Our Story
From Biker Bar to Burger Spot & Brunch Fav
Mike and James Barnes bought Cowboy Cafe in 2011 with two of their friends, Michael Danner and Wes Clough, from Yorktown High School.
Before the bar was founded, it was a smokey, old-school American restaurant called Clam House, built in 1948.
In 1991, Cowboy Cafe founder Charlie Campbell took over Clam House and transformed it into the rough-and-out, Southwestern biker bar. Mementos from the mid-90s still remain, such as a Native American statue and a wall lined with various license plates — plus the much-adored, half-priced burger specials.
“I love the nachos, the authenticity, the wait staff that gets to know you, and the fact that almost nothing inside has changed in 20 years”
Then in 2007, it was purchased by Zac and Matt Culbertson.
“When I heard the Culbertsons were thinking about selling [in 2011], I immediately offered,” said Barnes.
Barnes and his team got right to work on giving the place some much needed TLC, including remodeling the “scary” bathroom, installing a 14-tap beer system, and promoting its family-friendly brunch.
But aside from those improvements, they’ve kept it largely the same — including keeping the mural on the back wall that depicts Campbell, the Culbertsons, and Williams, a testament to its rich history and the customers who’ve kept it going.
Regulars say it’s still the Cowboy Cafe they know and love, complete with quirks and a convivial sense of community.
“I love the nachos, the authenticity, the wait staff that gets to know you, and the fact that almost nothing inside has changed in 20 years,” said Jeremy Flantzer, a long-time Arlington resident and effusive Cowboy Cafe fan.
Like many others who frequent the restaurant, he has a particular Cowboy Cafe story that helps cement its local legend.
“I once saw someone eat The Barnyard” — a $15 burger consisting of two half-pound beef patties, barbeque pork, two slices of cheddar, a fried egg and bacon — “after a full order of wings,” he said, still in amazement.
“It’s my ‘Cheers’ bar,” said another longtime regular. “I’ve seen it all here — once a man came in without wearing pants. And it’s no secret that the parking is tight, everyone’s [had a fender-bender] at least once.”
But, she continued, when it happened to her, there was a note on the windshield and everything was taken care of.
“People who go to the Cowboy — they care — they know to leave a note,” she said. “Not quite sure if I could say that about everyone else in Arlington.”
Story adapted from article by Kalina Newman on ARLnow.com
Our Murals
There's a mural on the wall of Arlington's Cowboy Cafe that encapsulates the current spirit of the longtime bar.
The mural pictures the former Clam House owner, John Lange, Cowboy Cafe founder, Charlie Campbell, previous owners Zac and Matt Culbertson, long-time regular “Mayor Romney” and former GM, Erika Mendez.
The mural itself is bright and modern-looking, but it also shows an appreciation of the bar's history and a loyalty to those customers who helped keep the place running since November 1990, when it first opened its doors.
Some regulars like Romey have remained throughout all the changes.
The team estimates the average age of customers to be more like 25 rather than 45 now, with more families and young professionals coming to the bar.
Photograph by R. Lopez
It's also a popular happy-hour hangout for industry folks. "We're not Clarendon and we like that," said Mendez.
The bar smokes its own meat, pickles its own wings and makes a mean chili and pastrami. Popular draws have included "Sons of Anarchy" night, the new brunch and 50cent wing night. It remains a beer and liquor bar — people are coming in for Jack and Cokes, not Appletinis, the Barnes brothers explain.
Adapted from Article by Missy Frederick in Eater DC
Photography by Joy Asico for GoDaddy.
Our North Arlington Biergarten
In 2020 when Cowboy Cafe added new outdoor seating, our Biergarten, as temporarily allowed by the county, we wanted to spruce out the exterior of the restaurant a little.
The result: a towering, colorful mural currently being painted onto an empty brick wall.
The project spun out of the Arlington Art Truck program when participants were asked to summarize their feelings on life in Arlington under the quarantine, according to the Lee Highway Alliance. MasPaz’s word was “community” and the subsequent mural depicts someone hugging several homes close to them.
About the Artist MasPaz
Local artist Federico Frum, known as MasPaz which in Spanish translates as “more peace” — whose distinctive style can be found from across the region from D.C. to Tysons — has been working on designing and painting the mural.
The artwork’s design was inspired by the Wynwood Walls in Miami, but the theme came from the local response to COVID-19. Common themes in his large-scale murals include nature, connectivity and the Hispanic diaspora.
Beyond the mural, the new North Arlington Biergarten also features large umbrellas, heat lamps, lighting, sound and big screen TVs.
The mural theme: we all play an important roll in building community. Mother Earth provides, yet what do we give back? A community member holds the neighborhood in her hands, patiently awaiting the peace dove to arrive.
The Historical Cowboy Logo Designs
