Cowboy Jack's Review

When I lived in the center of Hanoi, I used to walk past a restaurant with tons of screens broadcasting sports and an upscale crowd drinking beers and eating what seemed to be American food. It strongly reminded me of my own experience hanging out with friends in the US.

I always wondered what kind of joint this was and whether it was just a place trying to sell American dining to the locals or a really good place with good food. One thing is for sure: the prices were not cheap, especially compared to other genuine places.

The location

For our first try, we went to Aeon Mall, and compared to the Trang Thi location, the place looks less like a sports bar and more like a food court restaurant.

The main area with kitchen and counter is fairly small, and the restaurants are actually located inside the mall’s food court. This is not necessarily a bad thing since it is open and spacious.

One thing to note is that Cowboy Jack’s is actually part of the Golden Gate Group, which includes most restaurants in Aeon Mall, such as Sumo, Manwah, Kichi-Kichi, GOGI, and I Sushi.

The menu

Cowboy Jack’s menu is fairly traditional and simple, basically food that are very rich and caloric but let’s be honest a treat as well.

In the menu you’ll find classics, like Ribs, Steaks, Burgers, Pastas, Macaroni and Cheese, Sausages, Fries, Onion rings and other chicken wings.

But what really Cowboy Jack is all about, in my opinion, is their famous Chicago-style deep dish pizza. This kind of pizza is already hard to find in some cities in the USA, so forget about Vietnam.

Fortunately, Cowboy Jack’s and Vietnamese can agree on this: deep-dish pizza is a delicious treat.

The experience

When we first arrived in the restaurant, we were accompanied to our table, and one of the tables nearby had a romantic decoration on it for some customers about to arrive. We thought it was a nice touch.

The service is very reminiscent of what you would experience in America—straightforward and polite. We were guided by the quantity of food a T-bone steak represents, since I am not the type of person who pays attention to the weight of the food.

It turned out that a starter, a small pizza, some macaroni and cheese, and a T-bone steak would be enough for my wife and me, so that’s what we ordered.

The drinks came first, and I have to say, if the Fountain Coke tasted the same, it was not on par with its American counterpart when it comes to quantity. We only had something like a 33-cl glass each to moisturize our throats between meals, when in reality 50 cl is the minimum. I think an all-you-can-drink beer is even more relevant when you eat this kind of pizza.

The macaroni and cheese made in the oven were good but nothing special since the cheese was probably the same as the one in the pizza, which is a bit red.

The T-bone steak was delicious and rare. The veggies on the side were delicious, too bad they came in very scarce quantity.

The pizza was delicious but very rich. I think I have never eaten so much cheese in my life. You actually had to fight to break the unbelievable amount of Cheese Threads. The cheese, even in large quantities, was not too salty, so it was not sickening in the long run.

Verdict

7.9 out of 10

Overall, Cowboy Jack’s was a great experience in the sense that it really is close to what you would experience in some American joints.

The quality of the food is good, and the steaks are from America, so they are fatty and delicious. The pizzas are very cheesy and caloric but never on the sickening side. When you come to this restaurant, you already know you are going to walk home overstuffed.

Perhaps the only downside is the small portion for the drinks and the sides like veggies. The price is also very expensive compared to other restaurants in Vietnam, but that’s to be expected.

We are looking forward to trying the burgers and ribs from this joint, and we will once again order the famous Deep Dish.