Let's be honest. This place is in the middle of nowhere off I5. There's mostly gas stations and motels in close range, so the fact that there was a place advertising BBQ was a bit scary for me. I took the full parking lot as a good sign though. Today my friends invited me to lunch here, so it's not like I sought it out myself. I was a bit nervous by the old school diner vibe. I didn't see the menu because I was late, so they ordered me a tri tip sandwich with fries. My food was ready right around the time i arrived, which was cool. I was very pleasantly surprised! My food was really good. I'm not huge into BBQ sauce but I liked the sauce. The meat was thinly sliced, which I prefer for a sandwich because it's easier to to bite and chew. The fries were crispy and delicious. I also like the glass bottle ketchup! This place stands with some of my favorite spots with this trip tip sandwich. It's not just great because not much else around here is unique or great, it is great because they really just have good food. I would totally go back and highly recommend it as a stop if you're looking for something sit down on your trip through BW. I took my leftovers home and continued to enjoy them the second time. read more

Food is big servings and delicious! The service is fast and friendly. Ambiance is mom and pop style. Been here for quick stop on LA traveling. read more

The best place to grub off the 5! The food was served hot and did not disappoint my picky eaters: my parents.

Service was nice . Could use some more booze in the $12 drinks though . Overall nice lunch stop besides fast food

It's very rare that I write reviews. I'm doing this one as I'm eating my ribeye. This place is amazing. I drive from Norcal to Socal once a month for grad school and I make sure to include Willow Ranch in Buttonwillow (where is Buttonwillow!?! ‍‍) to my route both ways. Customer service... They're all so nice! 10/10 BBQ quality... and I've been to a ton of BBQ places 10/10! Beef ribs and Brisket are fire!!! I get it every time. Dip in their amazing homemade BBQ sauce! Ribeye... 8/10 (I recommend getting a side of their amazing BBQ sauce to make it a 9/10). I plan on coming back... again... and again... and again... Yummy... so damn yummy. read more

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Needed a place to go for dinner on the way back to SFO. Was surprised at the laid back ambiance and awesome food Waiters were super nice: kept coffee flowing, and took care of any needs Sweet potato fries really great BBQ ribs yummm Trip tip was good Burgers were huge and goood Found a place that shall be a permanent stop for future trips Easy on wallet too read more

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Service was good, food was decent , prices reasonable. We had deep pit sandwich, grilled salmon, and tri tip salad. read more

Willow Ranch - Menu - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

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Good food and service. Good BBQ and large portions. Good place to stop along hwy 5. Liked it better than Harris Ranch. Harris Ranch is over priced and trying to hard with seasonings and not letting the beef speak for itself. To me excessive seasonings are something to hide bad beef. read more

Willow Ranch Review Oh No! They Have Changed the Menu at Willow Ranch! We have been eating at Willow Ranch for almost 20 years. It is our go-to restaurant whenever we are in the Bakersfield area, which is about 7-8 times a year. In the past, we have considered their onion rings and wings to be the best we have ever had. We use Willow's onion rings and wings as a standard, that other restaurants have not been able to match. We loved the kielbasa appetizer and the B-Dub burger as well. Just recently, the menu has been pared down, and many of our usual choices have been removed from the menu. They have removed all their cold sandwiches, and many hot favorites as well. Our latest dinner there, on Saturday September 3, has left us thinking that we need to find somewhere else to dine on our trips. Please know - that the staff is one of the friendliest, most hard-working group of people we have ever had. It's the menu, and now - the food quality that will keep us from coming back. It can be difficult to order dinner, when you are looking forward to a specific meal, and it is no longer available. So you hem and haw over what to get, which in my case was the Fiesta Melt: "Thinly sliced roast beef, Monterey Jack cheese, grilled Ortega chiles and sliced tomato served on grilled sourdough bread with our spicy dressing". The roast beef was overcooked, rubbery and gray and the bread just fell apart. I didn't taste any 'spicy' dressing. They promote their large assortment of beers, but were out of stock of the first 4 I tried to order... so I settled for a draft Modelo, which arrived in a chipped glass. read more

Love this place Best bbq on I-5. The only thing I wouldn't get again is the prime rib. Too much gristle/ tendons/ veins........

On my way back from Disney. So hungry, didn't want fast food. Ordered 3 things. Tri tip sandwich, blt and kids nuggets. Food was unedible, tri tip was a salt lick, nuggets were some type of burnt smeat, Blt looked like a kid made it. Two of the items went into the trash without touching it. $46.00 of trash food, so sad. read more

Willow Ranch - Blt sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

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Came to Willow ranch with a big group and Dolores and McKenzie were our servers and they were awesome. Thank you so much for being very attentive, patient and with a great attitude and sense of humor. I know large groups can be annoying (sorry if any of the guys were lol) but they handled the table and everything ordered was perfect. Thank you both read more

LOOK AT THE PICUTRES I ATTACHED!!! WHAT THE HELL??? WAS I IN SOME DIFFERENT UNIVERSE?!?!?! You know what happened...they saw me get a "take out order" and figured "this is some guy passing by we'll never see him again. We can just give him the shitty cuts of meat." SO. DISAPPOINTED. Looks absolutely NOTHING like the other Yelp reviews. The beef ribs barely had any meat (The woman on the bus next to me was making fun of my attempt to pick the meat off the bone). The brisket was sooo dry I couldn't even finish. I asked for fatty cut of brisket. 3 times. 3 times!!! I kept repeating "fatty cut of brisket please" when I was fucking ordering. Look at these fucking pictures. Does that look like a fucking fatty piece of brisket to you??? God damn. Dry, pathetic brisket. Holy shit. No, you're NOT getting away with giving a customer absolute dogshit on a takeout order vs. those who dine in and expect to let it slide. No Willow Ranch. Just....no. read more

Willow Ranch - DOES THIS LOOK LIKE A FATTY CUT OF BRISKET?!?!?! Most dry piece of brisket I've ever had!!! - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

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RV parking in rear will take up to 27 foot TT, 35 foot 5vr. Larger units park on the street. Plenty of street parking. Food is BBQ not smoked. Very good food great service. We spent $41.00 plus tip for BBQ brisket sandwiches for two. Recommend this place if your traveling on I-5 and want to stop to eat. read more

This place is located right off the 5 near Bakersfield in a stretch where there are very few good foodie options. We stopped here on our trip home to San Jose from Palm Springs and we were blown away. Would definitely call this a hidden gem, where the flavors far exceeded our expectations for what looked like a very small unassuming diner on the side of the road. Between us, my family had a burger, BBQ pulled pork and tri trip sandwich and a turkey melt. My daughter wasn't a fan of her turkey melt, which is the reason for 4 stars, so take it from me, the burger or BBQ are the way to go here. The BBQ was some of the best we'd ever had and the sauce is absolutely delicious! Burger was also very tasty based on my husband's review. They have scrumptious sandwich sides including garlic fries and onion rings which were all very tasty. Also put the diet aside and order pie - wow the pie was amazing! We tried cherry and peanut butter and added ice cream on the cherry per the waitress suggestion. In addition to the fresh, tasty food, the staff were all so friendly and the whole place just feels like you've stepped back to a simpler time. Highly recommend this wonderful place if you are ever in the area and looking for an amazing meal. Probably better than most you would find off the freeway on a road trip! read more

On my way back to the Bay Area from Southern California, I saw this sign Willow Ranch. What attracted me was the barbecue. I was curious. This is in the middle of nowhere probably about 75 miles after the grapevine. So I stopped and tried this place. A little ran down, hole on the wall and need a lot of upgrade. Simple people with great personality. Their menu was simple. Easy to order. I ordered the ribs and to my surprise, it was incredibly good and the meat just melts in your mouth. Gave me satisfaction and what I expected. I was not disappointed that I came to try out this place. Often, it can be overlooked since I've done that. Didn't even know that there was an existing place of eatery. Pretty satisfied to my delight. If you happen to be driving on I-5, try and stop by and check it out. Remember, this is a very informal, simple, down to earth place that we can be comfortable. read more

This is the best sandwich I've ever had, if your in the mood for meat or bacon I would highly recommend. Got that diner vive inside, and a great place to stop and check your email and have a meal, or just take a break from driving read more

More Than A Pit Stop! Family was cruising back from NorCal on the dreaded I-5 when we needed to fill up the gas tank and get some chow. We were going cross over to Bakersfield for both when we found Willow Ranch on Yelp right off the highway. Food: Willow Ranch BBQ offered a nice selection of menu items under $20 a plate. I ordered the beef brisket dinner at $16. It took a little bit longer time for the food but worth the wait. The brisket was juicy and fork tender with a mild bbq flavor so you can enjoy the meat. The mashed potatoes and gravy reminded me of instant but the highlight was the brisket. My kids had burgers which looked and tasted great. We also had a basket of fried pickles to start and home made peach cobbler for dessert. Both were excellent. Service: We were greeted by two servers who resembled a lot like each other. One was the busser who brought drinks and one the actual server who took our order. My road weary eyes couldn't remember who was who. The busser was quick to get our drinks. The server seemed to be all of the place working the entire room. Both were nice and cordial. I did take off one star for how long it took to get the check. The server and busser were resetting tables in an almost empty restaurant. Take care of the tables and guests who are there, not the one who aren't there. Keep in mind most patrons will probably be traveling and anxious to get back on the highway to regain their road warrior poll position Ambience: You can tell the place used to be a coffee shop diner with a long counter that runs the length of the restaurant. Darker tones with crimson booths had a retro vibe. We were sat in the back by their bar which had neon beer signs and a flat screen tuned to 60 Minutes. Where we sat it had that truck stop feel. I was waiting for the Bandit and Snowman to waltz through the door. The bathrooms were clean and well maintained. This is much appreciated. The added bonus is that there's an ARCO AM/PM next door to top off your tank. Though I don't look forward on traveling on I-5 any time soon I know that there is an oasis off the Buttonwillow exit to get a good plate of brisket or a burger at Willow Ranch. It was a great last meal for our vacation. Thank you Willow Ranch. Keep up the good work. read more

Willow Ranch - Beef Brisket. Get a slice of meat and make a sandwich with the roll. - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

I've been to Willow Ranch for dinner, but it's been a long time. We were headed to the beach and stopped for breakfast. They have awesome choices that everyone could enjoy. We were greeted and served by the sweetest server that also gave us suggestions for our meal. I wanted to try everything because everything sounded good. She was very attentive and helpful. The food was so good. I had a Build Your Own Skillet. They have a lot of options to make it exactly what you want. There are a couple of items that are an up charge, but you get to choose 5 items to add to it. The potatoes were crisp and all ingredients were fresh. They are remodeling their bar area. They currently sell beer and wine, but soon will be a Full Bar. Who doesn't love a cocktail? It's been around for years and now it's becoming more of a legit Steakhouse. The restaurant is extremely clean and very cute decor. I will definitely try and make it out there more often. read more

Willow Ranch - Half of the Breakfast menu - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

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Stopped for gas this morning at the highway 58 exit and caught a whiff of frying bacon while gassing at the Shell station. Traced the bacon back to the Willow Ranch. Nicely surprised at the interior. Seemed like it had been updated in the recent past with nice seating and tables. We had the eggs Benedict and the biscuits with gravy and home style taters. Excellent food! The small order of B&G turned out to be quite enough. I'd be afraid to see the size of the large order. Coffee was typical diner quality-gets the job done. Restrooms were clean too and that's important on the long haul on I-5. read more

Willow Ranch - Small order of B&G, eggs Benedict and home style breakfast spuds. Didn't feel hungry for 6 hours afterwards! - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

Great little pit stop for delicious bbq! We did the takeout and the service was great, fresh and quick. Tri tip was good and Brisket was AMAZING! Get the garlic fries as a side!! read more

This place truly reflects the good yelp reviews! Driving down south from SF ran up on this spot via yelp and I'm so happy we stopped! Beef Ribs Baby back Plow Boy sandwich super The coleslaw was amazing! Mac n cheers just just ok The BBQ sauce was so tasty Everything was great. So glad we stopped! read more

Willow Ranch - Baby back! The char was amazing - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

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Great place to stop for a meal along the I-5 between SF and LA. Had breakfast on the way down and lunch on the way back. Both times the food was very good -- a delicious scramble for breakfast, with top-notch home fries; only the limp, lukewarm biscuit was disappointing. The burger I had for lunch was also excellent, although the bun couldn't stand up to it, and I ended up eating it with a knife and fork. No big deal, plus the fries were especially crispy. The special barbecue sauce was also a treat. Service is friendly. The place feels like you've step back several decades in time -- and that's a good thing. A true find, and a great alternative to all the boring fast-food joints and chain restaurants. read more

I like to go there when we are passing to go to Bay Area, first time order through the phone and gave me a beef ribs instead of pork spare ribs. And I don't eat beef. I didn't check when we are on the road. I will order in person as I always dobut waiting t takes 15mins or longer. read more

I only come to this wonderful place when I attend track days at Buttonwillow raceway. Its a must do for me. I usually get one of the meat combos. All the options are excellent. The magic of this place is that even though they have updated it, it still preserves the spirit of a country truck stop bbcue restaurant. The booths, the big glasses and the attention of the severs is all amazing and reminds me of when I was a child. If you are on the road, stop by. Its going to be memorable. read more

Willow Ranch - Meat?? - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

Our car group has been coming here for years. When we have the weekend at the local track this restaurant has been our meeting place. We've noticed many changes and to us changes aren't always good. They used to have a great fried chicken dinner but no more. They used to stay open later than 9pm, convenient for our group that comes in from LA, San Diego or from the northern cities of Ca, but we now see that they close at 9? Looking back their once semi separated bar/eating area has disappeared long ago. I'm glad that there's other options that stay open until 11, important for many of us especially on Friday or Saturday night 3+ hour drives for the weekend track activities but I must say that the Willow Ranch is still superior to the others in the area due to the good service. It's sad that our favorite place, one with its own personality, its family run atmosphere, feels a need to change into a dinner house, which it always had been in our eyes. read more

MOUTHWATERING! This place is what you call a gem in the rough. My husband is a truckdriver and always fueled up at the TRUCKSTOP next to this little diner. We never knew that place even existed until another trucker friend took us there. OMG the food is deliciousness! The plate is also so big! Be careful what you order you might need to get a to go bag. I got the baby back ribs. The only problem I had was that the meat was still pink instead. I like my meat fully cook. I was still able to eat it, Ill just have to remind myself next time to ask for fully cook. They make their coleslaw fresh. Taste great! I ordered half a pack ribs and could not finished it. The customer service is great! she always made sure we were taken care of and always comes by to see if we needed anything else. The place is small mom and pop place. Clean area...They do a great job sanitizing the tables down and promoting social distancing. If that's your thing. Amazing comfort food with great people. What else can you ask for? read more

It is a very causal diner where the locals eat. Emily did a wonderful job serving us. We ordered the ploy boy which is a pastrami sandwich, vegetable soup and a salad. It was all good. Friendly service. read more

Did I get pranked by the reviews. This was seriously the worse bbq I have ever had. The tritip was cut in long strips and had grill marks on it like it was reheated. Super dry and tough. The chicken was basically jerky and the ribs had no smoke or seasoning at all with just a bunch of bbq sauce poured on them. They had to be reheated also based on how dry and tough they were. No one at our table ate the food it was so bad. The hostess waitress was very nice so giving 1 star for that. If you know the slightest bit about bbq avoid this place. read more

Good breakfast good service quality food. Good bbq sauce. Right of highway 5. Recommend

One of the hidden secrets best food great atmosphere and good looking women. A must stop and enjoy read more

Willow Ranch - Steak whiskey and tatters - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

Good food "BUT NOT SAFE TO PARK" truck was broken into and according to people who work there we were NOT the first Lost of Business clothes (over a few $1000) Not worth it very unsafe and was told sheriff will take to long to come out to help I just have to count my lost read more

Stopped here cause of Starbucks but ended up staying for dinner. Brisket (5): was really good. Super moist and tender. Beef ribs (3): didn't have much meat on them but were cooked nicely and had good flavor. Pork ribs (3): were just decent. Not fall-off-the-bone tender, but saved by a good char and their BBQ sauce. They sell their sauce. It's not spicy at all and more on the sweet side. Good flavor. I prefer a little more kick to it but the kids loved it. Overall, decent place to grab some BBQ on the road. They have a Tesla charging station across the street as well. read more

Willow Ranch - 3 item combo with pork ribs, beef ribs, and brisket. - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

Super delicious The fries are amazing Brisket just falls apart so tender Salad crisp and nice portion Staff super nice read more

Willow Ranch - Super delicious The fries are amazing Brisket just falls apart so tender Salad crisp and nice portion - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

Unless you live in Kern County, California, you've probably never heard of the small community of Buttonwillow. If you've buzzed down Interstate-5, as you've passed the Buttonwillow exit from the freeway - the small town of Buttonwillow is actually located a couple miles west of the freeway exit - you may have noticed the exit features many motels, gas station, a convenience store or two, and several restaurants. Exit the freeway, and you're in for a treat. If you're in the mood for breakfast, I'd highly recommend paying a visit to Willow Ranch Restaurant. As an aside, when I pulled up to the restaurant, I noticed the word "BBQ" on the sign. After placing my order, and after getting a refill of coffee, I asked my server when barbecue is available. She said "Anytime the restaurant is open." Looks like I missed my calling in life, as I could have ordered barbecue for breakfast. The HUGE "Country Fried Steak" arrived on it's own plate, covered in gravy. You get a knife, but it's mostly for decoration, as the steak was so tender you could cut it with a fork. You get the choice between hash brown or country fried potatoes; I chose the country fried and they came with bell pepper and diced onion. Yummy. Eggs are fried over easy, which is my de facto standard. You have your choice of toast, English muffin, or biscuit and gravy. For me, that's a "no-brainer" as biscuit and gravy always wins in my book. My breakfast was both delicious and HUGE! Everything was cooked perfectly, and it arrived in a timely manner, about 15 minutes after placing my order. At $13.95, it's not cheap, but you get A LOT OF FOOD for your money, and it's delicious, and will keep you going for the rest of the day. The decor is "country," the service is outstanding, the dining room is comfortable, and the delicious food definitely reflects the taste of residents of the southern San Joaquin Valley. I highly recommend this amazing diner. Check out this review, and reviews of many other restaurants that I've posted by clicking on www.erench.com. Enjoy! read more

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Relaxing place to have breakfast, lunch or dinner. Plenty of food to get you full. It even has an open bar. Staff are quick and efficient. Definitely recommend it. read more

Food was very good but the ribeye steak lacked a bit of seasoning. Seemed to take a bit linger than normal for drinks order to be taken and food order also. Maybe more staff needed onsite but other than that great food and clean place. read more

Soda and salads are always delish!! I always get the deep pit dinner and it's always on point!! The pies are awesome too! Thanks for always being consistent! read more

Great find right off I-5 near Bakersfield. It's a down home coffee shop and a western bar all in one. You can see newspaper articles and photos talking about when I-5 was being built and the local area. They also make most things in house, including the BBQ, dressings and desserts. Customer service was very good by all servers helping in our area. read more

Stopped for lunch on our way up north. Had a BBQ chicken sandwich. Great sandwich. Great BBQ sauce.