- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
CowTown Beef Shack
Categories: Restaurants Sandwiches Restaurants Barbeque Sandwiches, Barbeque [Edit]
5250 Macleod Trl SCalgary, AB T2H 0J5
(403) 281-8191
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
14 reviews for CowTown Beef Shack
14 reviews in English
-
Review from Terrence L.
Calgary, AB
5/18/2012
In a weird little parking lot at the side of Macleod Trail's Home Food Inn, there's this weird one shack where one of the absolutely bravest and heartiest chefs that ever can be is.
Chef Brad, is there, much like a classic tiny Punch and Judy stand, surrounded by huge hunks of beef. It's tiny, it can't be all that well insulated from the extreme cold that Calgary can get, or well ventilated against the extreme heat inside during the summers, but there he is day in day out serving some of the most awesome beef sandwiches that you can find anywhere.
So far of note that I have tried, the BBQ beef sandwich and the beef dip. ANd there's quite a few other ones I will have to work on. The beef is carefully prepared, well seasoned, and absolutely tender and juicy. The gravy of the beef dip is simple, straightforward, yummy, yet strangely mysterious (I'm not too sure, but I could swear I sense of anise somewhere as an aftertaste...). Still, it's his speciality, and as I've heard, this little shack actually has led to a full sized resto somewhere else in the city.
Bravo Chef Brad, and I salute you for managing the elements in that tiny shack that's smaller than my bathroom! You have my respect and most importantly, my energetic vote of approval with a sandwich in my hands! -
Review from Tammy C.
Calgary, AB
4/22/2012
I wasn't thrilled, my fiancee was in like. I might have been being picky that day, and want to try it again. It's quite the landmark so I'm sure we'll drive-thru once more!
-
Review from Ken S.
Calgary, AB
8/14/2011
Wow, has it only been two years since Bradly and his Beef Shack have been open??
What can I say that already hasn't been captured by past reviews....probably not much so let me summarize the highlights.
Great food...yes, his sandwiches (be it the beef or newly added pulled pork) are fantabulous! Juicy, FULL of flavor and are huge! The choice of toppings are enough to provide a good selection but never too much to drown out the beefy goodness! Remember, we're in Alberta where the cow is king! Or would that be the "cow" is queen and the "bull" is king? Regardless, whatever bovine is perfectly cooked and sliced and loaded onto his sandwiches is as close to perfect road food you'll ever find.
Service...yes, Bradly and his small gang never fail to impress. They're friendly, never fail to engage in some great conversation and still keep you moving through the queue ASAP.
It genuinely makes me happy to see a small business owner find their niche and succeed. In our market where generic "roadhouse spork" (aka Earls, Tony Roma's, Joeys...which don't get me wrong...will fill the void) is rampant its awesome to see something unique like CowTown thrive! -
Review from jon h.
8/15/2011
Drive thru Meat!
Had a pulled pork sandwich ($8) on Sun Aug 13th. Staff was friendly, and sandwich was tasty. Good flavor, and interesting coleslaw on the sandwich with apple pieces.
I would go back for the brisket next time. -
Review from Guntram W.
Calgary, AB
1/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
As far as drive thru food goes, this is the best(provided you like beef). The portions are generous for the price. The beef is always moist and never stringy. I had a friend try the pork and he said it was the best pulled pork he ever had. Brad the owner is alway friendly and in good spirits. After reading the other reviews, I'm going to try the briskit next time.
-
Review from Francois C.
Calgary, AB
7/27/2011
A great sandwich is a wonderful thing. Just like the late Warren Zevon said to David Letterman in his own version of "carpe diem": "Enjoy every sandwich". There is a lot of truth to this statement; life is short, and it is important to take pleasure in the everyday things - such as a truly great sandwich. To that end, you MUST visit the CowTown Beef Shack!
If I am traveling north on Macleod Trail and feeling {very} hungry, this is my go-to spot. Menu is pretty much all sandwiches (surprise!), but they are great ones - philly cheesesteak; pulled pork; and a few other "Stampede" type sandwiches, albeit infinitely better than the crap you buy on the Midway. I've had some great sandwiches in my life, but for their genre, CowTown's are just about perfect. Staff is fun, friendly and laid-back.
My only very minor complaint is that I wish they had a few more picnic tables (a la Peter's Drive In) - these wondrous sandwiches are too messy to eat in your car (another sign of an amazing sandwich).
I had to think about it a bit, but I think CowTown deserves a five star rating! Don't just drive by next time, stop in to visit! -
Review from Wendy P.
3/24/2011
If Calgary had a food cart culture, the CowTown Beef Shack would be at the heart of it... okay maybe cart is the wrong word for this stationary little kiosk, but it sounds a lot better than food shack culture.
It was fate that brought me to this sandwich... actually it was Nick S.'s review. I had read the review earlier in the day and happened to be travelling northbound on MacLeod Trail later that afternoon. As I drew near the Beef Shack, I saw a mini van parked outside. It was open!
I had four choices for a sandwich. Cowtown cheese steak, beef dip, beef and cheddar or BBQ beef. I asked Bradley, the man behind the shack, which one he'd recommend for a first-timer. He made me a BBQ beef sandwich with horseradish and onions. The BBQ beef was all sweet'n'saucy, wrapped up inside a big crispy roll. It sure didn't last long... let me just catch my breath.
All sandwiches are $8. Adding a drink or some chips on top of that will run you about $2 each I think.
And Bradley... well, he's a character all on his own. He gets 5 stars too. -
Review from Angelo T.
4/1/2011
Wow. If sandwiches were swords CowTown beef shack is the Scottish claymore that will win you your freedom...from hunger
Props to Nick S. for suggesting this place. After two weeks of being delayed opportunities to try CowTown, I made it my mission today to go for lunch, ditching a desk full of unresolved reports and neglected a phone that wouldn't shut up. Located in the same parking lot as Home Food Inn, CowTown is literally a shack no bigger than 2-3 office cubicles put together. But when I walked up to the kiosk and peeked inside, I saw a chef with a miniature gourmet kitchen ready to fire out sandwiches!
I ordered the BBQ beef sandwich, which cost 8.00. The tissue soft sheet-strands of beef in BBQ tasted LES INCREDABLE. The pockets of fat made random bites of the sandwich a different experience. The bread was pretty basic but hey, how can you draw art without a plain sheet of paper? I asked for the cheese and pepper toppings which complimented the beef. The cheese sauce was interesting as it had a nacho cheese flow but with the curdled consistency of melted hard cheese.
I wish I still had my hefty appetite, otherwise I would go back and attempt to tackle a second sandwich. Still one order is large enough that I can feel my heartbeat drumming against the spine along my neck.
I could really use a na...*passes out*Listed in: BECAUSE I SAID SO!!
-
Review from Nick S.
3/21/2011 3 Check-ins Here
The CowTown Beef Shack is a pretty unique spot in town to grab a sandwich, and I'm a fan.
Just a small drive thru kiosk on the side of Macleod (in its former life the building offered up espresso), it aims to serve a few different beef on a bun sandwiches: cheesesteak, beef dip, and BBQ beef.
The menu is simple, but the beef sandwiches are tasty.
They advertise catering services too, so my assumption is that the owner originally opened The Shack as a way to fill up his week outside of catering events.
At any rate, it's a super friendly operation, and throughout the summer - when people are eating outside at the picnic tables--I'll often see the owner taking time out to visit and chat.
Now, I'm a fairly regular sub eater, and more often than not I'll grab something from the big chains because they are nearby. But it's pretty much a no brainer that given the opportunity, I'll steer clear of processed meat subs and get the real deal at CowTown.
It's the type of local business I'm happy to support. -
Review from Ian D.
Calgary, AB
6/6/2010 ROTD 4/13/2011
Ok - the question was simple and the answer was absolutely superb! Question - "WTF it's not Stampede and I feel like beef on a bun, geez this is Calgary and it's easier to find Chicago Deep Dish Pizza..."
Answer "COWTOWN Beef Shack!"
A tiny little 'shack', yup it's a shack - with a tiny menu - if you don't like beef, don't go!
The menu is sparse as Cowtown focus' on what it does well - Beef. I'll post a picture of the menu but basically you choose from:
Philly Cheese Steak - Good with a white Cheddar sauce but sorry I've eaten at Pats and Geno's - they win hand's down!
Beef Dip with optional horseradish or hot peppers - This is a great sandwich from the bun to the meat to the au jus!!!!! love it!!!!!!
BBQ Beef - I haven't had it but someone I was with said it was really good.
For extras, all Cowtown offers is two or three drink choices and a couple of options of potato chips.
Couple of things that I could see added into their tiny space - even if it runs out early - A baked beans side.... and if they could somehow make a yorkshire pudding beef dip, I would CRY! -
Review from lizette r.
6/20/2011
i really, really, really wanted to like this place. i found the reviews before my trip and made a note to stop. it was so cute - just a little drive thru kiosk - and the chef was such a nice guy but the sandwich just wasn't very good.
i got the beef dip sandwich and my friend got the pulled pork. the pulled pork with the coleslaw was ok but my sandwich was pretty bland.
i know all of the other reviews are really high so maybe it was just an off day or maybe i am spoiled with my numerous bbq trips through the southern united states. whatever the case may be - the shack just wasn't all that good. -
Review from Mike A.
Calgary, AB
9/1/2011
I feel bad writing this review because I love that it's a shack and the people inside that shack were so nice, but I had the same experience as Lizette R.: my sandwich was bland. I had the cheese steak. I will try again some day with the pulled pork because my friend had that and it looked pretty nice.
-
Review from Cornelius V.
Calgary, AB
7/5/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I don't know. I mean, hey, it's in a shack, this is Calgary, things aren't supposed to be done this way, how fun! But the food is not up to proper BBQ standards. I just wanted some brisket. You know, brisket. Just brisket. You order it, they take the slab, then they cut it into slices, weigh it, and then give it to you. Then you take the brisket in your hand, then you put it in your mouth then you eat it. Just that. That's it. I get strange looks from BBQers in this city when I try explaining this to them. I mean, you could order some slices of bread (you know, regular slices of white bread), wrap the brisket in the bread, then dip it in the sauce if you wanna get really kRaZy. Apparently people are unable to do this in Calgary. Some kind of disability. Who cares if I am giving them my money, they just don't do it that way. Im-possible. This is as ridiculous to Calgarians as renting instead of owning. Everything has to be on a bun. Just like what every other place does. Whatevz.
After making a scene over their inability to just give me some brisket, I asked for some BBQ sauce after ordering a brisket-on-a-bun. The lady said that this was not possible. The shaved brisket is either soaked in BBQ sauce or not and that's how I'm gonna have it. No way to get it on the side. BBQ is about choice, not being told what to have, so I got pretty Canadian/offended and acted Canadian/passive aggressive over that.
The "brisket" was, meh. The sauce was, meh. The bun wasn't that fresh, the baguette was crusty at one end. The only condiment offered was onion. No jalapenos, no bbq sauce, no pickles, no nuthin'. Typical run of the mill brisket will have some hickory or wood type smokiness to it, this did not. It just tasted like a mass produced beef on the bun you would get at the stampede. The sauce had nothing to it. No kick, no pizzaz, no ho-yeahhh. Maybe a bit of a vinegary taste to it. I asked her if they smoke on site, she pointed at some stainless steel contraption hidden off in the kitchen. This explains the blandness. You smoke out of iron, not stainless steel. The lack of BBQ sauce on the side is a disappointment.
If you have had proper BBQ, you will be disappointed. If you are accustomed to the Calgary beef on a bun mediocrity and have never had proper BBQ, you will probably rate this place 5 stars. What pisses me off is that all it takes for this place to vastly improve is to put a bit of effort into the food instead of focusing on the simplest and quickest method of preparation. You'd think a "shack" could try a bit harder than Big Ts.
I mean, if this place purports to be a YYC style beef on a bun, fine. But don't claim you're "authentic Southern BBQ" when you do un-Southern things:
a) Smoking in a woodless stainless steel contraption.
b) Pre cutting and mixing all the meat together in order to maximize yields.
c) Not serving meat by the pound...
d) ...instead serving it on a BAGUETTE only
e) Dousing the meat in sauce, instead of serving the meat the way it should be: smoked and unadulterated. -
Review from Dan M.
Calgary, AB
7/11/2011
Okay sandwhiches. Not the best. Don't leave them in your car or it will smell terrible!
