The Smokey Cow

Best BBQ Ever.

It has been well over 3 years ago that we have had Smokey Cow. It was located on Sherman Way in Van Nuys before they took a long hiatus. We were thrilled when we saw Smokey Cow resumed business and we were lucky enough to get some scrumptious BBQ before heading back to NorCal. Our favorite was the Beef Rib. This trip our favorite was the Brisket. My son said it ranks up there with Franklin's and Jack Black's in Texas, home of some of the best BBQ in the nation. The Brisket had an excellent smoke ring, nice seasoning and most of all it was super tender. Just outstanding, hard to get this good of brisket. The Beef Rib and Pork Ribs were pretty good but probably left on the grill just a tinge longer so it wasn't quite as moist as the last time I had Smokey Cow. I also had the homemade Mac and Cheese, pickles, chips and cole slaw. They make everything including the sauce except for the chips. Brisket 5+ Beef Ribs 4.25 Pork Ribs 4.25 Mac and Cheese 4.0 Sauces and sides 4.5 Great guys 5.0 Overall, excellent BBQ, nice guys and priced normally for BBQ faire. On my next trip to SoCal, I will be stopping by to get excellent BBQ and great service. If you haven't been there before, look for the alley entrance that goes behind the houses where the garages are and look for the lighted entrance. Go early, you don't want to miss out on some of the best BBQ in the area. Smokey Cow is my #1 BBQ, Swinging Door #2 and Bludso's #3.

I kept missing this place because it's actually off an alley, it's only open one day a week and it closes when the food runs out. We finally made it though and holy smokes it was delicious. The folks who run it are funny and friendly and the barbecue is amazing. My benchmark for awesome is usually baked beans and slaw, and sadly, there's no baked beans. The loaded mac and cheese makes up for it though! There's a lot of food for the price, too, which is always a plus.

As time goes by the BBQ game in LA keeps improving. Smokey Cow is part of this wave of smoked deliciousness. Their stand won't be hard to spot, it'll be the one with a long line. My personal favorite is the pork ribs which are fantastic and one of the best renditions you can find in LA. The service is great and friendly as well. Just word to the wise get there early as they do sell out!

I live a few houses away and when I smell the smoke from the bbq, I know what day it is ! It's Friday dinner at The Smokey Cow! The pulled pork sandwich is scrumptious. The Mac n' Cheese fully loaded with brisket, hot Cheetos and sauce was the perfect comfort food on a Friday evening. Everything is flavorful yet simple. Service is friendly and efficient. Counting down until TGIF.

Delicious! Great local BBQ - juicy and flavorful! Fun local Burbank experience and must get there in time before they sell out.

Love love this bbq. Owner so very nice. The beef ribs and the pulled pork are so delicious. The bark is insane. This isn't bbq sauce covered meat. You do that yourself. Wish they had more sides though, like a good pork and beans and maybe some chicken for my non red meat eating family member. The kids liked the mac and cheese. I do wish they had a mayo based coleslaw vs the kind they have.

You are not lost. It is in an alley. It looks jenky. You think you might get murdered. Stop. Get out of the car. Eat. The meat is all I care about. The brisket pulled apart. The bark was perfect. The pork was so smooth. The ribs were amazing. More than that, the guys are very friendly. He kept handing me pieces of meat that were almost the size of my fist. I'm full before I started. I will definitely return.

Best brisket sandwich I've had. Wife loved the pulled pork, and my son loved the ribs and mac and cheese. Wish I knew about this place sooner.

The best BBQ place I've been to in the SFV, it's about time that I write a review for The Smokey Cow. I can't tell you how incredible this BBQ place is, it honestly has become our favorite place to go to on Fridays when we're craving BBQ (sometimes we go every Friday, no shame lol) The brisket is amazing!! The beef ribs are juicy, tender, and full of flavor & their BBQ sauces are soo good! My favorite one is the spicy one! 10/10 would recommend you to try this place for a Friday night dinner. Customer service is also 10/10 and you can't beat that. We've been going for a good while now when they used to be in front of their house. Now that they moved location, we're still here!

Great BBQ is not that easy to find in California, let alone Los Angeles. I have very, VERY few BBQ spots that I can and do count on every time I visit. The Smokey Cow has just been added to my list and it should be on your BBQ list too. Hell it should be on just about any foodie list. I came by just before 6:00pm to ensure I made it because if you follow them on Instagram you'll see they sell out anywhere from up to three hours to sometimes just an hour after opening! When I arrived there were two groups ahead of me and maybe 10 in line as I left. The Smokey Cow treats everyone like family, everyone is welcome, gets some samples, and is given the best of the best they have. Tonight I wanted to sample almost everything so I had quite the feast and let me tell you, the prices are insanely great. Everything I ordered below was under $50 which could easily feed 4 people. Of course I'm being extra fat to reward myself tonight so this may last me 2-3 meals. Brisket - this is my absolute favorite. I asked for 1/4 pound fatty slices and had the first slice as a sample. That bite instantly melted in my mouth, so soft and juicy and seriously like buttah! I could eat a plate of this by itself! The rub is outstanding too, slight kick with heavy herbs and spices but they don't overpower the meat, rather compliment it for a perfect pairing. The smoke ring is on point and the juices run down your mouth and fingers. Loaded Mac and Cheese with Pulled Pork - I initially wanted the pulled pork sandwich but then thought I wouldn't get the mac. Figure the Hawaiian bread can wait so let's go for some loaded mac! The macaroni are tender and soft while the whole mix is gooey and cheesy goodness. That pork though - oh my. Pull apart soft, tender, and immense porky flavor that some pigs may think how the hell did it get so good? But both the mac and pork together? This is a pair that Match.com couldn't even create. Beef Ribs - I thoroughly enjoyed these. Sadly, the one problem I have is the long wait. I had about a 45 minute wait (drive home, get settled in, prepare to eat etc) so of all the meats I think the beef ribs can't wait that long and not only should, but need to be eaten asap! When they get cold the meat tightens up. BUT the meat was still so soft and juicy, I ordered the fatty portion which for beef ribs I think I will stick to lean next time. Some fat is spot on but, as beef ribs tend to be, some fatty portions are too chewy for my taste. The meat still slid off the bone like magic! The two sauces are amazing. The regular or sweet sauce is slightly tangy and sour with bold flavors. The spicy though was amazing! The heat really builds and kicks you in the throat but the flavor is smooth and immense especially when paired with the meat. Even better? A BBQdating.com pair with the sweet and spicy bbq sauce. Thank me later. They also serve plates with a side of kettle chips (can't go wrong) and cabbage slaw which to me was the only let down of the night. It just wasn't a big deal and I could do without unless I toss it in a sandwich. The Smokey Cow is a must for Friday nights and hopefully more nights of the week soon! You better get there soon and as soon as they start their nights!

Happened to see the Smokey Cow on Yelp and I just have to review. Everything about it is amazing! Location: The Smokey Cow is located on Sherman Way. The cross street is Costello Ave. it's a pop up tent in front of the elementary school. The food: we ordered the brisket and pull pork sandwich with a side order of mac n cheese. Each sandwich comes with coleslaws, pickles, chips, bbq sauce, and lots of meat! The meats are amazing, they are very well cooked! It was soo good that it just melt in your mouth! The food assembly was very well balanced and flavorful. Even their chips taste amazing. The service: the owner was extremely friendly! He even let us try the meat before we order and each sample was huge! They were very accommodating, which said a lot about their business! Overall: The Smokey Cow is truly a hole in the wall. The pop up tent looks doubtful with everything in coolers...BUT don't judge its exterior. If you're a meat lover, you gotta try this place. Everything about this place is amazing. I'm a fan of supporting local businesses and I will definitely support the Smokey Cow again!

A solid spot to pick up some BBQ! He's parked up on the side of the road under a canopy/tent along with a helper. We've tried everything on the menu and everything was pretty darn tasty! Everything was flavored/spiced nicely and juicy. My fav is the ribs! The pull pork is my second fav. You can taste the TLC he puts into his food. The mac and cheese topped with beef is worth checking out too if you're okay with going a little heavy. The coleslaw isn't my style so we usually ask for double chips when we get a plate. The pickles on the side are the salty, sour kind and not the sweet kind. You can tell he's a hard worker and super kind as well as his worker. They seem happy and appreciative of your business. A line forms pretty early on and he sells out on the popular items, so get there early!

I've had The Smokey Cow now a couple of times and he keeps it amazingly consistent each time! Harry is definitely wise with his hands and recipes. My last feast was a full slab of the beef ribs with slaw and chips. I do not share ribs and I was hungry! I got his spicy bbq sauce and drove home. The aroma filled my car and I was drooling on the 10 min drive home. They're on Sherman Way now. The meat slides off the bone with no effort and tasted amazing. Each bite from first to last was delicious. I love ribs and ordinarily eat pork ribs but Harry's recipe beef ribs are too good to pass. I've had bbq all over town and he's surely top 3 in the County. Looking forward to having TSC once again!

The Smokey Cow is actually a "Tent Pop Up". No kidding. But wait, when the owner decides to put up his tent get ready for amazing food. I haven't received many updates about the Tent going up lately though. When it does, the Baby Back Ribs are amazing. Tender, and actually falls of the bone. I love when places say "Fall of the Bone" and they don't. At this Tent Pop Up you will love the BBQ. When available.

The most amazing pop-up I have ever seen! The Smokey Cow is very unique in that they make their own smokers, they only use the best wood and they use high quality meats for their operation. There's nothing here from Restaurant Dépôt or other restaurant supply shops, this is a top grade pop-up!!! I sampled the baby back, beef ribs and brisket that are all made using a in-house dry-rub and are smoked for 12 hours! Trust me when I tell you that it's worth waiting for them every Friday evening. This is a pop-up so you will have to follow them on Instagram to get the dates and times. While you're at it, enjoy the great pics of all their meats. I love this place!!!

Yay! Finally good BBQ! I'll m from Oklahoma and understand good meat. I mean it. The BBQ in CA normally is trash but these guys know what they are doing. I can't always make it to every Friday session but I normally try to make it a thing. There is usually a small line and a few minute wait time. They sell out around 9pm at the time of this writing so get their early. The sandwiches are legit. Just stack up some pulled pork and call it a day. The ribs are solid as well. Brisket is a winner. Looking forward to seeing these guys make it.

Our order: 1. Beef Ribs 2. Brisket Sandwich 3. Pulled Pork plate 4. Macaroni and Cheese 1. Beef ribs were amazing! Tender and literally fell off the bone right in front our eyes when he placed them on the scale. 2. Brisket Sandwich was piled high with slices of meat. So juicy and delicious. 3. Pulled Pork was just pulled pork. 4. Macaroni and Cheese was not as cheesy as I had hoped. Tasted better with BBQ sauce drizzled over it. Their spicy BBQ sauce is really good. Just the right amount of heat. Great customer service.

Finally got to try this place today after a long wait and it was totally worth it. My wife is a complete Beef Rib snob and she said these were the best ribs she's ever had. I made a point to go today as they were giving out free Mac and cheese for their anniversary which was an extra bonus on top of the amazing ribs, pulled pork and brisket. Both sauces they gave me were great as well. Luckily I was the second person in line so once they opened up it was fairly quick. If you don't look closely enough you'll drive right past it as I did. Literally just a small tent setup on a sidewalk in Van Nuys. Harry, the owner, was extremely friendly and even let me sample the meat before buying. They only accept cash or Venmo so make sure you've got one or the other before making the trek. Highly recommend!

Wow ! This place is absolutely delicious, it's a small pop up tent and you can definitely miss it on your way there so you gotta keep an eye out for the banner & tent. They have some amazing bbq! It is absolutely juicy and delicious. I tried the pork, brisket, & ribs. I was not a fan of the pork, was a bit dry for me but the other two were fantastic! They sell out sometime super early so it's best to get there when they open. Everyone should try this place!

Yep, the reviews are right. I tried the spare ribs, beef ribs, and brisket. I have been eating roast brisket for decades. I have definitely--without a doubt--never had juicier smoked beef brisket or ribs. Never. I want to be accurate so, I think I can say the spare ribs are as good as the very best I've ever had, maybe better than the best, but i've had some great spare ribs. These were as good, tho. . The beef--no doubt-- is number 1 by a long shot. And great flavor. Slightly sticky but not at all sweet, and not an inch of dry meat anywhere. The slaw is a garlicky oil-base that i loved but some people might prefer some more vinegar or lemon in the dressing(not me, tho). Really top, top, TOP notch.

Great barbecue! As LA is generally a barren wasteland for the smoked meat arts, most places leave a lot to be desired. I've tried pretty much every meat Smokey Cow makes and they're all solid. Beef ribs and brisket are my favorites. Only complaint I have is the line moves pretty slow, but if you're ok with the wait you shall be rewarded with some of the tastiest meats in the west! I hope this guy opens a proper restaurant eventually, I'll definitely be a regular.

Absolutely delicious. All the BBQ was tender, juicy and flavorful. Try it without the BBQ first because you won't need it. All the cuts had a beautiful smoke ring to it. I got a half pound of brisket, half a rack of spare ribs and 1 beef rib. Each choice came with a side of coke slaw and kettle chips. Cole slaw is forgettable but it's nice to have a balance of vinegary veg with something as heavy as the meet. What i really appreciated was that The owner/ smoke master would show me the cuts and let me choose the cuts without being promoted.I'm picky about my BBQ and won't eat anything that looks dry and nothing looked dry. He even gave me samples which i loved. Can't wait to go back!

It's my first time trying something like this and was really good! Was given free lunch at work ( bank ) by someone . I also enjoyed the Mac and cheese .

Probably one of the best bbq spots in all of LA if not the best, beef ribs-spare ribs oh and the brisket amazing full of flavor and very juicy. They also have this dynamite slaw that just bursts in your mouth full of flavor once you taste it. Definitely worth the drive if it's amazing bbq you're looking for. Quality, will definitely be back.

So worth the wait! The meat is fall off the bone and seasoned properly and not watery at all. Definitely will be back Ask for spicy BBQ for a kick of flavor

Luckily I found this place while checking for beef ribs for weekend on Thursday.. Because they are only open on Friday starting at 6pm until they run out.. It was my first time in this place and I'm glad I chose this place for Friday! I love occasional bbq (due to calories) and this place was one of the closest to top bbq places I have tried in Austin! While waiting they offered brisket to taste and it was also very tasty, amazingly soft and right amount of spices and probably I'll be back in couple of weeks to get their brisket as my main meal. They don't accept credit cards, but they offer venmo payment which is also convenient, and also you can pay cash.. Also I requested the get ribs more lean, and they were very accommodating. Normally I don't write a lot of reviews unless something is terrible or over the top and I think this place deserves a review. Because overall it was great bbq night with tasty food, ribs was cooked to perfection, literally falling off the bone and it was succulent, and even though I try to stay away from the fat, I ate most of it due to it's taste and I liked how this place treats their customers.. And as a final note, my wife who is not fan of bbq said that my food smells amazing, little bit smokey and hits your other senses before you taste, and I liked their spicy bbq sauce, which they put generously with my order.

I don't even know where to begin. I always bully Harry and say his food is gross and that I am never coming back... only because it is THE BEST BBQ I've ever had and I go every week! I crave the pulled pork sandwich. But, everything is amazing! The loaded Mac and cheese with brisket is the other thing I'm obsessed with. I'm starting to crave it just writing this review. I'd give them 100 stars if I could. There is nothing bad I have to say about this place... actually... I WISH IT WAS MORE THE ONCE A WEEK SO I COULD EAT IT MORE! Clear your Friday evenings and come to the best bbq in the valley! I'm sure you'll see me there pigging out too!

I finally checked this place out after seeing it on Yelp for the longest. Am I glad I did. The fatty brisket has a great smoky flavor in it, you don't even need bbq sauce to eat it. It's that good by itself. The pulled pork is also flavor pack and the spareribs were good. They have regular and spicy bbq sauce to go along with your meat. Each portion comes with kettle chips, coleslaw, and pickles. We were gonna grab a small plate to share before dinner but after sampling their brisket, we decided one plate wasn't enough and made it out dinner instead lol. They don't take card but they take cash, venmo, and chase zelle. Come early though because they sell out fast. The people were friendly and accommodating.

Just got my order and Wooooow Harry cooks up some mean bbq. I've been trying to find a decent barbecue place in Van Nuys for a long time. And then I came across this place on Yelp and thought I'd give it a try. I've been eyeing that huge beef rib and waiting all week. And I'm not a beef rib person, but let me tell you oh my goodness. I killed that whole thing - 1 whole pound of beefus! . And I know it was really good because I don't feel full. The meat was very tender and extremely flavorful and if you know anything about barbecue - the bark was spot on. Don't mess with Harry and his barbecue, it's award-winning. Now I am spoiled for sure. Extremely happy customer here and I will definitely be ordering again. Thank you Harry for making my evening and start to the weekend wonderful..

I've heard amazing things about this "front yard" restaurant and decided to go with my son to give it a shot. I'm from Texas so I figure I am genetically predisposed to being a barbecue expert of sorts. Let me just say it lived up to all the hype and was fantastic. We had it all, beef ribs, pulled pork, and delicious brisket. Unfortunately he was already out of the famed mac & cheese, so I guess I am forced to have to go back and try that. :-) Harry makes all of the sauces and coleslaw himself. I'll definitely be back for more!

First time here. Bbq is so good and Harry is so nice. Will definitely come back! Brisket is a must. Love the beef rib. Come early or risk missing out.

Excellent BBQ... Brisket is delicious and tender. Pulled pork was also delicious... also tried their Spare Rib Sandwich... awsome food awsome service highly recommended for your bbq fix... simple menu... Only Opened Friday Nights

I think this is the best bbq I ever had! I had 1lb of beef ribs which just fell off the bone! 1lb of fatty brisket that was soooo juicy and had a lot of meat and a 1/2lb of brisket. We had the bbq sauce in the side because I really wanted to try the flavor of the meat and it was heaven!!!! I def recommend and will go back!!

We came to the Smokey Cow right after they opened yesterday they already had a line forming but they get through the line quickly you can choose between pulled pork brisket beef ribs or pork ribs I tried the brisket pulled pork on loaded Mac, the brisket and beef rib and wow everything was cooked so well the meet falls right off the bone and the taste wow I will be back here again soon definitely and will be recommending them to friends for sure!

SOME OF THE BEST BBQ IN ALL OF SAN FERNANDO VALLEY. I can't tell you how incredible this BBQ joint is. This place has become our Friday night staple. The brisket is to die for, the beef ribs are juicy, tender and full of flavor, and the pulled pork sandwich is by far the tastiest of the items. Their homemade BBQ sauces are to die for. The owner takes care of everything, smoking the meat for 12 plus hours, developed his own sauce recipes and providing a great family friendly atmosphere. The family that runs the pop up are the nicest people.

The Smokey Cow is the best BBQ spot in the SF Valley, looking forward to trying everything in the menu. Also the service is amazing!!!

Awesome BBQ!!! We ordered the spare ribs, brisket & loaded Mac & cheese and oh boy was it terrific. The wait was a bit long, but the brisket alone was well worth it. Very friendly chef & people to keep us entertained while we waited. There's a couple picnic tables set up if you want to eat your BBQ there or you can take it home to enjoy. Open every Friday from 6pm to sold out. We'll definitely be back!!!

So I had dinner already planned but when I saw a post about the Smokey Cow on Instagram and found out they are only open on Fridays we had to give it a try. All I can say is YUM! The ribs were beautiful. Ridiculous crust and fall off the bone! The mac and cheese delicious just right stick your your ribs feel. But the big winner was the brisket!! Just the perfect ratio of fatty goodness that melts in your mouth! Thank you for a delicious dinner!

I wanted guests for a patio dinner and call for an order to pick up on a Friday night. Guests weren't coming until Saturday. We warmed the ribs and pulled pork in our outdoor BarBQ... it came with cole slaw so we added some corn on the cob and our guests were delighted. Divine dining.. even a day later!!

So for 3 weeks I've tried to get this place but bc of rain it didn't work out. A friend of mine recommended it as good bbq. I had kept in touch with Harry, the owner n super nice guy, via phone calls n texts. He let me know they'd be there open yesterday Friday February 5th. My family and I are all huge beef rib n any pork rib fans. Got there at 6pm when they opened. Ordered 2 slabs of the pork ribs n 6 pieces of the massive beef ribs. DELICIOUS. Next time gonna get the brisket.

Awesome food, great atmosphere, friendly & quiet neighborhood, it's worth the wait. The briskets & beef ribs are sooo good.

This is a small place with wonderful flavor i cant believe we found this little gem here definitely coming here many more friday night eats. I cant wait to tell all my friends about a place like this honestly can say they will blow your mind. I got the brisket sandwich was fuego amazing cant wait to try more of there food. THE RIBS ARE TO DIE FOR.

Came across this gem on yelp. It's only open on Fridays so get there early as his bbq goes fast. The brisket was delicious!!

Found this place on Yelp in our search for good barbeque. Drove down and waited in line. They let us taste a sample of the brisket and it was delicious! We got 1/2 lb brisket, 1/2 rack spare ribs, and two mac and cheeses. The meat was delicious. Brisket was fatty and smokey and the rib's meat slid off the bone.

Terrific barbecue Joint. Good flavors, and competitive prices. Definitely worth checking out if you like BBQ.

Best bbq I've had in the valley since I moved up here. Awesome food truly fantastic. The service was great the portions fair and reasonable it was great. Only ding is that the line was so long and the wait was a lot. There's Really only one guy there working. But all in all awesome.

All around excellent... from the food, to the quality, to the service and they are always consistent!! I look forward to Friday's so I can go back! My family has also had their catering and it's a hit with all the guests. My favorite is the brisket with coleslaw!

Honestly one of the best bbq I've had in LA. The meat is soo tender it literally melts in your mouth. Very good at what they do! Idk what college they went to. But wow is all I can say!!! Everybody needs to give them a try. They give a beautiful block party back yard bbq vibe. Everybody is friendly.. they make you feel sooo welcome. Only thing is I wish I tried it sooner!!! We'll talk soon hopefully you can do something for our company picnic

Pleasantly caught off guard by this little pop-up. I've always been of the mindset that L.A.'s best tacos, burritos, and tamales are roadside stands. But BBQ, seriously? Come on. Wife and I were dying for some BBQ while I was driving home and found this here on Yelp. Wife called to order and thinking it was a restaurant, we were caught off guard when they said they don't take phone orders. Passed it the first time, looking for brick and mortar. Then I finally opened my eyes, located it and got myself in line. The people in front of me were quick to tell me how good the food was...and they weren't wrong. I won't use superlatives, but it easily holds it own with any BBQ restaurant north of the 101. And you will never regret supporting the proprietor(s) who were incredibly gracious.