The food and service were great! The steaks were tender and cooked correctly. Atmosphere was good. read more

Woody's Steak House - Dubai chocolate desert for my birthday! - Steakhouses Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

A very comfortable place for anything from a date night to a business dinner. The dining room has a variety of seating to cover any request. We were seated promptly and had drink orders taken quickly. Two waitstaff were assigned to us but it was worked out. Better an extra server than no server. The food was delivered as ordered and very tasty. The 16oz prime rib was 16oz plus as you can see in the photo. Great food and staff read more

See all

Absolute garbage. Twice I've been there. I got a porterhouse once for me and my lady at the time and also a ribeye the other. The time of the porterhouse which they say "market price" was not a big steak at all and ordered medium rare. Ended up coming out medium well and zero pink in the center. The lady who brought us the steak turned the flashlight on her phon to point at the steak saying it looks medium rare to her. So I continued to ask her where her degree came from on how steaks look like cooked. She then said "well the owner is cooking tonight... are you saying the owner doesn't know how to cook a steak?" My response was "yes, he needs to let someone else do it." Doesn't surprise me when the owner has a history of telling customers they are wrong. I'd never recommend this place. I'd buy a steak from Walmart and cook it myself and be a lot happier. read more

The service was amazing, but the steaks/sides were ok, but not great and not worth the price. We are a maybe on returning.

Outstanding marinated ribeye steak!!! I had this steak 3 weeks ago and am still thinking about it. A must try in Ottawa.

I had the marinated ribeye and my fiancé had the steak medallions. Both were delicious. Came with a salad and baked potato. Had dessert that we shared with coffee. Our waiter Alexander did an excellent job making sure our experience was memorable. The ambiance was what one would expect from a steak house. read more

Horrible!!!! So over priced food is not good. Steak was decent. Advertise on the menu for Steak & Crab for the Steak Neptune dinner. They serve strips of imitation Krab!!! Never will go back read more

This was me and my husband's first time at this restaurant, and were glad we dined here. The ambiance is really nice and the restaurant is really clean. Nice size bar that was fully stocked. Kelly was our waitress, and she was very attentive and friendly. I wanted a virgin pina colada, since I dont drink. We ordered an appetizer which was shrimp cocktail and seafood chow. My husband and I shared both of them. Than we ordered our entree, that we barely ate, due to the appetizer. But, I had well done salmon and a baked potato. My husband ordered a porterhouse medium well steak with a baked potato. The food was seasoned really well, and we both enjoyed our dinner. We ordered a slice of key lime pie, and took it home with our leftovers. The key lime pie didn't make it all the way home. My husband was full, but once he sampled the pie, he ate almost all of it before reaching home. Lol! I'm not a sweets person, but it was delicious. We will definitely be back soon. :-) read more

See all

It has been a min since I stopped to eat here. I am a firm believer that if something doesn't go right the first time then we try again but after doing this I came to realize that this place is NOT it. Let me start with I have worked in the restaurant business for a lot of years, travelled around the country trying and learning all I could do when it comes to food I can definitely tell you I enjoy it more at home than I do out. Why do I eat out? Simple everyone gets lazy and every now and then you want to be treated to food that you didn't cook. Now service here can be a hit or miss and for as many people I have also heard from they will tell you the same. They can be ok, ignorant or just plain rude there is nothing else. The prices DO NOT match the quality of the food and the environment can tell you enough the moment you walk in. Now I am not saying this is a dirty, smelly place but the vibe coming from it has you second guessing yourself if you want to eat here or not. It's hard to write this kind of things when you want to like a place but you just know you can't. Be ware the owners are very unprofessional, ignorant and will go above and beyond to threaten you for a bad review or bad comments. But it is fair for people to know that this place is not the greatest. Two places you should never work if you can't take criticism politics and restaurants people have a lot to say and threatening them, harassing them, (as seen before) chasing them outside on the street is clearly a sign that this business should shut down. Do yourself a favore if you criticize service, food, and/or anything else save yourself the time and don't go here. You will regret it. read more

Food was Amazing. Our waitress checked in on us frequently. Highly recommend if you want delicious food.

My husband and I gave old Woody's a chance last night. Should have been a red flag that there was only 1 other table being served at 7pm on a Friday night. Our waitress was very sweet. The drinks took forever which is confusing because there were literally only 2 customers at the bar and a table with a mom and kid. I ordered the cod Oscar and was extremely disappointed that the crab was imitation. How do you charge $27 and it's fake crab?? A small amount of real crab would have been preferred over mounds of fake. The silverware was cheap and flimsy. Seemed like college apartment quality at best. Not cool for an "upscale" steakhouse. Also my fork was dirty and my husbands glass had lipstick on it. His food was "ok". The carrots were good and the spinach salad was good. As were the twice baked potatoes. Those things, and the sweet waitress earned Woody's the 2 stars that I gave. I think it's time for Woody's to close. Makes me sad but this isn't sustainable. read more

Service is hot or miss depending on the bartender's mood. But the supper club feel is nice when in Ottawa. Martini is a 9 out of 10 read more

Woody's Steak House - Steakhouses Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

This steakhouse is charmingly old fashioned. The decor is so early 1960ish I can almost imagine Sean Connery from the original James Bond movies having a drink here. The side vegetables are also boiled then buttered instead of grilled or roasted as is fashionable these days. I think most steakhouses season and salt their steaks too heavily. It is the exact opposite here with the NY strip I had which was quite bland. It might have worked if it was a more flavorful prime cut but it tasted more like choice cuts sold in grocery stores. Local places are colorful. The huge display of garden gnomes on one wall, which I think is quirky in a steakhouse, may well be attractive to others. read more

See all

We found this place quite by accident while driving home to Byron. Craving steak, we decided to give Woodys a chance and I'm glad we did. Everything from the ambiance to the appetizer was on point. We had the calamari, steak portabella and salads. Everything was so very delicious. Our only "complaint " was there was too much food :) And much thanks to Jackie, our most excellent server. She's a total star. We had a great time talking with her. I hope you know what a gem she is. We will return soon! Jules and Anthony read more

Extremely disappointed. Reserved a table a month in advance for Valentine's Day, arrived a few min early, but said they were ready to seat us. We sat down and received water and butter..... no bread. Waited for about 20 min and no one checked on our table after that. No bread, no drinks, a server did say she would be right back but then disappeared. We were looking around to make eye contact with anyone, but every server looked flustered and was running all over the place. We got up and left and let them know we were leaving because no one checked on us. read more

This place is definitely worth it, made reservations and had to wait a little which was longer than said , reason for 4 stars but we had appetizers French onion soup and a jumbo shrimp cocktail which was very good , we also ordered fettuccine Alfredo and the prime rib dip sandwich both were delicious, definitely will visit again they had a lot of delicious looking food to try and a big wine list for those who enjoy the wine read more

This steakhouse is an institution in the Illinois Valley, but this was my first visit. The ambiance was more casual than I was expecting. The service was good and not rushed. The duck appetizer was delicious, and the calamari was fine, but definitely nothing special. My entrée was steak Neptune. Per the menu, it claimed to be filet medallions topped with crab meat and asparagus, but I was disappointed to get imitation crab. This restaurant has a very high price point and does not actually disclose the price of the steaks on the menu. Given the cost, it should have been real crab. read more

Worst meal I've ever had. My water had a bug in it. A stink bug was crawling on my table. The ribeye looked delicious but whatever they marinate it in is horrible. I believe they marinate it in some sort of steak sauce not A1. They should stick to just salt and pepper. The steak was actually a good cut. My daughter had chicken Alfredo which was the only good thing we had. The mushrooms were so so. Prices were also high. I could've went to a longhorn steakhouse and got a tastier steak, more sides and more drinks for the price. read more

Woody's Steak House - Seafood Stuffed Mushroom Caps - Steakhouses Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

See all

Always loved this restaurant but my husband and I were very disappointed with the bar service on a Saturday night. There should be a designated bar bartender that would be enthusiastic about having customers, and would make your drink in front of you and not in a back room somewhere. This was not the case so we did not stay for dinner and went to another restaurant near by for a much better experience where we felt welcome and the food was amazing. read more

Food was excellent the Service was also excellent. We went for a New Years Eve Day dinner. Very romantic you can hear each other talk. I highly recommend this place. We ordered prime Rib. Too full for desert read more

We go in there and we are told it's a 10 minute wait. Which is fine, incomes another family and they are told the same as well. When it's time to be seated they sat then first like we wernt there? The bar tender seemed rude, the decor and atmosphere was absolutely bizarre. I had a feeling during that 10 minute wait like.. mmm maybe I should go elsewhere? But decided to try it. We waited a while for drinks and to be greeted by our server. She was nice, but she was flustered and honestly not sure why there was not many people there for a Saturday night like maybe she had 2 other tables other than us. Which, this is like another red flag. We ordered two steaks, mine actually came out okay but my husbands was well done when he asked for medium rare. It also had a fishy taste like it was cooked next to some fish. So we just got the two steak meals, I got a soda, he got 1 beer, only because they never brought him another one after he had asked. It was 147$.... Like... for WHAT? I don't mind spending that on a good dinner but it was absolutely not worth that amount. I can go to a Brazilian steak house for that price which I will just do next time! Just stay away from this place, bad vibes. Not worth the money. read more

Recommended by a friend who swore by the steaks here so we figured wed give it a shot. Smelled amazing from the outside. Hostess was nice and sat us right away. Our server was very nice and mostly attentive. Cosmo was excellent. Thats were any positive stops. My 38$ filet was overcooked and had ZERO seasoning (salt and pepper would have been great) the cheap veggie was carrots so drenched in sugar I couldn't eat them. Wild rice was from a box and the sauteed onions were an afterthought. The gallons of butter from my onions and carrots, along with all that sugar soaked into the bottom of my steak and I just couldn't finish it. My husband had spagetti with a giant dried out meatball that tasted like it was made out of breakfast sausage. And spagetti shouldn't be served with angel hair pasta...it should be spagetti? The bread was yesterday's store leftovers and the decor was from my great grammas lake house. Indoor/outdoor carpeting isn't ideal for a steakhouse. The bathroom was a death trap and the bars booths were held together with duct tape. Save yourself the $$$$$. read more

See all

We came on a Saturday evening, with a reservation. We were seated right away, but waited 5-10 minutes before someone came over to take our drink order. We put in an appetizer. It was about 30 minutes before our drinks came out and an hour before our salads were brought out. Dinner took nearly another hour. The restaurant didn't appear overly busy. I watched as the waitstaff attended to other tables, and food was coming out of the kitchen regularly. The food was equally disappointing. I ordered salmon. The presentation was good, but the salmon was quite fishy. My wife ordered the lobster tail. As many reviewers have also stated, it was over cooked and rubbery. Everyone else at our table was disappointed, except my father-in-law who ordered the fried chicken. We chose not to get dessert because of how disappointing dinner was. We opted to go to Tone's Cones. We waited about an hour for ice cream, but it was actually worth waiting for. Bottom line... Slow service and disappointing food. read more

I waffled between giving Woody's Steakhouse two or three stars. Only because the appetizers were really good (although very pricey). We had the blackened duck and seafood stuffed mushrooms for appetizers. Our main course was a different story...equally overpriced, but rather disappointing. Ordered our steaks medium rare, but they were painfully almost well done. Waitress told us it was because the marinade they used discolored the meat. Apparently it over-dried it as well! Overall a mediocre dining experience. read more

If there was zero stars I'd give this place zero stars. $187 for 2 of us that would've been a better meal at Outback Steakhouse for $40. In fact it would've been a better dinner at Chuckie Cheese because at least there we know when we eat the crappy pizza there we will have diarrhea. And yes we both had diarrhea an hour after eating at this overpriced hot dog shack. We were here in June 2023, and I highly definitely for surely super duper absolutely recommend you to go to McDonald's over this poop hole. On top of that the decorations were that of a church stain glass window museum, a front yard garden gnome warehouse, Christmas lighted, strangely oddly lighted atmosphere that has no true description. The steak was way over salted with very little flavor. Run for the hills and go to McDonalds rather than this poophole. Terrible. read more

Woody's Steak House - Garden gnome - Steakhouses Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

See all

My wife and I were in town for a belated 25th anniversary weekend getaway after driving our daughter back to college in downstate IL. Despite seeing some of the Yelp reviews myself I suggested we continue with our plan of going to Woody's, since the hotel clerk recommended it; I didn't tell my wife about some of the 1 Star reviews. The ambiance was on the dark side, but that's how we like it. The building was not eye catching except for the neon lights on the sign, so it helped to look at the street view map ahead of time. We started with the blackened duck breast for an appetizer, and my wife and I loved it; the meat was tender and it tasted delicious. We both tried the spinach salad, and I enjoyed the dressing so much that after the spinach was gone I used the extra dressing to soak the bread with. My wife ordered the Roughy, and her reaction was that it was tender and tasted delicious. We share our meals, so I would agree with her opinion. The carrots, as someone else posted, had a little sweetness to them because they're probably caramelized, but we also liked it. Regarding the steak, I usually order well done at restaurants because I never know if they'll cook it how I prefer - medium to medium well. Nevertheless I did order it medium based on some of the reviews I've seen about overcooked steak; I was curious to know how it would turn out. I did find the note on their menu that they're not responsible for overcooked steak interesting. Nevertheless, my steak was cooked as preferred, but I did have to use the flash on my camera to see it visually and get the photo; again the room lighting was on the darker side. The crab meat did look like the type you'd buy at the store, but I cared more about the steak, wild rice, and asparagus (which I really like). The steak itself was tender, juicy, and tasted delicious; and my wife agreed. We ended our dinner with a turtle cheesecake that was a nice ending to our meal. Our server, Kelly I believe was her name, was pleasant and helpful. After the meal I showed my wife a couple of the Yelp reviews, and she was surprised. She actually prefers Woody's over an even more expensive steak house chain in the Chicago area. Overall the dinner did NOT disappoint. Everyone has their tastes and preferences I guess, and this is just what my wife and I think of Woody's. read more

See all

This is an awesome place for dinner, a little hard to find on the gps but well e worth it! Fabulous food, steaks, shrimp pasta & chicken Oscar & Big portions! Would recommend it highly ! Wonderful waitress Kelley friendly & very efficient ! read more

While the food was ok, the owner was rude. My wife ordered her steak medium and it was overdone. Believe it or not, the owner told the waitress to tell her to COME IN THE KITCHEN AND LOOK AT IT UNDER THE LIGHT!!! Even if you thought that, why would you say that? To make matters worse, if you were the owner wouldn't you come out and ask or apologize or something??? The prices were "market price" and way too high. Sadly this used to be a good place, please don't waste your time or money here any more!!! read more

An Ottawa classic restaurant is a local favorite. We took our family here for holiday celebration. We were seated promptly per our reservation, and service was very good. We had a mix of meals .... Stuffed mushroom and potato skins appetizers ... and had filet mignon, ribeye, duck, chicken strips, salmon and fried cod for meals. Everyone was pleased. Of concern.... 1) the twice baked potato was $5 extra and was precooked/recooked/over cooked/dry and don't recommend regardless of price, 2) their chicken piccata more of a chicken/cheese with capers on side with fettuccini Alfredo... this isn't the classic dish... it tasted fine, but if you want classic chicken piccata , this isn't your dish . 3) they charge 3.5% extra for payment with credit card. read more

Great service and food! My husband had Alfredo. Has enough left over for 2 more meals. I had the shrimp Al Eloa special. Large shrimp with asparagus and cauliflower. Excellent! Got some vacation tips too. read more

Worst service EVER !! Can't say how the food actually is since after 35 mins we never got waited on !! Three other tables that came in after us got seated and at least got their orders taken and drinks. Never had anyone even bring us water. We won't be back read more

Me and a friend of mine had a really great experience. Service was great and the price/value of the food is relatively unmatched. The steak was cooked perfectly, even impressive to me with the thickness of the strip. Really loved that the steaks came with two sides and a salad. Really adds to the value and definitely made it worth it. read more

Woody's Steak House - New York Strip - Steakhouses Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

See all

Ew, Ew, Ew. Do I have to give this place a star? T-bone steak was $30, paper thin, and over cooked. Waitress was rude, lettuce was BROWN, and when she returned to the table with new salads, she snidely told us it came from a fresh BAG! The ick factor is off the scale in this place. The decor is from the years of President Ford and Carter. They present this place as fine dinning but the chairs and tables are nastier then Denny's. The paneling smells like a basement and the Atmosphere is a bit creepy with such dim lights and chency green LEDs for St Patty's. When you see the Steak House neon sign, go past it. read more

Woody's Steak House - The Beatle Juice Chairs - Steakhouses Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

See all

The food was fantastic! The bill was a bit startling so save for a special event.

Woody's offers decent tasting, large meals at a premium price point. The interior could use a refresh. I understand they're going for a vintage feel, but duct tape on the vinyl booths and run-down single-serving bathrooms lack the luxury feel you're paying for in a $25 plate. The service also lacks the attention you'd expect in a higher end dining room. You shouldn't have to continually wait for drink refills when they're charging $6-8 dollars for a mid-shelf cocktail. I'd rate it 2.5 stars. 3 stars for the food and 2 stars for everything else. Tip: I'd go back, but stick with a couple drinks and appetizers at the bar and skip the over-prices dinners. read more

Woody's Steak House - Steakhouses Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

Sorry to say that Woody's does not live up to the standard that you would expect from an upscale steakhouse, and at the prices they are charging, that's exactly what they are representing themselves as. I'll spare the boring details, but 3 out of our 4 appetizers fell short, and my girlfriends chicken picatta was nearly inedible. My son and I had the Ribeye, which were good, but all the sides were cold. We ended up leaving more food on the table than we walked out with and for $200+ dinner, that's unacceptable. Our server was very nice but her service was subpar. Not very attentive to what was going on at our table and the wait was crazy long. I had high hopes for this place but they could comp my next meal and I wouldnt go back. read more

Food was very good. Service was very good. Calming decor. The only complaint was the bill. It wasn't itemized. The only thing it showed was our total. No tax. No food listed. Just the final number. We have to wonder what they were trying to hide. Next time, and we will go again because the food and service were excellent, we'll ask to see our itemized bill. read more

First off we are not food snobs. We like to eat out and try new places. This place was frustrating. The appetizers were mediocre at best. The escargot was literally floating in butter, the rumaki was not fresh and had no flavor. We ordered a prime rib that was good. The ribeye was over cooked. When we mentioned it to the server she sent over the lead server who basically told us we were wrong. Showing a picture of it from her cell phone. She told us that the lighting was low so that was why we made the mistake. The lighting wasnt low. We were literally under a light. She made us feel like we knew nothing about steaks. It was also ordered black and blue, and the blue was nowhere to be found. The server was great but the service was slow. Be prepared to over pay a mediocre food. Ottowa has far better places to eat. read more

Wanted to splurge for my birthday. Ordered the RibEye with twice baked potato. The stake looked good on the plate and that is where most of it stayed. None of the expected RibEye flavor in fact the cut of meat didn't really look like other RibEye stakes I'm familiar with. For $50 I expected something special. What I got was disappointing at any price. Same with their "premium" twice baked potato. It's mashed potato in a potato skin shell. Again, it looked fancy but a genuine baked potato would have been better. Lastly the establishment refused to offer any consolation or discount. 2/3 of this meal was left uneaten. Service was fine and she did present my disappointment to the cook. read more

We recently had a funeral luncheon at Woody's. The owner and his staff did a fabulous job accommodating 58 guests at one seating. The 3 entree choices: ribeye, chicken picatta, and broiled or fried cod were well received by those attending. We received many, many compliments on the entrees, bar service, and table service provided. This is the second special event (rehearsal dinner) we have had at Woody's in addition to dining here on a regular basis. A great big thank you to Kevin and his staff. We will back! Debbie and family. read more