Why is the drive to LA from SJ so long? My friends and I randomly stopped by Buttonwillow for some food on the way back to San Jose. We decided to go eat at this restaurant because of the the big BBQ sign. I was a little skeptical about eating here at first. Good thing we stopped by. I ordered an 8 oz steak for about 13 bucks, it came with a salad, baked potato, corn and a roll. The steak was any other average steak. The reason I gave this place a 4 star because of their customer service. We stopped in a 9:30pm. This places closes at 10pm but they were still happy to serve us. We were there till 11pm and our waitress was still in a happy mood. This is not typical of most restaurants. Overall, I would probably stop by again the next time I pass through town. read more

I love BBQ, and after a planned hike on Caliente Mountain, we came here before I drive back home. The food is good, and they give you plenty of it. The corn could have been fresher, but the Chili Beans are darn good. The Pork Ribs could have been cooked a tad longer so the meat could falloff the bone. The sauce though is just a tad too sweet. I like mine with a bit more of a bite (vinegar and spice). After a 17.49 mile hike this place rocked, as I was hungry! Would I come back? Yes. Is it the best I've had? No. Still though, it is pretty good BBQ. read more

Willow Ranch - Tri-Tip Sandwich, Tri-Tip and Pork Ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

Finally! A decent sit down restaurant off the 5! Food is alright.. nothing too spectacular but solid & unlike all the other crap/fast food on the drive between Los Angeles & San Francisco. i would stay away from the salads (iceberg lettuce & shredded carrots) & go with the meat which is what they specialize in anyways. The fried zucchinis are also pretty good. Service can be pretttttyyyy slow. I think they were understaffed the day we went but our waitress was still super friendly. Expect to spend at least an hour here.. not a place to just stop for a quick bite & back on the road. read more

Service was great. Quantity and quality of the food was good as well. Price too! 2 combos, 1 coffee and a side of toast for under $20 read more

We were starving and driving from San Diego to the Bay Area. I started looking on Yelp where we should go, this popped up with a ton of great reviews, so we went. Our server was so sweet. My boyfriend insists on asking every server what their favorite dish is, and did so here also. The server told him and that he ordered it a special way, so Josh ordered it that way also. He enjoyed his meal thoroughly. His brother did also. I ordered a turkey sandwich with buttery toasted bread. Delicious. The place was really busy when we got there and the food was really good also. Great stopping place on a road trip!! read more

Boyfriend started with the vegetable soup, it came loaded and it was delicious. Not too mention fast. My burger was decent, nothing special. The fries were yummy with a good crisp. The chicken fried steak was food with a good gravy, but the potatoes were only ok. Oh yeah and when i went to the bathroom i saw some good come up, figured it was ours, but she kept it warm till I came back. Kudos for her. Over all we'd return, but we'd also try other places. Oh yeah and for the price the place is worth it. read more

I got a burger and fries and my fiance got a steak sandwich. I thought my burger was a tad overdone, but I didn't expect much. My fiance's steak was cooked surprising well. Medium rare of course. Decor is definitely dated. We sat in a booth and every time the guy behind me moved it would move me around as well. There were a LOT LOT LOT of flies every where. On the blinds. Sitting on our table. Trying to sit on the food. When we got outside they were on the outside of the windows and on the walls. Is a fly infestation possible? read more

Stopped by here by accident cause didnt want fast food. It was a sunday, and there was a decent amount of people for the middle of no where. I like good bbq, and this place was ok. It was tasty and the prices were more then fair. My wife had the tuna melt. Ok, so not your typical choice at a bbq place, but thats what sounded good to her after a night of drinking. She liked it. I had the tri-tip sandwhich with a side of corn on the cob. The fries were piping hot. Burn my mouth, but a good helping of steak fries, even though they were seasoned a little much. The tri-tip was good. Average taste but a little dry. Might have been the day or time, cause I read that others have been really impressed. BUT THE SAUCE! Their bbq sauce is of the hook. Sweet with a taste of garlic maybe? Anyway it was the highlight of the meal. If your a tangy bbq sauce person, then this isnt your sauce. But if you like a sweet and savory sauce, this is it! I didnt ask if they sold it ir bottled it, but they should! I put that stuff on anything. Now for the side of corn. Now I like corn, one of my favorites. I was really hoping fto bite into it and taste the aweet goodness, but I didnt. It wasnt sweet like I was hoping, but it was good. Its corn, what can I say. Nothing special. Overall it was good, and when I come back from LA again, I would like to try it again. read more

Willow Ranch - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

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Never expect to find such great bbq at a service exit. The ladies ultra nice and sweet. The food is very plentiful and very good! Such a refreshing change from fast food off the interstate. Thank you WR, I will be returning each time I drive up&down I5! read more

Willow Ranch - Deep pit salad w/pulled chicken smoked so perfectly tender w awesome seasoning, barely used the salad dressing! - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

I've been here several times for lunch, dinner and breakfast and never been disappointed. I've tried the tri tip and Philly cheese steak sandwich, with great fries and fresh salad but our all time favorite is the juicy beef brisket! Perfectly seasoned and cook to perfection it just melts in your mouth, breakfast is tasty too with big portions like the biscuits and gravy omelettes are huge. Our favorite stop between socal and bay area. Just one thing needs improvement the water is not the best so I just add some lemon. read more

I hardly ever leave reviews, especially good ones. But this place deserves it!! Stopped by on my way back from LA, and it's probably the best decision I've made this year! I got the brisket dinner, my husband ordered the pulled porked sand which. Let me tell you, HANDS DOWWWWN, best BBQ I've tried, EVER. The brisket was so tender, juicy, it just freaking fell apart. The pulled pork sand which was also delicious ! Everything I've tried was amazing! The mozzarella cheese sticks, tortilla soup, potato salad, even down to the dinner roll, was delicious . They make their own barbecue sauce , and their own sweet tea Let's just say I'll gladly drive past Texas Roadhouse , and come straight here next time !! read more

Had no idea this place was here! Beer battered onion rings are fantastic..huge menu...I ordered the plow boy sandwich (brisket, pastrami and bacon sandwich) ..so yummy..this is definitely my new pit stop! read more

Willow Ranch - Plow Boy sandwich and onion rings.. - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

This is a hidden gem. Such a lovely place, very cozy, super clean and quiet. The food is amazing and their special home made BBQ is so yummy. Service is great and fast. We got there 15 minutes before closing but were greeted and served with patience and quality. read more

If you are on your way to or from LA and San Francisco and have cravings authentic southern style BBQ then you should definitely stop by and my personal favorite is their juciy baby back pork ribs!! Good lord they were good lol ! And if your a first timer ask for buddy Steve and if he's around you should be in good hands lol! read more

Great food and great service. The wait staff was very friendly and accomidating. Our food came fast, was super fresh, and delicious. We got the kids mac and cheese, Plow Boy sandwich, chicken strips, and the kids hot dog. The sandwich was a little greasy because of all of the meat but I just didn't eat that part of the bread. Fries were crunchy and great. Would definitely go back and highly recommend. read more

This place is definitely a diamond in the rough, middle of nowhere, food was great, the little cup of bbq sauce was a little stingy (in their defense I didn't ask for more) read more

Breakfast stop on the way to San Francisco on 05/03/13. Ordered country fried stake with biscuits & gravy, hash browns, & coffee. Service was a little slow since there was only one person tending to several tables. Coffee was pretty good for diner coffee. Biscuits & gravy were delicious.....can't say the same for stake....it was kinda gross! Meal ended up giving me an upset stomach & diarrhea...not fun. Prices & atmosphere were decent....restrooms were nice & clean. Its conveniently located off freeway! Its definitely a "truck stop" place. Doubt ever going back!!! read more

Great alternative to the fast food options. Good prices, friendly service. Will definitely return. read more

Willow Ranch - Juicy big portions! - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

I have left reviews in the past and I'm leaving another rant. The PoBoy sandwich is one of the best sandwiches I have ever had. I'm from Massachusetts, lived in NY, currently an over the road truck driver. I travel the 48 states (I drive, not fly) and cannot find anything like it. If your driving by and like meat with spices and flavor, you should absolutely try this sandwich out. Even the steaks are good, but for now I'm sticking to the sandwich. FYI, my wife ordered a steak last time and she loved it. The sandwich without tip will run you around $16.00 but very much worth it, they have yet to skimp on the meats. I'm full. read more

Stopped in on a trip up north. I expected a lot less just because of where the town was, but I've gotta say that this is probably one of the best restaurants that I have ever been to. Everything was super clean, the staff was friendly, and the food was great! It came out really quick too. I got the Plow-Boy sandwich, which is just the best thing ever put on a bun. All the fried stuff was perfectly fried too. I go through this town maybe once every three months, and I always make time to stop here to eat. read more

Love love love this place! We stop every time we are passing through. My favorite is the "Plow Boy" and I'm not usually a fan of sandwiches. But this sandwich is amazing. It's huge, very flavorful with a good kick of heat! read more

The food is very good here try the plow boy sandwich it is amazing and the staff here are very friendly, I would recommend anyone to try this place read more

If you are looking for fine dining with friendly service and outstanding delicious food, then this is the place for you. Everything was amazing. we had opted for the Top Sirloin dinner, which was every bit as good as a nice juicy Filet Mignon. Good Beer and wine selections. Highly recommended, and is hands down the best establishment in the area. read more

I got the ground steak (would be a Salisbury steak at other places) with a baked potato and hamburger pasta soup. The steak had a really odd aftertaste. The soup and the potato were good. What mortified me however, was the amount of staff I saw with their masks down below their noses or visitors wearing no masks. And mind you, this wasn't while they were eating, this was while they were paying at the counter and talking to the employee. The staff had no interest in enforcing this, and seemed to ignore the issue. The girl at the counter was really kind and service was quick, so one star for that I guess. Businesses need to be more conscious of the pandemic going on. read more

making the loooooong trip down I5 from Santa Rosa to Orange County we decided to stop in Bakersfield for food. When we got off the freeway, the signs said Bakersfield was 22 miles to the left.... we both said "no way" . All that was at that exit was a gas station, a few fast food places and Willow Ranch BBQ restaurant. Since we didn't want fast food we decided to give this place a shot. WOW! we were glad we did. One of the best meals we had all week. The place looks like a typical hole-in-the-wall roadside restaurant minus the grease. very clean. lots of choices on the menu. We decided to split their 2 item platter and chose the port ribs and tri tip. it was awesome. Although the ribs didn't fall off the bone, they were tender and juicy. The tri tip was great too. The best part: the BBQ sauce! it was some of the best i've ever had. They sell the stuff there and online and we bought a bottle to take home. We also each had a side salad - also very good. We're not big fans of iceberg lettuce so we were pleasantly surprised to see a nice mixture of higher quality greens - romaine, red leaf, etc. so then we decided to have some dessert - blackberry pie a la mode was amazing. Service was also very good. The server was young but very knowledgeable and accommodating. We will definitely make this place our go-to stop when traveling that loong lonely route in the future. read more

Among the best BBQ I've had. I try many BBQ restaurant but I found this one and few others around California my favorite BBQ places. Though, not all their dishes are good but at least the BBQ is really. I try the steak and sandwiches, these are just O.K. I love French dip but it was so disappointed here. Other than that pork or beef ribs are really good and big. Other places, including some of well known BBQ restaurants in Texas can't match BBQ here. I'm from bay area but every time I go to LA always stop to have my favorite BBQ plate. read more

We were soooo hungry when we came across this awesome place on our drive back home.My sister ordered a ribeye and I got the combo meats, and to be honest, I'd make the drive from Corona just to eat that BBQ sauce! Brody was very patient from the beginning and explained some menu items we were confused with. Even saying not to be sorry. Brody just made the meal 10x better with his patience and knowledge. read more

I've been here several times on trips down 5. It's somewhat hard to see from 5 but stopping in is worth it. BBQ food is good at reasonable prices. Girlfriend wasn't thrilled the last time we went (sandwich was over cooked) however I haven't had any issues the other times I've come. It serves as a good half way point between LA and the Bay Area. read more

We were passing through buttonwillow on the way to LA. We saw the "BBQ" sign and stopped by. The place was DEAD! The waitress was nice, but we noticed a weird "horse manure"...you can definitely smell it in the bathroom. I got a skirt steak that had some kind of teryaki sauce on it, it was entirely too salty. The sodas they give are HUUUUGE. The experience was just okay. I'm not sure if we would come back... read more

The rib-eye steak is overcooked and mushrooms are excessively salty (I can stand more salty food than most people but even I cannot stand salty mushrooms like this). The deep pit salad has the same problem: beef is toooooo salty and I cannot finish it (although I never waste food like this) read more

Willow Ranch - Ribeye and mushroom & deep pit salad - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

Great BBQ sweet and savory flavor. Have been a regular here for years the food and service are top shelf. read more

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We tried Willow Ranch for breakfast a few years back and we were not impressed - but this time we were there in time for lunch and were encouraged by the positive Yelp reviews to give it another try. Glad we did. The BBQ was really good. I had the tri-tip sandwich with onion rings ($10). The meat itself, which looked chopped rather than thinly sliced, was OK, not particularly flavorful on its own. But the BBQ sauce was very good - as long as you like your sauce mild and sweet and sour. It completely redeemed the sandwich. The onion rings were excellent as well. My husband had the baby back ribs, and we were both very impressed. They had the texture of actually grilled/smoked ribs, rather than the parboiled kind, and they had great flavor, specially with the sauce. I'd definitely order them again. My daughters were happy with their entrees (kid mac & cheese for one, California chicken burger for another). Service was fine, and perhaps the only criticism is that it took a while for our food to come to the table, but they were clearly busy. All in all, I look forward to stopping there for more Q in the future. read more

Holy $h&@ this place is amazing! Had a Plow Boy sandwich... (insanely good) BBQ brisket, pastrami & bacon. Ask for their amazing BBQ sauce. 10/10 would go again. Must stop if you are road tripping on the 5 freeway. read more

Willow Ranch - Plow Boy (no cheese) - Barbeque Near Me - Buttonwillow, California

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On our drive home from LA we looked to see if there was a Cattleman's along the way and saw this place with good reviews. Delicious! The rib eye was juicy, tasty and perfectly grilled. Good cole slaw is hard to find and it's great here. Love the crispy fries and polished it off with amazing peach cobbler. Definitely worth the stop! read more

We were excited to stop here on our way out of town, we live about 10 miles away. We have came before and I believe this is a random bad experience or it's going down hill. I had a burger "best burgers" is not the case, cheese wasn't melted and definitely looked like a pre-made patty. Husband had a patty melt, bread was dark yellow at best for the toasting/grilling, onions were like steamed, not grilled and again beef patty was not fresh. And the fries...... this isn't a pub/ brewery/ hip place, beer battered fries have got to go!! Bring back the old school fries back! Hope next stop is better read more

Our new go-to stopover for our road trips from the Bay Area to SoCal. Food is consistently satisfying, the staff unfailingly nice, and prices are fair for whatever you get. Their menu offers a good variety of choices and they hit the spot when you've spent hours and hours on the road. Just look out for signs of food coma setting in when you get back into your car to complete the journey. read more

I stopped here on my way home from LA and had the French dip and it was so good. The service was great and the waiter Steven was so awesome and made sure we always had what we needed. Prices are great and so is the food so it's worth a stop. read more

The food was good and plentiful. The service friendly, and they kept my glass of Diet Pepsi filled, which made me happy. The atmosphere is very much a family cafe truck-stop style, without the the semi's. read more

We stopped here on our way to SoCal. It was a hot day and we had our dog with us. We had a spot out on the road to park our SUV and trailer. Everything was delicious! read more

I would give this place five stars except for it's hard to give a diner/family style restaurant a perfect score. A stop off the highway with authentic bbq is just what the Dr. ordered on July 4th! Brisket is melt in your mouth delish, also tasty homemade bbq sauce and they make their own ranch and blue cheese salad dressings, so additive free! Service was great and the ice tea refreshing. Clean and comfortable with tasty homemade bbq and super friendly staff. What more could you want? read more