Cowboy Grill
Cowboy Grill has been on the corner of Mabini and Arquiza in Ermita for over two decades and built its reputation on cold beer, decent cover bands, and a relaxed expat atmosphere. The menu average is around ₱471 per person and the live bands play most nights. Food quality is serviceable rather than remarkable, with the menu trimmed down over the years, but the beer stays cold and the live music pulls a loyal regular crowd.
What to Expect
A classic Manila expat bar with live cover bands, cold San Miguel, and a menu of American-Filipino bar food. The clientele is a mix of long-term expats, tourists and Ermita locals.
Comfortable and reliable. Not flashy, but consistently delivers a decent night out.
Live cover bands playing pop hits from the 80s through present day. Sometimes loud during band sets.
Casual. No restrictions.
Expats, live music fans, anyone wanting a familiar Western-style bar in Ermita.
Cash and major credit cards accepted.
Price Range
₱130 beer, ₱200-₱600 food mains, average spend ₱471
~€3 beer, ~€4.60-€13.80 food mains
Hours
Daily from approximately 17:00 until late
Insider Tip
Go for the band nights, not the food alone. Grab a booth by ordering a bottle of foreign liquor if you want guaranteed seating on a busy night.
Full Review
Cowboy Grill has held its corner of Mabini and Arquiza in Ermita for over two decades, which counts as an institution in a neighborhood where bars turn over constantly. The space is larger than it looks from outside, with a main room built around a stage for live cover bands and booth seating that fills up quickly when the music starts. The decor is Western-themed in a loose, unpretentious sense, but nobody comes here thinking about the interior design.
The draw is the live music, which runs most evenings. Cover bands cycle through pop hits spanning the 80s to the present, and they are consistently good in the way that Filipino cover bands almost always are. The crowd is mostly expats and long-term residents who treat this as their neighborhood regular, supplemented by tourists who read about it online or got a recommendation. Service is reliable without being remarkable, and the staff know their regulars by name.
In Ermita's bar landscape, Cowboy Grill sits comfortably between the freelancer bars of Marcelo del Pilar and the more polished options across town in Makati. It is a proper bar with proper food, not a pickup joint with drinks on the side. Beers are PHP 130, food mains run PHP 200 to 600, and the average spend sits around PHP 471 per person for an evening.
If you want guaranteed seating during band sets, order a bottle of foreign liquor and claim a booth early in the evening before things fill up. The food is American-Filipino bar fare: serviceable, filling, and secondary to the main musical event happening on stage. Come for the bands, stay for the easy atmosphere, and do not overthink the experience.
The Neighborhood
Cowboy Grill anchors the corner of Mabini and Arquiza as one of Ermita's longest-running and most reliable expat bars. The surrounding blocks mix budget hotels, massage parlors, and smaller bars, giving it a central role in the neighborhood's social life.
Getting There
Grab or taxi to the Mabini and Arquiza intersection in Ermita. The venue is also walkable from the Pedro Gil or UN Avenue LRT stations, roughly 10 to 15 minutes on foot.
Address
M. Adriatico Street, Ermita
Where to stay in Manila
Compare hotels near the nightlife districts. Free cancellation on most properties.
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