There’s 50¢ buffalo wings and golden brown calamari steak strips for $6.95. Not to mention a full half-pound of tasty rib tips for less than five bucks.

    So why are so many people ordering off the regular dinner menu this Monday night while watching the Dallas Cowboys defeat the Washington Redskins in a thriller? Isn’t Happy Hour supposed to be all about eating cheap?

    At Cowboy Express Steakhouse guests have it both ways in the western-theme saloon. Happy Hour is one of the best around Mondays through Thursdays from 3-6:30 p.m. and all day Sunday with hearty cheap eats and drink specials. And on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays Happy Hour is extended through closing as folks take in football action on the saloon’s big screen TVs.

    That means 12 oz. Coors Light drafts are just $2.25 till the final whistle blows, or imports including Sierra Nevada are $3. A better deal are huge 20 oz. schooners, just $3.75 or $4.95 for imports. All domestic bottles are just two bucks or $3 for imports and well drinks are $3.75. Who can’t get happy with game specials like that? Plus enter Cowboy’s free drawing for a 42” flat screen TV at the end of the season—no purchase necessary.

    The grub lineup is just as impressive. Pork rib tips for $4.95 on Mondays and Wednesdays are a meal in their own right, smothered in your choice of teriyaki or barbecue sauce. I opted for the latter and was delighted when a half-pound of tasty riblets arrived, thick and meaty. All appetizers meanwhile are discounted 20% so Sandy went with her favorite tater skins, smothered in jack and cheddar cheeses, bacon bits, olives and tomatoes.

    Wings are just 50¢ each—minimum of six—and guests can opt for barbecue or hot. Cowboy isn’t kidding when it says “hot” because fire bird is more like it, to torching the tongue in a tasty way. Just be sure to have a cold drink at the ready! Tuesdays are explosive in their own right with “TNT”—99¢ tacos plus top shelf tequila shots for only $5. That’s right, from Patron to Hornitos to Tres Generaciones, five bucks buys a shot. Other $5 specials are martinis on Mondays while that price buys any drink on Thirsty Thursdays—name it.

    The Saloon’s not the only place guests get giddy at Cowboy Express Steakhouse, which boasts what has to be the most extensive menu in Big Bear that’s pages long. At Cowboy it’s not just a matter of deciding whether you want steak, chicken, seafood or pasta; each category has numerous offerings in itself.

    Decide on steak and you still have to choose between tri-tip plank steak, top sirloin, New York, 20 oz. porterhouses, rib eye, filet mignon, and more. Then decide if you want to add for a nominal charge toppings like sauteed mushrooms or onions, teriyaki, butter and garlic or the tastiest peppercorn sauce.

    St. Louis-style ribs or prime rib, macadamia nut crusted mahi mahi or salmon, a dozen hamburgers and nearly as many salads...options are almost endless at Cowboy Express. Buffalo, low in fat and cholesterol, high in protein, yet all the flavor of beef, is one of many burger selections at Cowboy, with others like teriyaki, mushroom, barbecue, chili and Mexi with ortega chiles and cheese.

    Not to mention finger foods like clams on the half shell, poppers, skins, wings and more. Side dishes are a story in themselves, like cowboy beans with a touch of jalapeno, large baked potatoes and luscious baked apples that are like pie filling. Plus savory homemade jalapeno soup that’s a signature item.

    Fun options at Cowboy Express include the 20 oz. plank steak for two. Tri-tip is basted in garlic and butter and charbroiled, so thick it takes extra time to cook. Or tackle the Cowboy Express dinner for two, a 20 oz. porterhouse for him and 14 oz. T-bone for her served with two glasses of wine and small sundaes for dessert.

    The western theme decor at Cowboy Express, in both the saloon and dining hall, is worth a visit in itself with a museum-like collection of artifacts. There’s stirrups and horseshoes, lanterns and lamps from day’s gone by, along with old time Big Bear photos and up high, handpainted mural with scenes depicting the Valley’s past.

    —by Marcus Dietz

    Cowboy Express Steakhouse is at 40433 Lakeview Dr. Call (909) 866-1486.