The Cowboy Way BBQ

We ordered food to go during our move-​in weekend. Service was super friendly both over the phone and in person. Food was ok, and we’ll probably give it another try, but it wasn’t outstanding. I ordered a brisket plate, the portion was reasonable but the pieces were small bits. Sauce was ok. Sides were very small. I had mac and cheese and cole slaw, ok but nothing special. David had the pulled pork, similarly small pieces, similar impression.

The brisket was pretty good. The macaroni was horrible. No taste what so ever. The beans weren’t what I would call barbecue, but the waitress was so sweet and replaced my sides with cornbread and coleslaw which was good.

Seriously so good! This was our second visit here and it was just as good as the first!
The food is delicious and comes out quickly. We got the sampler platter that had a little bit of everything. It comes with two sides, we chose Ranch Beans and Mac & Cheese. We also ordered a side of corn bread. I really wish the corn bread came with the meal instead of as a side option. But it was worth the extra few bucks.
The pulled pork is amazing, the ribs fall off the bone. Brisket is just. so so good. The tri tip was the worst of the bunch and it was still amazing!
Now the down side. Both times the wait was super long bc they only had one server in the whole place and the owner was helping him out. They dont need a bunch, but two servers and the owner would be just fine. But the entire place was packed. Being the only BBQ place in town is great for their business for sure. and even better that its delicious.
So i dont deduct for the service being slow bc I’m a server and i know how it is. Besides, as soon as you order you get your food and its just delicious. A bit expensive though. we walked out $ 70 poorer (including $ 10+ tip).
i highly recommend this place and i will be back for sure

AMAZING FOOD!
It’s hard to find moist and flavorful baby back ribs, But this place had it spot on! Our waiter was warm and welcoming, food came out fast, fabulous experience! I definitely will be coming back.
A few suggestions to this place,
perhaps more appealing décor and a few more menu options. All in all, a HIT!

The Cowboy Way BBQ across the street from RICKS on North Palm Canyon Drive is a good BBQ restaurant.
I had tried both the BBQ Chicken (¼ dark meat) and the Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwich as well as their cole slaw and french fries.
No complaints about the food nor the pricing.
The service was friendly, service with a smile, ‘tho not spot on as I’m accustomed to, but after a weekend in Palm Springs, on par, maybe even better than most of the places I patronized which were a bit mediocre if not lackluster in complacency riddled with chaos and errors. So, I’ll give the service here an average or above average rating to that regard and context. I’ll also say it seemed they had 1 person serving the entire restaurant, so there’s only so much 1 person can do, and I’m patient and compassionate to her situation.
We had an innocent discrepancy with our check/​bill, so it’s always CAVEAT EMPTOR and you should always check your own bills. Ours was corrected quickly and accurately.
The place had lots of awards to instill confidence in the customers.
I’ll say this about most BBQ places, what makes for a good BBQ is a combination of the sauce, the marinade, and the quality of the meats not to be overcooked.
The Cowboy Way was good on all levels, especially the sauce.

Finally, we found BBQ to crave!
Loved the sliders, which is a taste of 3 different meats — pulled pork, tri-​tip, and brisket — all moist and good quality. The sauce is Kansas City style and very good, and we wished we had brought home a pound of the southwest macaroni salad — unique and flavorful. Combined with the great service and great prices, this is a triple-​great BBQ joint.

I had the pulled pork and it was good. I honestly forgot what my husband had. He had not complaints, though. The prices were high for such a casual place. You definitely weren’t paying for the atmosphere! The portion size of the main item was fair.
We stopped by early afternoon on a Saturday and the place was next to empty. I think it would do better if it had a better location.

Excellent food, friendly service and a fun relaxed atmosphere! Fun simple western food. Easy to love.

Been here twice, first time it was great, second it was just ok. I really think you need to get there when they first open to get some fresh BBQ. When I need a BBQ fix this is one of the only places around.

The food is great! So why the two stars? I’m glad you asked.
The sandwiches with one side run $ 10.95 to $ 14.95, depending on what you choose. Speaking of sides, just look at the fries versus any other side that comes in a little dish. Clearly the fries are the better choice! This price already seems expensive, but we didn’t notice the sign on the front door warning customers that any meat selection would be $ 1 more than listed because of the price of meat. Seriously? I think the waiter should have at least mentioned that before we ordered. Oh and that means everything is $ 1 more, because this is BBQ. It’s all meat. Honestly there was a ton of meat in each sandwich, so I think they’d be better off cutting back just a bit rather than this hokey $ 1 business. Or «splurge» for new menus (a piece of paper inside a notebook sleeve). Something.
When we got our handwritten bill, we first noticed the extra $ 1 that we weren’t expecting, but later we realized the total at the bottom was $ 3 more than the total above. Maybe our Ohio calculators are different. It wasn’t itemized as tax and seems too high for tax anyway (about 13%).
The one guy working the entire floor was doing a fabulous job keeping up with everyone. The food was awesome. Still, the strange billing practices leave a lot to be desired.
One last thing. There were four or five, apparently stray, cats on the patio. My first thought was that since no one was eating out there after dark, maybe it just wasn’t worth shooing them away. I also thought they better wipe those tables down really well before seating anyone out there. Then we overheard another customer ask the waiter if someone was feeding them. Stray cats usually hang around if you do. The waiter’s response was that everyone who sits on the patio feeds them. So the cats are there when people are eating. Gross! I get that there are animal lovers out there, but I doubt this place would pass a health inspection with cats in an eating area.

Let me explain the 2 stars
When our check arrived we noticed the price on both meals was more than the menu and the total at the bottom was $ 3 more than the two sandwiches which meant there was an extra $ 5 added to our check. The $ 3 at the bottom would have been with tax but that would have been 13% sales tax ?!?
13% sales tax?!! What?
So I grabbed a menu and headed to the register and pointed out that the menu has different prices than what was on our check and he pointed to the front door and said there is a sign telling how the price of meats went up and they have to charge $ 1 extra on all meat entrées. I was pretty aggravated and forgot to ask about the 13% sales tax.
I left the guy a $ 2 tip. What was I thinking? I should have left nothing because the extra $ 3 was a tip they added on already.
FOOD
The food was delicious and the bbq sauce had some heat to it. I would have given 5 stars but because of the lack of communication on the $ 1 meat charge and the 13% sales tax I was very disappointed.
STRANGE
There were 5 cats in the patio. Some were on the tables and chairs and others at the window. This seems like a health concern as there should not be animals where food is being served. And I would be greatly concerned if I saw cat hairs all over the table and chairs. We over heard the waiter say to another table that people feed them while they eat on the patio.

I would have given them 4 stars if it weren’t for the fact that my hubby smokes tri tip, brisket & ribs for me at home, which means I’m a little bit spoiled. That being said, we ordered the sampler — which I would recommend for anyone wanting to try out them menu. It consisted of two slices of brisket & two slices of tri tip, three ribs, pulled pork and a hot link, plus your choice of two sides for $ 34+ which is a great way to try out everything.
The dude waiting on us was AMAZ! He was going out of his way to make sure we were well taken care of while waiting in everyone else.
My ONLY disappointment was the wine list — EXTREMELY limited.
All and all a good meal and we will be going back

Good place for BBQ in the area and good for groups. Since we were new to the area and wanted to try everything, we opted for the sampler platter which comes with brisket, baby back ribs, shredded pork, hot links and sides (opted for mac n cheese and cornbread).
I thought the meats were particularly tender and falls off the fork on touch. Good, strong flavor in the BBQ sauce as well. Portions are really large so be careful when ordering, though be aware of the the a split fee of $ 2. Sides were forgettable.
Overall, not bad but probably one of the better choices for a reasonable price in this town.

Was fiending for some BBQ so we decided to finally the Cowboy Way a try. We weren’t disappointed. The wife and I split the combo platter, and it was more than enough BBQ to go between the two of us.
Normally, I’m a brisket kind of guy. Tonight though, can’t say I was too thrilled with the brisket. It was definitely moist and tender, and just smoky enough. It was clear though that the brisket (and the tri-​tip) either didn’t have a rub or wasn’t given much of a rub. The finished product didn’t have the bark unique to smoked meats with a good coating of rub. Pulled pork was excellent — nothing to say there.
The combo platter also comes with a side, and I chose the mac & cheese. If you’re a fan of mac & cheese, prepare to be slightly disappointed. It was definitely tender pasta and creamy sauce (with a little breadcrumb topping). That wasn’t the problem — just a small rammekin’s worth of it. Seriously. Imagine the dish you’d use for your dipping sauces and fill that with mac & cheese. That’s a «serving.» At least the red beans we ordered came in a much more generous saucer.
It was also disappointing to see just two varieties of BBQ sauce. Their house sauce (smoky and sweet, with a hint of spice) and a Carolina-​style. Mixed together I thought they were actually pretty good. I would’ve wanted a spicy BBQ sauce, which they didn’t have. When I asked, the server brought out a bottle of Tapatio. Yup. Tapa-​freaking-​tio.
Service was on par, and was sure to let us know about the rest of the menu. I’m also glad we came in the «winter» (this is Palm Springs after all). Their patio was open, and I’m not sure I saw any AC vents. Could get pretty toasty in there during the dog days of summer.
Definitely want to come back and try the ribs and the wings, which have apparently won all kinds of awards.

Unilocal reviews rarely steer me the wrong way. However, a big fail on this one.
When we visited, sewage was being pumped out of the restaurant. Maybe it was an emergency so it couldn’t be done outside of business hours… who knows. But it made the whole place smell like sulfur. And seeing waste being pumped up during a meal is gross! This should have served as a warning for us.
The ribs were not good at all.
Pulled pork was sub-​par.
Mac and cheese was average.
Cornbread was too dry.
I feel like we wasted our money and stomach space.
…Crappy all around. :/

Simply the Best real BBQ I have ever had!
I had the pulled pork, and my husband had the Brisket and he is Sold! The Cowboy beans and cole slaw were seriously the Best!
Every sauce is made right here at location!
Don’t miss out on this little hidden gem!

Yeahaw, cowboys and girls! Saddle up for dee-​list dishes! My husband, father-​in-​law and I ordered the sampler platter with 2 extra sides and left satisfied with some leftovers to boot. At around $ 50 including tip, not only was the food excellent, but it was reasonable too.
We sampled the brisket, pulled pork, tri tip and hot links, along with the macaroni (loved the bread crumbs on top and the creaminess), beans (that tasted more like a scrumptious chili), fries (pretty average) and cornbread (the honey butter that came with the corn bread was easily as good as the bread itself). We weren’t able to decide which meat was best, but the pulled pork (juicy, full-​bodied flavor and tender) and brisket (could be cut with a fork, savory and hearty) topped the list.
Atmosphere was cute but not over the top worth-​noting, but the experience itself (including friendly service) made the 3 of us fast fans!

Smokin’ saddle! This is one of the better BBQ’s we’ve tried so far.
We recently stopped by this place again b/​c I remember the food being SO memorable (back when we used to live in Indio) that I really did not want to share w/​my spouse. Yes, that’s how I rate memorable!
The slow-​cooked, smoked meats are quite flavorful and above average tender. I even swallowed some parts without chewing my food all the way through (it’s a bad habit of mine when I encounter sh*t this good).
Get the Combo Plate w/​Brisket, Tri-​Tip, and Pulled Pork ($ 16.95). The combo plate comes w/​a roll and a side (I really like the baked beans here — the real deal). I did share with my hunny after all :))) The combo plate is actually fit for a horse.
Everything we tried was great. Most folks cannot do a good brisket to save their lives, but it surpassed my expectations on the last two visits here.
To the Unilocaler below comparing this BBQ to his native Austin, you are funny. You only had ONE pulled pork sandwich! C’mmon!!!
The staff is really nice, and the owner himself is a REAL cowboy.
They were once voted as one of the best BBQ’s in the area (poll for the Desert Sun). I say this is GOOD BBQ, who cares if it’s Texas BBQ or not.

D and I went here for some awesome Q. Barbeque that is! The parking lot is small. We were luck to get the last parking spot. WOOT WOOT! We were greeted as we walked in. It is the sit yourself anywhere! I picked the table by where the food comes out. Closer to the food the faster I get to eat some good eats.
Ordered the Combo Plate *Brisket, Tri-​Tip, Pulled Pork, served with one side and a roll. We got Mac and Cheese as the side and ordered a cornbread for an extra side. D and shared the entire meal. It was very very very GOOD! We watch trays and boxes of togo orders leave the place. I wanted to follow to see where the party was.
The service was great. Loved all the cowboy theme. Minor con — 1 too many flies! Driving me a little nuts!

Table #4 is a nice table near window with a nice view!
We walked in for the first time and very pleasantly surprised by the interior décor and attention paid to the western details. Went during lunch which wasn’t terribly busy and seated immediately. Owners wife was friendly and very kind.
Ordered the Pulled Pork plate (owner recommended) and Full Rack Baby Back Ribs, both were delicious choices. I’m not a BBQ connoisseur, I just know what I like and don’t like. If the meat is smothered in sauce, I feel it’s hiding its lack of potential to have the meat stand alone. If there is homemade sauce vs Billy Ray’s BBQ Sauce («not that there’s anything wrong with that»); then I can appreciate it even more. I’m realizing I prefer Carolina sauce over Kansas City or Texas because its not as sweet, thick or heavily seasoned.
I’m glad we found a place that when I’m in the mood for BBQ, this is in my top 3 to eat and become a regular because they didn’t disappoint.