Cowboy Burgers & BBQ — Restaurant in Riverside

Worth the wait.

My wife and I had been anticipating this place for literally years. We first noticed the new building going up, I think it was early 2020 or late 2019? And began speculating what might be built. When we found out it wasn’t yet another chain, but instead a local BBQ style spot, we got excited. Then the world shut down. Construction seemed to stagnate. It seemed at times like this place would never open. Then it finally did, but the hours were not good for our work schedules. We are rarely in the area when they are open. Finally, on a Monday we were able to stop in for dinner. She got a Jr cheeseburger meal with coleslaw, I got a Jr tri-tip meal with fries.

First and most importantly, the meat: the tri tip itself was very tender and juicy, without being gristly. I literally just tore off a piece with my hand, no need to a knife. That alone will have me coming back whenever I can.

My wife’s burger looked good as well. She got it topped in a way I don’t like so I couldn’t taste it myself, but as I pointed out to her, it must have been delicious, cause she took her glasses off to eat, she only does that when the food is really good.

The fries: nicely seasoned with some sort of seasoned salt. Nicely crisp, all pretty evenly cooked (I think I had 1 overdone fry in the batch).

The coleslaw: I’m not a slaw fan, but my wife loves it. She said it was great. But more than that, I could hear every first bite she took make a nice satisfying crunch. It almost made me want to try it, almost.

The bun: it was good. Didn’t fall apart, held the meat and toppings together. Nothing special, but the main thing I want in a bun is for it to just hold the food together without being too heavy, and it did that perfectly.

The bbq sauce: the one somewhat less than perfect spot. It was by no means bad. It was actually pretty tasty. But was a little on the thick and pasty side, I prefer a more liquid bbq sauce. Also, there wasn’t enough on the sandwich for my preference, but you can always ask for more (says 50 cents for sauce on the menu, not sure if that’s for any extra bbq sauce, or if they will give you one for free, with a charge for additional) I didn’t ask.

The desert: normally, I don’t get deserts. They included a free small portion of brownie with the meal though. WOW. the brownie was amazing. Soft, moist, and rich, with nicely crisped edges.

The portion size: since we got the Jr meals, we were quite happy with the portion sizes. Not sure how much bigger the main portions are, but I’m on a calorie restricted diet, and normally don’t do fries because of the high calories, but the Jr portion really is a small amount of fries that left me satisfied without feeling stuffed. Same with the burger size for my wife, and tri-tip size. Not sure how much meat was on it, it was pretty thick, but not excessively so, and given the leanness of the meat, it settled very nicely.

The decor: pretty standard bbq restaurant fare, but with a “fast food” layout.

The service: the staff that night were exceedingly friendly. Made us feel very welcome and at home.

Side details: ketchup is available, and it is Heinz. Soft drink fountain is Pepsi products. There is a small merchandise window with some neat stuff.

The price: I’ve seen some reviews mentioning cost seeming to be high. The prices are pretty much in line with what I’ve seen from most BBQ places. Perhaps the drive-thru makes people think they’ll pay McDonald’s or Taco Bell prices, but this is far superior to chain fast food. And with the rising costs everywhere, nothing here seemed beyond the price norms for “better food” spots.

The verdict: We will definitely be making a bigger effort to come back here as often...

Been here three times now: 1st time: Cheeseburger & chili cheese fries 2nd time: Cowboy burger, fries & strawberry shake. 3rd time: Western burger combo (just discovered that ANY burger/sammie can be made into a combo @ $4, even though it's not on the menu).

Staff is amazing - so friendly, helpful, and patient. The food is FRESH and not greasy (except for the regular fries - too greasy & salty EVERY time, so won't order again).

Chili cheese fries weren't that in the traditional sense; seemed like fries with a thinner tasty red sauce. Not what I expected, but still really good!!

Strawberry shake was yummy but expensive for the size; almost $5 for a McD small cup size. However, I was just informed that they use REAL ice cream in their shakes, which explains the higher cost.

The burgers have a good bun to meat ratio, but are also loaded with fresh toppings!! You don't feel greasy, gross, and heavy after eating these burgers (like you can sometimes with some other drive-thrus).

Food is good and worth the price given the freshness and flavor. The only issue I've had is that my Cowboy burger was missing the avocado; $10 for a burger, I expect the avo to be there! If it's a supply shortage given the current situation, I completely understand that, but then they should alert you about that when you order it.

Carl's, McD, and other chains charge $10+ for combos, so overall it's not much pricier compared to other places in the area; given the quality served and that I don't eat out often, it's worth it! It's a nice addition to the area. I'll definitely be back to...

My first visit to this long awaited opening was a good experience. Breanna takes the orders and the voice was so professional through the ordering speaker that I thought it was a tape.

Breanna also is at the take out window and ensures that the order is correct, complete, and packed very nicely with condiments separately in a small paper bag. The double cheeseburger was outstanding with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, crispy sweet white onion, and special sauce. I ordered it with extra bacon and fries. The fries were well seasoned, not too salty, very tasty and crisp but not greasy.

I believe that this will be a successful location for Cowboy Burgers & BBQ with high customer service standards and quality food.

This was a rare treat for me and not something that I indulge in every day but I really wanted to try this particular venue as I had never heard of them before. Most fast food has become pricy as have all consumer goods, but this food is good quality for the...