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The Gambling Cowboy - Steakhouse in Murrieta, California

The Gambling Cowboy

4.5 (1892 reviews)

42072 5th St, Temecula, CA 92590

Steak house
Restaurant
Seafood restaurant

About The Gambling Cowboy - steak house in Murrieta, California

Rustic-yet-elegant steakhouse featuring filet mignon, lobster mac 'n cheese & Maine lobster tail.

Customer Review Summary

The Gambling Cowboy offers a charming atmosphere with seasonal decorations that enhance the dining experience. Guests appreciate the availability of high-top tables in the bar area for those without reservations. Dishes like Cowgirl Kisses and the Queen of Hearts are popular, with many praising their delicious flavors. The seafood specials, such as halibut and swordfish, receive positive feedback, though some diners note that the steak, while good, may not be the best they've ever had. Service is generally attentive, although some reviews mention delays in drink refills. The ambiance is enjoyable, especially with outdoor seating options and great views. Desserts, particularly the in-house creme brulee, are also well-received. Overall, patrons recommend making reservations in advance, as the restaurant is frequently fully booked. Guests highlight the generous portions and accommodating service, making it a destination worth returning to.

Key Features

Service options

  • Outdoor seating
  • Curbside pickup
  • Delivery
  • Dine-in

Highlights

  • Great beer selection
  • Great cocktails
  • Great coffee
  • Great dessert
  • Great wine list
  • Live music

Popular for

  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Solo dining

Accessibility

  • Wheelchair accessible entrance
  • Wheelchair accessible parking lot
  • Wheelchair accessible restroom
  • Wheelchair accessible seating

Offerings

  • Alcohol
  • Beer
  • Cocktails
  • Coffee
  • Comfort food
  • Happy hour drinks
  • Happy hour food
  • Hard liquor
  • Late-night food
  • Wine

Dining options

  • Breakfast
  • Brunch
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Dessert
  • Seating

Amenities

  • Bar onsite
  • Restroom

Atmosphere

  • Casual
  • Cozy
  • Historic
  • Romantic
  • Trendy
  • Upscale

Crowd

  • Groups
  • Tourists

Planning

  • Reservations required
  • Dinner reservations recommended
  • Accepts reservations
  • Usually a wait

Payments

  • Credit cards
  • Debit cards
  • NFC mobile payments

Children

  • High chairs
  • Kids' menu

Parking

  • Free parking lot
  • Free street parking

Customer Reviews

Rating Distribution

4.5 out of 5
5
1376
4
295
3
95
2
46
1
80
Based on 1892 reviews

Mooj R

5 months ago

They have super cute decorations for far and Halloween which made the experience even better. If you don't have a reservation, you can walk into the bar section and there are plenty of high-top tables available in addition to bar sitting. We ordered the Cowgirl Kisses for the appetizer and the Queen of Hearts with a side of mac and cheese and mushrooms for the main dish. It was absolutely delicious! Nothing to complain about!

Leonela C Garcia

2 months ago

First time here and it won't be my last. Tried their Halibut special and it was so delicious. Loved the charred lemon it came with. Watermelon Mojito was refreshing but the pour was on the lighter side for me. Our server Ricky and Julio were very attentive and friendly.

ricky garcia

6 months ago

Amazing place, we went because a bunch of people in our area mentioned it, and said how great the steaks are. We ended up going and getting different meals, my wife went with the fish of the day, which was a swordfish over rice, she said she loved it very much. My son and I each had different cuts of steak, i went with a rib eye, it was also a special for the day, and my son went with a traditional cut. The food was very good, no complaints, but i have had better steak, that explains the 4/5. The service from our waiter in particular was great, the only thing was that they didn't really come around for refills, so I was out of water for about 10mins before I was able to flag someone down, kinda sucked, but it wasn't the end of the world. The atmosphere at the place is super awesome, very cool inside, and it sits at the top of the building, which if the weather is good, you can get an outdoor seat and enjoy the view. This is one of the better steak places around the area,.of you're craving, I do recommend this place.The desserts were also very good, the creme brule is made in house, and the chocolate cake is brought in, but both were very good.

Joel Parada

5 months ago

★★★★ 2 months ago My wife and I recently visited The Gambling Cowboy Chophouse and Saloon for the first time, and we could not have asked for a better experience. We started with the Cowgirl Kisses appetizer, featuring crispy bacon and a delightful sweet chipotle raspberry sauce, followed by a generous portion of fresh calamari. For my entrée, I chose the short rib Benedict, and the meat was incredibly tender, melting in my mouth. My wife enjoyed the country fried ribeye, a prime cut that elevated this classic dish to a whole new level, and we appreciated the abundance of fresh herbs in the gravy. Our server, Isaiah, was attentive and enhanced our dining experience. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed The Gambling Cowboy and look forward to returning to explore more of their menu.

Elizabeth Dickens

7 months ago

Anniversary dinner. Great food, great service and a nice touch with a complimentary chocolate mousse. My husband had the prime rib, one of the nest he's ever had. I had the crab louise which was fresh.and delicious. The shrimp were especially good!. I hired it with he recommended white Merlot.

Javier Martinez

3 weeks ago

This place never disappoints. Make sure if you’re planning on coming to this place you make reservations ahead for f time they are always booked out. The bacon wrapped scallops always a great appetizer you can’t go wrong just make sure to tell them not to overcook the bacon 🥓. Hands down they have one of the best lobster Mac and cheeses that you will ever taste mouth watering. And their steaks are great. If you order the baked potato make sure they don’t over cook it. Other than that great Texture flavor and satisfying food. If you don’t drink I recommend a mocktail they have full bar. I had a cucumber mint lime mocktail which was very refreshing. Thank you so much for thinking of us food connoisseurs. I am fatboy with good taste buds

Will Sampson

2 months ago

Really nice spot in Temecula. The food was good and had generous portions. I split the meatloaf and a few appetizers with my wife and we were very full. They even split our ebtre on plates for us and I think gave us each full sides.

Mark Gonzalez

5 months ago

What an experience! We can’t wait to come because everything was so amazing! I took my wife here for your birthday and our wedding anniversary. If you’re in Temecula definitely eat here, you won’t be disappointed! Oh and they even remembered to bring my wife a dessert for her birthday, that I put in our reservations

Location

Contact Information

Hours of Operation

Friday 11 AM–2:30 PM, 3–11 PM
Monday Closed
Saturday 9 AM–2 PM, 3–11 PM
Sunday 9 AM–2 PM, 3–9 PM
Thursday 11 AM–2:30 PM, 3–9 PM
Tuesday 11 AM–2:30 PM, 3–9 PM
Wednesday 11 AM–2:30 PM, 3–9 PM

Price Range

$50–100