Unfortunately I think this steakhouse has fallen victim to the short staffing problem after Covid. Because pre Covid, the service was top notch, what you would expect from a high end steakhouse. This trip I didn't even make it past the hostess. I guess you need reservations to sit at the bar now. So ok, I agreed to wait. After 45 minutes and at least 4 empty bar stools staring at me and a few other hopeful patrons, I asked the hostess how much longer would it be? She waved her hand at me dismissively. It was so bizarre. People were puzzled and confused, like even people with reservations. What happened? After more than an hour of confusion and no communication from the hostess who seemed uninterested and annoyed that people wanted to eat there, I bid farewell to my new friends who were also confused and took an Uber to Buellton for a steak and a cocktail. read more

The food was fabulous. The service was amazing.... my only regret was no room for dessert

This place is always hit and miss for my husband and I. Whenever we stay at the Chumash hotel for a little staycation, we typically dine here for dinner since it's convenient. However, I wouldn't go out of my way to stop here just for the food. Half the time our order is wrong but service is typically good. Also, expect a wait on weeeven if you have reservation! read more

The Willows - Risotto (would not recommend) - Seafood Near Me - Santa Ynez, California

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We ate at The Willows restaurant last night and unfortunately it did not live up to past experiences with this restaurant. We were finally seated after not being acknowledged at the host/hostess station for a good amount of time. We ordered a salad that we have ordered many times in the past and it was nowhere as good. They apparently changed the recipe where they added apples, cut back on lettuce and changed the dressing. The old saying "if it ain't broke don't fix it" applies here! The crab legs had a strange taste. The server was definitely not with it. We had to ask for things twice and he never brought back the food that was to be boxed to go. We decided not to even ask about it because it had been so long who knows what happened to it. It was hopefully just an off night and going forward will be back to great food and superior service. read more

I really want to love the willows but I've had bad experiences about 1/3 of the time I've come here. When it's done right it's pretty darn good. But last time my steak was terrible and the time before that it took over an hour to get our food after ordering. They are inconsistent but worth a try! read more

I haven't been to the Willows since it first opened years ago and I don't recall it making a lasting impression on me like my latest visit. They revamped the whole restaurant from what I remember it to be and it looks way better and inviting! The bar area looked really nice and has a flat screen tv. I didn't get a chance to take a pic but it's a huge improvement from before. At first it took awhile before our waiter Dominic appeared but when he finally did he was very attentive to our needs and kept checking on us asking if we were ready for the next dish. He even asked for my ID after ordering a drink. That's always a bonus in my eyes lol. For starters we ordered the calamari which isn't on the menu but if you ask for it they will make it for you. Not only is it served in a huge bowl but it seemed to be the bottomless bowl as we could not finish it and i felt like I ate a lot but there was plenty left over. It was cooked to perfection! Light and tender, along with green beans and onions too. My second starter was the Babe Farms Strawberry salad. This salad was served on a very cold plate which kept it fresh and cool. Talk about the best salad I've had in along time! So simple yet it was tasty and the champagne Basil vinaigrette was tangy, sweet and flavorful. I especially loved the crunch from the pistachios. The jalapeño cucumber Margarita was so good I had to order a second round! I didn't expect it to be served in a tall glass so I was very pleased because it was so good I didn't want it to end. Not overly sweet or tart but very well balanced and not too spicy. My main dish was the Vancouver King Salmon wrapped in a potato crust served with snow peas, baby carrots with a kumquat beurre rouge (so fancy). This salmon was light, flakey and had no fishy taste what so ever! It was very well prepared and probably the best salmon I've ever had! For my side I ordered the Asparagus which was grilled and flavored with garlic and topped with shaved parmigiano reggiano. Simple but tasty! My friend ordered the Day Boat Alaskan Halibut accompanied with a spring ratatouille and amarosa potatoes. This whole dish was full of flavor! The potatoes were creamy and the veggies well flavored. I was truly amazed at how flavorful everything was! You have to try it for yourself to see what I'm talking about. I cannot forget the bread basket served with a tray of two butters, roasted garlic, and a creamy artichoke type dip I believe it was. To finish off the night of pure gluttony our waiter Dominic surprised me in honor of my birthday with a lovely plate of strawberry sorbet and fresh fruit. Thank you Dominic for making my night! I didn't think I could fit anything else inside my tummy but the sorbet was perfect! Aside from Dominic I want to say thank you to all the other waiters that tended to us and made me feel like I was VIP! Hence the 5 stars. Well worth it and I look forward to dining at the Willows again. Give this place a try! You will not be disappointed. read more

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Great customer service. Overall cleanliness and/or presentation of restaurant was excellent. They overcooked my bone in ribeye steak. I was not happy about it. I sit at the bar. I didn't complain and/or made anyone aware of the situation. Maybe next time I'll have better luck at a table. read more

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Note: 3.5 stars~4 stars Came here for dinner with a reservation and it appears that the place is very popular as reservations were all filled. Walking in, you are greeted and directed to your table. Service is decent for the most part and they try to be as efficient as they can be. Nothing negative to comment on for service overall, just the food is a bit more average than I thought. In total, we had the crab cakes as a starter then we each had a steak along with 4 sides. We thought the sides were personal sizes instead of shareable sizes so we ordered too much. For the steak, I had their domestic wagyu - top sirloin 10 - with scallops added. The wife had the lobster tail added to her wet aged (28 days) filet mignon. For the sides, we had mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, mushrooms, and asparagus. The crab cakes were nice and you can see and taste the lumps of crab they used. Didn't taste much filler in the crab cake itself so we were very satistifed with this item. The roasted corn was a nice accompaniment, but we loved the side salad it came with as it was appetizing and uplifting on your appetite. The sides were decent. They could mostly stand out for themselves and the portions provided were adequate for two people to share per side. My personal favorite was the mac and cheese since it was very creamy and had a nice salty taste on top due to the aged cheddar cheese. The mushrooms weren't bad, but they are pretty strong in their earthy/mushroom taste. Not the most flavorful so it can get pretty boring eating the mushroom flavors if you aren't keen on it. The mashed potatoes had a nice roasted garlic taste it them and very creamy as well. The asparagus were at least tender, but not grilled as nice as we thought they could be. For a steakhouse, the top sirloin steak I had was tougher/chewier than I thought it would be. The temperature was slightly more rare than the medium I requested so a slight miss there. The steak flavors were there and to my wife, a bit underseasoned, but enough for me. The scallops were a bit weird since they were only seared on one side and not both. It rested on top of the same garlic roasted mashed potatoes. A bit lacking on seasoning for the scallops, but they weren't overcooked at least. The filet mignon was saltier than the top sirloin I had and had a better charred edge. A little bit more tender than what I had, but not by much I would say. The lobster tail was nice and somewhat less meatier than I thought for the price point. It was prepared nicely for a diner to have with less of a mess (shells removed), which was a nice perk. Despite a very nice visual appearance, slightly disappointed by the steaks' quality, but satisfied with the seafood portions. For desserts, we had their crème brulee and a warm almond tart that's paired with sweet potato ice cream. The crème brulee hits the right spot in sweetness, texture, and eggy-ness. The top sugar layer wasn't burnt and it had a nice thickness and crunch to it. Pretty rare and we both liked it. For the almond tart, it was very dry so we presumed it isn't as fresh as it could be. The almond flavors are there, but the tart crust was severely dried out. The ice cream accompaniment was nice and paired nicely. All in all, the dining experience was wonderful. Pretty spot on service and the ambiance was very nice. The food was decent for the most part and worth a try to formulate your own opinions. I think I preferred the seafood side of things more than their steak counterparts, but I would venture a try for their non-steak items such as their pork chops or chicken if I visit again. read more

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Decent steakhouse.. Food was just ok. Presentation of the food was pathetic! This is on of those places where you pick each item to go with your meal. $!$$$$ yea all those side items add up. Very slow service. Of course they blame it on Covid. Not much better than Sizzler. read more

We had a 6:30 reservation for our 10 year anniversary. I had asked to be seated at a quiet location when I made the reservation. I knew the experience wasn't going to be as anticipated when we were seated in the loudest part of the dining room. It took our server 15 minutes to come to the table to take our order. Drinks came out 10 minutes later, apps 10 minutes after (for a 20 minute wait for 2 bowels of soup). Needless to say, at 8pm, we hadn't seen our server in a good half hour, not gotten our entrees, and my husband called for a manager. We just wanted to pay and leave. When the manager came over (very promptly I might add) we explained they we had been there since 6:30. ... his face said it all and the "are you serious?" comment told us everything we needed to know. The manager comped everything but our drinks, which is completely understandable, and was appreciated. Needless to say, it's doubtful we will return. read more

Outstanding meal !!! First time visiting this restaurant as my sista and I at least visit 1 $$$ (high priced) restaurant when we are out and about. This place is located in the Chumash casino and hotel right outside of Solvang. Can't say enough about it the environment with it's modern decor. From the appetizers to the main course even the bread basket was good. Definitely expect to spend money here but the food is well worth it and the service was just as amazing as the food. read more

The Willows - 8oz filet mignon with a 12 ounce lobster tail cooked to perfection with mashed potatoes and asparagus. - Seafood Near Me - Santa Ynez, California

Perfect!! Everything on point, the food delicious, the place very nice, the staff is so friendly, our server Jessica was so nice, and we asked for a very rich flavor on our steaks and it came out perfect!! It was my birthday and I just had a wonderful evening and my Margarita PERFECT!! 10 stars read more

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Wow, such a bad experience! Cold crab legs, under seasoned steak! When the manager was alerted of our poor experience he did nothing! Do not go here! read more

Heya! Before you begin reading, please note that most of my reviews are good and supporting reviews, not bad ones. Also, I have waited my self-imposed "wait before you type" time period. What a terrible experience. What really torqued everyone off in our party was that we had tickets to a concert this past Friday. We arrived for 6:15 reservations a few minutes early. The concert was 8:00. You would THINK that 90 minutes would be plenty of time to eat, but not at this place. Anyway...on with the review: Ambiance: Not much, especially for their lofty pricing. Pretty generic eating area, looks like exactly where a wedding or graduation party would be held. In all fairness, we were seated in an overflow type area, but it's nothing to be wowed about. Service: Bus crew on point with water and bread right away. They also made lots of refill stops during the meal, so no problem with them. Our server was quite another story. We told him up front that we were there for the concert. He went MIA so many times during the meal that we were always looking for him. Slow with the drinks, slow with the appetizers and our mains didn't show up until 7:40. Meanwhile, other people around us (who were seated after us, and had different servers), had eaten their meal and left prior to ours being served. My wife got up at one point to track him down, asking where our food was. When our food was served, I asked how the concerts were, wondering if we had to cram our food down or just rush. He told us that the doors open at 8:00 and the concert wouldn't start until 8:30. We went from "cram down" to "rush mode". Got down to the venue at 8:15 to find that the concert actually started at 8:00 and we had already missed the first three or four songs. Lovely. Food Taste: Well, it wasn't TERRIBLE, pretty average. My friend said his duck was very good, his wife said her steak was good. My wife's pasta was overcooked and my salmon had little taste, although it seemed fresh and properly cooked. Sides were good. However, considering what they charge, it was substandard. Pricing: I have no problem paying top dollar for an amazing meal. What I don't like is paying top dollar for an average experience. Ticket for both of us, including tip, was $340.00...wait...doesn't that sound like what you would pay at Mastro's? Or, Mortons? Or The Cut?...well, that's 'cause it IS what you would pay at a top steakhouse. Only...this place is not "top" in any respect. Recommendation: Go anywhere else. Pay less, get better food and service. read more

The food was great and the outside patio was awesome when it cooled off around 5:30. Frank the Mgr. presented a comp basked of fried Calamari and welcomed my Girl and myself. Great atmosphere.. .Very relaxing. This steak melted in my mouth! read more

The Willows - Food was awesome. - Seafood Near Me - Santa Ynez, California

Man this steakhouse at the casino is off the hook they also have a full bar there if you want some lobster man this is the best you don't even have to butter with it let me tell you about the grilled artichokes they are very tasty their steaks are huge very flavorful and tasty everything is à la cart on the menu but these chefs know what they're doing read more

The Willows - Seafood Near Me - Santa Ynez, California

Surprised and delighted. Cuisine, ambiance, waitstaff all top notch. Only downside: running the slot machine gauntlet. Stumbled in to Willows via Axxess card in Nov, and loved it so much came back in Jan with friends to celebrate a milestone birthday. Will definitely return. read more

Loved this place; truly impressed with the food and service. Most satisfied with the bone in rib, bread / lavash, shrimp cocktail, 1 LB baked potato, and key lime pie... I try Mac & cheese every place that has it on the menu. This was probably the best M&C that I've had because of the fried cheese crumbles on top... I'm not a fan of key lime pie, but if it's on the menu I try it.. I really liked their pie... the toasted coconut crumble was awesome and it wasn't too tart... the domestic wagyu was good, but I should have gotten it medium rare vs. medium... the only suggestion would be to lighten up the patio with real / fake flower pots or art on the wall... it would have made the patio dinning more welcoming... I will be going back for sure!!! P.S. we had ample leftovers which were equally awesome reheated at 2 AM.. lol read more

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My family and I's first time here and it was amazing!! Service went above and beyond for us and made our night , food was delicious and plated beautifully but I'm here to talk about our waiter & waitress Abe and Paloma. Abe was always checking on us and made us laugh so many times and Paola was so patient with us and both were very polite and professional! Definitely coming back !! Thank you Abe & Paola !! read more

We went to WILLOWS based on the Yelp reviews we read- The restaurant itself is very classy, but too dark- service is exceptional- We started off with a Wedge salad- NOT GOOD AT ALL- Mac n Cheese was ok- We shared Rib eye steak - medium well- perfectly cooked, but no WOW FACTOR- I think their steaks are wet aged- Prior to getting our steak, this young waiter approached us with this wooden box with numerous styles of steak knives- Never seen that before- kind of cheesy- It felt like eating at an upscale Outback steak house - Their bar was horrendous- not the right fit for that style of restaurant sorry- Would I be back- NO- sorry- read more

The Willows - Our steak meal - Seafood Near Me - Santa Ynez, California

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Overpriced food with the quality of Outback Steakhouse. Only thing that was open in the resort,m was unsurprisingly this overpriced steakhouse. Better off driving down 5-10 mins to a steakhouse in Solvang instead to have a proper dinner. read more

way too over priced for the quality of the food. i would drop price by $15 on each plate. worst filet mignon i ever had. would not recommend this place to anyone. try another statehouse trust me. mashed potatoes were the boxed kind with a bunch of garlic powder and their 1lb baked potato was about half the size of that. it's sad because this place used to be good. read more

Was searching for a place to have a late night dinner after fighting LA traffic to get up to the central coast. Ended up randomly picking The Willows not realizing it was in the Chumash Casino. In any case, my wife and I grabbed a couple seats at the bar. Service was great and the drinks were honest. I didn't have great expectations of the food, but it was good. We opted not to have steak only because we were eating at the Hitching Post the next night. Still, it was a very enjoyable meal. I'd eat here every time and stay at the Chumash if they only had a crap table. For now, it will be a periodic trip if we can fit it in while in the area. read more

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The halibut is absolutely divine, I enjoyed it so much I had it two nights in a row. The bartender Sergio was very attentive. I talked to a few regulars while sitting at the bar who drove over an hour just to enjoy the deliciousness that they have to offer. It's by far my new favorite spot to eat. read more

I've enjoyed my share of steak houses and fine dining experiences and while the Willows has some lovely options, the amenities do not really reach the bar for me. Maybe my party was too large, and maybe I need to try it on a more intimate basis but I was not impressed. We walked into a brightly lit, large private room which looked like it has been set up as an afterthought for our party. We were 14 people and our table was set up with water glasses, utensils, napkins, plate, and decorative item in the middle of the table. No place mats, no linens so it looked a bit odd to me. We were served courses and there were crumbs and items that had dripped on the table that we had to ask to be wiped up. The servers were just possibly overwhelmed. Our steaks were delivered and unfortunately had a tough time eating them as several of us had dull knives and could not cut the steaks. We ordered rare steaks and when I cook them at home they are tender enough to eat with a fork and butter knife due to the preparation. It doesn't appear they brine or prepare the steaks well enough to be well tenderized. I have to say the standouts for me were the grilled artichoke, mac n cheese, french onion soup, lobster and salad. I was not a wowed by my steak although one of the members of the party had the Tomahawk chop and that was probably the best presentation of beef. For the price tag, i would wager to say you are better off leaving the casino, going to the other side of the traffic light into Santa Ynez and eating at Brother's Restaurant at the Red Barn. read more

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Hands down best tender Filet Mignon cooked to perfection. Service was on point - drinks were mind blowing!!!! Ordered dirty martini and old fashion hibiscus's that made my night a little more fun! Lol made reservations with Nicole. She's a great host with a bright spirit. Super accommodating to my last minute reservation. Definitely service matched this restaurant. read more

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The food was quite tasty. Pricey, but tasty. You need reservations for this place, otherwise there maybe no availability or hours wait. read more

The Willows - Seafood Near Me - Santa Ynez, California

This place is fancy and delicious. Shrimp ceviche is on point with a nice little kick to it and the steak with mashed potatoes and asparagus is bomb af. Get that shrimp cocktail with the big o shrimp read more

Good food and good service. Didn't care for the area we sat in. Felt like we were in a cafeteria/dining area

It's our first time in Chumash! We came here to play and not eve thinking of having a sit down dinner. Well it turned out well.. the food is great and then Miguel made us very comfortable from the time we sat down until we had our complimentary desert for my wife's bday!! We will surely be back even though we are 200 miles from Chumash! read more

Fantastic from the beginning. Hostess was very friendly and accommodating to our request to sit in the bar area. Full-service menu offered there and as far as I'm concerned a five star experience with the wait staff as well as the food. I had the braised beef, my wife had the salmon and it exceeded our expectations and made our taste buds dance. Fantastic restaurant inside the Chumash Casino. Highly recommend read more

Still fantastic. Just re-opened a week ago and COVID protocols had us feeling very safe - heat lamps but dress warm! Had oysters and fried artichokes for appetizers - excellent. My wife had the Domestic Wagyu and I went Filet with Scallops. Scallops could have been slightly more grill crusted but I'm splitting hairs. The Filet was, the BEST Filet I've ever had in a restaurant - incredible seasoning, perfect Medium Rare. My wife loved her Wagyu - huge portion so she is getting two meals out of it. Mushroom, potato and asparagus sides were all on point. Ritchie and Jorge provided impeccable service. It is our favorite stop when in Solvang and one of our favorite restaurants anywhere! read more

The food was soo great, started from the appetizerwillow salad is a must to have, we love the bread too with their wrapped butter, seafood jackpot is a real jackpot with The fried Brussels sprouts on the side. Ambiance was A+, our waitress name is Jane and so awesome, she served us so well. read more

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We had a scrumptious meal there. The petite filet medallions with scallops is amazing!! One of my fav meals of all times! The halibut was delightful, fluffy and cooked to perfection. The ambiance was cozy. I wanna go back, need a big win though. read more

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Had dinner with 3 of my friends at Willow in Santa Ynez. I ordered the short rib with mashed potatoes. I shared my mashed potatoes with one of my friends. It tasted good but very pricey. My food sat on my chest for a long time like I want the vomit. I couldn't even drink anything. My friend and I spent the night at Chumash. Later that evening I vomited twice then 30 mins later I had diarrhea. Got up a few times that night to do the same thing. I noticed my friend who I shared my mashed potatoes with vomited also. The following day, I made a complaint, talked to a few people but couldn't help me. Finally talked to Jennifer at Risk Management. She told me that she'll talked to the restaurant manager. A few days later after calling her almost every day. She finally had an answer from the restaurant. They said nobody else got sick that night. All I asked was to comp the food bill for over $400 that we spent that night. They couldn't do anything. That's full of crap. Never again going to spend that much money to get food poisoning. It won't let me post without rating it. I will rate the restaurant-10 read more

Awesome food and ambiance! Rachel was amazing, professional and beautiful inside and out! Will definitely be back! Thank you Rachel and The Willows read more

A beautiful outdoor dining restaurant located inside the casino. The view and the breeze and overall safety protocols in place made it an excellent early dinner experience. Everyone was very nice and kept our party of three feeling like they cared with answering questions and leading us through the restaurant to the outdoor dining and the menu. The food was delicious and the wine suggestions where great!! read more

The Willows - Dinner - Seafood Near Me - Santa Ynez, California

Food was good service good. Pricey but worth the price. Was cold in the bar when we waited

Decided to stop by the Willows at the Chumash for some drinks and apps and was not disappointed. We were greeted kindly at the entrance and only had a long enough wait to enjoy a cocktail at the bar. Staff were helpful and kind from start to finish. The drinks are delicious, there are so many options for food, and vibe is just amazing. The ambiance is chill and intimate. Chris was our server and he was incredibly helpful. 10/10 recommend, so delicious read more

One of the best steaks I've ever eaten. My waiter Richie was great. He recommended to butterfly the ribeye. I was a bit apprehensive but boy was I glad to take his advice. So flavorful and the butter for bread was a added treat. Imported from France we we! read more