Located on the northwest corner of McKinney's Square is Lone Star Wine Cellars. It is located in the old Ritz Theater building, which is kind of like a tiny mall, with an interior corridor leading to a jeweler, florist, gift shop, and the salons.

If you are passing by Friday or Saturday night, you can't really miss it, as they broadcast the evening's live music towards the square via an outdoor speaker. It is one of two wine bars on the square, I will write about Landon Winery another time.

The music at Lone Star is simple. So far we have seen solo musicians, but always playing to a packed crowd. On weekend nights, tables and chairs are available in the Ritz's hallways to accommodate those patrons spilling out of the main bar. Couples dance in the hallways as well, since it is such a small venue. The smokers dance outside on the sidewalk to the music piped out via speaker. I've heard country, pop, reggae, and plenty of Jimmy Buffet of course.

We went on Valentine's Day, since our table at Cafe Malaga wasn't ready quite at 9:00. We really just went to waste a little time, but it turned out to be a fun discovery.

Our server informed us that they have live music on Friday and Saturday nights. Friday is "date night" and Saturday is "party night".

The wines were mostly local Texan. The prices were remarkably reasonable. I selected four tastes for under $8 and I think David had the same. I had the Wales Manor Sweet Ruby Cabernet, a Blueberry wine, and a Blackberry wine (yes, they were good, as I enjoy sweet wines) and I cannot recall the final selection. David had a series of reserve selections, which he enjoyed.

There is a selection of light foods available, including cheese trays and baked brie, typical cellar fare. Also, Cafe Malaga will deliver to Lone Star Wine Cellars... interesting!

The variety of patrons was interesting. There were cowboy types with dates, girls out on the town, next to us a man was introducing his fiance to his family. A family came in with teenaged kids and sat in comfortable looking winged back chairs in the hallway/foyer. It was Valentine's Day, so there were quite a few Valentines.

The music is loud enough to sing along to, yet it is easy to have a conversation. It is a nice low-key weekend evening outing, especially if one has plans to dine elsewhere on the square or in the historic district.