Holy Cow BBQ - Santa Monica

Holy Cow BBQ hit the spot. We ordered take out for the UFC fights. The pulled pork was the star of the show, absolutely delicious. Beef ribs (we had two) were very, very good, and the half rack of pork ribs were excellent. Onion rings were outstanding, some of the best I’ve had. Fried pickles weren’t as good, but that might be on us since it was takeout. Brisket had good flavor but leaned a little dry. I used my own Gates and Arthur Bryant’s sauce, which took everything to the next level. Definitely worth it for solid BBQ in Santa Monica.

I’ve lived in Brentwood/Santa Monica and today was my first time trying this place. It was a 10/10. Great service and very nice staff. The food was amazing! Chicken tenders and fries with the ranch, wow.

Absolutely the worst bbq I’ve ever had! All fat tiny slivers of meat in the brisket.. baked beans out of a can flavor, flavorless Mac n cheese.. tough fatty ribs.. Salty potato salad that tasted nothing like potato salad.. only decent thing was the pulled pork n sauce.. rest was inedible.. I spent like $80 for inedible food. Total rip off

Lovely, delicious, and quite the meal! The Mrs and I came here because Holy Cow is her favorite expression- or at least one of them anyway. What a deluge from the welcome in to the meal! Quick service with a smile!

Coming from the Southeast where BBQ reigns supreme, I'm pretty particular of my pulled pork and SC style mustard sauce. Trying their pulled pork I was very impressed as they had good smoke flavor, a nice consistent pull, and well spiced bark. The mustard sauce was a great compliment to the pork with a wonderful balance of tang and spice in the sauce without over doing it on the yellow mustard flavor. Would give this a solid 9/10 for pulled pork and mustard sauce. Will be back here again.

Best bbq I’ve had in LA so far. Maybe all of California. Had the brisket, russet potato, and bread.

Best BBQ during my USA west coast trip so far. Brisket was amazing.

The gentleman at the front said they don't do sweet potatoes anymore 😕 Very disappointed I was looking forward to sticking to my eating plan Good meat a sweet potato is all I wanted A lot of reviewers talked about the sweet potato. I'll give it five stars if they bring back the sweet potato, doesn't make sense to me they're fairly cheap and really healthy. Why would you get rid of something like that? Also no table service they make you stand in line. You got a place your order yourself and pay before you get your food. Why can't we have real restaurants with service?

We live nearby. We've estendi here occasionally but now that we visit the Carolinas to see our son and family, bbq has become something we really crave. Holy Cow is even better than our Carolina experiences. The tri tip is amazing. The fried onions are absolutely addictive! The service is great. The portions generous. We only do take away, but the atmosphere is nice at the shop.

Let's face it--I come here because it's one of the few spots around that serves tri-tip and tri-tip sandwiches. I wish I had better options. Honestly, I could probably make a better version myself--more moist and flavorful than what I got on my last visit. The first time, the tri-tip sandwich was tasty and satisfying. On the second visit, though, it was dry, mid, and definitely not worth the $17 for just the sandwich, no sides. That said, the staff was kind and helpful, and the indoor space is clean and well-kept with a casual BBQ vibe. It's convenient, but inconsistent.

Let me clarify this, 4.6 review. My girlfriend from Oxnard came to visit me in Santa Clarita and I chose our lunch spot for the day. I drove the 405 to have something I haven't had in a few years. I used to go to the one in Culver City but I've been to the one in Brentwood/Santa Monica a couple times some years ago. Really good choice. I got the the Santa Maria tri tip sandwich combo. It was really good and I dug the white cheddar cheese. I got the mac and cheese as the side. That's why it's 4.6 and not a 5. It was soggy. Lacked the crunch and they used shells (not that it's an issue but that's not what they used to use from what I remember). It was a 2.5-3 on a scale to 5. Taste was fine but not on great. Used to be better. My girlfriend got the #1 Meat combo (baby back ribs) and she dug the hell out of it. She had no complaints (actually she was thrilled) so I came out looking good. If she doesn't like something, she'll let me know and we are pretty aligned on food though I'm the "foodie." Both of the folks who were at the register were really friendly and kind. Offered refills on Ice Tea without us having to ask. Only thing to deal with is parking but the streets behind (I went mid afternoon) seem like no issue but not sure what evenings are like there. I'm really glad this place I found in 2018 is still making good food.

Jack the manager is the nicest most patient man! My friend and I walked in staring at the menu for so long since there are so many choices. I finally decided and Jake was a great help. Loved the pies. Left super happy because Jake made the ambiance a happy place.

Meats were well seasoned and flavorful. We had the sampler with tri tip pulled pork brisket and baby back ribs. Beef was tender. Excellent. Pulled pork juicy and flavorful. Ribs not quite fall off the bone. Least favorite of the four but all had good smoke. Trying to figure that out considering you don't see big smoke plumes coming from the restaurant. Beans for a side were good. Mac and cheese was mid. Lacked flavor and was kind of soupy. Great neighborhood place.

Probably the juiciest chicken breast I have ever eaten on a sandwich, however the coleslaw took away from the pepper aioli. I almost preferred the chicken by itself without all the fixings, just a dipping sauce. I also really enjoyed eating the yummiest potato salad. They checked on me three times to make sure I was good. Having a napkin dispenser was convenient as my sandwich was very messy.

The prices, sizes, and quality are out of wack. Light years away from bang for your buck. It just comes off as greed. I already know the business owner is going to comment some Mickey Mouse reason to justify charging such ridiculous prices. I don't like knocking down small businesses but if we tolerate this robbery for such mediocrity, it'll encourage other restaurants to serve less and charge more. Santa Monica needs better BBQ and that's putting it in the most polite way possible...

After coming here for a few years now I can consistently say it's some of the best barbecue on the west side have to be greeted by lively and grateful staff the portions and quality of food is always up to par, i'm yet to be disappointed while eating here I personally choose to sit outside that has heat lamps as well as nice lighting with a really good atmosphere. You can never go wrong with this place and I will be going here for years to come amazing place for family and pets :)

This place is just okay. I like the skinny plate with chicken and a sweet potato. I'm glad this place is here but just wish the food was a little better.

Excellent ribs, I like the beef ribs. The baby backs also are simply delicious. The food is always consistently good. The fries and coleslaw also are outstanding!

My partner and I recently moved back tonight after being evacuated due to the fires, and we were too exhausted to shop for groceries. I placed an order and, feeling a bit guilty for all the add-ons, apologized to Ernesto when I asked for extra ketchup. He was incredibly kind and understanding, even giving us a complimentary apple pie with our order. His genuine concern and warm wishes for us to get back on our feet truly touched my heart. And the food was absolutely outstanding--just what we needed after a long day of unpacking and cleaning.

We got the smash burger!! It was amazing! Cooked perfectly and the sauce/cheese was just the right amount! The ambiance was really cute too! The service was great, the gentleman (Jake) who took our orders was very kind. We will be coming back here again. Holy cow, this place is the one!

The food is consistently delicious. The staff are always friendly and welcoming. The atmosphere is very cute too.

The food is always amazing but there was a mix-up in our delivery. Thanks to Jake at HCBBQ our order was hand-delivered. BB ribs, Tri Trip salad, mac and cheese. I'm so thankful for their delivery efforts.The food was as amazing as ever. The place in West LA.

Holy Cow We had: Beef Ribs, Pulled Chicken, Tri-Tip, collard greens, coleslaw, Mac & cheese. Everything was so delicious. We Weill be back THANK YOU

Great flavor on the babyback ribs! Pulled pork was outstanding as well. Collard greens perfect for this meal. Potato salad very good.

Fine food, poor value. We expected bigger portions for the prices. When paying $7 for an order of corn, I expect more than the single tiny ear of corn we received. Staff were friendly and bbq was competent but apparently we needed to order a lot more. We spent over $120 for takeout dinner for a family of 4 and didn't have enough food to go around.

Great warm welcoming service. Try the Texas brisket and don't forget the Mac n cheese or the awesome light and airy garlic roll.

I stopped into Holy Cow for lunch yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to find out it was Wing Night and Happy Hour! A perfect combo! Not only was the food delicious, but the service I received from Jairo was truly exceptional. He took the time to walk me through the extensive menu with patience and enthusiasm. It's rare to come across someone who takes such genuine pride in their work, and Jairo is definitely one of those people. While chatting with the manager, I mentioned that I had a really disappointing customer service experience with the waitstaff at another restaurant just a few days with earlier so my interaction with Jairo's was truly refreshing.

The food was delicious! My guest were saying how great the food was and where did I order from. Needless to say my party was a roaring success! The brisket and the beef ribs were a hit.

This review if for Julian. Its 7pm the night before July 4th, Im sure they are absolutely swamped, I could not order on the site and I called and talked to him and then realized I had more questions and called him about 3 times for a big order on July 4th. He was so helpful, professional, calm, compassionate, willing to take several phone calls where other could have been frustrated. What an amazing guy, thank you Julian!

Service was great, and the meats were well cooked, but we didn't particularly enjoy the sauce. The restaurant itself was really cute and located in a cool area.

Hi I wanted some Bar B Que and I was in Culver City. I have been seeing the sign on my way to work. HOLY COW bar be que decided to stop today. Looks brand new inside, they serve lots of other foods also. Has a bar, a cozy spot for a date. I ordered baby back ribs 1/2 rack they were so tender and meaty. I ordered smoked chicken my husband said was great. But wait I ordered potato salad that was delish and the cold slaw good. Go pay them a visit it would be worth it. Cora

BBQ, sides, and bread... all was very good, and so many choice of sauce they gave us to try!!!!! We couldn't pick one so tried little bit of everything and it was wonderful. So volumie and great price as well! but most of all the ppl working there was SUPER NICE AND FRIENDLY! We had to take our dogs out and decided to eat while we were out. They were so welcoming, and gave my dogs water and samples to try! All of us were so happy. They did above and beyond. Thank you so much for taking great care of us and we will definitely come back!!!

Update: Great food! I'm not a fan of BBQ sauce, so it takes a lot for me to like a BBQ place! BBQ Chopped Salad with chicken was Excellent! Generous amount of chicken. Enough salad for 2 people or take home tomorrow's lunch. Price has gone up $3 since I last reviewed, but that seems to be the norm with restaurants due to Covid costs. Tip: When ordering the BBQ Chopped Salad, ask for the chicken to be PULLED, and for dressing on the side. Pulled chicken is amazing here.

If you're willing to walk a tiny bit, there are residential street parking nearby. Otherwise metered parking. Located across from Brentwood country mart. HH 2-5p Monday thru Friday available- I'll have to come for this one of these days. They have several tables inside and a few outside. You stand in line, order, they give you a number to take to your table and they bring out your food. Everything I've ordered here has been absolutely delicious! Beer, lemonade, fries, beans, sandwiches etc. Their meat is very tender and perfectly flavored- I'm very impressed. Love this spot for BBQ!

I love Holy Cow! The food is excellent. The pulled chicken had a ton of flavor. The cornbread was great and the BBQ Chicken Salad was delicious. I highly recommend this place.

I ordered a plate with trip tip, brisket, and a beef rib with collards as the side to cut through the richness of the meat. It's really good. I couldn't find anything really wrong with the food except wish you had a spicy bbq sauce to balance the sweet one for me. Wish I ordered more garlic rolls to make sliders, I wasn't expecting anything because with bbq it can be hit or miss. I'm happy it was hitting on a Saturday.

This is weird. Everyone in my family agrees, so I figured I write a review in hopes management sees it and fixes this. The ribs taste like chemicals/soap 1 out of 5 times I'd say. Not sure if it's a product they are using to clean the grill with that isn't entirely washed off before cooking or what. Couldn't eat more than a bite or 2 after tasting the chemical soapy like flavor. Hope this helps and you can look into what that could be!

I've been a loyal customer for quite some time and have always enjoyed your food--especially the ribs, corn, and cornbread. I typically place takeout orders and pick them up, and I've even brought out-of-town friends and family here, though only once so far. Until recently, I've never had a bad experience. However, my visit on Sunday, May 25th, 2025, was deeply disappointing. From the moment we arrived, it felt like we weren't welcome. The young woman working the counter between 4-5 PM didn't acknowledge us at first and eventually spoke to us in a tone that and seemed like she had no choice to let us know we have to come up to the counter to order. We didn't mind that several items included ribs were unavailable--we understand that can happen--but the overall experience felt unwelcoming. What stood out even more was how uncomfortable the atmosphere felt, even to the point where another table at the far end of the restaurant kept staring at us, making the situation more unsettling. Ultimately, we decided to leave and went to Din Tai Fung in Santa Monica instead. Despite being walk-ins, we were graciously accommodated, received excellent service, and spent $228 plus a $45 tip--all because the experience felt respectful and warm. As I mentioned, I've always appreciated your food and service in the past. But this experience has left a bad taste in my mouth, and sadly, I don't plan on returning. In 2025, in a diverse and vibrant city, this type of treatment is both surprising and disappointing. I only want to spend my money where I am welcomed

The food is excellent. I have visited on several occasions. The team- both in the front and back - are great. It is true the prices are high, but not out of line with Santa Monica. Plus, the quality fully justifies the price.

That sandwich was fantastic, my first time ordering from here. I order the Tri-tip Sando sandwich, it was great. Will order again.

The food is good, I don't know about the ambiance because ordered delivery, but Ernesto took care of me, let me know they were out of the meat I wanted, even comped me extra without up charge! Very few good people at restaurants who go above and beyond like this, I commend him!

My lady & I have been going to Holy Cow for many years now. Great spot for a casual date night, we always enjoy the food & good vibes. However, what compelled me to write a review was the impeccable warmth, service and vibrant energy from Connor. Right as we walked in he asked if we'd like some recommendations and offered the combo options make the most sense for two people. After we got the food we noticed that the pulled pork and tri-tip looked a bit different that usual and he explained the new method Holy Cow is using to retain the juiciness for the meat. It's always a nice time here, but this experience was a bit more special than the rest. Thank you!

I first ordered through DoorDash few weeks ago and wasn't too impressed because it seemed like I didn't get that much food. My first order was the 2 entree sampler which I ordered ribs. You must understand when ordering ribs, you're not getting that much food since the bone is taking up so much space. This time around I ordered the 4 item sampler and it was great! The brisket, and tritip were amazing!! The smoke flavor! Unbelievable! Honestly to cook something like this at home would take me forever..... so glad I found something close to home with such a great BBQ flavor, made a great Memorial Day dinner! Thank you!!

Don't sleep on this place. Consistently great barbecue, brisket is our favorite. Best on the Westside IMHO. I order their version of potato skins every time. It's hard to choose brisket over their pulled pork sandwich though. Good problems.

Tri-Tip chimi churri sando Outstanding, very flavorful, melts in your mouth, perfectly cooked! This place gets a strong endorsement . I truly loved this sandwich.

The service is always outstanding. The brisket and Mac n Cheese are so delicious. Great combination. The Shoestrings onion rings are very tasty. This place is so much better than the one in Culver City. The food is always hot and fresh.

Great food. Been going to it for years! The meat is so tender.. delicious Would recommend it. The vibe is nice too

The food here was amazing! I ordered the burger and it did not disappoint. It was simple, yet juicy and full of flavor, just how a burger should be. The owner even brought me a piece of their brisket so I could try and order next time. The service was great. The best part had to be their dessert. I ordered the key lime pie. It was delicious!!! I highly recommend.

I had their Smokey Burger with Smashed Taters and Unsweetened Ice Tea. The burger was delicious and the Smashed Taters brought back memories that I have had numerous times while eating in Texan restaurants while visiting family in Texas.

Absolutely the best BBQ on the Westside! Great menu options with something for everyon. The staff are lovely too!!

Amazing food, super friendly service, highly recommend!! When you walk in you're immediately hit with the overwhelming awesome smells of bbq goodies

I recently Posted a review that was mixed. I did say the Ribs were 100% perfectly cook. But wasn't as kind on some of other items. Mgmt reached out to me. Appreciated that. Shows that the Mgmt cares about what their customers have to say and are willing to engage and address customer comments. Tough economic environment out there and takes a hell of a lot of money , time and risk to open up a restaurant. There intention isn't to to provide a bad experience. With that , don't just be a hater and give bad reviews, take the time to give good reviews. Yelp responsibly. What you say effects there business and ultimately people's jobs And if mgmt reaches out addresses the problem . Take down your negative review and try em again in few months. G You may be surprised.

Yikes. I work in the neighborhood and thought I wanted a delicious BBQ salad and unfortunately this place is not it. Too much tomatoes (wish I had know cilantro and tomatoes were a big part of the salad) and for some reason the chicken didn't taste good. LIKE HOW?!?!?! I paid a good amount and left hungry...

It's not often that I treat myself to barbecue, this was a great choice! For barbecue, the prices are about average and the quality is great. Pulled pork and brisket were super tender and flavorful, as were the collard greens. I also really enjoyed the sweet pickles on the side and the little dinner roll. Two item plate (1/4lb each meat) was plenty filling for me, though I honestly wanted more because it was so satisfying. It's a somewhat modern approach to the presentation of it which may surprise some, but it fits the neighborhood and it's still comfy. The staff are very friendly too. I will be back!

Great BBQ all around for any occasion! The baby back ribs are the favorite at our table. Hits the right spot every time!

My daughter and I loved this place, I got the burger and she got the tri tip and it was all delicious. Great service too. We highly recommend this place

First time here and it won't be my last. It satisfied my BBQ cravings. Many options of protein and side selections. The sauces compliments the protein nicely. The staff was very helpful providing recommendations since it was our first time here.