LTT: Full Slab Of Beef Ribs from The Cowboy Way

With my mother and grandfather being Texan, I ate a lot of BBQ growin’ up. Lots of spare ribs. The house would be filled with the wonderful aroma of cooked meat and the sweet and tangy smell of Mom’s BBQ sauce was something I would go to bed dreaming about. When I started dating my current girlfriend, I would get invited over for some “authentic” Texan BBQ. Mr. Pavia, a native of Texas, had an old black smoker outside his place he would use. The ribs would be in the smoker for hours, using different types of wood to give it a different flavor. Can you believe that smoking ribs with burning mesquite as opposed to applewood produces different results? Once you taste smoked ribs, everything else is obsolete.

Meat. It’s what makes me look at vegetarians in utter disgust. Meat’s amazing! Steaks, tri-tip, brisket, ribs, chops! There’s plenty of ways to cook meat, but to achieve that true Texan flavor, your barbecued meat has to be smoked. This involves getting a smoker and building a fire on one side of it, and placing the meat as far away from said fire as possible. That’s because smoking meat is all about cooking it low and slow, as opposed to grilling where meat is seared at high temperatures. Good things come to those who wait.

Being that LOLthatsTasty Headquarters is not based in Austin, Texas, we have a bit more trouble lookin’ for good BBQ out here in the Desert. Back in the day, there was a place called “Big Willy’s” out here that served up some good BBQ, but they’ve been closed forever. Today, most Desert Rats’ BBQ knowledge goes as far as Rancho Mirage’s “Babe’s B-B-Que Grill” and that’s a cryin’ shame. For I’ve been to the land of bronze pigs, and while the food was good, it’s nowhere near the magic and wonder that is housed at The Cowboy Way in Palm Springs.

Driving out to Palm Springs from Indio might as well be a pilgrimage. Considering what we’re dealing with, though, the trip is well worth it. After getting lost due to Palm Springs’ one-way streets, we parked in a very sketchy lot behind the restaurant. I was beginning to worry, until I saw a familiar and comforting sight on the side of the building: a smoker. I knew I was in store for something special.

This place can give two shits about their decor. There’s not hostess at the front. No pretty tables with fancy Western centerpieces. No freakin’ bronze pigs. Instead, it’s simply an L-shaped bar with one waitress running it, while two men work in a prep area nearby. Country music fills the air from a small radio. As you take a seat and browse the menu, the local regulars are coming in and out, picking up phone orders to take home to their families. Our drinks came in canning jars, which just added to the “Who Cares?” attitude of the place.

What they do care about is the meat, though, and it’s very apparent when you eat the final product. Great smokey flavor, lip-smackin’ good BBQ sauce, and portions that will make you do a double-take. Best of all, the price is awesome considering it’s barbecue and in Palm Springs. Plenty of side choices. We went with the Cowboy Beans and Cornbread. The Cowboy Beans are delicious beans cooked up with some pork pieces and jalapeños. Cornbread is served up with honey butter. Big and tasty!

This is a must-visit spot out here in the Coachella Valley. If you haven’t gone, you’re doing yourself a great injustice. Time for me to mosey on out. Until next time, my dear readers: Stay Tasty! Yee-haw!