By DAVID ERSOFF, Journal Contributor

About a decade ago, my kids kept talking about this bar-b-que restaurant that was way out by Louisiana Downs (Silver Star Smokehouse and Tavern, 1201 Dixie Overland Road, Bossier City), saying how good it was. Living in South Bossier, making that drive wasn’t on the top of my to-do list, no matter how good they said the food was.

My first encounter with Silver Star came a couple years later when my daughter’s high school soccer team reserved the banquet room for their end-of-season party. I was excited to try everything.

From that first visit and the yearly soccer banquets we had there, a few things really stood out; the brisket and sausage were top-notch and the green beans I could live off of, they were so good. The biggest surprise was the turkey, which was always served on the buffet.  It was so juicy all the way through the crowd running through the line. Turkey has about a 30-second gap from underdone to dry and tasteless, but at Silver Star, they were spot on every year.

Since those days I have been to many of the Silver Star locations and always been happy with the food. Ribs are my go-to when ordering off the menu. Silver Star passes my rib test with flying colors.

We as a family have enjoyed every private party so much that last year when my oldest daughter got married, we went to that same Silver Star for the rehearsal dinner.

Did I mention the rehearsal was in Keithville, almost in Stonewall? That’s how much we love that place. What’s a 40-minute drive between the rehearsal and dinner anyway?? The whole event went perfectly as always, so keep them in mind for any private events you might be booking.

I felt like I knew enough about Silver Star to write about their good food when deciding to feature them, but I didn’t want to do anyone reading this an injustice by not dining there again. Of course, I had to take my daughters.

It was at lunch and we had things to do after, so there was no over-ordering nor could we take leftovers. We started with the fried pickle spears. They have the right amount of coating to keep the appetizer light, but still feature a lot of flavor.

Naturally I ordered the rib plate with baked beans and green beans. All three items were juicy and flavorful, as always. My daughters ordered sandwiches, brisket and pulled pork. They were quiet while we ate, which is a sure sign of how much they were enjoying their sandwiches.

I did try some of the brisket and pulled pork, just a taste without the bun. I like to call it quality control for my writing. I quickly realized I could not have gone wrong with any of the three proteins we ordered.

Next visit, I’ll need to try one of their steaks, but that will definitely be at dinner time. Don’t want to rush.

Contact David at dersoff@bellsouth.net