By Sara Beth Williams–
The new Korean barbeque and all-you-can-eat sushi buffet restaurant is already receiving praise and acclaim after opening in November 2025 on Sunrise Boulevard in the former Boston Pizza and Sports Bar restaurant.
The name of the restaurant, Must Be Cow, has sparked some curiosity and interest. To find out the inspiration behind the unique name of the restaurant, The Sentinel staff sat down with Must Be Cow General Manager Andy Le, who recounts the night the name became official.
Le recalled that, late one night, after construction and permitting had been completed, the owner and his partner were working together, trying to come up with a name for the restaurant so they could finish the final paperwork before the deadline. During the conversation, the owner insisted that “cow” had to be in the name of the restaurant, Le said.
“Then the partner was like, ‘Must it have the word cow in it?’ and the owner was like, ‘It must be Cow!’ and we were like, That’s it, that’s the name right there. They wrote it down and sent it in,” Le said, cementing the name as the official new moniker for their future restaurant.
The new business offers Korean barbeque dishes and all-you-can-eat sushi and includes over 40 tables equipped with grilling stations, a sushi bar, and a bar to serve beer and wine.
However, unlike the typical all-you-can-eat buffet restaurants, fresh food is brought to your table and cooked in front of you, Le said, adding that you can mix and match sauces and meats.
Prices range from $28.99 to $39.99, and there are discounts for kids based on a child’s height.
“Our community and our City Council have been looking for more sit-down restaurant opportunities, and this certainly fits the bill,” Citrus Heights City Manager told local news outlets in January while discussing the new restaurant in an on air interview.
The restaurant was once the location of the Peppermill Restaurant and Lounge, a Logan’s Roadhouse, before becoming Boston’s Pizza Sports Bar and Grill, which closed in 2023.
Must Be Cow is located at 5511 Sunrise Blvd. and is open from 11 a.m. to 9 or 9:30 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 or 10:30 p.m.
