Amazing....best beef ribs I have ever had! This is a wonderful family focused restaurant. Fresh pies knocked out of the park. If you don't stop before or after the grapevine, you are really missing out. read more

Good, but not great. Definitely the best restaurant in miles, but not the best BBQ I have ever had. Brisket tasted good, but was very fatty ... Pork ribs were great, lots of meat, but not as "smokey" as I like. Big portions, reasonably priced, good for kids .... Really friendly people. 90 percent of the vehicles in the parking lot were pickups ... read more

Willow Ranch - Pork Ribs were great - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

Decided to go to Willow Ranch since it has been awhile. They have patio dining since dining room is closed once again due to virus. The patio is so very nice. I ordered the deep pit salad, and my husband ordered their burger and onion rings. Must say the food was awesome along with super great service! We decided we will definitely be back, good food, good service and patio dining when you just need to get out! read more

Food was decent but didn't look freshly prepared. Service was slow but adequate. Would have been an ok place to stop on our way to LA, but 2 out of 4 of us were violently ill afterwards. Made for an unpleasant drive. Won't be back. read more

Saw this pop up on my phone so i decided to stop by because I was craving some Q... Ordered the Full Rack of Baby Back ribs Ribs were HUGE for baby backs, really meaty and tasty with just the right amount of char. Homemade mashed potatoes were really homemade as evident by the amount of chunks and lumps of potatoes...which i really liked. Did not have dessert as I was running a bit behind schedule. Will be making another stop in the future...also bought a bottle of BBQ sauce to take home read more

First visit, I had baby back ribs. I had my mind set for that melt in your mouth meat. Unfortunately it wasn't that. Not sure if it was old or just not cooked well but it was okay. Nothing special. Second visit, I had the gilled salmon, too fishy and cooked outside cold inside. Didnt finish it. Gagging. Service was good. I like the bbq sauce. read more

Willow Ranch - Pork Baby Back Ribs. Meh - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

While driving along I-5, there are many dining options along the way. Having exhausted my appetite for Kettleman City fast food options, I tried looking for a fresh venue. I decided to try out Willow Ranch in Buttonwillow, CA, based off some solid yelp suggestions. BBQ sounded really good after a 3 hour drive, and I hadn't had ribs in too long. I got there around 9 PM so the restaurant wasn't too packed. There were plenty of TVs, and a couple of guys at the bar in the back were jeering at the football game. Other than that, the place had the feel of a cozy truck stop. It was quiet, comfortable, and the staff was nice, though not as attentive as I would've liked considering how slow that night was. I decided to order a half rack of ribs, which came with a half corn on the cob, fries, bread, baked beans, and small soup. Some of the items could be substituted for a side salad or mashed potatoes. The ribs were mediocre, but there was so much food, I didn't mind. My friend ordered the tri-tip and brisket and we shared a little. The brisket was phenomenal. If I ever find myself in the area, I would definitely be willing to give this place another shot and explore their menu further. Summary: Location: 4 Staff: 4 Food: 4 (ribs 3, brisket 5, sides 4) Note: Bathrooms needed serious cleaning. The men's room seemed to be designed for basketball players, and should get some adjusting. read more

Willow Ranch - Yes, that is a half-rack of ribs... Willow Ranch - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

Overall, this place is definitely a good alternative to all the fast food places along the 5 between Los Angeles and Sacramento, but our family did not feel it lived up to the 4 star review on Yelp. I'm not sure how it got the 4 stars, though it may simply be in comparison to the other places around it, but unfortunately overall I think a solid 3 is more appropriate. For a BBQ place, I assumed the ribs would be good, but it took a little effort cutting through them with a steak knife, and I'm not used to this at all the BBQ places we go to in the San Diego are where the meat is almost falling off the bone. The taste was good though, but other dishes like the Tri Tip salad had tough meat as well according to my wife, though the amount of food given was generous. There were many choices on the menu, and overall the staff seemed pleasant though I can't say the service was 4 star. I would recommend this place as one of the only good alternatives to the fast food places around, and overall it's a fair restaurant, but not the 4 star place we were expecting from the the average Yelp review, at least on the day we went. read more

There are not a whole lot of decent options when making the drive between LA and SF. You have the national fast food joints and the truck stops. Willow Ranch is one of the few decent alternatives. It's kinda old school/dated but the service is fine and the food decent. If you want to sit down, relax, and "get away" from the I5 monotony, check this place out! read more

Great breakfast, extra friendly service (thanks, Amber!). Definitely a new stopping point for us on our way to LA from up north.

Best country fried steak I can remember. Great country menu. Everything homemade including salad dressings. Amazing milkshakes! Super nice service. Family friendly. Update 1: Best soft scramble eggs and steak I can recalls having in years. Update 2: Could not wait to stop here again. So happy I am eating lunch 3 hours late just to eat here. The red bean and sausage soup was amazing, and I don't typically order soup anywhere because most places don't wow me with their soups. Can't wait for the country fried steak. read more

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Cozy roadside diner. Solid breakfast and lunch food. Nothing spectacular, but great service and decent food at a good price! read more

Willow Ranch - Counter style - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

This is a nice alternative to the otherwise unbroken string of chain restaurants lining the I-5. The bbq isn't super special, but not bad. The vegetable soup is quite good. It's chock full of vegetables that have been cooked down to make the broth flavorful. We shared a combination plate of beef ribs, pork ribs, and hot links. The pork ribs were dry. The beef ribs were fine, but not special. The hot links were also fine - about what you expect for hot links. The platter came with corn, baked beans, bread, fries and soup. It is more than enough for two people to share. Service was very friendly. read more

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It was 8:50pm at night and we were starving. We wanted a decent meal that wasn't fast food. We decided to stop by here because of the yelp reviews. They were closing soon, but welcomed us anyways. Per the suggestion of our pregnant waitress, I ordered the three item combo of trip tip, brisket, and bbq chicken. The food was moist and not too fatty. My gf ordered a full rack of pork baby back ribs. These ribs are definitely meatier than ribs I'v had elsewhere. The bbq sauce they slathered all over the meat was heavenly. You can see the garlic and onion pieces in it. Each meal came with a salad, bread, corn, and potatoes. The sides were standard in taste. The service that night was great. They gave us such large cups, refills weren't necessary. The waitress even packed extra sauce for our to go order but we ended up buying a whole bottle of the sauce. read more

Willow Ranch - Combo dinner! - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

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Perfect break for a long road trip. Air-conditioning, great service and excellent BBQ sauce, I'm in. The kids (older teens), split a full rack of baby back ribs ($22). It came with choice of starch, chili beans, corn, soup or salad and a roll. The ribs were super meaty and smokey. The four of us enjoyed them immensely. Husband ordered the spare rib special ($10.95). it came with scalloped potatoes, baked beans and cornbread. The ribs (4) were large and even meatier than the baby back. The corn bread was ultra moist and delicious and not of the sweet variety. I ordered the tri-tip sandwich. I requested corn instead of the choice of starch and got it, no problem. The tri tip was served dry in the sandwich with a side of BBQ sauce and it was excellent with or without the sauce. The corn was sweet and juicy and served with real butter. The drinks (soda, iced tea, etc.) are ridiculously large and mine was only half gone when I was done. Thank you Willow Ranch, for the hearty meal and lovely break from the road. read more

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Stopped in cuz we didn't want fast food. I love BBQ so imagine my delight when I pulled up and saw it was a BBQ joint! I had the Brisket dinner with the Chicken Enchilada soup. It was all really good! The brisket was super tasty with just the right amount of "marbling" (aka fat). It came with corn, beans and a roll for $15. Seems like a reasonable deal. The other dish was a "pit" salad with chicken for $12.99. Once again, it was very good with the raspberry dressing on the side. We were seated right away when we walked in. It took a while for our order to get taken, but then everything came quickly and we were checked up on a few times. Overall it was reasonable service. One last thing was the iced tea. They give you a "Texas sized" glass! This is especially great when it's over 100 degrees outside! Overall this place makes my bookmark list. I'll look for it again when I head down to LA. read more

Willow Ranch - Brisket Dinner for $14.99. Everything on this plate was really good! - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

Man this place is a gem... everything was delicious..the Rib Eye though is on par with some of the best out there!!! On a side note the restaurant is very tidy..no dust in places where most restaurants have it. read more

Willow Ranch - Great ribs...great service. - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

Reading the many great reviews I was really looking forward to dinner at Willow Ranch. I left disappointed. On the plus side the wait staff are lovely, the interior is pleasant and clean, the portions are generous. Being advertised as a BBQ restaurant, my wife and I shared a full slab of pork ribs. The ribs were tough, dry, and lacked flavor. So overall I thought this place was ok, but not a place I'd visit again. tip: If you can stop a few miles further north on Interstate 5 I'd heartily recommend the Denny's at Lost Hills, which I found very impressive for a lot less cash. (Lost Hills exit also seemed to offer a much better choice of accommodations). read more

Wonderful food. Home cooking diner style. We so happy to find this place again. We stumbled on it last year on one of our many rides from LA to SF along the 5. We usually stop at the famed and also wonderful Harris Ranch, a great half way stop. No comparison between the two. Different worlds. One classy standard- Harris- and the other - Willow Ranch - dark diner delicious. I had the fried chicken that tasted like my dad used to make. Perfect crispy, not greasy, just yummy. read more

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Yay! We're back after 6 days! I've been dreaming about this place since last Saturday when we were here the first time. I didn't imagine we will be back this fast coz it's almost a two hour drive... thanks to my hubby and he said he don't mind going back if the food is this good. Again Willows you never failed us ... food is good like the first time we were here! I can't get enough of how good is your brisket! I wish I could take your restaurant home with us. $ 60.00 for 3 dinner and drinks not bad!! We will surely be back! read more

Willow Ranch - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

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Food might be great, gals in front super nice BUT kitchen staff not CONSISTENTLY in masks. One had no mask, then mask but pulled below nose and mouth. Come on people. Lunch on October 9 read more

What a great find! Nice people, good food, reasonable price. The sandwiches came out quick and the staff couldn't be kinder. It feels homemade and there is NOTHING else out here so they could have phoned it in and still had a built in crowd. So glad they put effort into making a quality place. The (new?) logo is a little hard to read and it's hidden on a side street. The old barrel sign in the pictures on here is much legible and much more in keeping with the theme. Everything else is groovy. Don't change a thing. read more

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We were driving to Anaheim from San Francisco and were getting hungry, so my sister's bf looked on Yelp to see what restaurants were nearby where we were on I-5. Apparently Willow Ranch had the best reviews so we pulled off at the Buttonwillow exit and tried to find it, but couldn't, so we decided we'd just get back on I-5 and stop at the next food stop. Well, it turns out Willow Ranch was at the next food stop. Weird. Anyway, we walked in and it was fairly empty. It's got an old saloon kind of feel to it. Yes, it's filled with mostly Caucasian people, but you have to realize where this restaurant is located. However, there was a huge table right next to the front door seated with a big Asian family. We were seated right away at a booth and, let me tell you, the seats in the booth were so much fun. I am giving it an extra star just for the booth. They're really bouncy. I slid in first and then A plopped down next to me and nearly bounced me right off the seat. It turns out that every movement one of us made bounced the other one on the seat. It was hilarious. Of course, my sister thought we were extremely embarassing. As for food, I ordered the Barbecue Shredded Chicken sandwich with fries and lemonade. The lemonade was huge. They come in these gigantic cups that must be two cups combined. If you're really thirsty, order something to drink here and that will quench your thirst in a jiffy. I actually thought my chicken was going to be barbecued, but it just comes with a side of barbecue sauce. That was a little disappointing. The sandwich itself was okay though. The barbecue sauce was a little sweet. I liked the fries. They have this paprika seasoning on it that makes it really tasty. We also had an order of the Wings of Fire. I don't know what kind of fire it was, but the wings weren't spicy at all. They were still super tasty though. Tips: You have to pay up front at the counter, not at the table. The bathroom was super stenchiriferous. Oh. My. Stars. I had to hold my breath or I'd pass out from the smell. But then again, I almost passed out from holding my breath too. read more

Willow Ranch - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

I guess this place is popular cause everyone talks about it at track. Came here with some friends after a track event at Buttonwillow plus we were staying at the Motel 6. I ordered the Rib Eye Steak I asked the waiter on how their steaks are cooked so then I got a stupid answer of "medium rare" Steak was a tab bit over cooked for "medium rare" my friends NY was medium and it looked "medium rare" lol EITHER WAY. The steak is on the salty side, I had to take some bites of the mashed potatoes and beans to try to kill the salty taste. Mashed potatoes seemed on the older side as if they been sitting out too long. Dinner roll/bread was drier than the dirt outside, good thing they supplied butter. The beans weren't bad. Tri Tip was pretty good. Beef ribs were okay, it is a mission to take the meat off, if there's a next time I'd get the pork ribs. Services was okay, waiter never even came back after she took our order to check up, there was this girl (younger than the rest) that did check up on us to see if we were doing good with our food. Its highly doubtful I'll come back, I rather hit up the fast food places and save me money for gas on the track lol read more

Willow Ranch - Ribeye steak with sides. - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

Amauzing food!!! We ordered a family meal with deep pit beef, chili beans and potato salad. The meal came with rolls, salsa and their own bbq sauce. My wife and daughters loved it. The portions were huge, we had enough for lunch the next day. Oh and they delivered to us in North East Bakersfield. Will be ordering and visiting once the restaurant is opened back up. Recommend to everyone! read more

Straight fire off the five. Great ribs. Tasty tri tip. Great steaks! Full bar with TVs. More pies than u can count. The pistachio mint is my favorite. I believe its seasonal though. Classic diner vibes! Theres even a huge banquet room in the back if you have a massive party. read more

Willow Ranch is a gem. My go to place when traveling back from so cal. Great food, great service, and great people. My favorite is the 3 item combo. Brisket, pork ribs, and beef ribs... so good. read more

Willow Ranch - 3 item combo. Brisket, beef ribs, and pork ribs. And the sauce.... ridiculously good. - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

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We have always stopped to eat here while traveling.We were so looking forward to eating there. We had 3 big order's between our group. Not sure what has happened but the quality of the food is poor. We all were disappointed. The hamburgers are over cooked and have no flavor. Ordered burgers and the one with tomatoes on it, was disgusting. The tomatoes were very soggy. $74.00 for mediocre food read more

Stopped by on our way home from San Francisco. I had the Tri tip and eggs. Everything was cooked perfect and tasted home made. Their BBQ sauce is excellent. read more

I couldn't wait to review my experience here. We hunt in the area this time of the year and we decided to have a good meal. Found this place on yelp and I wanted to see why most people love this place, and why a handful hate it for myself. We came in a party of 3, at 8:25 on a Sunday night, they close at 9 and they welcomed us with a smile. They seated us in less than 2 minutes, our waitress was Janet and she was incredible. Surprisingly the place was busy that late and even though it was nearing closing time, it looked very neat. We had a combo meat platter (brisket, tri-tip and pork ribs) to share, a BLT, mashed potatoes (both kinds), and for desert a peach cobbler each. Everything was good and yes the Bbq sauce they make here is fantastic. All three of us agreed that the brisket was the best! The sweet tea was really good as well and we loved the mashed potatoes too! The BLT was simple and very good, thick cut smoked bacon was delish. The peach cobbler was a bit different than I'm used to but we all finished them needless to say. Amazing service, amazing Bbq and full tummies. We are happy campers and we recommend this place. read more

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Stopped here on the way back home from LA to San Jose. Everything we had was great! Good portions and great flavor! Also great service from the staff, friendly and very attentive Highly recommended if you are In the area. read more

We stopped here for a late lunch on our drive back home from SoCal. A lot in the menu made it a tad overwhelming to decide what to order .... and most of the choices felt hearty and heavy - which we didn't want given the driving we still had to do. Fred ordered a burger and it was pretty standard. I ordered the french dip sandwich which was average. Not a whole lot of flavor in the meat or the dipping juice. While this was still a better alternative to Denny's ... I probably wouldn't stop here again. read more

We come here for local race events. The BBQ sauce is really good so we always buy one to take home. The place is clean, waits are short, and the staff is friendly. What I have ordered: Country-Fried Steak Tender Certified Angus Beef breaded and fried, served with plenty of real, country-style gravy. $9.99 BBQ chicken is seasoned with our special spice blend and grilled to perfection, then topped with our homemade BBQ sauce. 1/4 Chicken $10.99 Sides: Mashed Potatoes, Roll, Fries Chardonnay It is a great place to stop in and dine if you are in the area for sure don't let the location stop you from stopping in :) read more

This is one of the few restaurants in the Buttonwillow here. I came here twice, actually two nights in a row. The food is pretty good here. Well the side salad is okay, steamed veggies. but hey it's a steak/bbq place anyways, you come here for the meat. I've had the pork ribs, the half rack is a pretty good portion. I also had the chicken, it's nothing too special, not to many special seasonings. I think I've found my spot! read more

Willow Ranch - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

Excellent change of pace from fast food and standard truckstop fare. Plenty of truck parking next door and across the street. Cozy and vintage, the food is awesome! They are open for breakfast, but honestly, I would wait until lunchtime before ordering ribs... For dinner, I ordered the Two Meat platter with tri tip and baby back ribs which are their two top sellers. The sauce is sweet and smokey. Honestly, the meat wasn't as tender as I was expecting, but I'm not sure if I am applying Texas standards to California cuisine. The french fries are good, but hubby said either the mashed potatoes or the gravy covering them was rancid. He also said the rolls were stale. The salad was fresh, (they also have soup, but it was 95° out and hot soup really didn't appeal) the menu has lots more things I want to explore (like the burgers) so we will definitely be back. Looking forward to it! read more

Willow Ranch - Two meat platter (tri tip and baby back ribs) with french fries. - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

This place was a fantastic stop for people attending buttonwillow raceway. Love the vibe inside the diner and our server was super attentive and helpful. The food is classic american diner food and does not disappoint. read more

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

Made a stop for fuel in Timbuktu, and saw this place. Figured no harm to give it a try.. Better then eating a bag a chips.. Order the Tri-tip Salad, and was happily surprised it was dam good! Veggies were fresh with loads of tri tip... Pretty filling for a salad too.. Beer selection wasn't the best, but it was cold.. read more

Well this was a little strange. As usual the food was good. I cam in this morning and had the mushroom and cheese omelet with a side of bacon. Either the Mexican lady cook doesn't get it or the waitress didn't understand me. I got teeny cut up pieces of bacon in one of those tiny plastic cups. Why couldn't I get regular slices of bacon like anywhere else? read more

We had lunch here in our way to LA. I had the best creation of an omelette. It comes with all sorts of meat and perfectly balanced. It didn't feel greasy at all because they use premium quality. I'll recommend this place to anyone riding along highway 5. It's off the freeway so you don't loose time going into any town . Clean bathrooms and great history on the walls about Kern County ! read more

Always friendly, I especially like the waitress who's always sayin "You gottit"! Steve's a good waitor too. Great, moist tender beef, no matter how you liking it prepared; their ribs are meaty and juicy; their clam chowder is good. My wife liked the fried chicken. The bbq beans are also fine. Go there while they're renovating for a quiet dinner read more

Willow Ranch - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

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