Cowboy Jacks Bloomington — Restaurant in Bloomington

My first visit, 2 days ago, was fantastic. Great food, truly excellent service, and the prices were extremely fair. Such a good experience that I'm here again already, and thought this could be a regular spot for me. Came in tonight, Tuesday April 15th, 7pm, and this time the sign said "Wait to be seated." So I did. I just stood there and waited, and waited, and waited. Finally a very slobby due with his hat on backwards waddles up to the greeting station. I explained that I needed a regular booth because of a recent surgery, but that I understood that they were busy, so I'd happily wait for one. He looked at me like I had just burned out his last 5 brain cells, then offered me a hightop table. I again explained that I wouldn't mind waiting for the table that I need. Then he pointed to and offered me table in between the booths. By this time, I was really starting to realize that this guy definitely should not be dealing with the public and would be much better suited at a job where he didn't have to talk to anyone or do much thinking. Nonetheless, for the 3rd time, I told him that I would wait for a booth because I fully understood that the restaurant was somewhat busy and that it was my own problem that I required special consideration. Then, this complete dope folded the menu across his chest, looked out across the restaurant and said, "Hmmm... Just trying to come up with a compromise." Mind-blown, I called him an idiot and walked briskly towards the door. Instead of just letting me wait for a booth, or just letting me walk out of the door, he yelled that I was being rude. I should have kept going, but I turned around and said "You aren't listening to me!" He then said, "I AM listening, and you need leave because you are being rude". I am writing this from my car with every detail fresh on my mind - I heartily invite the management to review the video/audio of the encounter. It's really sad that one single (yet absolutely awful) employee can completely ruin an establishment. Now I can never come back and I cannot patronize this otherwise great...

I don’t usually review restaurants but my server (who was great) told me the place was under new ownership so I thought the new owners my appreciate some feedback.

I ordered a Bloody Mary, and I have tried plenty and used to be a bartender at a brunch place, so I think I know a little bit about bloodies and I am not terribly picky. This thing was almost undrinkable. It had so much Worcestershire sauce in it I could barely drink it, and couldn’t taste anything else. Obviously every bloody should have some Worcestershire sauce but my god, this thing must have been fifty percent Worcestershire.

For my second drink I decided I better not risk another cocktail, so I asked for a beer list. The server told me they didn’t have one but gave me a QR code that allegedly led to the beer list. I do think this new trend of QR codes for menus is an abomination in itself - I want to get off my phone when I’m out to eat! But I tolerate it since it is becoming a standard. But in this case, the QR code directs me to the restaurant’s website, which includes a food menu, a drink menu, a mocktail menu, and a list of upcoming events. No beer list. I asked my server if I was missing something and handed her my phone and she confirmed there was no beer list from the QR code. So the restaurant literally doesn’t have a beer list and staff don’t even know this. I gave up and ordered a miller in a bottle.

I ordered a half rack of ribs. They were the driest, most bland ribs I’ve ever had. They were so dry I only got through half the half rack and gave up. They came with seasonal vegetables which were obviously frozen (so much for seasonal) and flavorless.

Overall a pretty ...

I was racially profiled on July 4th this year (2022) around 10:15 pm. I went to Cowboy Jacks on Southtown Drive in Bloomington, right in the middle of the Twin Cities. Getting to Cowboy Jacks, I went straight to sit at the bar and requested a double shot of their best vodka on the rocks. The bartender, a middle-aged white lady, paused for some seconds, looking at me with a doubtful face, and she later uttered it is fourteen dollars repeatedly three times. I answer with a smile that it is okay, you can bring the drink. Surprisingly, she said that she would not be able to pour my glass until I paid. I reached down to my pocket to get my wallet and pay. A couple of minutes later, a group of three young white men came to sit on three stools to my right, and they all asked for different drinks. With a joyous face, she went ahead to pour and gave them their drinks without asking them to pay before she could run them a drink. Not to jump to a conclusion, I waited a little bit to see if I was being petty about being profiled. To sum it up, another middle age white man came to the bar and sat beside me to my left. The gentleman asked for a pint of beer, and the bartender poured his drink without asking him to pay before she could pour his glass. And we are claiming "Minnesota Nice." With this experience as an immigrant to Minnesota, are we being "Nice?". Or does our niceness masks a clueless indifference? That, in some ways, is worse than the Confederate flags...