Mad Cow

We had the baby back ribs. They were the best we have had period. Don't hesitate to go to Holy Cow . Also the beans,corn, coleslaw and sweet potato was also the bomb. Thanks guys. You Yum !!!!!!

This place is incredible! My dad and mine's favorite place to go whenever he's in town. We usually order a big platter to share. The sides- especially the mac & cheese and the collard greens- are LIFE CHANGING! So so yummy and amazing service every time. So grateful to have this place close by!

Man, oh man, what a hidden gem this place is, from the excellent customer service from the owner to the amazing aroma of bbq as soon as you walk in. We ordered the ribs, hot links, tri-tip, bbq pulled chicken, and pulled pork. Where do I start? This is some of the most amazing bbq I've ever tasted. The flavors are amazing, just so much love and care that goes into the cooking, and the keylime pie almost made me bite my fingers off. Will definitely be back and recommend. 10/10.

Fantastic. Got tritip brisket ribs fries and mac n cheese for $30. Totally worth it. Fed two. Friendly attentive staff. My new favorite bbq.

Great place for rack of ribs! Placed a large to-go order for a local baseball team party and the ribs were delightful but the service was standout!!!…super easy website to place your order…everything was packaged perfectly and the brief encounter with staff was so nice and friendly….very nice staff…the kind of place you want to spend your money and support the restaurant!🙏🏼♥️

Chef Diez went out of his way to accommodate my tomato allergy when it is hard to find bbq that is tomato free. Delicious! Friendly! And they didn't seem irritated by my allergies! Update: the food definitely didn't have any tomatoes and the leftovers are still delicious! I regret not buying an extra pound of the pulled pork to take home. Best pulled pork I have ever tasted. Wish I could give more stars. I will return next month for sure. Also best Mac n cheese and best cheese curds I have ever tasted.

Best service,best food We had a great meal here.

Clean, friendly, calm and most of all delicious! First time today and I am hooked. We only purchased two pulled chicken sandwich's for my daughter and I; it was absolutely amazing, juicy and so flavorful w/out the fat and silly add ons to masquerade the wonderful robust barbecue flavors. I'll be back often and it's a nice change of pace in this area. Cheers and kudos to a job well done Holy Cow! The sweet girl behind the counter even came out and asked if anyone needed a refill on water or their respective soda, you don't get service like that anywhere around here. ❤️

Holy Cow BBQ is hands down the best BB in SoCal. The quality of the meats, ingredients and overall flavors fantastic. While I’ve been to the restaurant in Culver City multiple times l, last night we had 30 people over and had Holy Cow cater the party. Once again they did not disappoint. If you haven’t been the. You are missing out!

Holy smokes this is great BBQ! Okay Holy Cow too. Not too far from the beaches, nice little area off the busy steets. Simple to park and easy to get to. Now to the food. Definitely ranks up there in the top I've had. Not as unspeakable great as Pinkerton's in Texas, but better than we have in Boise. Do yourself a favor and buy it by the half pound and share for the table. Get those sides that stand out to you and you won't go wrong. We had the brisket, hot link, loaded tots, chicken and waffle, potato salad and mashed potatoes. I wish we had tried the mac and cheese. Absolutely great service too. Shout out to Kimberly and Connor!

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’ve eaten here more than a handful of times in the past two weeks while on a work trip because I just can’t get enough! This place is amazing and everyone here so really nice. I highly recommend!

Great tasting BBQ! The staff are so friendly. Had a sample of the beef ribs, brisket, tri-tip, beans and slaw. Garlic rolls were included. Everything was spot on. They have a couple sauces that were just the right amount of vinegar to sweet. Then dessert. Had a key lime pie that was the best I had outside of Florida. Jake was the manager and ensured we were satisfied. Highly recommend trying this place.

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.

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!

Found this location on TikTok came down to Santa Monica for a show and I'm glad a I made the right decision to eat here the cashier was helpful and welcoming. I am picky with the coleslaw but this one hit the spot the sandwich pulledled pork was so soft had a lot of flavor

Great BBQ! Took me back home to the south with their Collard Greens. Also, highly recommend their take on banana pudding!

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

Yummy, high-quality BBQ with great service . We ordered the sampler (1lb of meat) which came with two sides (we chose cole slaw and beans), and garlic knots. My son had the chicken nuggets. We also had the Mexican street corn and the banana pie and key lime pie. Everything was wonderful.

We ate our food too quickly so only a picture of their perfect Arnold Palmer (not too sweet). Such friendly customer service and absolutely delicious bbq - we got the Santa Maria and the house brisket sandwiches with mashed taters on the side. I'm from the south and this was really quality bbq with really quality service. Will be back!

Se had a very nice experience. first we arrived around 20:00 and the place closes at 20:30 (so early myyyy god) but they were really friendly with us. We ordered the plate that comes with a little of everything and it sure can be eaten by 3/4 person. We took home the leftovers and had lunch the next day. Really liked the taste of the meat and the only thing that was not very good was the Mac n cheese, very average, not tasteful at all.

Seriously one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. Tri-tip combo was also delicious with great sides (especially the roll). The mac & cheese was great as well. We will definitely be coming back!

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

I'm from Texas and real BBQ is difficult to find on the West Coast. Well, this place is real BBQ. The brisket is tastey and tender and worth the visit all by itself. Also had the chicken, the Texas toast and the potato salad. All were good. Had to try the onion rings and I would order them again too. The foot traffic never stopped for pick up orders but there were plenty of seats as we ate in. I can see where parking could be limited, but at 5:30 on a Wednesday we found parking right out front.

First bbq I’ve tried in Santa Monica, and it didn’t disappoint. Staff were very friendly, answered questions about the menu, and brought the food straight to our table. Quality of the food was excellent and presentation was on point. Shoutout to Connor for the great service. 5/5 would most definitely recommend.

Bryan Erickson

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.

Aaron Bina

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.

Marcos Zepeda

Found this location on TikTok came down to Santa Monica for a show and I'm glad a I made the right decision to eat here the cashier was helpful and welcoming. I am picky with the coleslaw but this one hit the spot the sandwich pulledled pork was so soft had a lot of flavor

Kristopher Schmidt

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!

Brad B

Great BBQ! Took me back home to the south with their Collard Greens. Also, highly recommend their take on banana pudding!

Dustin Tran

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

Sam Queen

Seriously one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. Tri-tip combo was also delicious with great sides (especially the roll). The mac & cheese was great as well. We will definitely be coming back!

Stefano Celentano

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

Beverly Popek

Yummy, high-quality BBQ with great service . We ordered the sampler (1lb of meat) which came with two sides (we chose cole slaw and beans), and garlic knots. My son had the chicken nuggets. We also had the Mexican street corn and the banana pie and key lime pie. Everything was wonderful.

Sarah Chase

We ate our food too quickly so only a picture of their perfect Arnold Palmer (not too sweet). Such friendly customer service and absolutely delicious bbq - we got the Santa Maria and the house brisket sandwiches with mashed taters on the side. I'm from the south and this was really quality bbq with really quality service. Will be back!

Maria

Se had a very nice experience. first we arrived around 20:00 and the place closes at 20:30 (so early myyyy god) but they were really friendly with us. We ordered the plate that comes with a little of everything and it sure can be eaten by 3/4 person. We took home the leftovers and had lunch the next day. Really liked the taste of the meat and the only thing that was not very good was the Mac n cheese, very average, not tasteful at all.

Workin For a Livin

I'm from Texas and real BBQ is difficult to find on the West Coast. Well, this place is real BBQ. The brisket is tastey and tender and worth the visit all by itself. Also had the chicken, the Texas toast and the potato salad. All were good. Had to try the onion rings and I would order them again too. The foot traffic never stopped for pick up orders but there were plenty of seats as we ate in. I can see where parking could be limited, but at 5:30 on a Wednesday we found parking right out front.

I've only had the Children sandwich 3 times, I guess I like it a lot and just tried the Tri Tip sando, and soon it will be ordered again. To me, best BBQ I've ever had! What makes it even better is the owner serves the food with pride and love.

Fantastic place. They make the best burger on the West Side. Amazing BBQ. The best part is the owner Rob and his team. Thank you Jairo and Dejane for being so kind to me. Robbie

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.

The restaurant forgot my 2 other pints of gravy for Thanksgiving...I already made the 1.5 hr drive total to pick up my order and did not have time to go back....I sent a friend to get the missing items and they threw in 2 extra pies and took off the cost of the 2 missing pints of gravy. Class act. Happy Thanksgiving!

Robbie Meckler

Fantastic place. They make the best burger on the West Side. Amazing BBQ. The best part is the owner Rob and his team. Thank you Jairo and Dejane for being so kind to me. Robbie

Erik Johnson

I've only had the Children sandwich 3 times, I guess I like it a lot and just tried the Tri Tip sando, and soon it will be ordered again. To me, best BBQ I've ever had! What makes it even better is the owner serves the food with pride and love.

Lily Laykin

The restaurant forgot my 2 other pints of gravy for Thanksgiving...I already made the 1.5 hr drive total to pick up my order and did not have time to go back....I sent a friend to get the missing items and they threw in 2 extra pies and took off the cost of the 2 missing pints of gravy. Class act. Happy Thanksgiving!

Stephen Ellis (Bourbon Traveler)

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.

Marious Vicont

I randomly walked into this BBQ joint and was hooked. The brisket was melt-in-your-mouth good, and their spicy pickles were so addictive I bought a jar to go. The sweet potato fries were perfectly crisp, and their Carolina gold sauce had just the right kick. Casual but clean interior, fast service. I’ve been back twice this month.

As a New Yorker who recently made the move to LA I was impressed by this little BBQ joint. The food selection was very good, the style and graphics of the interior have a polished feel. The food was delicious, I had the brisket and tri tip. The brisket was more fatty but that’s the way I like it, soft and juicy with some charred edges. The Tri-tip was really good as well but both meats were a bit cool to me and could have been warmer for my taste. The Cole slaw was my favorite type, a light mayo base with some nice spices to give it that country feel. The plate was accented with some spicy pickles which I had never had but strangely enjoyed. Last on the plate was a perfectly toasted piece of garlic bread that was very tasty. I would have given it 5 Stars if the food was warmer but alas I have to knock it down for that one issue. The woman behind the counter was very nice and tentative, I enjoyed the effort she put into her country clothing style as well. If you like BBQ this place should be on your list for sure.

Great small intimate setting restaurant with great Bar B Que food. Service was great and food was delightful with flavor. The restaurant was a recommadation and they didn't disappoint. Stop by and give them a try. Thanks for the experience.

BBQ was tasty but the portions were small for the prices. Also the meats were Luke warm.

Used to be a lot better. Everything going on in the Palisades is probably hurting the quality.

Visited Holy Cow in Santa Monica recently as I was craving BBQ. The atmosphere/space was super cute and upscale and easy to access. I ordered several things. First the not so great. I ordered the BBQ chicken jerky - visually looked amazing. But I think the kitchen staff must have heated/reheated the chicken jerky on a big gas stove and the gas fumes somehow got into the food. I taste this from time to time at other restaurants and is probably a training or mechanical issue. The other issue is all the meat food items were not hot enough (with the exception of the mac and onion rings).... this may be due to the metal plates the meat was served on vs using porcelain that helps retain heat and keep the food warm on the plate. Or maybe they just didn't warm it enough. Within minutes the food was cold. Hence I removed one star. On the other hand, the brisket, onion strings and mac were really good. I am looking forward to trying Holy Cow's ribs soon!

Less busy than usual is true but staff is A plus rating. Thanks Xavier Loved the key lime pie 🥧 Perfect size fresh lime zest Food was great but dessert 🍨 is what will keep this in my go back list

Kali Malone

Less busy than usual is true but staff is A plus rating. Thanks Xavier Loved the key lime pie 🥧 Perfect size fresh lime zest Food was great but dessert 🍨 is what will keep this in my go back list

Ordered take out here a couple of weeks ago. Arrived pretty quickly and the food was still warm. We ordered the Hog Sandwich (pulled pork), BBQ plate of tri-tip and ribs with collard greens, and Texas toast. Best Bite: oddly enough the collard greens were my favourite. Super flavourful and cooked to perfection. I can eat a pot full of these greens with no complaints. And their simple Texas toast with spices was surprisingly delicious. Definitely order these two sides!! My boyfriend really enjoyed the Hog. Tons of pulled pork and the coleslaw was pretty legit. The BBQ plate unfortunately under-delivered. While I know the tri-tip is leaner, it was quite dry and lacked any flavour unless drenched in their sauce. The ribs was also super dry and just didn’t have the juicy fall-off the bone, finger-licking goodness you’d expect. Next time, hopefully I’ll get to try their brisket and maybe that’ll be better...

I am won over again since our last visit for lunch. We ordered delivery lastnight - beaf ribs, brisket, coleslaw, beans and corn bread - and we weren’t let down. Good portions and delicious. We normally love it here for lunch - though inside is always freezing. Today for lunch as usual we got the brisket salad which is normally tip top. Today it was so so. Maybe the person making the salads this afternoon sucked a bit, but it’s a shame as we now see it as inconsistent and we’re off.

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?

M D

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?

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

Lynn

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