Cool place with a great burger! I had just spent 10 days in India and was really jonesing for a good burger for lunch. I had the chiliburger which fit the bill perfectly. The homemade pickle is really good too. Plus I lucked in to half-price burger Tuesday! Couldn't ask for more. I'll definitely be back to check out the game time or night scene. read more

I love Cowboy and think it is going to be even better now that there is no smoking..sorry smokers. We catered an event with them and the food was fantastic! The Burgers are tasty! It's a great place to grab a quick lunch in Arlington without a thousand toddlers running around...rare in Arlington. read more

I love this place! !!! It's totally a dive but the food is awesome. Get the Sliders half bbq and half burger...the relish and pickles are homemade! I was excited when the waitress asked how I wanted the burger cooked. ..medium...and it came out perfect. The Brisket Sandwich was yum. The half order of nachos was huge. We added chili and loved it. Nice and spicy. But the real star was brunch...yes I went back less than 12 hours later. And was not disappointed. I had the chicken and bacon hash. .I know. .right???? Poached eggs atop chicken potato bacon "cakes" smothered in jalapeño hollandaise served with half a grilled tomato. The cowboy combo was an enormous amount of food and worth the price. Throw in 1/2 price mimosas bloody Mary's and screwdrivers and you cannot go wrong. read more

Cowboy Cafe - Chicken and Bacon Hash with jalapeño hollandaise - Burgers Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

It's a dive bar, not really a sitdown restaurant and that's not a bad thing. Made the mistake of bringing my kids during my first visit and it wasn't a place for them in terms of food and being across from the bar. However, the waiter was super accommodating and helped me put together a meal for my picky. In terms of burger/fries it was fun food. Nice staff and inviting place. read more

Just ordered food from here..I ordered the duke burger and my co worker ordered the wings (Edgar style)..the wings are really good seasoned really well..my burger is tasty even though I like to order mine well done ..it isn't dry at all. It's also huge! And I only paid $7. read more

Very good for cheap drinks, and the happy hour deals are awesome. Only real, major downside that makes this a 3 star review is that the service is always really bad. They're slow and act as if they're doing you a favor by letting them drink in their bar. read more

Best. Place. On. The. Planet. Nachos are amazing. Half-priced wine by the bottle on Thursday. Brunch is boozy and comfortable. Sit at the bar or at a booth and you get the same attention. What the definition of "dive" should be. read more

I love cowboy! I used to stop by more often because I lived closer but we still find time to make the drive. Every night of the week they have a different special (half price sandwiches, burgers, wing night) so you can always go and get quality food for a great price. The brunch food is great and Monday night trivia is always a blast too! Overall a great neighborhood bar for any time of day read more

Went here once and I really can't remember if the drinks were good at all. My friends saw the bartender finish a couple of random people's drinks, floaters and all. Really, they would turn around to leave, then she'd pick up their drink and finish the rest. Gross. We spent the rest of the time there staring, waiting for her to do it again. read more

Usually a fan of CC, but had to alert the presses of a massive string of black hair found in between my halved breakfast burrito. Easily visible too. On the other hand, the bloody Mary was well done. read more

A dive. You're taking a plunge with the service, the food, the atmosphere, and the bartenders. Not only are the bartenders rude and cater to their friends, the food tastes like its reheated from a box. The dive that it is, the bands that play there are somewhat worth even with the above mentioned. The only problem is when the band is playing, you can't actually talk or hear because of the deafening acoustics. I have had several bad encounters and don't plan to have anymore because I'm going to avoid it like the plague. read more

I went here with high expectations, but was pretty disappointed by the end of my meal. The service was great and the atmosphere was pretty cute, but the food was really not good at all. I ordered a spicy chicken sandwich (I think it was the special of the day) and it was no good and loaded with salt. No one enjoyed their food either, and it was a unanimous decisions that we didn't want to go back again. Two thumbs down for the Cowboy Cafe, sadly. I really wanted it to be good! read more

Carol J. I'm going to be quite frank here. Cowboy Cafe is the hidden gem of northern Virginia. Next time try the buffalo wings, California chicken sandwich or pretty much anything besides the Reuben sand which and you won't regret it. Cowboy Cafe is the perfect blend of hole in the way meets five star dinner. I disagree with you Carol J., respectfully of course, but don't dare show your face around Cowboy Cafe again. read more

One of my favorites. I went here a lot when I was very young. It has transformed over the years from a somewhat "bike bar" to a family establishment. The food and service has remained exceptional. read more

Never going back. Went on saturday with my girlfriend and felt like we were imposing on the waitress the entire time. We had to ask her for menu's after we'd been sitting there for a few minutes with no drinks (as if it wasn't obvious) she dropped off our drinks and then ignored us the rest of the time. We waited and waited but she wouldn't come back to us. I could understand her behavior if it was packed but it wasn't, she was simply too busy socializing with friends/regulars at the bar. The other waitress was more focused on finding a lighter so she could take a smoke break, and showed no interest in working either. We watched her literally give good customer service & be an attentive waitress to everyone else but us, which is still a mystery to me. My gf had to go up to the bar to try to get change so that we could just pay for our drinks and leave, and the waitress dragged her feet for that too. Everything took longer because she was socializing. Overall its a very unprofessional place, with obnoxious patrons and even more obnoxious staff. Oh, and it looked pretty dirty too, and cramped. Don't go there! read more

Cowboy Cafe knows its customers. Flip-flops, ratty shorts, and mismatched accessories are all A-OK at the the Cowboy Cafe. Check out the half price burger, cooked to order and juicy goodness every Tuesday. Or $.30 wings on Wednesday, tangy and fried. My favorite part though, live music Thursday, Friday and Sat. in the TINY bar area. sometimes blues, sometimes rock-n-rock you never really know what you'll hear, but cold beer and bacontastic potato skins will be by your side. One note, along with the tiny bar, there is a tiny parking lot. Usually it's easier ot grab a street spot. read more

Been coming to this place through 3 different owners. Always good food and a great (and vanishing) Arlington hole-in-the-wall. And what Travis P. said! read more

We have been patrons for brunch for many years, we especially liked the original menu. We were good with the change of menu (new owners) especially since they kept a few of the favorites. However I regret to say that after this mornings visit we are crossing it off our list of local spots. The service was very slow because the side room had only one waiter who was having a hard time coping . The food was mediocre at best, dry eggs, crispy, crumbly waffles and forgotten items. Our guess would be they had one person in the kitchen and that person wasn't a cook. read more

Can we classify this as a yuppie dive bar? I think that's a pretty apt description. The food is pretty good, as bar food goes. The drinks are strong and VERY well priced. The bartenders are nice. It's full of townies that range from grizzled older gentleman to youngish North Arlington moms and couples out for a night on the town. My kind of dive - will definitely be back. read more

I liked this little place. I thought the bar tender was pretty cool, he traded me an old license plate for a T-shirt. The prices seemed a bit steep until I saw my sandwich, it was huge and worth the price. It had decent flavor to it. I really liked their "home made" pickles, and I'm not a pickle person. read more

I remember an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives where the propietor described his place as a dump aspiring to be a dive. That describes this place perfectly. The food isn't bad, they have the hottest deep fried jalapenos I have ever encountered, and you get served quickly and well. And on cold winter evenings the frigid air blows in through cracks in the wall, along with a little snow, so you get my drift, I hope. It has a kind of anti elitist ambience, which is truly refreshing in today's "me first" Arlington, so do come: make a statement! read more

Great neighborhood gem!! The tator tots are to die for!!! Burgers are great, you'll have to try them all!!

oh how i love a deal! nothing makes tuesday nights better than 1/2 price burgers at Cowboy Cafe! packed in this tiny restaurant (seriously, only about a dozen tables) is a great little pub/bar/restaurant. on tuesday nights all of the burgers are half price. combine that with a happy hour special on tap and your tip and you've got a great meal for under $10...and probably more like $7, depending on how much you drink. my recommendation is the blue moon or the duke (w/bacon). and while the CC on Columbia Pike has the pool table, this location has the malt vinegar. parking is a bit of a pain though, so be careful. the lot is small and there are many surrounding businesses that would love to invite the arlington tow-truck companies to tow your car. my advice is to park by the hardware store across the street. read more

I don't what these negative reviews are about. The staff is a great. Pome, Kelly and Sara are attentive and super friendly. The burgers are very good. the wings are tasty and the portions are priced fairly. Personal faves : Edgar wings and the Tnt burger. Yes some nights are a little crazier than others, but what do you expect from a bar about this late in Arlington. I would definitely recommend this place. Either solo for a late night drink or with friends. Eager to try the brunch, heard good things. read more

I used to go here a few years ago because my friend like it. I did not but in the last year the food and the bar has improved 100%. The food is not the usual bar type but still has an awesome burger menu as well. I now love this place now. I also like the choice in live music too. It's original and fun to be around and give the bar a great atmosphere. The guys that own it are a little weird and like to get to know and talk with their new bar goers. Its an all around good time. read more

the Hamburgers are greasy cholesterol bombs to be avoided. Fried pickles were to die for.

The service at Cowboy Cafe seems to be waivering over the past year. I know the management has changed hands and the staff has changed. The menu is the same: tex-mexy american food. Good burgers (and veggie burger) and sandwiches and I love the jerk wings. The buffalo wings are great too! Had a disappointing experience last Friday. The 2 waitresses seemed overworked with a Friday night crowd. It was very busy and we had a problem with a number of our orders. There were 7 of us in our party so I know we were a handful. But, it was a similar experience when we were there last month so I'm losing confidence that it will continue to be the fun neighborhood hideaway that it used to be. read more

The food is great, but the Owner has a really bad attitude towards people spending money at her Café, so that's why the one star rating. I work at a local business about a mile from them and we've ordered the 50 cent wing special about 10 times within a years time. The wings are 50 cents if you order a drink, but on their website it doesn't mention the drink part so the first time they waived it and said they would change their site (which I think they still haven't done) ,but the Owner always has to let me know she loses money from that special. The next few times we got the drinks , but it's hard to carry 6 large cups around, so I called and asked if we could get sides instead and they said as long as we bought something else it was fine. Today I had 6 orders totaling $60 dollars and when I arrived I was told off by the Owner. She told me she can't keep doing this anymore and we would have to start getting the drinks instead of sides. She then pointed to two customers and said because of our order these customers had to wait for their food and then she proceeded to tell me once again how they lose money on the wing special. Maybe I just don't understand, but what's the difference if 6 people came in at different times or me ordering for 6 people. The sides are also more money then the drinks and I didn't understand her anger. Her face was read and she really was putting me in my place. I'm not one to keep my mouth shut, but even I was speechless with this treatment. read more

Great service by bartender and waitress. Prior review seemed predetermined to post a negative response as we were here throughout. Great food and family friendly. read more

I ordered take away for lunch and got the Duke. The wait was a little long and the burger was aight. I noticed shrimp and grits on the menu so I am willing to give it another try but sit and eat next time. read more

Always drove by this place every day. Decided to go in and grab a beer. Great burgers and dales pale ale for $5? Awesome dive bar but very small inside. read more

I hadn't been to Cowboy Cafe since they used to have a location on Columbia Pike. . . so it's been a while. I never thought the food was magnificent, but it was good enough for what it was (sandwiches, burgers, etc). Used to have good music, etc. . . Then yesterday we thought. . . Let's try the one on Glebe to go somewhere different in a different neighborhood (we tried this last week, but there was no parking, and gave up). As a bar, I imagine it's decent enough. They have a decent selection of non-sucky beers on tap, they have liquor, and they have an ambiance that is not typical Arlington (i.e. Clarendon). They get a star for that. . . The food. . . it just wasn't good. We got some sort of "spinach artichoke dip". I don't know what it was made of, but it was somewhere between baby food, and some sort of condensed cream soup that was mixed together, and stuck in the microwave for about 15 seconds to "heat" it up (it must have been 1 degree over room temperature). It was pretty much the second worst dip I've ever eaten. The first would be Chef Geoff's spinach-avocado dip (THAT was terrible). I ordered the chicken-fried steak for my entree as I thought to myself "It's the Cowboy Cafe. . . one would think that a cowboy knows how to fry up some steak". Um, they don't. It was just as underwhelming as the "dip". Two chicken finger sized pieces of breaded steak, a plate of "mashed" potatoes (I think they came from a box. . . and not even the good kind of boxed potatoes), and two pats of butter. Maybe it tastes better than it looks? Not so much, but compared to the appetizer, it WAS slightly warmer. Though I've never actually been to Texas aside from the airports, and having lived in Wyoming in the one non-real cowboy town (Jackson). . . maybe cafe cowboys do things differently than what I'd expect of food made in a place with "Cowboy" in its name? It's "real" cowboy food of shooting something out on the range, and mixing it together with some lint from your pocket, and frying it up in some antelope fat? Actually, that might turn out okay. My lady friend had a chicken sandwich. . . it at least looked better. Though, she said the bread was pretty stale. I was hoping that even if it was just bar-food, that it would be decent enough. It's NOT. It tasted like someone took a Hungry Man meal from the frozen food section and put it on a plate and served it to people. I don't understand how some people are giving it 5 stars unless they're always drunk when they're there. . . or maybe they do have decent burgers, and nothing else? I've had better food in prison. . .and by prison, I mean listening to Johnny Cash sing about life in prison, and eating some road-kill soup with rocks. (It wasn't terrible terrible like rats running around. . .but, I had to eat a bunch of York peppermint pieces thingys, and go out and have a few beers to get the thought of that spinach dip flavor out of my mouth.) read more

Classic Arlington! Portions and prices are good, atmosphere is local feeling, and the service is quick and warm! You can never go wrong here! read more

it is what it is. The bar also has a tiny side room that families, older couples, and high school kids all crowd into on half price burger night. There's only one server/waitress for the room so be patient. read more

I love this place so much! I've been going here ever since high school and still has the best burgers in town. Their "new" parking from the old days has made this place way easier to visit and love all the friendly wait and bar staff so much! read more

Absolutely fantastic food for the price! Even the filet minion. I ordered it and it was cooked perfectly and truly was, a great cut of steak. Our waitress was amazing too. She was very "down-to-earth", friendly and accommodating. I will definitely be coming back here, many many times. read more

I've tried this place a few times since the new owners took charge and cleaned up - I'd have to say at this point is has become a quintessential neighborhood gem. Whether the day includes parents and children enjoying (free) Wii bowling or tennis, yuppies gathering around the always interesting choices of draft beer, heavily badged office workers seeking out lunch specials, or an evening of live music - the experience always features a suddenly interesting menu, friendly staff, and a comfortable ambiance only matched by my own living room. Overall, this has become a guaranteed smile in my week. Can't ask for much more than that. Looking forward to my next shrimp with grits with a side of dark beer. read more

We came here on half off wing night. Wings were good, but buffalo sauce was a little too watery for my liking. The jerk wings were awesome though. For the people talking about how cheap the food is I don't agree. It isn't an expensive place given DC norms, but $10.50 for a hamburger and $9.50 for sandwich (pay extra if you want fries) isn't cheap. Between this place and Jay's Saloon I give Jays the edge for the "dive bar" title. read more

Food was great, and affordable, especially considering the price range of the locale. Was a bit snug, as the place is small and the booths have you shoulder to shoulder with other patrons. The staff was friendly, but even with a small venue, slow to get refills. Oddly enough, we had an extension cord below our table (not plugged into anything) tripping us up. I believe they modify the place for live musical guests. Definitely recommend checking it out if you're into burgers and beer. I'd like to see more variety of stout on the beer menu. read more

This place was recently sold and it is terrible. The food has declined in spite of maintaining the old menu. The wait staff is down right rude and seems to hate the customers. I have been going here for years but sadly, I have had my last visit. There are many other places in Arlington where you can have a pleasant experience. read more