Cowboy Burgers & BBQ

5573 Arlington Ave, Riverside - 92504
89 reviews
Burgers Barbeque
(951) 977-9454

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 as possible.

My husband and I were finally able to try some Cowboy Burgers for the first time this weekend and boy, was it worth the wait! Customer service was outstanding and second to none! Our order was packed correctly, nothing was missing, nothing was wrong. And the food ?? chef's kiss!The burgers had the same freshness as in n out but with more of a home cooked flavor. The veggies inside the burger, also fresh! The fries were fantastic. I saw a review on here that said they were salty, they are NOT. They are seasoned. Potato salad was better than anything you'll ever get at any deli/store and tasted just like something you'd have at a BBQ. They also can make adjustments or add to your order if you want to try something new!Basically, everything was delicious! Everything tasted like it was made just for you, on the spot, good ol home style cooking ? we will definitely be return customers!

I was waiting for this spot to open up in the year of the pandemic.Finally, I tried it today and it was love at first bite. ? I had The Cowboy burger which consisted of meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and pickles topped with avocado and bacon with their cowboy. Their fries are seasoned to perfection and taste delicious. Although I picked up my order, the dining room is small yet spacious with plenty of room to sit. Bathrooms are available and they also have a drive thru as well. I will definitely be coming back here to try out their BBQ items such as the pulled pork sandwich.

I had driven passed this place many times while it was under construction and waiting to open during the pandemic and finally thought to check it out. I net inside to order, and the place was spotless and comfortable. Like many others, I ordered the Cowboy Burger the way it came with all the stuff on it, and I must say it was very good. The french fries were especially good. I heard their barbecue sauce was good also, so I'll have to try it next time. The lady who served me was very polite, friendly and respectful. The prices are a bit higher than I expected to pay. That's the only reason I won't give it 5 stars. I'll go back to try something else next time.

I gotta say this place serves a really good Burger ? got the old west Burger ( western bacon cheeseburger ) nice thick bacon good pickles huge onion rings on it along with chili cheese fries and cowboy beans the chili fries were great real crisp fries good tasting chili a lot of cheese ?. The beans were also pretty good and you get a big cup for$3 But everything else is pretty expensive $36bucks for 2 combos that’s a little high I would think. I’ll probably still come back. Just wish they had some type of Brisket Burger. And some more bbq options Oh yeah the employees are super friendly and helpful ??

Had the Tri-Tip sandwich it had no taste..the beans where so..so.. I do it at home with brown sugar..and the only thing that got my taste buds was the fries little on the salty side but okay..and what is with no ( High Chair) for babies ..good you all sanitize but all decor is above the lights and not where people can see it..and for what I paid for...not gonna go there..just make it taste good..sorry that was my first impression of your all place..maybe change my orders next time?? But no..maybe not..taco bell sounds good..sorry..

Had the cowboy burger ? it was delicious. Also tried the tri tip sandwich potatoe salad and chili fries all were good. For dessert the single brownie. All the food was worth the money.

Love this place. Tri tip and pulled pork sandwiches had generous portions of meat and their old west burger tastes home made compared to Carl’s Western. I’d rather pay a few dollars more to have this than Carl’s Jr. so really their prices are reasonable. Oh and their fries are great and enough to share between two. One thing I don’t understand though is why they are only open Monday through Friday.

Drive thru take home order—As Jules Winnfield once said, "Mm-hmm! This is a tasty burger!"Wasn't sure what to get, so I played it safe and mimicked what I typically get when I do an In-N-Out run. Burger, chili cheese fries, lemonade and a shake.A bit pricy, but this place DID NOT disappoint. It's a $10 dollar burger, and well worth it. I was stuffed, and I can eat. Today, the next day, and I'm already thinking about what I'm going to get tonight after work.

After ordering a delicious meal, the owner’s daughter came out to confirm our food was delivered fresh and tasty. She was very nice and even told us about the history of making the restaurant. The atmosphere is a very modern rustic with amazing food from homemade recipes. If you’re considering going…. GO!