Cowboys Up

Hubby was having a birthday. He complained about having to drive all the way into Phoenix for my birthday, so I suggested Cowboys Up which is only a couple of miles down the road from home. When it opened, the Snowbird crowd was all agog at the high end steak prices so our initial visit was for lunch and we had the steak sandwich (which I previously reviewed.) This time we were ready to splurge. Turned out to be a good choice. He had the small porterhouse and I had the ribeye. Both were almost melt-​in-​your-​mouth tender and came out rare as requested. Had the onion rings which were excellent. Started with calamari which were better than we had at Olive Garden last week, if the portion was a bit smaller here. We both had the steamed veggies which were broccoli and carrots steamed to crisp tender and served with butter on the side. I’m not a Texas toast fan but they put such great seasonings on them that I found them delish. There were a couple of large groups from the RV parks and we were concerned about possible slow service but not an issue. Calamari came out quickly and by the time we finished it, here came the steaks. Couldn’t believe we both ate the whole thing and then split a serving of cheesecake. Since it was Wednesday, craft beers were on sale which was another plus. Server hustled and earned her generous tip. Menu had a lot of lower priced options if you’re not up for the steak prices, but I have to say that even though we’re not big beef eaters, we were quite happy with the whole experience.

Maybe just an off night. Slow service and onion rings batter was not tasty. Tomatoe on burger was not red ripe. Overall the burger tasted good.

I’ve always been intrigued about trying this establishment, in which case I was more than disappointed than anything. We ordered a salad which was ok, we also ordered a burger, onion rings and Steak Nachos. The burger was bland, the onion rings had a different flavor but not horrible. The nachos were BEYOND NASTY. Whomever thought it was a good idea to use can cheese was mistaken. The steak that came on it was rubbery, no flavor and the cheese was nasty out of a can. Ridiculously overpriced for what we had. But the lady singing was very nice and welcoming.

My family and I stopped there to have dinner. We thought it was going to be a pretty cool place to eat. However, we were disappointed with the service and food. I ordered catfish and rice. The rice was not cooked all the way and the catfish had too much pepper. My husband ordered the steak sandwich and it was a very small steak on top of 1 small piece of bread. It wasn’t even a sandwich! A sandwich has at least 2 pieces of bread not 1. We were even disappointed with the hamburgers. They were small and looked like hamburgers you get in a McDonalds Happy Meal.

This place has found its stride after opening. There are no freezers or microwaves in the kitchen. It’s kitchen is ran by an actual chef. Virtually everything is made in house. What’s that mean? The freshest and highest quality food prepared by a professional on par with the best you can find in the valley! You can get frozen steaks down the road or a real one here for a couple bucks more. You just want beer and bar food? Holy crap!!! Ask for the cheese sticks!!! You will not see anything like these anywhere! Don’t balk at the meal prices until you give it a try and see what you get. This is not Cobbs or The Hitching Post food from a microwave!
This place had growing pains at first but it’s clearly on its way to putting Apache Junction on the map for QUALITY food, fair prices and a great place to hang out and enjoy good time with friends. Nice views of Superstition Mountain from the back patio bar!

I am so glad I was able to finally find an excellent steakhouse in the East Valley! I don’t care for chain restaurants and it is worth the drive to check them out. They have a nice bar and a dance floor with live music. The place is immaculate and I actually love that they have a small menu as they focus on steaks and do them very well. The steaks are huge and my husband and I can easily split a meal as the plates are plentiful. Service is always spot on and very genuine. Can’t wait to go back again!

Such a disappointment, all except one waitress who alone was doing everything she could to insure we had a good experience as soon as we sat down she brought drinks for the kids, then we saw the menu a total of about 6 choices and the prices were outrageous, while waiting to order we watched 3 tables get seated look at the menu and walk out. We ordered and I thought well for these prices the food has to be good right… wrong I was shocked my steak which I ordered med rare came out still mooing my husbands corn was ice cold. For a 80 $ meal for two adults and two kids meals that food should have been sooo much better, the quality was just not there! It’s a shame the place could work, they had a small band and ppl were dancing nice atmosphere, but you can’t charge that kind of money and do such a poor job with the food, it was diner food not an upscale steakhouse as your prices reflect.

Where else in AJ can you get a great meal, live entertainment (the singer looks like George Strait) and great atmosphere? I had the steak sandwich done perfectly. The waitress was attentive. Great place after a long day of hiking, though you might want to wear jeans and pick up a cowboy hat. I really enjoyed the experience.

We went on Saturday night not realizing the dinner menu was so expensive. We were interested in burgers which they don’t serve in the evening. Band was good but atmosphere is NOT that great and menu needs to change. Will not go back unless evening menu changes!

A group of friends and line dancers went Friday Sept 13 They had a great band the Dakotas great service we dance for hours had a ball best dance floor I have seen in a long time. The manager is very interested in making this a place you can enjoy and have a great time. Hoping to see the happy hr extended or at least a late night HR
Will be back first sat in October for the Dakotas and hopefully HR

Went with a small group on Saturday night. First impression as we walked in was not good, we almost turned around and left. We should have, Expensive for what you get. Paper napkins, no water served, my corn was cold, my steak was cooked med. rare on one side and raw on the other. My salad bowl was warm, it should have been chilled They must have just removed it from the dishwasher. Even though the dressing was good, the warm plate ruined it. The server was very good and did what he could to make it all ok. It was not! We all had high hopes. Very disappointed and will not go back. To expensive for what they offer.

I really wanted to like this place. Service is okay but the food quite disappointing. The prices are not warranted. While the bar area has some character, the dining area is uninviting and boring. I guess they’re going for an old west traditional steakhouse, but really tired and dated preparation and presentation of the food. I’ve been there for one lunch, one evening cocktail stop, and one dinner. I’d say I gave it a fair shake… unfortunately, won’t be going back since none of my experiences have been satisfactory. I hope they’ll make some positive changes as they receive feedback. I just worry (because I’ve heard from a lot of locals) they’ve already lost the interest of many people who were looking forward to their opening.

This place is a joke came in at about noon to enjoy a beer. They have a internet jukebox so I played some music, when it played the owner said I don’t want to hear this crap and I walked out complete unprofessional when I work as a bar manager. Way to blow your business there are 10x better bars handlebar, filly’s, the post… etc stay away from there.

I went here on Saturday night. They just had their soft opening a few weeks before. I used to dance here when it was the former Las Vaqueros. What an amazing transformation saving some of the original character. The staff were enjoyable and extremely attentive. I had the pleasure of meeting the owner and even sharing a dance.. Great live music.. The only reason i give it four stars is for food cost.. Be prepared for some serious sticker shock.. Even appetizers were high. Don’t be afraid to try it out. .i loved the place and wish it much success!

Too expensive!!! I cant get past the prices on the menu. Here are some of the menu prices:
HOUSE CUT USDA PRIME SIRLOIN STEAK
6OZ 22.00 8OZ 26.00 10OZ 30.00
USDA CHOICE HAND CUT FILET MIGNON
6OZ 30.00 8OZ 34.00 10OZ 38.00
USDA CHOICE 12OZ NEW YORK
STRIP 30.00
USDA CHOICE 14OZ RIB EYE 32.00
HERB ROASTED ½ CHICKEN 20.00
USDA CHOICE 16OZ. T-​BONE STEAK 37.00USDA CHOICE 24OZ PORTERHOUSE 47.00
The décor and the buildings location does not support the menu price. I understand the owner was raised on a ranch and only wants to serve the best steaks, but have a balanced menu containing menu items for all price ranges. I hope the menu prices come down or this place won’t last a year.

5 star steak all the way!
Bring your boots and cowboy hat for live music Friday and Saturday.