand green-lipped mussels steamed in lemon, white wine and garlic cream.

Smaller appetites and sharers are covered too: sourdough-bun burgers like the Gerhard beef and the Glen Campbell chicken, Midnight Nachos piled with beans, cheese and jalapeños, San Quentin squid, and the Outlaw's Loaded Melt. Vegetarians can swap the protein in any burger for a vegetable pattie at no extra cost, and servers will happily swap sides on the house — a small touch that says a lot about the place.

Save room — they'll bring two spoons

The dessert menu might be the most Lone Star thing of all. There's the legendary Longhorn Cheesecake, a Kahlua and Moro Bar creation; the Jack Daniel's Chocolate Fudge Pudding, rich and self-saucing; Banoffee Pie on homemade sweet pastry; Kiwi Pavlova with vanilla bean ice cream; and The MILKYBAR Pud, a hot white chocolate and buttermilk pudding. The menu's own advice says it best: partner up — they'll bring two spoons.

Functions, families and loyal locals

Lone Star Manukau is set up for occasions. Functions can be hosted for up to 60 guests, with a private area that seats 24, a bar and outside area suited to stand-up gatherings of up to 50, and a diverse range of set menus designed to suit different tastes and budgets — Christmas parties, corporate events and milestone celebrations included. Younger diners get a kids' menu of their own, with mains and desserts.

Regulars are looked after through the Lone Star Loyal app — as the team puts it, loyals are treated like royals — and order online is available for nights when you'd rather eat at home.

Whether it's a ribeye after work, nachos before a show next door, or a slice of Kahlua cheesecake worth the trip on its own, Lone Star Manukau delivers the kind of big, unfussy, old-fashioned hospitality that keeps South Auckland coming back — and leaves nobody hungry.

Signature items

• Redneck Ribs
• The Cross Roads
• Dixie Chicken
• Rockin' Ribeye
• Midnight Nachos
• Longhorn Cheesecake

Menu

Pork

• New Porker — Slow-roasted pork belly with crispy crackling and cider jus; served with mash and seasonal greens.

Salad

• Comanche Salad — Grilled chicken with poached egg, cos lettuce, streaky bacon, anchovies, parmesan and croutons in caesar-style dressing.

Sides

• Buffalo Chips — Lone Star's signature chips, served gluten free.
• Straight-Cut Chips — Classic straight-cut fries, served gluten free.
• Kumara Wedges — Golden roasted kumara wedges.
• Buttered Mash — Creamy mashed potato, served gluten free.
• Crispy Cauliflower — Crisped cauliflower side.
• Chilli Rice — Rice with a chilli kick.
• Sautéed Seasonal Veges — Dairy-friendly, vegetarian seasonal vegetables.
• Lone Star Coleslaw — House coleslaw, gluten free and dairy friendly.
• Green Salad — Fresh green salad — gluten free, dairy friendly and vegetarian.

Steaks

• Wrangler Sirloin — 220g sirloin with onion purée, buffalo chips, coleslaw and a choice of complimentary steak sauce.
• Stir Crazy Sirloin — 300g sirloin with onion purée, buffalo chips, coleslaw and a choice of steak sauce.
• Rockin' Ribeye — 300g ribeye with onion purée, buffalo chips, coleslaw and a choice of steak sauce.
• From the Ranch — A signature cut of premium meat selected by the chef — ask your server for today's local meat special.
• Prawn Star Steak Upgrade — Add five Prawn Star prawns to any steak.

Burgers

• Glen Campbell Chicken Burger — Grilled free range chicken breast, red onion, Swiss cheese, bacon, gherkins, lettuce, tomato and aioli in a sourdough bun.
• Gerhard Burger — Beef pattie, red onion, Swiss cheese, bacon, gherkins, lettuce, tomato and aioli in a sourdough bun.
• Vegetarian Pattie Swap — Swap any burger protein for a vegetable pattie at no extra cost.

Chicken

• Cajun Chicken — Pan-seared breast in secret Cajun spices, topped with spicy sauce, sour cream and jalapeños; with coleslaw and chilli rice.
• Dixie Chicken — Chicken breast in creamy garlic and white wine sauce with spring onion, carrot, corn and herbs; with buffalo chips and coleslaw.
• Jonny Stash — Herb-crusted breast stuffed with mushroom, spinach, cheese and sundried tomatoes; with chunky mushroom sauce, chips and coleslaw.

Dessert

• Saddle Up Sundae — Two scoops of ice cream with Chantilly cream, dark and white chocolate sauce, wafers and roasted almonds.
• Kiwi Pavlova — Mini pavs with fresh Chantilly cream, vanilla bean ice cream, fresh fruit and berry coulis.
• Crème Brûlée — A classic dessert with the Lone Star twist — ask about the different flavours.
• For A Few Doughnuts More — Italian-style oven-baked doughnuts with berry coulis and fresh Chantilly cream.
• Cowboy Crumble — Warm apple, berry and plum crumble with toasted coconut oat topping and vanilla bean ice cream.
• Banoffee Pie — Homemade sweet pastry layered with caramel, banana, sweet coffee cream and chocolate.
• Longhorn Cheesecake — The legendary Kahlua and Moro Bar cheesecake with chocolate sauce and Chantilly cream.
• Jack Daniel's Chocolate Fudge Pudding — Rich, self-saucing chocolate fudge pudding laced with Jack Daniel's; with chocolate sauce, cream and ice cream.
• The MILKYBAR Pud — Hot white chocolate and buttermilk pudding with butterscotch and white chocolate sauce and ice cream.

Seafood

• Blue Pacific Fish 'n Chips — Fillets of market fish in a Steinlager beer batter with straight-cut chips, tartare sauce and salad.
• Rock the Boat — Market fish dusted in seasoned flour, grilled with fresh herbs and parmesan; served with mash and salad.
• Prawn Star — Tiger prawn cutlets sautéed in garlic, chilli and coriander butter; served with rice and salad.

To Share

• Cowboy Bean Dip — Blended and served hot with sour cream and oven-baked flour tortilla chips.
• Baked Garlic Loaf — Oven baked with a lashing of Lone Star garlic butter.
• Outlaw's Loaded Melt — A garlic loaf half topped with melted cheese, guacamole, garlic butter and bacon.
• Dixie Chips — Loaded buffalo chips smothered in Dixie sauce and bacon, topped with a cheese melt.
• "Chief" Chicken Nibbles — Blanched in soy, honey and spices, smothered in the famous hoisin, orange and sesame seed sauce.
• San Quentin Squid — Crispy salt and pepper calamari served with a citrus aioli.
• Prawn Star (Starter) — Tiger prawn cutlets sautéed in garlic, chilli and coriander butter; served with rice.
• Midnight Nachos — Corn chips piled with spicy beans, cheese, guacamole, sour cream and jalapeños, with chicken, beef or roasted vegetables.
• Southern Fried Chicken — Nibbles and breast entree dusted in seasoned flour, fried crisp, with mustard pickle dipping sauce.
• Quesadilla — Two flour tortillas with spicy chicken, beef or roasted veges; topped with guacamole, sour cream and jalapeños.
• Mussel Mania — 500g of NZ green-lipped mussels steamed in lemon, white wine and garlic cream; served with ciabatta.

Legendary Ribs

• Redneck Ribs — The ribs that made Lone Star famous — full-length spare ribs in the signature sauce, with buffalo chips.
• BB King Ribs — St Louis rib fingers — tender, meaty and packed full of flavour.
• The Cross Roads — Where two legends meet: half Redneck Ribs, half BB King Ribs.
• Trail Serve — A perfect starter-size serving of the legendary ribs.
• Maverick Serve — The classic main-size serving of the legendary ribs.
• Outlaw Serve — The legendary ribs serve built for two.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Lone Star Manukau located?

792 Great South Road, Manukau, Auckland — right next to the Vodafone Events Centre, the Wero White Water Centre and the Ramada hotel, with Westfield just down the road.

What are the opening hours?

4pm until late Monday to Friday, and from 12pm until late on Saturdays and Sundays.

Can I book a table or a function?

Yes — tables can be booked online. Functions cater for up to 60 guests, with a private area seating 24 and a bar and outside area for stand-up functions of up to 50. Set menus suit a range of tastes and budgets.

Are there vegetarian and gluten-free options?

Yes — any burger can be made with a vegetable pattie at no extra cost, many dishes are marked gluten free (including the ribs and desserts), and servers will swap your sides on request.

Is there a kids menu?

Yes, Lone Star Manukau has a kids menu with mains and desserts.

Can I order takeaway or delivery?

Yes — order online is available through the Lone Star website.

Is there a loyalty programme?

Yes — the Lone Star Loyal app rewards regulars; as the team says, loyals are treated like royals.

Tips

• {"body":"Ribs come three ways — Trail (starter), Maverick (classic main) or Outlaw (for two).","title":"Pick your rib serve"}
• {"body":"The Vodafone Events Centre is right next door, making it an easy pre-event dinner stop.","title":"Time it with a show"}
• {"body":"Just let your server know — side swaps are on the house, and burger protein can go veggie at no cost.","title":"Swap sides for free"}
• {"body":"Saturday and Sunday open from 12pm; weekdays from 4pm, with service late every night.","title":"Weekends start at noon"}
• {"body":"Partner up — they'll bring two spoons for the big puds like the Longhorn Cheesecake.","title":"Save room for dessert"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Kids menu with mains and desserts; suited to family dinners big and small.","dietary":"Vegetarian pattie swap at no extra cost; many dishes marked gluten free; sides swapped on request."}