We went to the Loose Caboose for lunch yesterday. The service was great, friendly and prompt. We both ordered the potato soup, plus I ordered a small salad. The salad was pretty big, but otherwise a typical side salad. The soup had a good flavor, however it came to us boiling hot, too hot to eat without blowing on every spoonful for a while before eating. The spoon was one of those tiny plastic bowl style kinds, so that made it even harder to eat with. Also, as a result of being cooked to the boiling point, the base had broken. It wasn't terrible, but it was visually broken, plus the mouth feel was off due to it being broken. My suggestion is to be careful not to boil cream soups. If it hadn't been broken, it would have been a really good soup. I also didn't like that everything in our eat-in order came packed to go with all disposable containers and utensils. I understand why they had to do it that way right now, but I would rather have real dishes and utensils when eating in, otherwise I would have ordered everything to go. Also, be aware that it's cash only-luckily we had cash on us or we wouldn't have been able to pay as we generally use ATM cards to pay most of the time. I might try this restaurant again when in the area, but I'd order something different. read more

Best sami ever. We especially love their Reuben Hot Dogs. Sounds weird but they're delicious if you like reubens. The staff is friendly and the service is great. The only downside is they don't take credit cards so bring cash. read more

2nd time here in 6 years and wonder why i dont go there more often when in town. Place is a half block off the main road. Atmosphere and music was excellent. Very laid back. The patio area out front was added since i was there last. Nice larger group meeting. For some reason they were not accepting plastic. So i walked to atm a block away for cash. Servers were young women who seemed a lil inexperienced , even nervous. But it didnt affect our meal. Food was hot and tasty. I had the reuben. Could have used some spread ...like a thousand island or horsey sauce. Some tang at the back end would have been good. They have no fries but some bread wedges served in several ways with different sauce options. Winner! Great marinara dip on that. Good price on that side. 3 of us ate three sandwhiches, three drinks, side of bread and bag of chips for 37$ plus tip. For me this is pricey. Even for a good sandwhich. To make it even for me....throw the chips and fountain drink in and make it 8.50$. Deal! I would eat there again but not if im entertaining people, topricey for to little. I look forward to the rest of the menu. Lots of tastey options. read more

Such a fun place to stop for lunch! We were heading out of Mendocino and wanted to grab a bite before heading back to the Bay Area. Yelped lunch spots in Willits and found the Loose Caboose. We hit it after the normal luch crowd but it was still crowded. We were seated right away. I had the panini special which was so yummy and my boyfriend had a turkey sandwich. The service was very friendly, even if it did take awhile to get our food. But I noticed that they do a large to-go biz!! It is a little off the main street but easy to find with a large public parking lot just past it. Next time I'm in Willits I will definitely stop! read more

The best sandwich place in mendo!! Not that I've tried them all but it would be hard to beat! I've tried a few of their different sandwiches and all were amazing! read more

This is one of WIllit's true hidden gems. A true local favorite. I have been going here for years. Many of the customers are on first name basis with the servers and the menu is loaded with creatively named, train themed, sandwhichs, salads, soups and more. An A+ when it comes to value, flavor, and ambiance!!! The hardest thing is finding it, located on a side street. If you can't find it, ask a local. EVERYONE knows how great this place is read more

I am a local who dines here frequently. I have NEVER been served with anything but the utmost courtesy. If you are a hetero male, and still have a pulse, I might add that at least one waitress is an official beauty queen--Ms Mendocino 2014.... Might I tout the veggie rice soup, made from scratch on a daily basis? No? Then lean back in that comfy booth and try one of the crossaint-based sandwiches or subs. Drinks? I go for the iced vanilla chai, but there are a lot of other choices. If there is the tiniest niggle about the Caboose, it is that it does not accept plastic. However, it does have an in-house ATM. read more

Despite being out of chicken, still got whipped up an excellent club with pesto mayo. Friendly service and a good start to my two weeks in Willits. read more

I should start by saying that "Loose Caboose" is the phrase I use to refer to diarrhea. So when we saw this place, of course we had to stop in. Well, right after taking some photos outside! Turns out that the food is absolutely delicious! We shared a really good veggie sandwich and a fabulous bowl of vegetarian chili. Thankfully the name of the place was not prophetic. My only complaint would be that they serve their drinks in styrofoam cups, which seems wasteful when people are dining in. Other than that, wonderful. read more

Great lunch spot! Very good sandwiches and salads. I have had lunch here a few times. My mom lives in Willits so when I come to visit we usually cook a home meal. We decided to have our mothers day lunch here a day early. Everyone was pleased. read more

I'm so glad we found a decent restaurant in Willits. Very tasty sandwiches, soups and salads. I enjoyed the pesto chicken sandwich which had very flavorful pesto and a generous amount of artichoke hearts. They also give you a CUP of ranch dressing to dip the sandwich in...dangerous to your health, but delicious. The first time we drove through Willits, we only took a picture of the sign, since we thought it was a funny name for a restaurant....because you really don't want your dining experience to lead to a loose caboose... read more

We stopped here for a quick lunch on our way back home from the redwoods. Service was a little slow in the beginning and then more staff arrived. I had the Chattanooga Chicken sandwich and loved it. My husband had the pizza open sandwich and liked it. All in all the food seemed very fresh! We met locals that go there all the time and they told us the salads are really good. read more

Great little cafe! Food is excellent! I ordered the Combo pizza which is made on a crunchy bread. It was flawless. My husband had the pastrami and my son had the Club Car. Both loved them. The sandwiches come with dill pickles and pepperoncini on the side. There are no sides like French fries or chips. Outdoor and indoors dining area. They don't accept credit/debit cards but they have an ATM machine inside. All waitresses were very nice. I'll definitely be back. read more

Great sandwiches! One of the few places to get a nice oven roasted sandwich. If you're new to the area,I'd recommend either the Chatanooga Chicken, or Albacore hot sandwich. Goes great with a delicious chai milkshake! Service is a hit or miss depending on the day,but otherwise this place is the keystone of sandwich spots in Willits. read more

Great sandwiches! I highly recommend the chicken pesto sandwich. They only take cash but they do have an atm inside.

Wonderful place for lunch! Hot toasted sandwiches. Very friendly hometown service. Dog friendly.

I have eaten here a bajillion times and have never once had a bad meal. The service is good and the specials are always worth trying. Don't miss their chili. Yummy food. I plan on eating here as long as they are in business. Best sandwiches in town. No question. read more

Best sandwiches EVER! Better reserve a spot ahead of time or order to go because its always packed!! Turkey depot is a must!!

I need to preface this with the fact that Willits does not seem to be particularly RV friendly, so keep that in mind it you are going to stop there with a rig. Loose caboose has good food (sandwiches mostly). It is quaint,so do not expect a shiny chain eatery. The service was great...we were served by the reigning Miss Mendocino County! The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is because it seemed like they ran out of tomatoes...we got all "butts" and not many at that. We would definitely go there again if not traveling with the rig. read more

Loves the Western bacon cheeseburger...especially after being out backpacking for a week. Really good fries. Great service.

Where do I begin... The servers are hot! The food is delicious! They treat you well regardless of what you are wearing! The Arnold Palmers are perfect every time! If it wasn't Sunday I would go there right now! I love you loose caboose! read more

This place is filled with charm, the music fits the mood; an eclectic blend of smooth jazz and soft pop. The decor is railroad themed, and carries into the restroom. I had a Santa Fe Chicken hot sub, and it was scrumptous!! Yummy toasted sub roll, avocado and chicken with bacon, mmmm mmmm good! My brother had a Ruben and it was steaming hot, he wouldn't share a bite so what does that tell you? read more

Yummy sanwiches and soup, right off the main road on a side street.

This is a great spot to stop in Willits. The conductor sandwich (bacon, tomato, cheese, avocado & spinach) was delicious and large!

I stopped at this little gem on my way up to Fort Bragg back in June.. (I stoppped based on the reviews from trip advisor and yelp) It was great.. They have a variety of homemade items. I had the veggie sandwich. The veggies were fresh and the bread tasted great. We had a little trouble finding it as it's kind of tucked in the building, but is well worth seeking it out. The next time I'm headed that was I will definitely stop... read more

Excellent quality food, really good service, very cute place. Make reservations - even for 2 - if you want a lunch booth, or maybe just a table. read more

Excellent food, very friendly service, reasonable price. Great lunch stop on the way through town.

I cannot express how much I LOVE this place! I grew up in Willits and even though I've long since moved away it is still my FAVORITE sandwich/lunch spot ever! Just thinking about it makes me want to make the 3 hour drive to get some! MMMMMMM! read more

Sandwich was great (conductor) and the soup (like a chicken enchilada) was delicious as well.... I will definitely go back when in town!

Looking for a delicious spot for lunch while heading home. While eating subpar food while north, we had low expectations here. Based on reviews, we were hopeful and this place aimed to please. We had the meatball, Parmesan sandwich, chicken caesar and their brisket/bacon special. First of all, their bread is toasted and delicious on all sandwiches, good balance of meat/bread/dressing ratios. All meals hit the mark. Delicious chai shakes. Worth the stop if you want fresh food and not greasy/heavy diner food. Highly recommend this place! Cash or check only! read more

Loose Caboose Cafe - Brisket special - Sandwiches Near Me - Willits, California

First time customer but will definitely be back again. Food was excellent and they have a decent amount of vegetarian food on the menu.

Best sandwiches on earth! They also have great salads and soups. Everything on the menu is superb! Friendly staff, and kid friendly, too.

Needed to find a place for a quick lunch and this was perfect. Food was great. I wish we lived closer do we could eat here more often. I had the Club Caboose and hubby had the Ruben Dog. Both excellent. Service was good, very pleasant. And the price was right! All in all, a great find!!! read more

This is must for a local and especially if you're traveling through. It's a little hidden, but that's good because it can get crowded. Don't expect fast service, sit and enjoy the atmosphere. They have indoor and outdoor seating. Portion size is okay, but the quality and taste of food is amazing (just skip the hot dogs - I was not impressed). read more

Really quaint. Surprised to find this southern style sandwich cafe up here in the forest. Try the Chattanooga Chicken. Delicious. On a related topic, a shame people take the exit down to Ft Bragg and Mendocino and miss the nice part of town further up 101. read more

For big salad and french dip cant beat it. Outdoor seating, excellent stsff. This place is a winner.

Willits doesn't have much going on, so I was grateful that Yelp directed us to the Loose Caboose. Other yelpers warned us that the sandwiches were great, the hot dogs were terrible, the service was abrupt and slow, but not unfriendly. They were 100% correct, although I can only assume about the hot dogs because we skipped them. We tried the club sandwich and the French dip, and both were fantastic and reasonably priced. I like that they crisp the bread but manage to keep the lettuce, tomato and avocado in the club cold. (That is one of my pet peeves with hot sandwiches.) The French dip had lots of roast beef and the au jus was nice and flavorful. Skip McDonalds and go here! Definitely worth stopping in on your way to the Redwoods! read more

I have been going here sense i was a kid and i love everything about it. The people treat you like family even if they dont know you, the food is always great. Busy busy during the lunch rush but you can always reserve a table. Went there today for a special treat and it was amazing as always. read more

Best vegetarian sandwiches in the world - and they have awesome vegetarian chili too! Bring cash!

Great lunch spot! Everything is homemade down to the salad dressings! the sandwiches are all delicious & the soups are amazing! They have milkshakes,malts or a variety of beers. The staff are all nice, friendly & helpful. The daily specials are always great to,I almost always end up getting the special. This is one of the best places in Willits for lunch for sure! read more