A Big Basque Meal at The Star in Elko

A bowl of cabbage soup, fresh bread and a large shared salad set the pace at The Star in Elko. Before anyone gets to a steak or a lamb dinner, the table is already beginning to fill—a promising sign at a restaurant where the meal is designed to unfold in courses rather than arrive as one plate and one side.

This is Basque family-style dining, a tradition built for lingering over a table full of food. Long tables may bring different parties together, and the room has the easy bustle of a place where locals, regulars and travelers passing through Elko can all wind up within conversational distance.

For newcomers, the format is a pleasant surprise. You choose an entrée, but much of the meal belongs to the table: soup, bread, salad and a parade of side dishes that can make an ordinary appetite reconsider its plans.

Cabbage soup is the opening move, served with bread while everybody settles in. It is simple, warming food, and it gives the meal a home-cooked beginning before the larger platters begin their rounds.

The salad comes family-style, dressed with the restaurant's creamy garlic house dressing. Garlic is not a background note here. It appears again and again through the meal, giving even familiar dishes a bolder, more distinctly Basque character.

Croutons may arrive as a snack before the salad lands, with the perfectly sensible option of scattering them over the greens instead. It is a small detail, but this is not a meal that hurries past small pleasures.

Then come the shared dishes: red beans, garbanzo beans, green beans, spaghetti and French fries. It is a particularly generous interpretation of “sides,” with enough variety that a table can keep passing bowls even before the main courses arrive.

Some of the beans may be prepared with chorizo or sausage, adding a savory, hearty edge to the spread. The green beans have also appeared with whole garlic cloves, a detail that will delight garlic devotees and gives a clear clue about the kitchen's flavor preferences.

Spaghetti and fries alongside beans may sound like a lot—and it is—but the point is abundance, not restraint. The meal has the slightly joyful logic of a large family dinner: put good, filling things on the table and make sure nobody leaves hungry.

The Star's entrée list centers on substantial main courses, including steaks, prime rib, lamb and chicken. The family-style opening means an entrée does not have to carry the entire meal by itself, though the entrées have plenty of presence.

Steaks are known for a charred exterior and a medium-rare center, often finished with garlic on top. A spicy garlic sauce or topping is also available for diners who prefer their steak with an extra kick.

Prime rib has appeared as a notably thick, plate-sized cut. It is the sort of portion that makes a take-home box less an afterthought than a likely part of the evening.

Lamb is a natural choice in this setting. Baked or roasted lamb has been served tender enough to pull easily from the bone, and lamb chops offer another way to go. For a change of pace, scampi and grilled chicken provide alternatives to the red-meat-heavy end of the menu.

At lunch, a steak sandwich offers a more compact route into the steak side of the kitchen. Compact, of course, is a relative term at a restaurant known for generous portions.

The Star has a homey, lively character rather than the hushed formality of a steakhouse. Servers bring the meal in stages, and the rhythm of soup, salad, shared platters, entrée and dessert keeps the table engaged.

Communal seating can add a little local color to dinner. It is possible to be seated at a long table shared with other diners, making the room feel less segmented into private islands and more like a gathering place.

The bar carries that same sociable energy. Wine is available by the glass or bottle, alongside beer and cocktails, including the Basque-associated Picon Punch. Local regulars may be holding court nearby, and the soundtrack can get lively when the dining room is busy.

The restaurant has the longstanding character that returning guests often seek out year after year. It does not need much ceremony; a full table and the continuing traffic of dishes tell the story well enough.

Dessert can be a challenge after soup, salad, beans, spaghetti, fries and a serious entrée, but there are reasons to try. Basque cheesecake with chocolate sauce offers a richer finish, while lava cake brings its own chocolate-forward appeal.

Flan is another option, along with a simple rice-and-milk dessert that can be finished with cinnamon. These are fittingly unfussy endings after such a broad meal: familiar sweets, served after the table has already had its share of abundance.

Some desserts, including the lava cake and flan, are associated with the restaurant's in-house cooking. If the table has managed to pace itself, dessert is an agreeable last course rather than a dare.

This is a meal best approached with a real appetite. The multiple shared courses and large entrées regularly leave diners with enough for another meal, so leftovers are common.

The family-style setup can include shared seating as well as shared food. Diners with dietary restrictions should discuss ingredients with the restaurant before ordering, particularly because some bean dishes may contain sausage and the ingredients in side dishes can vary.

For people crossing Nevada or stopping in Elko for lunch or dinner, The Star offers more than a quick roadside meal. Settle in for the soup, make room for the garlic, and expect the table to stay busy.