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OMG! Our little science group had a conference at the La Fonda for a week and after a series of talks, this joint was frequented 3 nights in a row. Unbeknown to us, this joint is quite popular according to yelp, so now here is the unbiased view point of the place.
I joined in on the festivities on day number 2. Fast service, semi-friendly and some bitchy staff (perhaps this adds to the charm and our amusement) But a waitress who memorizes the drinks for all and yells at us for going to the bar instead of her.... pretty unique. I felt like I was chastised by mother. Maybe it's supposed to be rough out here. dunno
Day 3..... another story. A case of mistaken identity. By 11 we were told to get out due to rowdiness. It seems the guy in another table was puking up a storm and they believed he was part of our party. After arguing, they finally got it right and continued to serve us.... oh wells. But the fries did help us a bit with our margaritas and shots. We definitely needed the finest grease in Santa Fe to suck up the alcohol. Oh and the pierced faced cowgirl waiting on us? priceless......
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The food, typical BBQ/pub type, was pretty good. I had the brisket sandwich; the flavor was right, but it could have been a bit saucier.
The atmosphere is casual, young, and comfortable--a good place to take a group of friends for drinks and appetizers. They have a heated outdoor area that is lit by lantern lights, and the decor is, you guessed it, cowgirl themed (as are the waitresses).
That having been said... it was the previous reviews of these cowgirl waitresses almost deterred me from eating here. Having experienced the poor service will deter me from eating here in the future.
They have karaoke and specials... if I lived here I'd be a regular, but I don't and I won't.
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My friend wanted to try this place, I did not. We went Friday at 6pm and although it was crowded and there was a wait for an outside table, we were seated inside without a wait, but in a crummy location. So when a better table in the main bar area opened up a few minutes later my friend asked if we could move. The waitress was cool about the table change and even cooler when my friend dropped her sticky mango margarita on the way over to the other table. The waitress brought another without charge.
I wasn't very hungry so I ordered the quesadilla and opted to add the grilled onions. Turned out to be much better than expected. To drink, I started out with a Horny Toad marg which comes in handy if you'd like to breath fire, so I quickly switched to beer. Bonus, my favorite beer was cheap and the waitress kept 'em comin'.
They have live music every night, but we left before the band came on. All in all, it was better than I expected but it was still a damn country bar. Did I mention I don't do country?
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Came here on a Thursday night with my mother and brother, we got in right away it wasn't too busy, so that was nice. The outside was really cute, and it was a bit chilly but we wanted to sit outside so we got a booth near the building and it was comfortable. My mom got the quasadillia, which was good, but it had a TON of black beans on it. So, we scraped nearly all of them off. My brother and I split the ribs, they were fall of the bone tender and the sauce was great. It also came with cole slaw and potato salad. Potato salad was kind of bland, but mixed with the cole slaw and the BBQ sauce it was good. For the appetizer we got the cheese & garlic with bread, it was excellent. The garlic spread very nicely on the bread, but the bread was very crumbly. All in all the food was very good and the atmosphere was very casual and fun.
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The Cowgirl is hands-down, the most popular place in Santa Fe--whether it's a bar, restaurant, or otherwise. It doesn't matter if it's a weekend day, or a weekday night, the Cowgirl always has an overflow crowd. It can't be because of the food; it's pretty mediocre. It can't be because of the bands that play there; they too tend to be less than stellar. And it can't be because of the dance floor, which is about large enough to accommodate two-and-a-half couples.
What then, accounts for the Cowgirl's popularity? Perhaps its location is a factor; it's in the Gaudalupe historical district, well away from the Plaza and its lame, tourist vibe. Perhaps it's the "see and be seen" patio, often chock-a-block with Santa Fe's version of the glitterati and glitterati wannabes. Perhaps it's the $3.00 PBR on tap. Who knows?
It is fun though. We were there the other night, line dancing while wearing our inflatable pool ponies around our waists. Yeah, that was us. The crazy photographers.
I'll tell ya something. In this place, probably no one even noticed us.
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This just might be my most favorite restaurant ever. I only ate there once but it just sticks in my mind because it had everything I was looking for in a restaurant - good food, cold beer, nice wait staff and the best outdoor eating area ever.
It was a huge patio area shaded by a big old oak tree. Or some kinda tree. In any event, it was cool in the shade, and at night there were laterns in the tree, just so blurging romantic. A shame I was there by myself, but still I was really happy.
So I use this place as a reference point for all other restaurants. I'm still searching for something better...but for now, this is it.
Food - 5 really good bbq (altho ribs at Sparks cookoff unbeatable)
Service - 5
Value - 4, ok, could be chaeper, but then it would just be even more crowded
Ambiance - 5+ just the best patio ever.
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Before I begin ripping this place apart I just want to say I can see why people are rating this place super high - there are NO restaurants in Santa Fe that are open during normal hours (Tia Sophia's closed on Sundays even though they are known for their brunch?? C'mon!!!!!) This place seems to be the last resort for everyone.
Here's a little about our experience. We had to wait sometime for a table (expected...since again...nothing else is open) and finally were asked if we'd mind to sit next the band. We agreed but then quickly realized that when they meant "next to" the band what they really meant was head shoved inside drum while being hit in the back with a guitar. Yes. THAT close. However, we're young and totally down to enjoy some live music while dining.
We ordered the chicken wings, the bbq ribs, and the pulled pork sandwich. Where do I begin...how about beginning with the dish that a bbq place should specialize in - ribs. And before I get into laying down the smack down I would like to mention that I rarely turn food away, leave food on the plate, or stop eating after a first bite. I am also the biggest fan of ribs and will eat them even if they are just ok. Now onto the dish - I took a few bites and realized that these were the worst ribs I have ever tried. YUCK! I left the plate where it was and spent the rest of the evening drinking my beer and trying to enjoy the horrible music played by the band.
The other dishes were waaaay below average. We left the restaurant super disappointed.
The crowd is an interesting assortment of old folks, super wasted gays (loves it!), fake cowboys, drunk middle-aged women dressed in leopard, full-eyed tourists, and local drunks lost on their way home.
The only reason to visit this establishment is to have a drink and people watch.
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TO DIE FOR BRISKET! GO HERE WHEN IN SANTA FE!
We visited with guests when we lived there and let me tell you the BBQ is memorable! The brisket was great! It's one of those meals I'll always remember! The decor is western crazy! But seriously the food is great!
Best bar In Santa Fe!!
Santa Fe really irks me, as does most of New Mexico. But this place and a few others is its saving grace. The Cowgirl really is a cool place, considering its location (purple coyote land). Last time I was there I thought it would be nice to live in Santa Fe for maybe a week or two. Two is pushing it.
OK, i'm just not into New Mexico one bit. I was gunna give this place four stars, but I decided I should give them 5 considering what they are up against: A town full of spaced out uber-liberal wing nuts out to change the world thru crystal healing and chakra re-alignment.
People thought this was:
For a Tuesday night this placed was packed, although it was St. Patrick's' Day so I'm assuming everyone was out celebrating. It was about a 10-15 minute wait however, got seated before the 10 minutes was up. I cannot say for sure if I like this place. It was my first time here. However, I was with someone who had been here before. We were both attending the same workshop ended up coming here since all the other restaurants were more than a 20 minute wait
The place looked interesting with all it's decorations. The room we sat in had glitter mixed with the paint on the walls. For a small place it seemed like they used every inch of space they had. The pictures, decorations all were very interesting to look at.
Since it was busy it took a while to place our order. I ordered the BBQ beef brisket sandwich with coleslaw and fries. I have to say that I had better. The BBQ beef sandwich was huge, but the meat inside was not hot off the stove. More like it's been sitting for a while and cooled. The fries were covered in salt and I could all but eat one. The coleslaw seemed to be missing an ingredient that I could not detect. The lady that I was with order chili beans said it was really good.
I'm giving this place 2 stars just the fact that it was a busy night. And that if I do go back to Santa Fe I will give this place another try.
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A bar, restaurant, and club all in one! The food was nothing special, but a very fun place indeed.
Another great reference to me from a friend who attended the University of New Mexico. The Cowgirl has a great selection of entrees and also drinks and the best dessert in the land, and it looks like.... a baked potato!
The service was also cool enough to pose with my stuffed friend poopie the fish. Check out the picks and you just might see them!
Yay! Enjoy!
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the food was good and the ambiance was excellent. i am giving it 3 stars because the service was unbelievably bad. i did not expect this kind of inattentive service and complete obliviousness from a place like this. the waitress got our drinks promptly but she forgot to put in our appetizer and dinner. she came back to ask us about how we were doing on our meals which we had not gotten yet (more than 40 mins have passed since we ordered). she didn't apologize; just went on pretending that things were ok. we felt too generous for giving her a tip.
my fish taco and mojito were great. the live band was pretty fun and complimented the atmosphere well.
Good food, casual setting, good service. Despite the long wait, you can hang out in the pool room or at the bar.
BBQ was very average. The fries were excellent, ribs and chicken were decent, the beef brisket was dry and overcooked and the service sucked!
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Visited here during my trip to Santa Fe three years ago because I heard "this is where all the young people hang out." It's not really my cup of tea.
A live band was playing when I went, but since this is a small bar there was no room to dance to the music. And I'm used to places on the East Coast that are smoke-free, so I couldn't tolerate the cigarette smoke right in my face in here.
There were some interesting people there---some older guy who gave me his email address (which I "misplaced"), and a drunken guy and his lesbian friend (the latter attended school in my hometown, which was cool). If I were back in the area and the place were smoke-free, then maybe I'd come back.
ETA: I've been informed by a Yelper that places in Santa Fe have been smoke-free since '07, which is a breath of fresh air (pun intended) for me. Now I have a reason to come back if I'm ever back in the area.
My Favorite Place to Eat in Santa Fe!!! A place where meat lovers and vegetarians can dine in harmony. They actually cater to both (as opposed to catering for one and having half-assed attempts at food for the other).
The food is wonderful, the prices are reasonable, and the atmosphere is lots of fun.
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Ate here on a Sunday after driving from Childress TX. The baby-back ribs where moist, fall off the bone tender and the BBQ sauce was yummy sweet. Hubby had Chili Reano and was totally satisfied. Potato salad was delicious and so was the rice. Baked beans so so but they never have been my thing. House margarita was the only let down...small and tart..not close to the best by any means. Would eat here again in a heartbeat.
i am giving this place 5 stars because it is the ONLY place i have been able to go in santa fe and play a game of pool with strangers. the service is great and usually adorable.
i love cowgirls and i love billiards.
i also dont mind the juke box filled with ani and blues. oh lesbians... sigh
food is good. lots of flat screens with sports. same jam bandy music. always people dancing and a mixed crowd.
Was in desperate need for a family fun dinner spot for New Year's in Santa Fe this year. We settled on Cowgirl BBQ as the spot, and it worked out well. We were sat in the large back room which turned out to be very private and cozy, enabling us to have a comfortable conversation before the curtain closed on 2008.
When you have 7 people in your clan, it's hard to please everyone, but Cowgirl BBQ's simple but diverse menu and funky atmosphere seemed to do the trick. Good selection of burgers, sandwiches, BBQ plates, salads, fish, tex-mex entrees - really you name it. And the casual, quirky atmosphere helped everyone relax....in addition to some decent margaritas. I had the Hi-ho Silver which was smooth and well-balanced with tequila and fresh lime juice.
For my meal, I tried to order the smoked turkey pot pie, but they were already out, so I went with a pulled-pork sandwich which came with fries and coleslaw. Good flavor, and very filling. For starters we all shared a family style green salad which contained a ton of veggies, and the duck confit salad which was surprisingly good.
Dessert was definitely creative - we had heard about the infamous baked potato (ice cream served in the shape of a potato, rolled in chocolate powder with whipped cream and pistachios on top) which we all enjoyed. We also split a tres leche cake which was a bit dry for me.
While there was a band and a lively crowd playing in the front room we opted to walk home and chillax for the actual ball-dropping moment, although it was nice to have an option if we wanted to stay and get down with some more margaritas and eclectic band. Overall, while it wasn't the absolute best BBQ I've had, it was just right for our group in terms of variety, atmosphere and price.
I lived in this dirty shithole apartment down the street from The Cowgirl for awhile in 2007, and went here quite often. I mostly went in to drink a Guinness or a hard cider, and I think it goes without saying that those were good, because beer is good.
I don't remember what day $2 or $3 Pabst Blue Ribbon pints was, but I can assure you I was there on that day and spent $15 contributing to that loss of memory.
Last July, some friends and I spent a long, hot day eating psychedelic drugs, throwing rocks at other rocks, and hunting for bats in Diablo Canyon and came here afterwards to re-nourish ourselves with red meat and heavy beer, and the burger I had was equisite, under the circumstances.
I also like the baked potato with cheese and green chile, salsa and sour cream. I got that a few times and it was standard and decent.
I knew some of the folks that worked here and they gave me some spicy barbeque buffalo wings once - not something I'd usually order - and those were nothing short of delectable.
If they had Mortal Kombat in the arcade, I doubt I would have ever left New Mexico. Minus one star for not having Mortal Kombat.
Oh - a side note - the parking lot right next to the Cowgirl is famous for car robberies. A friend got his truck window broken and his camera stolen one night, and I heard of a few other incidents. Santa Fe is, after all, #2 burglary capital of the US.
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We went here after seeing the good reviews, but it even surpassed the great reviews I had seen. Our party included 3 adults and 3 kids under 8 years old. For families with children, this is one of the best places to eat at given their very kid friendly outdoor area in the back. As shown in the picture I included, it contains a simple jungle gym with a slide, but what makes it great is that the area is enclosed and allows the adults to eat at their leisure while the kids get their energy out on the jungle gym as they please. In addition to that, the food what great. What more could you ask for if your eating out with your kids and want a great meal. A definite 5 star for families with kids.
The drinks were hideously watered down, the table tops sticky, the catfish over-cooked. These deficiencies were partially compensated for by the tasty sauce and texture of the calamari, and the honest decency of the tres leches cake. Were I to return here, BBQ would be the order of the day.
The patio looks like a place for those who wish to see and be seen.
People thought this was:
Great things:
- Awesome food. Only thing I wouldn't really get is the nachos - too many beans. Everything else is great, especially the chili rellenos.
- Happy Hour specials
- Patio
- Live Music
- Overall Atmosphere
Not so great:
- Service is usually super slow... like if it's busy you can't get drunk slow
- M/F Shared Bathrooms that are kinda nast
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We didn't eat here, but the beer was tasty, the entertainment was good (there was a band and cd release party that night) and the staff was super friendly. We stopped in for a beer and the owner/manager chatted with us about where we were from and then invited us to come back for dinner and have a free beer. We stopped back in later for the beer and ended up hanging out for about 2 hours in the pool area, drinking beers, dancing to the tunes on the limited juke box and chatting with some locals.
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A good solid place to eat. Really good BBQ... not the best I've had but way better than what I expected.
The game burger was delicious. It would have been better if it wasn't covered in New Mexican shit juice- aka green chile. Just playing... green chile is alright I just wish Santa Fe-ans didn't think it was like God's second son.
We ate a baked potato made out of ice cream. That was the best part.
Good job Cowgirl!
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Great mainstay of Santa Fe on Guadalupe - their Chili Rellenos were some of the best I've experienced, and according to my cajun-sensitive brother, their gumbo was *lip-smacking* good. Hate to say it to you "Benny's" fans in Denver, but Cowgirl has yours beat. Got the rellenos "Christmas Tree", definitely prefer the red chili over green - but both were very tasty. Cowgirl BBQ is a fun place to chill, great place to people watch, and overall fun place to hang out when in SF. (5+ times a year).
People thought this was:
Hot damn I love me some Cowgirl patio in the summertime. The food kinda sucks, but it is an awesome outdoor patio for drinks and yam fries. If you are starving the frito pie is doable and surprisingly, the catfish isn't that bad. Want desert, the ice cream baked potato. Don't ask, just eat it.
Great frozen Mangoritas! They have a lot of live music which is usually the same 4 or 5 locals who rotate between Cowgirl, El Paseo and El Farol, but tune it out and get plastered with some friends and enjoy the fresh smell of the air.
One bummer, no dogs on the patio. Not even kittens. I tried bringing my cat once and they wouldn't let me. Then again, I've never been to a dining establishment that allowed cats.
People thought this was:
decent bar.
4 pool tables at a dollar a rack - way too expensive but they are almost always in use.
one pinball machine - the simpsons pinball party, in horrible condition, but working enough to have fun playing it. if you can top the grand champion score, kudos to you.
horrible jukebox.
People thought this was:
There's two other profiles for this restaurant / bar on Yelp, one of which has more reviews... I'm just saying.
People thought this was:
The most noteable aspect about this restaurant is the fact that they have a pinball machine that is… Read more »
From one *spicehead* to another, I invite you to saddle up at the Cowgirl. Dern near the best BBQ I've had this side of the Mississippi. A whole mess of meats: ribs, brisket, chick, and beasties of all varieties! Plumb fell outta my seat when I tasted dem baked banes. So, if you're in the area, and ya got yerself a hankerin for some of the sauciest spice smackdab in the middle of the desert, hightail it to Cowgirls.
Take a load off, Chap. Pull yourself up that thar cheer and setchursef down for a spell. Shootfire way to clean out the system. A few werds of advace: Don't go if yer so poor you'd hafta borrow money to buy water to cry with. And ya wanna drank somethin'? No doubles, Partner. It's the law, shore nuff.
All that bein' said, grab yer bippy, mosey on down to one of the finest establishments to hoot and holler in the most Santa of the Fe's. Zackly what my wern out, tired ole bones needed. No yella-bellies need apply.
Go on now... git!
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I've been here only once (with a large party) and these guys do a mean green chile burger. Everyone in my party loved the food, but hey it's Santa Fe, which is definitely well known for their great dining options.
Oh.. yeah.. if you are into that kinda thing, the meals are served by waitresses dressed as cowgirls. And they do a song/dance to go with it.
People thought this was:
This is one of those places that you go for atmosphere. It's pretty much a shrine to the cowgirls of the southwest. Not a bad thing, really. The walls are filled with memorabilia and is a treat if you dig those types of things (which I do.)
Then there's the food. I can't speak to the BBQ aspect of the menu as we went for brunch. We did have an appetizer that was really good - the roasted garlic which comes with queso. I had hash for breakfast. It didn't really come out as I expected as the potatoes were large cut red potatoes. I actually like my hash to have smaller bits of potatoes in them. On top of the hash was two poached eggs with a hollandaise. The hollandaise had a kick to it, which was good. My hash came with tortillas, so I pretty much made breakfast burritos.
Service was a bit off. I would have liked another Shiner with my brunch, but our server never made it back during our meal to ask if I needed another one. Later, he apologized for the slow service, which was appreciated, but doesn't make up for it.
All in all, this place is good, not great. I will be back again to give some other menu items a spin the next time I am in Santa Fe.
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A fun place to sit out on the front patio in the summer sun in Santa Fe... to watch locals imbibe and overimbibe. Fun little nooks and crannies in the old adobe architecture, a favorite is the little room with the pool table, tucked out of the way. Lots of live music, I prefer the drinks over dining here.
I'm not going to get into the finer points of whether BBQ cooked west of the Appalachians is really BBQ. This is neither the time, nor the place.
I'm just going to say that the meat product that I ate, which came from a variety of creatures, and was skillfully prepared, seasoned and served, pleased my pallette greatly.
On a subsequent (lighter) visit. I had something that we can all agree was a hamburger, and it was really good, too.
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Recently vacationed in NM and this place was highly recommended. Turns out this is one of the only restaurants in the area that is both affordable and has a lot of character.
We went for a visit for dinner and were very happy with our jambalaya and catfish dishes. The fried shrimp appetizer was amazing and our waiter was very helpful and cool. We weren't thrilled about any other place in the area so we returned the following day for lunch. Our food was great again and they were having a Bluegrass Brunch and the band was great and added a lot of ambiance to our meal. The place is cozy enough that you could hear the music throughout and if you prefer dining outside, they have this great patio outside as well.
I love the way the place is decorated; vintage cowgirl posters and photos throughout the place and they even have a tiny gift shop if you want to purchase some baby T's, bumper-stickers and other paraphernalia. Oh! And even though the place is fairly small, they have THREE women's rooms! That's why this place gets 5 stars.
We go to Santa Fe each year, and every visit we go to the Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Good value, loads of character, full of locals. If there's a wait, you can sit out in the garden and soak up the atmosphere. Good food, kid friendly, we'll keep coming back. Just wish we had this in Denver.
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Only country-themed bar where they play jazz music. I was there on a Sunday evening and, I think, there was a live jazz band playing. A good selection of beers, which made the meal that much more enjoyable for me. Not having too much creativity, I had the "cowgirl" burger - cheeseburger with fries. It was really good, although it came out more well-done than medium as I had requested. The server was terrific; didn't get her name. I would definitely come back here again to try some of their other signature dishes.
For our girls trip to Santa Fe, we happened to catch a Rachel Ray's Tasty Travels show all about Santa Fe....Well, what do you know, she came here to this place and it looked cute. So we did the same....
We planned on coming here for just a quick lunch, but after a few kick-ass margaritas, we stayed for over 4 hours!
Their food is great. Not fancy stuff but if you have a craving for Frito-Pie, then get your tushie here! The menu has a Tex-Mex Flair to it. Great variety. Great BBQ.
But honestly what kept us here for so long is the outdoor seating area. The service is very great. These people really seem to be having a great time here. If you happen to be walking through Santa Fe and want to take a load off, then come here, sit down, have a margarita and enjoy!
Did I mention that they make pies too?
I love this little cantina in Santa Fe.
Cheap strong drinks and a great outdoor deck! I was lucky enough to see some amazing music while I was here, and ended up hiring the band to play at my wedding! Next time I am in town I will defiantly come back to the Cowgirl and get a little rowdy.
Santa Fe, NM
Category: Mexican
Santa Fe, NM
Category: Mexican
Santa Fe, NM
Category: American (New)
Santa Fe, NM
Category: American (New)
Santa Fe, NM
Category: Nightlife
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