The best brisket sandwich I have ever had, waiter was very nice just so sad this place is so far from L.A., I use to drive to SF every month and this was a most STOP on my drive to and from lol. read more

Great BBQ near a Tesla Supercharger. Friendly staff. What's not to like? Will pack to-go.

I am on a GF diet and the waitstaff could not have been more accommodating. Friendly too! Will be returning next time I'm in Buttonwillow.

Doesn't look that great from outside, but once you get In, super cute place, very clean, lots of locals and people traveling from SoCal to NorCal, Photos and history on the wall. Service was excellent, bar far the best chorizo and egg burrito I've had. Pancakes great as well, large portions! read more

Willow Ranch - Chorizo And Egg Burrito - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

Yelp challenge 2015. 221 /365 Stepping in here, I feel like I am nowhere near home. It feels different in here. Located off the I-5 in Buttonwillow. Offering a extensive menu full of meats. My kind of place. Lots of tables to accomondate large crowds. Friendly service and brains to split a check 15 ways. Now lets talk meat. I am talking juicy hunks of beef like Rib Eyes, Flat irons, Top Sirloin. NY, Tri tips, deep pits, brisket, philly's, french dips, long sausages. If your a legs and thighs type of carnivore they offer quarter, halfs, and breasts plates. Feeling kind of fishy? Sworddfish, shrimp, calamari. See what a mean? Its meat heaven. All served with gems like salads, beans, rice pilaf, mashed taters, veggies, cold slaw, potatoe salad, fries, onion rings. You name it. Tons of angus burgers, deli sammies, hot sammies...yummy yummy in my tummy. Now if your into veggies, they have stuff for you too. Zucchini, poppers, veggie burgers, salads, veggie sammies. Dont worry we can all get along. I had the BBQ bacon burger no bun with corn on the cob instead of fries. It was alright. I was expecting it to be more angusy, but I think they use mass produced premade patties. I was still hungry afterwards. Then again I didn't have the bun. Hubsters had the Plow Boy, a combination of angus brisket, pastrami, bacon, cheese, pilled high with onion rings, jack cheese and chipoltle sauce. He digged it. If your passing by the I5 coming or going from Kern County, this is your designation. Just please don't drive all the way here just to dig into some meat. Its the type of place that is only good if your in the area. #705 read more

Willow Ranch - Plow boy - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

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We were in the road through California and stopped for lunch. We ordered the street tacos, some chicken and rice soup and a BLT. We weren't looking for anything special or especially delicious but honestly the food was not good at all. The BLT was ok but the soup was very salty and the street tacos weren't really worth eating. They were lukewarm when they arrived at the table and soon were cold and flavorless. All in all we would have been much better off just driving through the Taco Bell in the next block. read more

For a pit stop off the 5 highway in Buttonwillow of all places this was a pleasant surprise! My group of four arrived at 9:30PM on a Friday and were glad they still accepted folks as they close at 10pm. The heffer that I am, I ordered a triple bbq combo-- (Tri tip, beef brisket and pork ribs (extra $2)) So this ended up around $27. It came with soup or salad (I got some tasty chicken dumpling soup), a bit of their homemade chili with beans (this was just ok), a side which I opted for mashed potatoes (whatever), and bread. The tri tip was just whatever. I wouldn't bother with this again. The brisket was delicious! Very juicy and fatty. The pork ribs was a full half rack! Worth the $2 upgrade. My husband got the chicken fried steak and it was tasty. That gravy was bomb! We really enjoyed it. Our other two friends ordered a two bbq combo which they liked and a burger and he killed it so I assumed he liked it as well. Service was prompt and courteous. It was a great little stop on our road trip. read more

Willow Ranch - 3-item bbq combo - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

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Placed online order and received in 5 business days. These guys have the best bbq sauce. Thanks guys!!! read more

Willow Ranch - Bbq sauce - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

This place reminds me of the classic old BBQ/ steak house you'd often see throughout the Midwest and old towns. They really have an impressive menu. Known for their BBQ, I went with the ribeye. It was a good steak made rare. I prefer steaks charred rare and only places that have super hot open flames can pull it off. It wasn't completed a true charred rare but still very good. This is a must stop if you're making your way up or down the 5. It breaks up the monotony and is definitely better than anything you'll see along the way. read more

Willow Ranch - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

I stumbled upon this place when I was looking for a place to charge my car. And Wow, I love this place! Our waiter Steven was excellent. The food was brilliant and I have saved this restaurant for places to stop on my road trips!! read more

Willow Ranch - They really have Good Sweet Tea!!!! Great place to charge my Tesla and have great meal! - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

We all have a bit of cabin fever, wishing for a little normalcy, right? Nothing feels as right or normal than being able to hit your favorite haunts. Willow Ranch is a half hour from my house, but I needed some bbq. The hour round trip was worth it, as usual. Their plow boy sammich is my favorite plate there. A New England po boy is usually packed full of surf, the Willow Ranch Plow Boy is packed full of turf! Smoked brisket, pastrami, bacon.... grilled jalapeños, and onion rings on a grilled roll. Who knew heaven could be so sinful? I feel like a million bucks right now. Like the good ole days. Had a slice of their peach pie today, for the first time, and it was amazing! Peaches were fresh, diced today, still kinda crisp. Their takeout setup under quarantine is better than most I have seen. You can't access the rest of the restaurant, just come to the counter and get your order. Paid over the phone to minimize time on premises (their idea) so I was in and out quick. They had a nice acrylic/plexy barrier hanging from the ceiling to separate employees and patrons. Staff were masked, don't feel like I risked my health for a sammich. Not saying I wouldn't....... but it's a bonus. read more

We had lunch here today. The food was absolutely delicious and the service was great! Rod and I had a pulled pork sandwich and grilled chicken salad. We didn't have to wait a long time for our food. read more

Summary: - Service: friendly *but* slow - Price - about average for BBQ spots like this - Food - nothing mind-blowing BUT amazing proportions - Ambiance - just another American diner [my first thought was Denny's] ******* If you're from SoCal and often on the road to NorCal [especially Interstate 5], you'll run out of pit stops rather quickly [especially more-so if you strike fast food joints off the list]. You can practically count with both your hands how many non-franchised diners there are after the climb up the mountain and before CA-46. I was tempted at times to bring a high-powered air rifle and a portable camping gas grill to kill some rabbits out of desperation to have something different for once. Obviously, that didn't work out too well for me. Out of all the places I stopped by in my extremely short list, I would say that WIllow Ranch is probably the best pit stop to eat if your car is overheating and you have a TON of time to spare. Of course, these two factors doesn't always apply to me since I drive a beast of a car and never have enough time to stop for more than an hour. But whatever, sometimes, we just make exceptions. True, who the hell has ever heard of Buttonwillow? It totally sounds like BUTTPILLOW. I mean, for one, I have stopped here so many times and passed it so many times and I still find myself barely remember the name of this quaint little town. I guess it really was Willow Ranch that finally got me to remember this place. 1. Service is exceptionally friendly and at the same time, exceptionally S-L-O-W. Yes, yes, you're on the $16.95 calendar being sold at the establishment [that I didn't buy] and so by default, if you're as friendly as you're cute, I guess us-famished-boys who want to be fed would overlook the snail pace that is common here. Yes, I forgot her name but she's the cutest one and ABSOFREAKINLUTELY friendly. One phrase in her angelic tone and all built-up anger subsided, lol. http://s3-media1.ak.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/bSnzhrcjmIOnk9mLDN9TXQ/l.jpg http://s3-media4.ak.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/2DYBBGeX2-R0-UxGVMwPqw/l.jpg 2. Food...Crickets chirping... and 30+ minutes later... HOLY CRAP. I ordered too much, lol. Tri-tip, meh. Brisket, meh. Beef ribs, pass. Chicken, lol, never order again. Pork ribs...the total WINNER! [winner, winner, pork rib dinner!] Okay, everything is overly sauced up like a good old fashioned American BBQ diner but hey, I'm not complaining. Pork ribs saved the overall meal...just like aforementioned friendly tone from a cute waiteress saves the snail pace over here. Okay, so I want to pit stop here again...and again. No, never for the girls [truly, I speak nothing but the truth on this]. But I want to stop here for the pork ribs again. Standard BBQ with great proportions with beer if you need it. BUT this time, I-am-going-to-*TOTALLY*-make-sure-I-have-2-hours-to-spare-for-my-next-visit. ^_^ read more

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Second time I have been here for breakfast, looking forward to returning for lunch. Huge portions, good food, and excellent wait staff. Food came out hot and fast. We even got a bottle of their BBQ sauce to take home. So if you're driving through or past Buttonwillow on the I5 stop and grab a meal and you won't be disappointed. read more

Willow Ranch - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

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Wonderful place! Staff was friendly and quick. Food was out of this world fresh and delicious. We bought a bottle of their bbq sauce and can't wait to use it! Restaurant was very clean and well decorated! Will stop in next time we are passing by. read more

It's was a last minute stop, portions were huge! Look at the ham. Food was ok for a quick stop read more

Willow Ranch - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

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Pretty good bbq joint in the middle of nowhere.. Actually found this place on yelp, cause we were gonna stop at McDonalds, but wanted something a little better.. Well the place is very clean. Its big. Staff is a little lacking, but otherwise ok. I ordered the tri tip sandwich with potato salad.. Both very good. Tri tip was tender and juicy... There house bbq sauce was ok. Nothing to brag about. prices were decent. read more

Willow Ranch - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

Got the Plow Boy and it was incredible. The BBQ Sauce is good too. So good we bought a bottle to go. read more

Willow Ranch - Plow boy with fries - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

We stopped here for an early dinner on the way home to Sacramento, and the food was really good, and the service was excellent.

Horrible food and overpriced. The owners of this catastrophe know only too well that their business is entirely from people driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco or visa-versa. Just average food - most of it likely from a Sysco truck... Very nice service, which always makes it hard for me to complain, but hey, it's 2022, and there no excuse for ripping off people with crap food - ESPECIALLY when your in a truck-stop of a town. Boo! read more

This little hidden gem is downright magic. Service was phenomenal and the food was next level. Some of the best ribs I've ever had and the homemade ranch dressing was spot on!! Must for any bbq fan read more

Willow Ranch - Full rack - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

Good food, good coffee, and great service. This is my second visit to Willow Ranch on my journeys through Buttonwillow. Both times for breakfast. Their food has been quite good on both visits. This time, I got the Country Fried Steak breakfast. The eggs were cooked perfectly, the steak and gravy were quite tasty, and the potatoes were good as well. Angela was my server. She was very friendly and attentive. I never ran out of coffee! Hooray! She checked on me a few times throughout my visit, so I never found myself trying to wave someone down. Thanks Angela! I'd recommend this place for anyone passing through. Still gotta try their BBQ though! read more

The inside looks updated, but still has a homey feel to it. Came on a Tuesday afternoon so not much of a rush. Only one server in the restaurant, but, she did a good job of greeting and seating people. I had the plow boy sandwich. It was a good mix of pastrami and brisket with jalapeños and onion rings. The fries were so so nothing to write home about. They had very little seasoning but they were crispy. I would come back if I'm in the area. I want to try the ribs and steaks here. read more

If I could leave this place 0 stars, that's what they'd have!! My fiance was on FaceTime with me as he was having breakfast alone after an out of town job. It was very hard and disappointing to see him being mistreated by the servers! I'm not sure if this place is not used to having colored people at their joint, but it is no excuse to treat as someone as if they aren't there! He politely asked his server for the bill and she rolled her eyes and walked away, then purposely served people coffee over and over again before she brought him his bill making him wait. My fiance is always such a positive person, and the fact that this restaraunt took him to a place of feeling unwelcomed is not okay!! Willows Ranch, DO BETTER!! read more

Our server was great. He remembered all 13 of our orders without writing anything down. He definitely listened and not just heard what we said. Food is normal... typical, as expected. Got the fish and chips. It was good, interestingly they don't give lots of portion (wow, normal portion!) which is great.. given our Nation's obesity problem ... but that's a different story. Anyways, come eat here! read more

Don't read the reviews this place was aweful! I was so sick! Got the recommended plow boy and it was small burnt pastrami barely any beef maybe 2 small strips, no onion ring and greasy! French fries couldn't even eat one so oily and soagy! Husband got chicken wings , no meat practically all skin , he choked down! Travel all the time to Tahoe from Orange County 1st time here! Never again! read more

This is one of our favorite establishments to dine at and had no idea they also do catering! Willow Ranch catering really out did themselves with my daughters wedding! The food was amazing, the service was outstanding and Christian was so wonderful to work with! I highly recommended them for any of your catering needs! read more

This place is pretty good when you're on the road. The service was excellent. They were quick and prompt. I ordered the French Dip Sandwich and my dip was way too salty. The sandwich was very good though. I also ordered the split pea soup and that was delicious as well. read more

Food was delicious! Service was good and fast! I would have given it a 5 but the server wasn't super friendly and our order got messed up. Other than that great experience! read more

Willow Ranch - Tri-tip and deep pit beef. - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

Bbq here is really good. Now that they have dine-in if you're traveling on hwy 5 & want good bbq this is the place to go. Portions are generous & our waitress (I think her name is Melissa) was awesome. Definitely support them! read more

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

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The morning waitress is racial! Would take her time serving me, never asked me if I wanted more coffee, slammed my plate on the table, didn't ask if I wanted condiments, and took forever when I asked for the bill. I should have stormed outta there quicker than quick. I hope Mike the manager reprimands her for her disloyalty to customers! read more

This is about the only none fast food spot in town. So the choices are pretty slim. This is kind of the racers go to spot. They have a very large menu of food and drink it's pretty pricey. Think of it as a steak house prices. This is a Truck stop town so again try to not set up the bar very high. I was super hungry after my 3 hour drive so I ordered the rib-eye steak 12oz as I'm a growing boy; It asked for med-rare as I like it nice an soft. It was fine just not out of the world it's a bit chewy; it was just a very average steak for 24 bucks. The staff was pretty busy and nice enough. There is not much to pick around this place so you are pretty limited. I would say it's the best place in town; but that's not really saying much. Good Parking, Nice Staff, Lots of Seats, Tons of choices, Average at best food. It's fine just not something I would go out of my way to go to. If you are stuck in the area it's the go 2. Just not a check list item for me; or go out of my way to check out. Just keeping real people read more

The Plow Boy is a great sandwich and the BBQ sauce is the right mix of tangy and sweet.

Apple juice doesn't come with ice. Coke ($2.50), and Willow burger with potato salad. BBQ sauce was the best thing here. Busy at lunch. Coleslaw was a little sweet. For the check they gave us a pen that didn't have ink. It cost about $14 per person. My boss salted her potato salad. Potato salad strangely tastes like chips. The burger and deep pit BBQ beef sandwich taste better with BBQ sauce. The ranch burger didn't seem good enough to keep a co-worker from talking. There was an extensive selection of pies but we had no room for dessert afterwards. read more

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We were driving to the Bay Area, got hungry and we're looking for something other than fast food restaurants when we came upon Willow Ranch, thought we'd try it and are we glad we did! I had the BBQ chicken sandwich with excellent BBQ sauce, my friend really enjoyed his Tri-tip sandwich and our server Angela cut the excellent tuna sandwich into three pieces instead of two and split a salad into three for the ladies. I'm not sure what I expected, but the place just felt "comfortable" and the food and service both worth coming back for next time we're up this way. Driving north on the 5 it's exit 287 and well worth stopping for a bite and a feel good place read more

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On our way to Monterey and found this restaurant on YELP . So informative to find reviews on Yelp, thank you all who post. The restaurants food was GREAT (Pulled Pork BBQ & Tuna Melt Sandwich), although the service and cleanliness have a lot to be desired ‍. There's nothing worse than sitting there for like 15 min waiting for the waitress to take your order (drinks and food) and then asking the help for something (a straw in this case) and get totally ignored, lol luckily I had one in my backpack. Oh! And It wasn't busy either, oh well ‍ our tummies are full and we have another 2 hours on the road. read more

The times I have visited this restaurant, I received the best service. Food was so tasty. It wasn't under cooked or over cooked. I look forward to to visiting this restaurant again when my Arizona family is visiting. read more

Stopped in for lunch during our trip to San jose. More of a diner than BBQ joint. We came in right before lunch hour rush and place quickly got full. The kitchen got backed up and took about 30 min to get our meals. I had the plow sandwich with fries and it was delicious. Kids menus were also very reasonable priced $5-$7 (w/o drinks). Waitress was a bit overwhelmed so service was a little slow but understandable. Probably not a good option if you're looking for quick lunch at rush hr. Wished we had chance to try the other bbq items. read more

Everything is good Ives tried a little bit of everything here. Plow boy good. My new favorite is the pulled pork salad.

Used to be awesome place to eat when at track or passing through. NO MORE!!! After decade of visiting, I will no longer be coming here. Service is HORRIBLE. Older lady that used to work there was super-efficient and fast. The young kids that replaced her are clueless and takes forever. It doesn't take walking for 2-laps around entire restaurant to find empty table, they should know off top of their head which booths are available. Not to mention getting orders completely wrong. This happened twice now. In 10-yrs with older lady? Never! She got it right every time! Goodbye Willow Ranch, it was great when it was good, but that place is gone forever. read more