Beef Befuddlement & Sea Scallop Succulence
COWBOY STAR
5198 North Nevada Ave #150
www.CowboyStarCS.com
(719) 639-7440
Hours: Mon-Thus: 11:30am-9pm; Fri: 11:30am-10pm; Sat: 4pm-10pm; Sun: 4pm-9pm
Entrée Prices: $24-$90
What you need to know: Service issues aside, well executed and various grades of beef are eclipsed by the seafood.
John “Dusty” King was a rising Hollywood celebrity in the 1940’s, making his name in western films. King was a cowboy by day and a star-about-town by night. This tale, and ones like it, are the impetus for the name of the San Diego based steakhouse, Cowboy Star. With its second location now in the Springs, Cowboy Star is offering its cuts of beef as alternatives to those offered at establishments found downtown and the Broadmoor area. But can they truly compete?
Entrance into the steakhouse is impressive. Supple leathers, warm lighting and deep booths are welcoming. Yet, delight was bottlenecked from there.
Cocktails were overpriced for the caliber of the spirits—well-grade bourbon does not a $12 cocktail make. The table was absent any dinner menus, and after requesting them, and a choice of sparkling water, both were slow to find their way to the table. Thankfully, the oysters were quickly presented atop a bed of crushed ice with proper accoutrement (half dozen, $14). (For those tentative regarding raw seafood, the bracing brininess of Cowboy Star’s oysters—tasting strongly of the sea—is not an advisable introduction.)
www.CowboyStarCS.com
(719) 639-7440
Hours: Mon-Thus: 11:30am-9pm; Fri: 11:30am-10pm; Sat: 4pm-10pm; Sun: 4pm-9pm
Entrée Prices: $24-$90
What you need to know: Service issues aside, well executed and various grades of beef are eclipsed by the seafood.
John “Dusty” King was a rising Hollywood celebrity in the 1940’s, making his name in western films. King was a cowboy by day and a star-about-town by night. This tale, and ones like it, are the impetus for the name of the San Diego based steakhouse, Cowboy Star. With its second location now in the Springs, Cowboy Star is offering its cuts of beef as alternatives to those offered at establishments found downtown and the Broadmoor area. But can they truly compete?
Entrance into the steakhouse is impressive. Supple leathers, warm lighting and deep booths are welcoming. Yet, delight was bottlenecked from there. 
Cocktails were overpriced for the caliber of the spirits—well-grade bourbon does not a $12 cocktail make. The table was absent any dinner menus, and after requesting them, and a choice of sparkling water, both were slow to find their way to the table. Thankfully, the oysters were quickly presented atop a bed of crushed ice with proper accoutrement (half dozen, $14). (For those tentative regarding raw seafood, the bracing brininess of Cowboy Star’s oysters—tasting strongly of the sea—is not an advisable introduction.)
Seafood gave way to what should have been a classic Caesar salad, but what was in fact a diminutive portion of greens attired in a somewhat sweet dressing. One could not help but contrast this insubstantial, eleven dollar offering with that of a locally owned steakhouse whose Caesar is perfectly dressed, generously splittable, and commanding of only nine dollars.
Quibbles of side-dishes aside, one must let the star of the show do the talking. Yet prior to pontifications of meat, one not inconsequential caveat must be addressed.
There appears to be some confusion regarding the cuts of beef served by Cowboy Star. Two menu items claim to be USDA prime grade, while the rest promote themselves as “certified Angus” or merely “all natural.” The evening’s server claimed that all menu cuts were prime grade; and a next-day phone call had a member of management stating that all cuts were prime grade “or higher.” (This claim was somewhat of a misnomer as the Department of Agriculture’s top quality grade is “prime” with nothing existing above it.) To the manager’s credit, she did offer to seek clarity. Consultation with the head chef revealed that only the two labeled cuts are prime grade, while all others are USDA choice grade—albeit, the Angus cuts are known for being of particularly high quality within their grade, and the one offering of “American Wagyu” is subjectively commensurate with USDA’s prime.
Such confusion is surprising. Waitstaff and management at steakhouses (especially restaurants that market and price themselves at the higher end), ought to be properly educated in all areas of meat, not least of which being the beef’s quality grade that will (or will not) warrant higher menu prices. Paying forty-six dollars for Cowboy Star’s choice grade ribeye is hard to swallow when a fifteen minute drive south reveals a prime grade ribeye for forty-four dollars—you do the math.
Not all is loss. Nor is there any intension to derail what Cowboy Star is doing for fine dining in northern Springs. The ribeye—regardless of not being a true prime steak—was excellent, juicy and immensely flavorful. Which, after all, is the whole point of grading beef in the first place. Commercially, there is need to predict a cut’s quality and characteristics. The USDA’s methodology is merely a codified attempt at this prediction. The actual truth is found upon the diner’s palate. Here, Cowboy Star did well.
However, the best of the evening was the Seared Scallops ($38). Excellent scallops are a rarity, and these delivered. Further impressive was the seasonal twist of butternut squash, in multiple formats, with essence of warming spices. So often seasonal iterations are trite and contrived (pumpkin spice latte, anyone?), but here the chef earned his keep.
Quibbles of side-dishes aside, one must let the star of the show do the talking. Yet prior to pontifications of meat, one not inconsequential caveat must be addressed.
There appears to be some confusion regarding the cuts of beef served by Cowboy Star. Two menu items claim to be USDA prime grade, while the rest promote themselves as “certified Angus” or merely “all natural.” The evening’s server claimed that all menu cuts were prime grade; and a next-day phone call had a member of management stating that all cuts were prime grade “or higher.” (This claim was somewhat of a misnomer as the Department of Agriculture’s top quality grade is “prime” with nothing existing above it.) To the manager’s credit, she did offer to seek clarity. Consultation with the head chef revealed that only the two labeled cuts are prime grade, while all others are USDA choice grade—albeit, the Angus cuts are known for being of particularly high quality within their grade, and the one offering of “American Wagyu” is subjectively commensurate with USDA’s prime.Such confusion is surprising. Waitstaff and management at steakhouses (especially restaurants that market and price themselves at the higher end), ought to be properly educated in all areas of meat, not least of which being the beef’s quality grade that will (or will not) warrant higher menu prices. Paying forty-six dollars for Cowboy Star’s choice grade ribeye is hard to swallow when a fifteen minute drive south reveals a prime grade ribeye for forty-four dollars—you do the math.
Not all is loss. Nor is there any intension to derail what Cowboy Star is doing for fine dining in northern Springs. The ribeye—regardless of not being a true prime steak—was excellent, juicy and immensely flavorful. Which, after all, is the whole point of grading beef in the first place. Commercially, there is need to predict a cut’s quality and characteristics. The USDA’s methodology is merely a codified attempt at this prediction. The actual truth is found upon the diner’s palate. Here, Cowboy Star did well.
However, the best of the evening was the Seared Scallops ($38). Excellent scallops are a rarity, and these delivered. Further impressive was the seasonal twist of butternut squash, in multiple formats, with essence of warming spices. So often seasonal iterations are trite and contrived (pumpkin spice latte, anyone?), but here the chef earned his keep.
Cowboy Star may be forgiven for a lack of product knowledge, assuming they take critique to heart and improve their ways. Small service foibles can be overlooked as anomalies. Pricing incommensurate with competition may be ignored for the sake of logistical convenience. But in aggregate, the patience of many a diner may be too far strained.
For additional food-centric reviews and tips, or to make a comment, email On The Table at OnTheTableReviews@gmail.com, or visit facebook.com/onthetablereviews & instagram.com/onthetablereviews.
For additional food-centric reviews and tips, or to make a comment, email On The Table at OnTheTableReviews@gmail.com, or visit facebook.com/onthetablereviews & instagram.com/onthetablereviews.
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