Star of the Stockyards

When Drew Boatman recently purchased the Stockyard’s oldest cafe earlier this year, it became apparent that the smallish bar needed upgrades. Boatman, who owns several local bars, hired restaurant stalwarts Victor and Misty Villarreal to oversee food and beverage operations at The Star Cafe. Misty said the bar just wasn’t equipped to service late-night crowds, daytime regulars, and a steady stream of tourists from overseas. 

The newly installed dark brown bar is low-key and adorned with vintage knick-knacks and Western ornaments from the original bar. Misty said long-time patrons are protective about their favorite cafe, so any upgrades kept the comfy worn-in feel of the original space. Visitors and tourists are a large part of the cafe’s clientele, so Misty expanded the beer options to include Rahr & Sons and local beer options. 

“We have a lot of people asking for something local,” Misty said. “We wanted to expand the bar to offer cocktails to people. When we did, we changed our name to Start Cafe and Cocktails. We had great food but we didn’t have any actual cocktails on the menu. We have our summer menu out right now, and we’ll do a winter menu. 

Misty said the top-selling cocktail, Lonestar Lemonade, uses strawberry and basil-infused vodka along with lemon juice and soda water. La Onda fans will appreciate The Salty Ginger’s return. (Watch out. It sneaks up on ya.) The Mama’s Banana Bread, Misty added, is an Old Fashioned that smells and tastes like freshly baked banana bread. 

Before the launch of the new cocktail menu, booze accounted for 10% of sales, Misty said. Now beer and cocktails account for 40% of revenue. Just having a mixed drink menu and a bar that can service late-night crowds has boosted sales of alcohol. 

Burgers, chicken-fried steaks, and other Texas favorites are still the main draw for visitors looking for a bite to eat on West Exchange Avenue where dining spots are scarce. Anything that works well has been preserved under the new ownership, and that pretty much includes everything but the original bar. The original staff has stayed on, and several workers have been clocking in at Star Cafe for decades. Having that wealth of knowledge and history has proven invaluable, Misty said. 

Misty is spreadingthe word that Star Cafe serves to-go cocktails from the front window. Anyone waiting in line to catch a show or spot inside a local dancehall can grab a Salty Ginger or Ma’s Banana Bread and any other of the several newcomer cocktails that the Villarreals are stirring up. 

Panther City Social proudly features Star Cafe and Cocktail’s Old Fashioned and House Margarita on our Cocktail Pass.