Canyon Cowboy Crafts Comfort Cookin’
By Tony Reverditto
Ken and Brandie Newman moved to Canyon Lake in 2015 from Los Angeles. They wanted to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city and enjoy a life better suited for kids. Ken is the owner of one of the largest recycled aggregate materials producer in California and Brandie is a former radio host. During a night out with some longtime residents, the conversation led to the abandoned space in the Towne Center. The couple thought it would be the perfect space for something new. Brandie, born in the South, loved the idea of bringing southern hospitality, comfort food and country music to Canyon Lake. Ken and Brandie did a complete remodel of the space, bringing in 100-year-old barn wood for a rustic feel and they hired a Los Angeles based lighting company to install concert style lighting for band performances. They officially opened Canyon Cowboy in December 2017. It was recently voted “Best Casual Restaurant” in the Inland Empire.
The Canyon Cowboy is one of the area’s premier entertainment venues. Delivering the finest live music, comfort food and craft cocktails for you to enjoy with friends and family, The Canyon Cowboy provides the opportunity to embrace your inner cowboy. If you’re not hungry, you can saddle up to the large bar to enjoy a craft cocktail or one of their 20 draft beers! The impressive stage is equipped with a state-of-the-art sound system and concert style lighting and will feature live musical performances from local and national musicians!
We decided to go at 4 pm on a Tuesday, so I could take pictures without disturbing customers that would start flooding in starting after 5. My guest, John and I ordered libations first, Andrea the bartender was awesome and took care of us throughout our dining experience. He ordered a classic La Crema Chardonnay and I went for the Smoking Gun Margarita, Sauza Signature Blue Tequila, with fresh, muddled jalapenos, agave nectar and fresh squeezed lime juice. It was both a pop of heat and refreshing at the same time.
Now on to the food, the menu is focused on comfort foods, shared appetizers and made-from-scratch signature entrées. The appetizer menu, like most of the entrée menu is hearty, Wings, 10 Chicken wings tossed in your choice of sauce. Mango Habanero, Sweet Red Chili, Buffalo or BBQ and a basket of tasty Onion Rings. We opted for the Mango Habanero and they were both crispy on the outside and tender on the inside and that sauce was the perfect blend of spicy and sweet and quite addictive.
There are so many great options for entrées, from healthy Salads, Steaks, Burgers, Sandwiches to St Louis BBQ Pork Ribs, Canyon Cowboy Pot Roast, and Chuck Wagon Chicken Fried Chicken. I was impressed with the diversity of the menu which included a Cajun Alfredo Pasta, Linguini pasta graced with smoked andouille sausage, bell peppers and tomatoes. Tossed in a creamy house-made Cajun Alfredo topped with succulent shrimp.
As we transitioned into our entrées, we had to try the Moonshine concoctions, Blackberry Patch, comprised of Blackberry Moonshine, sprite and fresh squeezed lime juice and my guest had the Backyard Tea with White Lightening Moonshine and Raspberry Iced Tea. They were lusciously thirst-quenching and the perfect transition into our next course . . .
His dish was the Hickory Mesquite Salmon which was cooked to perfection and accompanied with 8oz Fresh Scottish salmon filet seasoned and mesquite pan seared. Served with your choice of 2 side fixens and he chose Campfire Corn, grilled corn served in a bowl and mixed with mascarpone cheese, mayo, queso fresco and chili seasoning which is reminiscent of Mexican street corn and the perfectly crispy Fries. My choice was the 10oz Ribeye Steak with 5 jumbo Sautéed Shrimp, the juiciest of steaks was hand cut and charbroiled served with Brussel Sprouts, lightly fried and tossed with bacon and yes, Mac & Cheese, a creamy blend of 4 cheeses and in the top five of my all-time favorite mac & cheeses of all time.
We were urged to sample the Chicken & Waffles, which were hand breaded and fried chicken atop a crispy waffle served with warm, spicy maple syrup and selected Fresh Seasonal Vegetables and Creamy Homemade Mashed Potatoes as accompaniments. You just can’t go wrong with this classic combination.
They have a reasonably priced breakfast menu and a spectacular lunch menu that is priced at $10 and under with many items from the dinner menu! Go check it out!
Mondays Kids Eat Free
Tuesdays $10 Burger & Beer Combo
Wednesdays Buy One Entrée, Get One ½ Price
I asked General Manager, Paul de la Vega, who has been with CC since almost the beginning. He came from a few years at Bailey’s in Temecula and loves his role at this festive restaurant. When I asked him what SUNDAY FUNDAY is all about, his response was “It kind of changes throughout the year depending on the sports schedule. Currently we are doing live music in the afternoon. We do have some fun games people can play outside like corn hole and giant Jenga. People like to have their Bloody Marys and play outside. A wide range of Singers and Musicians also play at various times during the week.”
Other Weekly Events Include:
KARAOKE MONDAY’S
LINE DANCING LESSONS TUESDAY’S
OPEN MIC WEDNESDAY’S
The Canyon Cowboy at 31504 Railroad Canyon Road, Canyon Lake. Reservations and Event Information: 951.723.2201 or www.thecanyoncowboy.com