I've actually come here 2 times before when traveling to and from Norther and Souther California and I am finally writing a review because I feel that the waitress that runs this restaurant is such a pleasure and actually she is the one that has made me want to come back. The restaurant has a ranch theme with cute cow and pig displays and nice old photos. The bathrooms are clean. The food is pretty good. I had a French toast combo breakfast with perfectly done poached eggs and flavorful sausage that has that salty and snappy texture you want in a meaty sausage. The French toast was crispy on the outside and didn't wow me but it was good and scratched the itch for French toast. My daughter built her own omelette and she loved every bite. She liked that you can use egg whites I definitely go for the food and the friendly waitress and not so much for the regulars that seem to stare at you when you come in and eat. Kinda makes you feel awkward but then again I'm not there for them I'm there for the yummy breakfast. The prices are also good and better than Harris Ranch read more

Willow Ranch - French toast with poached eggs and sausage - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

Beef Brisket with garlic fries, Tri Tip Sandwich, homemade mashed potatoes and a small teaser of their amazing homemade chili and both had homemade bread also kid grilled cheese (they cut the crust off on our request). Look at the pictures to get your mouth watering! Chili get a cup, hell get a bowl, you will be thanking me soon. Chili is mixed with beans, tri-tip, onions, bell pepper and other goodness. Want to really throw down on a meal pick the combo 3 meat platter! Brisket, baby back ribs and tri-tip or they have sausages and other items that will get your taste buds rocking out like you are in the country line dance championships! We have been here a couple of times and NEVER have been disappointed. Prices are great we payed $51 for the meals and drinks. Ambiance perfect was not super busy today at 12:45 on a Sunday. They are support dog friendly, call for the latest covid-19 procedures if your concerned. We had the same waitresses Madalyn (?), she probably thought I was a bit weird because when she came back to take out order I was soo excited I made some weird noise. Anyway she was a trooper with all the tables she had and balancing all the tasks flawlessly like water flowing through the country lakes. Again thank you Willow Ranch BBQ for the amazing food, service and ambiance. You are amazing! Now back to our new state Arizona but know that we will always stop here when passing through back home to California to visit. You maked us feel like home...even though you don't know us.. so thank you from the bottom of our hearts! Keep it up we will be back in a month or so! read more

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This is like the old-fashioned diners of my youth! I sat at the bar watching the Dodger game, and the servers chatted here and there, were very friendly. The place was almost empty on a Sunday about 7pm. I ordered the brisket dinner, and the meat was tender, juicy and flavorful. The mashed potatoes were strange, almost hard, and I wondered how they could be so amazing on the meat but muff the mashers. The salad was really good, though, great ranch dressing! I wouldn't order the chili side again; kinda watery, not much body or flavor. I would stop here again and try something else. The menu is extensive, and there were several main dishes that looked tasty. read more

Willow Ranch - The brisket dinner! - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

Food is great, especially the barbecue sauce and waiters and waitresses are friendly. I have recommended this restaurant many times.

Expensive, chintzy portions, poor quality. I spent $32.00 on a 3 item combo plate. The brisket had more fat than meat, the hot link was a thin hot dog The portion size of the beans was ridiculous, 2 Tsp in a to go cup, mashed potato was barely a spoon sized serving. The peach cobbler was all dough, only 1 peach. & $8.00 with ice cream. I feel ripped off and cheated. I won't be going back. For the Expensive prices they charge I expected much more read more

Found this randomly on way home to LA. Super friendly staff. Good choices the menu of burgers, sandwiches, steaks, and seafood. Quiet diner ambiance. Lots of parking. Little man loves his burger and garlic fries. I had the "Plow burger" and could taste the different meats in it. Definitely on our places to stop on way home. read more

Willow Ranch - Kale and Parmesan soup - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

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Driving up from San Diego to Bay Area, we stopped by for lunch totally unexpected, great BBQ. I had brisket. Tender, moist, really good. Stop by this place! read more

The nachos were amazing. Crisp chips, bbq sauce, and pulled pork combo ordered half sweet and half unsweetened tea. Worked perfectly. The staff was v sweet and went out of their way to ensure everyone was attended to! read more

Willow Ranch - Nachos with pulled pork & Tri - tip Salad - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

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Awwee Sugar, Honey, Iced, Tea!! Yes sir! This place was great! I was passing through and stopped to get something to eat. I was tired of the usual stuff... subway, MCd's, etc.. I got me a tri tip sandwich annnnnnddd yep! It was on point. Definitely worth the $ and surprisingly not to expensive. The cashier was super chill. As I sat and waited for my food. It gives off a real "at home" vibe. You can for sure bring the kiddos if you have any. I definitely would recommend stopping by. I should've taken a pic but sorry folks it's all gone read more

Located in the middle of nowhere out near Interstate HWY 5, at a small town called Buttonwillow, an old establishment stands serving best salads, steaks, good old coffee and home cooking to weary travelers from all over the world. Mainly serving the truckers who are well known to the staffs and tourists driving through, this restaurant deserves five stars for just being there. It's like an oasis for people dying of thirst, no matter what they serve, they taste awesome. We had enough of ethnic and specialty foods from higher end restaurants so we were looking for good old traditional diner experience on our way back home. We had enormous chef's salad and four pulled meat sliders that were both awfully delicious. The pulled chicken, pork, beef and fourth mysteriously good meat had soft, thick buns with ketchup and ranch and two flavors of BBQ sauce both of which were smoky, tangy and sweet chipotle types perfectly flavored with the sliders. Coffee was freshly brewed old drip type. It was great experience and prices were reasonable. Definitely not a tourist trap. This restaurant means business. Clean restroom was a bonus. Nice friendly staffs were always filled our ice water and coffee. read more

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"We are family" was playing in the background and the TV was tuned to football with the volume down. Nice break from the road. Good burger. Excellent fries. Terrific service. Clean and homey. read more

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Had the baby back ribs. They were tough and dry. The membrane was left on and felt like I had a leather strip on the back of the meat. No rub, no smoke flavor. Very bland seasoning. I've had the tri tip, it was excellent. It's a must go to. I've also had their signature burgers, they are over the top. Nachos are a must! The portion size is insane, they're a meal of their own. Try the sweet potato fries with maple syrup on the side. It's an east coast thing. Staff is amazing and always friendly. Very comfortable seating and atmosphere. My only complaint is the baby backs. I love my falling off the bone, melt in your mouth, tangy sweet BBQ, baby backs. Take a trip to Memphis, Nashville, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, you'll understand what I'm saying. read more

Great bbq sandwiches. Definitely casual and good for families. It took us a little while to pay but friendly and polite service. Great find! We'll be back. read more

This is a fairly decent place to stop by for lunch on the way to your vacation destination. My husband found Willow Ranch on Yelp and it was a nice midway point to Joshua Tree for us. The area looked very dry and a bit truck-stop-ish. You could tell a lot of regulars come by here. The staff seem really nice and accommodating. We had a party of 9 and had a table in the back. They provided crayons and coloring sheets for the kiddos. The barbecue seemed super tempting, but I decided to get a tri-tip salad since it was a signature dish. Heads up: get a half-plate because the full plate is ridiculously full. The meat was heavy, which is rare for salads. The meat was a little dry and salty for my taste. The hubby ordered the Plowboy Sandwich, which would've been better without the bacon, and the kiddo ordered the hamburger sliders with fries off the kids' menu. The burger was a little dry. All in all, the service was good and food was mediocre. It is a nice rest and lunch stop enroute to LA or down south. read more

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I didn't expect much given the location on the side of I5 and in dusty, blistering hot Buttonwillow. We had time to kill waiting for the car to charge so opted for this local diner/bbq sit down restaurant. We got the Plow Boy sandwich, a hearty breakfast, and the French Dip. Everything was great. Food was a solid four as you could tell some of the meats were smoked in house. A clean restaurant and a really friend wait staff (shout out to Angela) bumps this to a five. Try the house made bbq sauce. If you have time to kill and want a great alternative to fast food definitely check this place out. read more

Willow Ranch - Plow Boy sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

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Read all the other Yelp reviews about Willow Ranch and decided this would be our meal stop between SoCal and the Bay Area one recent weekend. We arrived around 1800 hours on a Friday night. We were warmly greeted and seated immediately. My biggest concern was this business geared more towards serving locals versus itinerant traffic even though it is right off the 5 freeway? My concern quickly evaporated as we were made to feel as welcome as any local stopping by. Brody made us feel welcomed the moment he introduced himself as our server after we were seated. We appreciated his hospitality and considered focus. We ordered a Willow Cheeseburger ($13.99), a patty melt ($13.99), 2-Country Fried Steak Dinners ($16.99 each) 4-Sodas ($3.49 each) for a pre-tip total of $81.42 Our sons enjoyed their cheeseburger and patty melts choices. The accompanying french fries were crispy and well seasoned, which our sons let us try, LOL. Both my wife and I really like our country fried steaks! The fried steaks tasted like they were homecooked in a well seasoned cast iron frying pan. The accompanying gravy was creamy, delicious and satisfying. Before our entrees arrived, both my wife and I received our green salads which was our first of three sides that we chose, besides hot vegetables and mashed potatoes. My green salad arrived with a decent amount of blue cheese dressing. But what really surprised me was that the kitchen had included a generous amount of crumbled blue cheese. Sheer bliss!! How often does one see that at restaurants nowadays? The mashed potatoes were just like Mama use to make: smooth and creamy. We both enjoyed them. The green beans with bacon unfortunately was the only side dish that was not on par with the rest of our meals. The beans were the type one finds on a buffet steam tray: soggy, limp, watery. Our sodas were re-filled by Brody before we needed to ask. The restaurant also has a bar area that seems to fill a niche as a local watering hole as well. Overall, this restaurant offers great tasting, homestyle cooked food, great hospitality and a very welcomed respite from all the fast food destinations that are on the 5 freeway. read more

Willow Ranch - Tossed Green Garden Salad with crumbled blue cheese! - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

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Headed to Southern California and saw good reviews on this BBQ joint. The staff welcomed us, was friendly and attentive. Ordered the ribs and the plow boy sandwich. Both more than met our expectations for good barbecue. The plow boy is an impressive sandwich with all my favorite meats. The ribs were perfectly cooked. Took home half the ribs and had them for dinner. The outside is understated and The inside looks like an old school dinner. However it is all about the food and service here. I would definitely recommend this place and if I am back in the area would definitely eat here again. read more

Back again! Love love love this place! Always stop on my way to or from LA. The brisket. Sooooo good. Service was outstanding as always! This is a fabulous place always worth a visit! read more

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Driving the 5 stopped for breakfast. Ordered corned beef hash. It was homemade and amazing 2 eggs over medium and house potatoes! Potatoes were homemade as well and excellent! I will be back again! read more

Food is very average and pricey for what it is. It's a somewhat tired place. The worst part is that it's incredibly slooooow. For a place off the freeway where everyone is heading somewhere else this stop is maddeningly frustrating. Unless you have an hour and a half to spend here you should really avoid it. read more

A friend of mine spoke of coming here for a long time, but we never made it out here before he passed. On a recent Saturday, my wife, mother in law and I made the pilgrimage from Bakersfield to see what the hubbub was all about, and let me tell you, it was worth the trip. Upon entering this old-school barbecue joint, we were greeted with the delicious aroma of grilled and smoked meats before being escorted to our booth next to the bar. I noticed the interior of the restaurant was adorned with dark wood paneling, but good lighting and wide easy to navigate aisles. The music was at the perfect volume and consisted of classic American rock and roll, perfectly suited for a place like this. Our lovely waitress, Emily, provided us with our menus and took our orders. I selected the Willow Rancher cocktail, which was essentially a Long Island iced tea. My wife had a Stubborn Mule, which was a take on the classic Moscow Mule with a touch of Tabasco, and my mother in law enjoyed a Fuzzy Navel, her favorite drink. Each of us enjoyed our drinks so much that we kept ordering them as we camped out for the afternoon. We ordered a plate of the pit beef nachos, which were an excellent precursor for my PlowBoy pastrami sandwich and my wife and mother in law's pit beef sandwiches. Each of our sandwiches were perfectly cooked and perfectly seasoned. They were served with fries that were crispy and golden brown. Emily was sure to check in on us fr9m time to time as she served her other guests and made conversation. Truly, this place has it all. A wonderful setting, excellent, polite and attentive service, and delicious food. This is well worth the short trip from Bakersfield and is a noteworthy stop along the I5 if you're just passing through. It is definitely a hidden gem. We'll be back! read more

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Cornbread was hard as a rock , , I had the 3 combo meal , this is not Bbq!! The brisket was grill sealed beef no favor what so ever ! The Bbq sauce is basic , just sweet , brisket was fatty , no smoke flavor what so ever , the chopped beef look like chewed and regurgitated . The only thing good was the premade salad .. worst so called Bbq I've ever tasted , I couldn't finish the meal , don't stop here .. EVER !! Unless you want to be feed dog meat . Hell!! My dog wouldn't even eat here .. I could go on but what would be the point .service is awesome !! Atmosphere is ok .. Don't eat here read more

Soooo I used to love this place back in 2017. I usually would get the bbq bacon burger either for there or to go and it was always really good. Last year I was excited to stop by and we got burgers to go. The burger was missing avocado and the bottom buns were 100% wet and soggy and had a reall funky yucky taste so we had to eat them without the button bun. It was disappointed so we haven't come back in a while. Tonight we decided to give it another try but for dine in. One girl seated us and when she asked if she could get anything I said waters for now. It was my 2 kids and their dad but their dad was in the bathroom. She brought out only one water and no kids menus for the kids. I scanned the QR code on the menu which showed they still have kids menus. Anyways the girl asked if I was ready to order or waiting and I said waiting as their dad was still in the bathroom. She said ok but then she disappeared. We never saw her again. Later a different girl took our order. My guy got a soda with light ice but she put a lot of ice. I ordered a burger with no sauce so that I could put bbq on it. We saw and order come out and the server tell the cook that the sandwich was supposed to have no tomato and to take it off (for another table) he took it off and she gave the sandwich to whoever ordered it. This made me worry about my burger. We saw our food ready but it just sat there as there server was doing other things, talking to someone then she filled a cup with soda and left it at the machine and went in the back. She then talked to someone else then took sodas to a table, then helped someone in the front who was there to order all while our food just sat there. I understand she was the only server though there were not many people there but I think you should always get the food first so it doesn't get old and cold before helping other people. She went to get our food and she saw that my burger had sauce on it. She told the cook is there sauce on this? And told him to fix it. She gave my kids and guy their food and told me they were fixing my burger. I saw it back read a few seconds after she told him to fix it. I told my guy he prob just wiped the sauce off and sure enough I was right. She brings it over and there is even sauce on the top outside of the bun and I asked the girl uh.... Did he just wipe the sauce off and she says she doesn't know. And I tell her well there's sauce in the top. She says he will make a new one... I look inside if it still had sauce ob inside too just smeared. I have never seen a restaurant not even fast food where they do things like that. Who wipes off the sauce? That's so gross. What if I was alergic? Anyways she takes it back and says she will get a new one. I wher he tell the guy remake this and he looked confused and she said it again. Then a few mins later the burger was there again where it sat a little.. I think he just changed the top bun because it was too fast and the bacon had some sauce on it that I had to wipe off. I didn't have much appetite at that point so didn't even eat half of the $17 burger. We only had that one water and we're never asked if we needed a refill on the water or soda. I also heard the server tell other workers that the other server just walked out and she was by herself. while I do understand that must be hard for her there are things that she could have done different. As for the food it was definitely not as I remember and the burger didn't taste good. We won't be back next time. Sad that this place has changed so much. My family got food poisoning. My 8 year old threw up 3 times and went to bed, my toddler has been constantly going to the bathroom over and over and their dad slept all day and it came out of both ends. Be careful if you eat there. read more

Willow Ranch - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

I ordered the brisket plateand my son ordered the sirloin (med well) baked potatoes, and a side of pilaf. Chili beans and roll came with the meal. Service was not the best but I heard other customers getting great service, so I guess it's a luck if the draw. When you walk in its welcoming with a kind of incandescent lighting. Now let's get down to the food. I chose to get a salad instead of a soup and kept finding multiple withered pieces of lettuce. The baked potato has an incredible amount of sour cream on it, had to remove a lot of it. The beef brisket was mostly fat, but had no smoky flavor on it, no Bark, as if it were cooked in the oven instead of a smoker. As soon as we were done eating the waitress never checked back in with us for our bill so we walked to the front so we can pay. Oh yeah, the outside smelled like a sewer spill, that should of been the warning of things to come. read more

Willow Ranch - Sirloin plate cooked med to med/ rare instead of med/well. - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

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Nasty food, the chicken tasted old...like cooked a week ago and barba sauced poured over it $75 bucks down the drain...service was ah...not good..drove to it to try first and last time read more

I heard about this place on Eater LA that it was one of the best BBQ spots outside LA. I've driven through Buttonwillow for years and never seen it. Turns out it's pretty hidden from view. We were disappointed on all fronts. Every piece of meat we got was over cooked and dried out terribly. Things were too salty. The soup was the star and that's not saying much. The service was awful. Waitresses everywhere and just walking past us even with us asking them if they we're our server. Prices were high but average for a bbq joint in CA. The only thing getting the second star is I didn't get sick and I was able to chop the leftover meat and heat it with bbq sauce to make an acceptable sandwich at home. That's it. read more

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This seem to be the hot spot in town based on cars Service is friendly but slow BBQ is more sauce on dried out chicken then smoke. And the chili was more Beans with out flavor. The vegetables soup was fresh and a good basic salad. I am so glad I did not share the plate I got this was the smallest chicken breast I have ever seen shy of 4 oz I've seen larger thighs. But when you get off the highway there is not much around so next time maybe I will try one of the other choices Large menu so they do have selection of comfort foods. read more

Willow Ranch - Chicken plate - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

Came in for the second time on 11/4/2022. We were looking forward to having BBQ from here again. We ordered it to go so we can relax in our room. Mackenzie was such a sweetheart. She was very helpful and patient as she was helping my husband when he was asking for a new item from the last time we went. The place is clean as soon as you walk in you can see how clean and comfortable it looks. Looking forward to our next Buttonwillow trip to go here again. read more

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This place continues to crank out the great food and service. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. A must stop with your travels....... read more

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A fantastic roadside stop. The food here is solid but what really makes Willow Ranch stand out is the service. The staff is incredible friendly. Everyone has the cheeriest smile. We ordered their fully loaded pastrami sandwich topped with onion rings and their special sauce and a rack of ribs. Everything was cooked perfectly. The ribs were juicy and flavorful. The sandwich was absolutely delicious. Rich, flavorful, toasted hoagie roll, just yum. It's a short 4 minute walk from the nearby Tesla Supercharger too. So a great stop if you're looking for a place to eat while you charge. read more

Willow Ranch - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

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understaffed, didn't stay becasuse the wait was too long. 30-40 minutes, even though the place looked fairly empty. Didnt have time in our schedule to wait. read more

We decided to take a short drive to Buttonwillow this morning for breakfast. I'm not going to lie, but it's been like years since we've eaten here. I remember their food being really good. To my surprise I was disappointed. There were 2 orders of chicken fried steaks, and my grandson had the biscuits and gravy. Now when we walked in they weren't busy, there were 4 groups, 2 had already gotten their food. It took a long time to get our food. Our waitress was ok. It took her awhile to come over and take our order, she did come by one time to ask how our food was, and it took awhile to get our check. Now on to the food. The biscuits were dry that we asked for a side of extra gravy. The gravy was watery, not thick like I remember it to be and no flavor. The chicken fried steak also had no flavor, so I added their salsa. And that tasted like tomato sauce. Their home fries were good though. I guess it's a stop if you're driving on the 5, but I won't be making that drive out there to eat. read more

The Coconut Cream Pie was forks and spoons down delicious! Sooo good. Filling wasn't too sweet and the crust was perfect ! Sorry no picture this time the pie had already been half devoured read more

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This restaurant is so cute! We walked in and was greeted with a western theme and a friendly face. We were sat fairly quickly as we came close to closing. The food was DELICIOUS! and I also found my new favorite moscato! I definitely recommend you try it if ever you come by! The food is a bit pricy but it's not too bad as the portions are huuuge! I had to mines to go because I just couldn't finish! Again the customer service was great, the staff was very friendly. If ever I find myself at buttonwillow I will definitely stop by again. read more

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This little spot is a good stop if you're in the mood for a decent meal on the I-5 between LA and SF. The flavors are typically in need of salt, but the service is too notch. The vibe is much like an old diner or truck stop with a BBQ flair. I think their breakfast is better than lunch/dinner, but their burgers are pretty good! read more

This place looked enticing from the outside and has a great menu so I went in with the local lunch crowd to indulge in homemade bbq. Staff was friendly and helpful, food was swiftly made, but the tri tip was underwhelming. The meat did not appear to be true tri tip however the homemade bbq sauce made up for sandwich. The vibe is typical but definitely the best option at this exit. read more

Willow Ranch - Tri tip - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

Hubby and I went here for a birthday breakfast, on the way out of town. We've been here several times and I always try to eat something different. This time I got the Breakfast Burrito and added tri tip instead of the bacon, ham or sausage that comes with it. Oh my goodness!! First of all, it is HUGE!!! I cut it in half and the half of it is bigger than the normal sized breakfast burritos I get other places. I knew I would only eat half from the start. But not only was it huge, it was delicious!! It was stuffed with so much stuff. Eggs, cheese, ham, tri-tip, potatoes!! No scrimping here!!! They load it up with food and flavor!!! Even though it was delicious, I couldn't eat it all. I took the other half to go and ate it later. When I put the half into the "to go" container, it filled it up. That's how big it is!! The service there is great! Sometimes they are busier than others, but they are always friendly and they work hard. They get your food out to you quick and always with a smile!! Thanks for another delicious meal!!! read more

Willow Ranch - Breakfast burrito with tri-tip - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

I wanted bbq on our drive home from Monterey and found this place. The parking lot was crowded for lunch but there was plenty of space. It's big inside with many booths and plenty of counter seating and a bar. They must cater to truck drivers and farmers. I ordered the Tri-tip dinner with mashed potatoes and cole slaw. The tri-tip wasn't that tender but still good. The cole slaw was maybe the best I've ever had! My guy had the Plow Boy sandwich which had brisket, pastrami, bacon, onion rings, jalapeños and chipotle sauce and came with French fries. He enjoyed it. It was a good lunch. Thanks Willow Ranch. read more

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Was on a road trip looking for a place to eat. Found a gem with great food. I got the Plow Boy sandwich which is the best BBQ Sandwich I've ever had. Better BBQ sandwich than what you get in Texas. This sandwich would win contests. For the price you get lots of delicious meats. Everything was well balanced and not too salty. The fries were delicious as well. Crispy with every bite till the end. The service was nice and welcoming. The restaurant is well cleaned as well with the diner vibe. I'd definitely will mark this place as a stopping point for road trips. read more

Willow Ranch - Plow Boy Sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

We were driving by, hungry, so stopped for lunch. Ice tea was a little weak, but sweetened-up nicely and was served in a gigantic cup -- plenty to sip and then take the rest in my travel tumbler. (I assume refills are included, but that gigantic cup was plenty this time.) The food? We had burgers. The Garden Burger included the usual fresh lettuce, tomato, onion, but also sliced avocado! That was a nice surprise! The burger is served with only mustard, so I added a side of their house-made 1000 Island dressing -- which was fantastic! Both their 1000 Island and Ranch are house-made, and very yummy!!! The sweet potato fries were delicious, too, AND I discovered even MORE delicious dipped in that 1000 Island dressing! Willow Ranch will now be a regular stop when we're driving by -- even if just for a snack of ice tea and sweet potato fries. With 1000 Island, of course! read more

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