Willow Ranch

My husband and I decided to stop over at Willow Ranch for late lunch and early dinner. We ordered 1/2 Rack Pork Baby Ribs 1/4 BBQ Chicken We waited quite a while to get our food. First, we were served salad, which we shared while waiting. Then, they served the Pork ribs, and I realized that the server had forgotten or made a mistake ordering something else for the chicken. It took more time to wait. When it was being served, I ordered fries along with it, but I guessed the server overheard rice instead. We thought it was too salty for our palette, and the flavor was so overpowering that we could barely taste the meat. Unfortunately, the chicken wasn't cooked properly due to the rush to serve. We appreciate the server and how apologetic she was after the mistakes were made. Overall, we are okay with the food. And happy we experienced the food they offer.

We had an amazing experience here! The food was delicious and really hit the spot. Jovita had the Plow Boy Sandwich and I had the Tri-Tip Sandwich. Their barbecue sauce is so good! For our beverages I had Strawberry Lemonade and Jovita had Ice Water. The service here is really good and we definitely will come back again.

I stopped by Willow Ranch to grab lunch on my road trip. I had the brisket sandwich with garlic fries. The food was pretty good and the restaurant had good customer service. I'll definitely stop by again since I make frequent trips on I-5 from NorCal to SoCal.

positive experience with a variety of dishes. The BBQ hot fresh food, including the tri-tip sandwich, was moist and flavorful. Both the Bacon Cheeseburger and WR Burger impressed with their 1/2-inch patties. The Fish and Chips were served hot with a perfect crunch, while the French fries were crunchy, hot, and delicious. The restaurant was a bit hard to find, tucked behind a gas station. The sign faces the street rather than the off-ramp, making it a bit tricky to spot. Stop in have some good food with great varity that sure to appel multiple family members. It's a cozy, tucked-away restaurant that's great for both solo dining and large parties, with a family-friendly atmosphere.

Staff and service was excellent. I got the half chicken which was okay. My wife got a French dip which was amazing. The rest of our group got pulled pork and burgers. Everyone loved their food. Most of all the staff was super friendly and on top of things. Would stop there again.

The Brisket was worth coming back for. Absolutely delicious, full of flavor, juices and so tender you can cut it with your fork. The service was great as well super friendly waiter and I didn’t have wait long at all to order or for the food or bill which was much appreciated. As Arnold says, I’ll be back! 5 stars for sure.

We have driven the 5 for years, how did we miss this. Great food and quick clean stop on our trip. The sandwich was great, served with an excellent sauce. I tried the salad with shredded meat, good alternative to a sandwich. We will look forward to stopping here again.

Good BBQ. Other food are also tasty.

The service was perfect they didn't hesitate to serve us. The food came out less than 15 minutes

Absolutely delicious! I had the Plowboy Sandwich and it blew me away. They prepared it exactly the way I would've done it myself--stacked with crispy onion rings and perfectly roasted sliced Serrano peppers. The balance of flavors was spot on, with just the right kick. The staff was incredibly welcoming, and a special shoutout to Steven for making the experience even better. Great food, great service--I'll definitely be back. Highly recommend!

This is one of the best diners I have stumbled upon in California. Service was friendly but not overly so. The food was solid. Our Arnold Palmers were excellent and the food was good and hot. The french fries were not soggy, which is a pet peeve. My tri tip sandwich was great The pies were awesome. So much so that someone came strictly to eat the pistachio cream pie. I had the lemon meringue pie. The decor was perfect. Lots of stuff about Buttonwillow and the area including a pretty rare picture of the opening of I-5 near Buttonwillow. Like any good diner the memorabilia is always fun. I encourage to try this place. There are a lot of chain restaurants in Buttonwillow. This is your chance to support a local one.

If you like that country style, feel-good comfort food then this is your stop! They catered my wedding in 2021. Great people to work with! Food is amazing! Gotta love that deep pit! Country dining with that old fashioned look about the restaurant just makes you feel at home. The times I've been in there, it's not too loud or anything and staff is always friendly.

I don't know how I feel. These are fully LA prices and its not even Bakersfield. I got the cheapest app that tasted good and it amounted to 5.50 per chicken finger. They're good but not that good. I dont like feeling like I am tasting my money. Low key with small town vibes since this is basically a truck stop. Just surprising. Nothing else looked too great, apps like mozzarella sticks and salads that are just not meant to be served at a restaurant like this, only show up on the menu for technical purposes. Oh well. Support the one small business in town I guess.

Been hearing about this place from friend. I finally made it today and I love it. Came on a Sunday night 1 hr before closing. It's quiet here but the restaurant could still serve us everything we ordered. I tried the chicken dumpling soup. It was yum. Cherry pie a la mode. The crust of course is the best part. My plow boy sandwich was super good. Bread was soft inside crunch outside. I would definitely order the same thing next time. Onion ring and fries were good. Great stop.

Quick Summary: 1. Food was great. I had the sliders and garlic fries with a side of ranch and BBQ sauce. The BBQ sauce was delicious and the ranch was perfect. 2. The staff were so friendly and welcoming! 3. The place was clean and had photos along the wall that shared some of their history. The cow statue in front as you walk in is a fun touch. We were driving from SF to LA and an article by LA Times popped up about 19 places to eat on a roadtrip in California. Willow Ranch made the list. We decided to order for pickup (15 min before arrival). When we arrived the food was hot and ready to go. Good vibes, good BBQ, and a big, easy parking lot.

Stopped here on a road trip and we're happy to have found a sit-down restaurant. You can tell a lot of locals come here and it feels very homey. All of the food that we ordered tasted surprisingly good. I ordered the salmon with a side of rice and vegetable soup, and everything had great flavor and was cooked perfectly. Nothing too dry. I was skeptical but ultimately pleasantly surprised with all of the food. Prices are also fair considering the portion size and hospitality. This is a great stop if you are passing buy a want a good meal to keep you fueled up.

Consistently our go-to lunch spot traveling from the Bay Area to So Cal. Love the tri-tip salad as a healthy option.

Very nice discovery not far off the freeway. Had a lovely dinner of Chicken Club sandwich and a baked potato. The fried pickles were perfectly cooked and seasoned. The wait staff were helpful and didn't rush me. I took time to enjoy the meal while reading a book. The outside is simple and behind another building. But please check this place out! The decor is old school feel with a nice welcoming vibe.

For a restaurant located on the side of the interstate, we were not expecting our meal to be as good as it was. Before we got here, I had expected this to be more of a traditional BBQ joint but it's a full service restaurant with some BBQ options on the menu. We were seated right away when we arrived and our kids given some kids menus. The kids got a couple of cheeseburger sliders with fries to share. Usually they can be quite picky but they scarfed down the food. The burger itself was juicy and the fries were hot and perfectly fried and not greasy at all. For my main, I got the tri-tip salad. The serving size was smaller than I was expecting, given the price tag of more than $16 for a regular portion, but I guess you're really paying for the meat itself. The beef was perfectly cooked, tender, and juicy and paired well with the lightness of the salad. I decided to get the honey mustard dressing, of which the sweet and tanginess paired really well with the flavors of the steak. My husband got the Plow Boy sandwich which came packed full of tender, juicy, smoky brisket. You get a side of their house made bbq sauce on the side which is amazing drizzled on top of the sandwich. Overall, this meal was a hit for all of us.

Always my go to spot on the highway between the bay area and L.A.....they have a full variety of food if you don't care for bbq but the bbq is bomb

A total gem in a random I5 stop with BBQ sandwiches, plates, and burgers. The Willow Dip ($16.99) was divine - succulent thin sliced tri dip and melty cheese on a soft, flavorful baguette. The blue cheese spread and au jus for dipping were the cherry on top. The potato salad on the side was also creamy and amazing. BF really enjoyed his Shredded BBQ chicken sandwich ($16.50) too. They don't skimp on the sandwich fillings! The interior is super cozy and clean (small town Texas vibes) ans the staff is super nice :)

One of my favorite parts about a road trip, is to try out diners along the way. This diner was absolutely wonderful! Service was great, food was delicious, and ambiance was everything you'd expect from a road trip style diner. I called about 30 minutes before we got there to ask if we can order lunch sandwiches at 10 am, or just breakfast food. I was told we could order anything except soup. Score! My husband and I shared the turkey melt and the chicken club. Both were excellent choices. We added ortega chile to the turkey melt, and it was a generous portion. We also shared the potato salad and cole slaw, which were top notch. I had a glass of wine zinfandel, and it was also a generous portion. The parking was easy and bathrooms were clean. I'd definitely be back again when traveling through this area.

We came here for a late lunch after a long drive. I ordered the daily special of fajitas, it came with rice and beans. Lucky for me my food was pretty darn good. Unfortunately not for everyone else. Perhaps they need to find a better chef that can be consistent with the food. The place is nicely decorated and our server was attentive and friendly.

We stopped in for lunch at Willow Ranch BBQ. The parking lot was almost full, which is always a good sign. The first thing I noticed upon entering the restaurant was that this place smelled like Fabuloso rather than BBQ. I thought it was strange, but I do appreciate a clean place, so there's that. And it was clean. We were seated almost immediately by a welcoming and friendly hostess. Another staff member took our drink order very swiftly. Points for those things! We ordered sandwiches for lunch. Hubs ordered a tri tip and Cole slaw. He said his sandwich was very good and what he calls "basic", which to him meant good. He said he would be willing to return and eat again. I ordered a brisket sandwich and fries. My sandwich had 4 slices of brisket on it. And they were all very fatty. I know this is a preference for some and I didn't specify lean. If you like fatty brisket, this could be your place! Our server checked in several times to make sure we had everything we needed. And when we were finished, she offered us a soda to go. We thought this was a generous and kind touch! We were seated

If there was 10 stars this place for sure have it from me. Steven you are not only a great waiter , but absolutely a great human being. Love the style of your serving. Service in this place is outstanding. Atmosphere is chabby chic. Very joyful and authentic in some sort. Steaks were well maintained and fresh. Ingredients were all organic and steaks surly were the best. Highly Recommended

Stopped by for lunch. Was just in the area and saw this place. Walking in seems like an old diner. You're greeted by friendly staff. We got the chicken fried steak and eggs, the plow boy and French toast. Everything was so delicious. My family shared each others food to try a bite of everything. Gotta say my favorite was actually the plow boy. The bbq sauce was soo good I almost wanted to buy a bottle. All in all a great place to eat. If I'm ever in the area I'd definitely be back!

My husband and I stopped here on our way to Cambria with our dog. We were greeted & sat quickly. They have a great selection of food. Emily N was our server and she was fantastic. Very attentive, sweet, quick to get our order & always kept our waters full. The reason I gave 4 stars is because our food wasn't that great. I got the nachos with chicken & the chicken was a tad dry and the nachos came out cold. They were still tasty. My husband ordered the pastrami sandwich with garlic fries and he said it was underwhelming but tasted ok. Overall a cute, roadside stop to checkout. We definitely want to try their breakfast, next time! :)

Ordered the salmon. Friends ordered BBQ and the half chicken. Came out quickly. Flavor and the way it was cooked was perfect. Ice tea actually go refilled and waitress was wonderful

Stopped here for a late lunch and it was just lovely! I loved the ranch/diner vibes of the restaurant and how everything just seemed laidback. Maybe because it wasn't rush hour or anything. Our server was super nice and helpful with any questions we may have. I ordered the Plow Boy sandwich while my parents ordered the combo platter, with Tri-tip, Chicken, and Brisket. My sandwich tasted DELICIOUS. I loved the meats in it as well as the onion and jalapenos. The right amount of spiciness !! I'm not a big BQQ/BQQ sauce person so i didnt try my parenrs food but they said they enjoyed it very much!

Stopped by on a long trip. Got a big surprise the place was very clean and the food was very fresh and delicious. I needed to write this review for people on a long journey unsure of places this far from home. COME AND EAT HERE!! You wont regret it. I loved it! The services was nice and friendly, food was delicious, and most importantly the whole place was really clean.

Another great experience here , the food was sooooo good !!!! I ordered the turkey melt and added Ortega peppers and tomatoes , my husband ordered the same . It had so much flavor oh and they now have garlic fries and holy moly are they delicious!! Amber was our incredible server , she was fast and so nice !!

Was on a road trip looking for a place to eat. Found a gem with great food. I got the Plow Boy sandwich which is the best BBQ Sandwich I've ever had. Better BBQ sandwich than what you get in Texas. This sandwich would win contests. For the price you get lots of delicious meats. Everything was well balanced and not too salty. The fries were delicious as well. Crispy with every bite till the end. The service was nice and welcoming. The restaurant is well cleaned as well with the diner vibe. I'd definitely will mark this place as a stopping point for road trips.

Would give 3.5 if it was possible but going with a 4 since this spot is unique to any of those who have made the drive between LA and SF before. We decided to ditch our usual in and out routine and try something different. The reviews seemed like it would be good We got the plow boy and the deep pit beef. I was impressed with how good the plow boy was. The deep pit was good but needed some kind of sauce or hot peppers to make it less dry. Overall, it was a welcome change and suggest it if you want to try something different on your long drive.

Very clean with wonderful staff. It's a plus 3 for sure. I had the bbq chicken plate. It was good. The salad was fresh and the blue cheese dressing was great. My dinner came with mashed potatoes and I chose brown gravy. Very tasty. The chili beans were good too. The chicken had a nice bbq sauce and was tasty but it was dry. Not sure it wasn't just heated up. My husband and grandson both got the shredded bbq chicken sandwich and that's why the 3. The sandwich was served on a fresh French roll mounded with dry almost ground looking chicken. The bbq sauce was served on the side in a little paper condiment cup. That's right the chicken was not mixed with bbq sauce before serving. The huge amount of chicken couldn't be moistened with that small Amount of sauce even if you tried. A bbq chicken sandwich needs to be served with bbq sauce mixed in with it before it's put on the roll. I've never seen anything like this. I know the girls would have brought more sauce but it was very messy as it was with trying to mix the small amount of sauce with the chicken. I would go again. It ask for them to prepare it differently

The food was excellent. The service was fantastic. We didn't even know this place was in Buttonwillow. Will remember this place the next time we come through. Open for all meals.... Even had a bar!

Excellent! Taking the drive up north on 5 we stopped for dinner. We were glad we did! We ordered tri-tip sandwich and the chicken fried steak. Both were very good and their bbq sauce was some of the best bbq sauce I've had. Staff was friendly and place had a nice small town vibe. This will be a must stop if we are hungry and passing by. Highly recommend giving it a try.

Signs call this a bbq joint, and there is brisket and baby back ribs, and there's also a section of really big steak dinners (really big as in both the steaks and the amount of accompaniment they come with), but it was lunchtime so I ignored that. The vibe here is more coffee shop than bbq, with typical good coffee shop service. I turned to the sandwich section, and found what they call the Plow Boy. It's a soft French roll with a big pile of shaved brisket, pastrami, and bacon, mixed in with bits of onion rings and jalapenos (which give it what spiciness it's got), and some melted pepper jack cheese. It was less exciting or exotic than that sounds, but it was pretty good and I'm not unhappy I came here. And the French fries that came with were about the most outstandingly crispy fries I've ever had. And the house-brand ketchup to have with them was really tasty.

Nope. I really wanted to love this place: the reviews seem solid and we met a couple in the parking lot that have eaten here 100's of times as a pit stop. However, as soon as we walked in, all I could smell was bathroom air freshener. It's a BBQ restaurant, I expected mesquite and meat smells. The odor was pungent and ruined my appetite immediately. We sat at a clean booth with comfortable seats. But, then all I could see was the dirty window, some extremely filthy blinds and a nasty black spider crawling up the window pane inches from me. I moved to sit elsewhere and tried to ignore the spider, dirt and smell. I really couldn't eat much.

Came here on the way back to LA from NorCal. I didn't want fast food, this looked a bit better, I wasn't expecting too much. I was completely wrong. The service was fantastic, everyone we encountered was friendly, prompt, and attentive to drinks and condiments. The bathrooms were very clean and properly stocked. We ordered a brisket sandwich, and an another multi meat bbq sandwich with jalapeños, this was fantastic. (Can't recall the name). It was their best seller though. Their house BBQ sauce was tangy and bright. Onion rings w/ranch were great as well. I'll be making my way back here whenever I'm on the 5fwy. It's much better than any stops at Bravoland that's about an hour north.

Stopped by here on the i5 as we were driving back to the Bay Area from LA. Decent food spot, they have outdoor seating if you have pets and you're able to park right next to the porch. Although it wasn't absolutely amazing, it was a pretty good experience for its location and what it offered. Our server was extremely communicative and pleasant to deal with, giving us suggestions and constant updates on whats happening in the process of bringing our order out. I don't think I will be back next time due to other nearby restaurants in the area, but it was worth a try and I was pretty satisfied!

What a cute little gem spot tucked away off the 5. If your in the area and craving some good food, don't hesitate to stop by here. I came by for breakfast on a Friday late morning and I was very please with my visit. Breakfast is served all day here and that made me happy because I was eyeballing the ham steak on their menu. Ordered that bad boy and I couldn't get over how TASTY it was. It was grilled on the steak so it had this smokey /charred flavor yet just the perfect touch of sweet. A MUST if your a ham fan. The rest of the folks I stopped by with also loved their meals and no one had complaints. Service was good and prices weren't bad so just know I will be coming back when passing through. Make sure you stop on by for a good meal. Their lunch/ dinner menu also looked very good so make sure to check them out. You won't regret coming on by that's forsure.

First time here. Will definitely be back. I had the Tri-tip sandwich and my husband had the ribeye. My sandwich was good, but I wasn't crazy about the ribeye (the taste was too smokey) but my husband loved it. Prices were very reasonable. Place had a diner feel to it.

We stopped in the willow ranch on the way back from knotts berry farm. The food was good, the service was ok. She was very nice but she only checked on us once. The place itself was nice and clean and totally gave county road cafe. Definitely going to give it another go next time we are in the area.

Excellent food, got the ribs. Portions are large! Could not finish, so it was two meals for one! Second time for dinner, will be back.

Excellent BBQ!! We always stop here to eat along the way north or south. But when we are thinking about great BBQ, we get a little tempted to make the 4h drive to eat some of this restaurant's food. Huge glasses of really clean ice water. Really great service too. Lots of sincere smiles to make the experience even better. Clean and supplied bathrooms as well.

Loved this place! We've driven by a million times each time saying "we've gotta try it next time" and finally got the chance to. The staff is awesome and the food is good. I got a rack of ribs that were finger licking good. Surprisingly the clam chowder is good too for a restaurant that does bbq. There is plenty of seating and looks like the have a cool bar area that I would totally take advantage of if I was a local. We'll definitely be stopping in again.

Mariela was sweet and warm when greeting me. She got my ice tea and salad out immediately. I also tried their IPA beer it was refreshing. The Ribeye was delicious and cooked perfectly medium rare! The chili beans were my favorite and will definitely stop on my way to Sonoma again!

I found Willow Ranch on yelp. It's off the main exit and tucked back, so we would have never found it on our own. We do the drive from Nor Cal to So Cal fairly often. So it's nice to find something new (to us.) It is a legit diner with yummy bbq. Plus the service was great. Everyone was super friendly! I had the half portion of the tri-tip salad and it was plenty of food for me. They also have a full bar, so I randomly paired it with a mimosa. My kids were bummed that they didn't have Sprite. They had Mac and cheese with fries and a water. My husband had fish and chips. We will be back!

My family of 5 stopped by on our way home to the SF Bay Area. Plenty of seating at about 415-430pm on Monday, Memorial Day. Bathrooms were clean. Food came out pretty quick. Willow Cheeseburger: My 10 year old boy got this with an extra patty, lettuce, and cheese. He finished the entire burger. He says it was good. It looked juicy. Deep Pit Beef: Shredded beef sandwich that came with the sauce on the side, which I appreciated because I'm not a sauce person. The sandwich without the sauce was seasoned well, but it did need that sauce so I put some on and that made the difference. The sauce is sweet and flavorful. Plow Boy: my husband had this. He says that it was a bit salty, probably due to the bacon, but otherwise it was good. Could have used more jalapeños. Fish n Chips: 15 year old daughter ordered this and it came with a choice of soup or salad, got the minestrone. The soup was delicious, she prefers smaller pieces of the vegetables, but it's not a deal breaker. Ate it all. Pretty standard fish n chips. Seasoned well, not too oily, crispy, filling. Kids Pork BBQ ribs: 8 year old daughter ordered this. Sauce came on the side of the three ribs. She ate one rib, liked it. Took the rest home. Fries came with each meal and they were crispy and well seasoned. The male server (Steven?) was very nice, helpful, attentive, just a great employee. Would definitely recommend and stop by again. The pie selection looked tasty, but we were all very full.

The food was great service was fast bathroom clean. But the best part of the Willows was Steven our servicer He was friendly outgoing and very helpful in making decisions about what to eat good choices dessert was so yummy he helped picked that out too. Thank you

We always like to stop at Willow Ranch when we pass through Button Willow. A very cute cafe with friendly staff. An obvious favorite with the locals. Excellent breakfast food. Great pie too!

10 stars each for both of our waitress's tonight! They were very enjoyable tonight. Our dining experience was 10/10 , me and my wife came in tonight and enjoyed our dinner. Our waitress took our drink order and quickly returned with them. Then she began taking our order for food. My wife ordered the pulled pork sandwich with fries. Very well put together and laid out on her plate. Looked really good. Ketchup and bbq sauce brought with it. I ordered the bbq burger with cheese made it a double. This also was well put together and looked really . The taste of both of our meals was perfect! we are so glad we stopped in tonight. Upon finishing our meals we were asked if we wanted dessert, we declined but we did get Togo cups!! 10/10 experience

We went for breakfast and they are a bbq restaurant. I am sure their bbq is really good! Quick service. It's a large restaurant!

We were driving from San Francisco to Los Angeles and ready for a lunch stop when we found this restaurant at the Buttonwillow stop on I 5. Friendly service and tasty food. I had the brisket sandwich that came with a generous serving of potato salad and a side of BBQ sauce. My guest had the willow burger with the same salad. We could not figure out the unique flavor in the salad but enjoyed it all the same. The burger was cooked perfectly and the condiments were just right. Yes, we'll return on our next trip south!

Expensive, chintzy portions, poor quality. I spent $32.00 on a 3 item combo plate. The brisket had more fat than meat, the hot link was a thin hot dog The portion size of the beans was ridiculous, 2 Tsp in a to go cup, mashed potato was barely a spoon sized serving. The peach cobbler was all dough, only 1 peach. & $8.00 with ice cream. I feel ripped off and cheated. I won't be going back. For the Expensive prices they charge I expected much more

Stopped by for a late lunch on our way home from a quick weekend trip to Southern California. While there are lots of fast food options in the area, we decided we wanted a bit more of a break from the car. With that said, they are still a fairly quick option as far as sit down options go. They are also tucked behind a couple gas stations, so convenient if your car also needs fueling on your journey. First up, they offer very friendly service, which I remembered from the last time we were here quite a few years ago. We were greeted promptly and told to sit wherever we liked. We chose one of the many booths. I got the Big Hoss sandwich--thinly sliced pastrami with mustard, pickles and peppers. My honey got the French Dip. Both sandwiches are filled with ample amounts of delicious, tender, flavorful meat. Side options include fries, cole slaw, potato salad or pay a little extra for soup, salad, garlic fries, or onion rings. My honey got fries and I got cole slaw. The cole slaw was nice--not drowning in mayo--and helped cut some of the (expected) saltiness of my sandwich. Those little peppers are quite spicy so I ate them sparingly with my sandwich. The receipt offers a QR code as an option for scanning and paying from your phone, so we were back on the road in almost no time. *thumb up*

Awwee Sugar, Honey, Iced, Tea!! Yes sir! This place was great! I was passing through and stopped to get something to eat. I was tired of the usual stuff... subway, MCd's, etc.. I got me a tri tip sandwich annnnnnddd yep! It was on point. Definitely worth the $ and surprisingly not to expensive. The cashier was super chill. As I sat and waited for my food. It gives off a real "at home" vibe. You can for sure bring the kiddos if you have any. I definitely would recommend stopping by. I should've taken a pic but sorry folks it's all gone