The Star Hotel is the oldest continuously operating Basque restaurant in Elko, and one of the oldest in Nevada, run by the same Basque family for generations. Meals are served family-style at communal tables: soup, salad, beans, French bread, and a rotating main course (typically lamb, chicken, or beef stew) arrive in sequence, whether you know your neighbours or not. Wine comes in a carafe; there are no menus.
This is not refined dining but it is genuinely good food, prepared in the same tradition that sustained Basque shepherds working the Nevada ranges for months at a time. The lamb stew is the benchmark against which everything else is measured. Reservations are recommended, especially during the Cowboy Poetry Gathering in January.
Address: 246 Silver St, Elko, NV 89801. Phone: 775-738-9925.