Halle P.

Food 8/10 My party ordered the: -Deep Pitt Sandwich -Two Combo Platter (brisket/tri-tip) -Brisket Dinner The Deep Pitt Sandwich came with a small side of baked beans which were solid. Ordered the sauce on the side, but would order sauce on the sandwich next time. Both the Two Combo Platter and Brisket Dinner came with the brisket meat which was extremely tender and delicious. We ordered the sauce on the side which was a good recommendation from our server so we could control the amount of sauce. Meat was good both with and without sauce. The tri-tip was also very tender with a subtle smoky flavor. All the meals came with a soup or salad, but we switched it out for two corn bread muffins which had a nice taste, but were a little dry. They included a little side of butter though. The Brisket Dinner and Deep Pitt Sandwich came with a side option and we chose fries which were nice and crispy. Overall my favorite was the brisket meat! Service 9/10 Service was great. Server came to check in multiple times and was very friendly and helpful with all of our questions and gave excellent recommendations. Ambiance 7/10 Went around 3:30pm on a weekend. Was nice and quiet. A great place for a sit down meal. Aesthetic is Western country diner. Would recommend to a friend!

Evie D.

So I am not exaggerating when I tell you that the trip-tip sandwich is fantastic! The meat is tender and well-seasoned, quite lean but still unctuous. One gets a generous portion and the sandwich was big enough for my husband and I to share with a side of tasty sweet potatoe fries (a bit extra - or you can get plain potato fries for no extra charge). We also got a side of the creamy coleslaw which is ok and even better if you add salt and a dash of malt vinegar (it needs acid imo). I didn't take a photo of the sandwich because so many other yelpers have already done so. But trust me it's worth the stop. Service is super warm and friendly, the place is spotlessly clean, and I am a fan. We liked the sandwich so much we ordered another to go for lunch the next day. I only wish I had room for pie! They offer a wide selection of pies and I've gotta think they are yummy too. Next time.

Lyane P.

The family stopped off at Willow Ranch on our way to San Francisco. We arrived at 4:00 and got seated right away! The server was very friendly and attentive and had good recommendations since it was our first time. We ordered the 2 item Combo with brisket and tri tip (with the bbq sauce on the side), a Brisket Dinner and a Deep Pit Beef Sandwich. The brisket was oh so good! It was so tender and flavorful and melted in my mouth!! The tri tip, which was thinly sliced, was also very tasty. The meal came with fries which were crispy and hot out of the fryer. We also received a cornbread muffin with the meal, which was a bit dry. I did not try the sandwich but others in our group liked. Decor was western and "down home."

Gabby P.

This place was yummy! We visited at around 5PM and it wasn't crowded, and service was quick. We got the brisket dinner, the tri tip and brisket combo plate, and the deep pit beef sandwich. The sides were really good too. Fries were crispy, the chili beans were yummy, and the cornbread was sweet. The serving sizes are pretty small, but I had an enjoyable experience! I would go back again.

Vish E.

Mar 15 2026 - 3.5 stars 4 stars - restaurant cleanliness, decor, nice wooden vibe 4.5 stars - service - friendly, smiling staff, ready to answer any and all questions 3.5 stars - food, chicken sandwich, onion rings and fries were very good The ribs were dry, over cooked ? Not sure but saving grace was the BBQ sauce - if only the ribs were a little moist and juicy ! This is a good spot to stop when driving to or from LA along the I-5 Kid friendly ! We will be back !

Tom B.

In my never ending quest for places to eat along the I-5 corridor between No. Cal and LA I read about this place and thought I'd try it out. It's way back past all the newer fast food joints and gas stations but worth the trek for a true diner experience, and not some chain restaurant. It's not exactly brand new sparkling shiny, yet clean and seemingly well maintained. Staff were very courteous, friendly and efficient. Being 'on the road' I didn't have a lot of time to linger and they did get me in and out in sufficient time. Looking over the menu, which has most of the diner choices on would expect I chose the house special Tri Tip salad, accompanied with water and coffee. It took little time for the salad to arrive and it was well prepared with crispy greens, a variety of veggies and strips of tri-tip. The meat was delicious without any fat, grizzle or toughness. It had 'regular" size salad, quite adequate for lunch. A container of salsa came with it that I found tasteless and watery. It came with a good size container of blue cheese dressing, my selected choice. They also brought a complimentary size container of their specialty BBQ sauce, that was amazing in flavor. The coffee was good. Overall a good experience at good prices, but expect that this is a basic diner with basic food. But, hey, far better than a chain burger place.

Robbie R.

I'll tell you what, this Buttonwillow area by the freeway is super easy to get fuel, coffee and get some food too. Just get off the 5 freeway and you're here, look for the big TA truck stop. This is a good spot to fuel up the gas guzzler suburban too. Willow ranch is supposed to have some good BBQ and other road foods. Every body on my crew said they'd like to stop here for dinner before we push on through Bakersfield and out to Vegas. We get seated easy and look over the menu as our drink orders are taken. I may have to make a Starbucks stop before we hit the road again, good thing I saw on right nearby. We all mostly ordered teh ribs, since that's what this place is famous for, though one person got the pastrami sandwich, I think that's what it was. The food cam out in short order, so the service was good and efficient. The ribs were pretty good, tender and tasty, no complaints. Just that no rib places still serve the real standard cut ribs with the full length still attached, I like the meat lollipop at the end, not St. Louis cut or baby backs. The expense account is paying, so it's all good here! I paid the bill and off we go ... well, I think to the Starbucks for get some coffee for the road first, than it's back on the 5 freeway, cursing at 75 mph!

William S.

Steak was absolutely amazing. We will get back to that. My server was a sweetheart. Very nice and very attentive. She earned every penny of her tip and some. The atmosphere was casual and calm. Very comforting. Now back to the food. The salad, which I forgot to photograph was great. The Jalapeño Poppers were molten lava. If you get them, let them cool a few minutes. I blistered my lip with the cheese AFTER my server warned me. Baked Potato, Beans and Dinner Roll were good. The STEAK, oh my god, the STEAK. One of the best tasting steaks I have ever had the pleasure of eating. Not only was it cooked to perfection, the flavor was sublime. I very highly recommend this place.

Kat E.

Got gas and decided to get bbq from willow ranch. Spacious restaurant with plenty of parking. We walked in and seated immediately. Got suckered into getting a michelada thx to their window advertisement Pic and it was surely delish. We ordered the 3 item bbq combo with tritip brisket and ribs that came with corn bread and a salad. We also got ground round steak smothered in gravy with mushroom and onions. Deeeelicious and our server was super kind. Strongly recommend this spot

Carolyn F.

An evening stop along I-5 at Buttonwillow to refuel, we saw Willow Ranch BBQ. We were glad we decided to stop for a dinner break at 7.30 PM. As other reviewers wrote, the Plowboy sandwich was tasty and filling. The dinner plate of BBQ chicken was perfectly moist with a crispy skin and more delicious with the house-made BBQ sauce. Service by Jeff was on point. The restaurant has a olde time diner feel: warm, friendly & casual.

Jillian G.

Amazing brisket sandwich and Philly cheese steak! Service was quick! You can tell it's a good spot because all of the local workers were here for lunch! Yum!

Miguel R.

On a road trip, my friend Denise and I were looking for a convenience store in roads that were not paved with cement nor were they in the center of a chic boutique and a hits-the-spot every time boba shop. Yes, we were basically on dirt roads that saw a few scattered homes here and there, and visible old school phone towers (the brown kind) connected with wires (where crows sit on a row) existed, and not much else. We drove around in some circles, looking for this fabled store and found nothing, not even a Bigfoot. We noted how the moment felt like we were on an Iowa highway because we saw expansive fields and experienced a Middle-America atmosphere. I wanted a small stalk of wheat in between my teeth. As we drove, we saw this place and decided that this joint would replace the store we were looking for. At this point I started to listen to Carry on My Wayward Son by Kansas. If you know, you know. As soon as I entered I felt like I had stepped into a diner in the middle of nowhere, the type of spot where brothers talked about saving people, hunting things, you know the family business. My friend Denise did not know what I was talking about and when I tried to introduce the world to her with corny prompts she decided not to play along. Still for a fan the experience was nothing but a win!(chester). I cannot remember the person who helped us but she was a server who reported that she had lived in the surrounding area for most of her life. She was deepening the believe that we were on a route diner neglected by city reality. During this visit, I had fried okra for the first time in my life. It was weird to taste but not in a bad way. More like I had never tasted this texture before in my life. The texture that I had not tried before in my life was a gooey vegetable. Like the texture of the outside was exactly as advertised--- fried goodness. The actual okra was the gooey part. I do not want to sound crass, truly, I do not, but it did feel like enjoying something slimy, and I will leave it at that. Again, not wrong, just weird But I will not get it again. The server- the homegrown one- gave us fried pickles and these were much more to taste. Like, I i have had fried pickles before and I loved them but I had some that were not for me. But these, these, were pickle spears fried to brown goodness, and the mixture hit green- which does not mean go, more like Hulk enjoys, instead of smashes. It was a simple dish yes- green spear pickle fried but sometimes the goodness of a county fair is exactly what a roadtrip snack should be. The fair came to my table and I am not mad at that. On this trip I did have the Willow Dip which I feel is a close cousin to a french dip. What this place did well, at least I think, is putting it on an onion baguette. I am not sure if onion baguette is a middle-of-nowhere bread, but, I allowed it because the taste of the bread was, like tailored made for me, I am a sucker for onion, and not just because it gives me sexy breath. The food was standard, solid fare. Everything was just good nothing wrong with it, all good with it. The sauces were tasty, and added smoky sweet flavor that was welcomed. So this elevated the dish by addding a hickory taste. It did not save the dishes, but did make them better. The decorations were texas heavy. I should have taken more pictures. But sometimes the imagination allows for a space to feel more than at it is.

Diane T.

Came here tonight on our way back to the Bay area as promised, and again was greeted warmly by a different hostess. Seated again in the same corner booth we had the first time we came, so already it felt familiar and homey. Tonight, Steven was our server. Super nice, friendly, makes you feel like you've known him for a long time, chatting with him in the first 5 minutes. Love that these servers make you feel so comfortable...is it the Buttonwillow charm? LOL I digress. Tonight we ordered the medium rare Ribeye steak with loaded baked potato, salad, two item combo with tri tip and brisket, mashed potatoes with beef gravy, chicken and dumplings soup, jalapeno poppers, country fried steak, corn bread, fries, salad, and Big Hoss with onion rings. The Ribeye was outstanding! So juicy and tender! Their salads are always so crisp and fresh. The baked potato was great, loaded with all the good stuff! The tri tip was super soft and tender and the brisket was tender but not as much as we thought it would be. A tad dry. The chicken and dumplings soup sadly only had one little piece of chicken but had pretty good flavor. The Big Hoss was not as big and meat filled as the previous sandwiches we had ordered there, but was still really tasty, as we do love some good pastrami. My chicken fried steak lacked the crispiness I was looking for, and it wasn't because it was drenched in gravy (because all CFS are). Although this CFS was drowning, fighting for its life in this gravy. When I cut into it, the batter fell off the steak on the side, in a soggy hot mess. And this was one of the dishes we were REALLY looking forward to... since CFS is one of our favorites, anywhere we go! The fries are always good and crispy, as are the onion rings. The jalapeno poppers were really big and crunchy and pretty good with their ranch. The stars of the night were definitely the Ribeye steak and our server Steven. But it's been decided, we definitely love Willow Ranch. We even left there purchasing a bottle of their house made BBQ sauce, and one of their snap back hats. We shall return for one of their amazing, tender steaks, BBQ, sandwiches, and Buttonwillow charming hospitality!