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    Willow Ranch

    4.1 (995 reviews)
    ModerateBarbeque, American
    Open 7:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Willow Ranch Photos

    Business Info

    WILLOW RANCH ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Willow Ranch

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    Reviews With Photos

    Nick J.

    Great place to comedy food services amazing staff, and ambience's old-school diner. I'm in the area. I definitely come here. It's definitely off the beaten path but a really great place to eat.

    I loved this! A 'Saltine' container brought to the table.  When did you ever see this done?
    Tom B.

    In my never ending quest for places to eat along the I-5 corridor between No. Cal and LA I read about this place and thought I'd try it out. It's way back past all the newer fast food joints and gas stations but worth the trek for a true diner experience, and not some chain restaurant. It's not exactly brand new sparkling shiny, yet clean and seemingly well maintained. Staff were very courteous, friendly and efficient. Being 'on the road' I didn't have a lot of time to linger and they did get me in and out in sufficient time. Looking over the menu, which has most of the diner choices on would expect I chose the house special Tri Tip salad, accompanied with water and coffee. It took little time for the salad to arrive and it was well prepared with crispy greens, a variety of veggies and strips of tri-tip. The meat was delicious without any fat, grizzle or toughness. It had 'regular" size salad, quite adequate for lunch. A container of salsa came with it that I found tasteless and watery. It came with a good size container of blue cheese dressing, my selected choice. They also brought a complimentary size container of their specialty BBQ sauce, that was amazing in flavor. The coffee was good. Overall a good experience at good prices, but expect that this is a basic diner with basic food. But, hey, far better than a chain burger place.

    Willow Ranch Restaurant
    William S.

    Steak was absolutely amazing. We will get back to that. My server was a sweetheart. Very nice and very attentive. She earned every penny of her tip and some. The atmosphere was casual and calm. Very comforting. Now back to the food. The salad, which I forgot to photograph was great. The Jalapeño Poppers were molten lava. If you get them, let them cool a few minutes. I blistered my lip with the cheese AFTER my server warned me. Baked Potato, Beans and Dinner Roll were good. The STEAK, oh my god, the STEAK. One of the best tasting steaks I have ever had the pleasure of eating. Not only was it cooked to perfection, the flavor was sublime. I very highly recommend this place.

    1/4 BBQ chicken plate with BBQ sauce requested on the side.
    Carolyn F.

    An evening stop along I-5 at Buttonwillow to refuel, we saw Willow Ranch BBQ. We were glad we decided to stop for a dinner break at 7.30 PM. As other reviewers wrote, the Plowboy sandwich was tasty and filling. The dinner plate of BBQ chicken was perfectly moist with a crispy skin and more delicious with the house-made BBQ sauce. Service by Jeff was on point. The restaurant has a olde time diner feel: warm, friendly & casual.

    Outside
    David D.

    Everytime I stay in Buttonwillow I always have my dinner here. And thats because the menu is great and everything I have tried I absolutely love. The beans are delicioous. The bbq chicken is great. The salmon is off the hook..and those ribs are the best ever. Staff is very friendly, and the place is always very clean I truly live this place.

    Willow Cheeseburger with upgraded sweet potato fries
    Roxanna V.

    Overall yummy food with good portions! Food was great, (not a Michelin) but what you expect at a burger place. Liked the kid's options; sweet potato fries, cheeseburger. The previous reviews were on point with food; good choice for restaurant off I-5 state during a long drive. They make their homemade BBQ sauce, just on the sweet side . One star down for pesky flies but otherwise service was fine and food was great!

    Interior
    Marlee B.

    Still our favorite place to stop for food when on the 5 between SF and LA. Food never disappoints, really tasty BBQ! Hubby always has a burger or sandwich, today it was the patty melt. I always get the tritip salad. Housemade ranch or blue cheese dressing, yum.

    Half rack of pork ribs
    Felix Jr. C.

    7 Hour Rd. trip from Northern California back home to Orange County rather than fast food pull over to Willow Ranch. Great customer service nice ambience, family friendly atmosphere. The food was good like I said better than fast food. Just don't be surprised when it comes to the ribs or the tri-tip. I feel the meats are oven baked not smoked or barbecued, but still very tasty and enjoyable. I think it was just me expecting smoked barbecue food. I especially enjoyed the barbecue sauce and the great customer service from all the waitresses. Thank you guys happy new year.

    Martha M.

    The restaurant, is a few miles north of Bakersfield, is a popular Willow Ranch, a somewhat hidden, especially from those who don't know about this hidden gym just off Hwy 5 As tourists we came across looking for a bite to eat. Locals suggested the Plow Boy sandwich. brisket., salami cheese on a French roll I tried the tri tip sandwich

    Scott M.

    This place is amazing.. easy parking.. Great way to break up the drive to or from So Cal. Service is fast.. food is amazing.. had the brisket, its extremely tender and tasty. The tri tip was not as exciting but still good. The burgers were meaty and fresh. Great decisions were made.

    Tracy M.

    I got the fiesta belt. With mostly tri-tip and Ortega chili wow it is so good. We usually get the pit sandwich but I like to try new things. The service is amazing and perfect. The ambience is cool and nice to be in when it's 98° outside.

    Deep pit beef
    Corinna C.

    Been hearing about this place from friend. I finally made it today and I love it. Came on a Sunday night 1 hr before closing. It's quiet here but the restaurant could still serve us everything we ordered. I tried the chicken dumpling soup. It was yum. Cherry pie a la mode. The crust of course is the best part. My plow boy sandwich was super good. Bread was soft inside crunch outside. I would definitely order the same thing next time. Onion ring and fries were good. Great stop.

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    6 months ago

    I will never understand why people eat here, food was disgusting, the place is drab, and not clean, typical California Restaurant

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    Page 1 of 25

    Ask the Community - Willow Ranch

    Do they have outside seating?

    Yes, but it was so hot I can't imagine anyone wanting to. Check the weather!

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Found a new place to eat. It is in Buttonwillow California and it is called Taste of India…read more The food was absolutely DELICIOUS!!!!! I WILL GO AGAIN. To start, the service was excellent. Older gentleman and he was great. Very attentive and nice. The decor and atmosphere were authentic Indian and it felt nice being there. Now the food. I had salad, Garlic Naan, Rice and Cheese Masala. The salad, rice and Naan were really good. However, the Cheese Masala was friggin superb. So much flavor packed in that little bowl. Was worth every penny I paid. I very highly recommend this place.

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    Willow Ranch - bbq - Updated May 2026

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