Wool Growers Restaurant

Oldie but goodie. Took my mother here as she hadn’t been in years! Great service from a lovely waitress that’s been there for 30 years. New cooks, but still a great tradition! You will not laVe hungry! Dinner is $ 22.00

When with my husband food was terrible new York steaks looked like the we’re boiled no char marks found out they had new owners so sad it used to be a great place

PLEASE EAT HERE!!!
This is a typical Basque family style restaurant, which were once very common in this area but are now unfortunately becoming more rare.
The food here is typical of these places, which is to say wonderful. Read the other reviews here, as well as one I wrote for Louis’ Basque Corner in Reno to get an idea of what they’re like.
As I noted, these places are becoming rare due to the cultural homogenization that comes from the explosive population growth of California. I’d like to encourage anyone who cares about history, regional cultures, and true «diversity» to patronize these establishments. For about the same money that you’d spend in an Applebee’s or other chain you can have a truly memorable meal and help support a small business.
If you’re driving through the area drop on by. You won’t be disappointed.

Love the food. My favorite is the Lamb Stew. We come here at least 4 times a year. If you leave hungry thats your fault. Meal is served family style and they bring you more if you need. $ 22.00 per person is a good price for the good food. This is my favorite restaurant in the valley.

Very authentic. The lamb stew melted in my mouth. Outstanding, so don’t judge a book by its cover or curb appearances.

Nice homey, old fashioned family style dining. Decent friendly service, volume of food was amazing, not a foodies choice. But Good!

I’m from Modesto and my family and I always come here atleast 2x a year to have lamb chops. Per adult is $ 18 and child is $ 10. Meal comes with soup/​stew, fries, salad, bread and beans. Lamb chops are in 2 big servings. And don’t forget the free vanilla ice cream ford dessert!
We always enjoy coming here! We don’t mind the hour drive, because it’s worth it!

Quality and quantity, service is great and the food! This place is historical, gotta try the new york!

This restaurant is the perfect representative of small town life. I’ve never been here without running into a friend or two.
Food is served family style. They usually bring out soup, beans, and bread.
Next salad and potato salad or chicken and rice and lamb stew. Next comes your main course, usually baked chicken, a lamb option, a red meat option, or pork chops.
With the main course French fries are served.
After your main course is cleared they offer ice cream. You can also ask for local dry cheese.
A bottle of chilled wine is also brought to the table at the beginning of the meal, you can ask for another.
It’s so fun, but it’s a lot of food. We don’t usually go unless we have friends in from out of town. I love to bring out of town friends, they really get that old time small town feel.

I just love this place, dad and I made it a point to stop by and enjoy a very social dinner, it served county style and a great way to meet people. Water, wine, bread, veggie soup and beans starts the experience. Next is the potatoe salad, green salad and beef stew, after that, you get your main course we both chose lamb. The other choices are T-​bone steak, pork chops (3), tri-​tip or chicken. The meal ends with a cup of ice cream. John Madden loves this place, and mentioned on air that it was the best Basque restaurant ever… I whole-​heartedly agree. Enjoy.

This review pains me– For the last twenty plus years I would stop at the wool growers for dinner on our way back to Fresno. However, yesterday was the last time they would get my money. The service and food quality have reached a new low — school cafeteria quality. This includes the musty building smell and dirty restrooms. The price per plate is $ 22.00. CASH
The food is bland. Rolls stale, lamb gamey, beans tasteless, steak low USDA grade and ice cream cup direct from walmart. The portions of food are generous for a couple of two, but a group of five get the same portion. If you ask for more you get a bad look from the waitress, unless you are a local –they are treated like kings. Sorry Wool Growers. Bottom line– School cafeteria food and ambiance.

Family’s, friends and or individuals must experience this place at least once. You’ll probably return another time. Open for lunch and dinner. closed on Monday’s.
Red wine comes before and with dinner. Eat family and local style at shared tables. Great Staff! Friendly place!
Good for groups too.
Great sides and entrée’s. Good hearty meal. Several menu choices. Go hungry.
Meal comes with wine, salad, soup, bread, beans, potato salad, French fries, lamb stew, and a choice from several entrée’s
Requires timing if your driving a distance.
Take a drive and enjoy. Go for a scenic outing and or hike at the local San Luis Resevoir facility.

Not much to say other than You must go to this restaurant before you leave Earth. That is all on this review. Just Go. Now! Oh, Sunday they do not serve Lamb stew. Yes this restaurant is in Los Banos. Remember to say hi to other people at the table. You might just might make a new friend. Smile. Enjoy.

Los Banos visit is not complete without going to this restaurant. The place is not fancy but the food is really superb.. With endless side dishes and succulent steaks, so unlike any other chain restaurants, this family traditional place is highly recommended, but make sure to bring cash.

All I can say is for the amount of food you get for your dollar you can’t go wrong
I haven’t been here in quite awhile and I was not disappointed with the meal Salad, beans, vegetable soup, bread, potato salad, lamb stew, prime rib and wine for two people it was just over 35 $
Tonight was the the last night of the old owners the place has been sold I hope they continue the same menu… Worth the trip to check it out

I love this restaurant!
Family style w courses
A warm at times loud atmosphere that is great for kids as well as a date
My dad started taking me here when I was a little kid and it holds the best memories for me.
The food is simple but good and there is lots of it.
While the price has gone up over the years it is worth every penny for me.

I’d once had an exquisitely embarrassing experience as a solo diner at a Basque «family-​style» restaurant (not this one), so I was a little nervous about trying this. But it turned out fine.
As I arrived, just after 11:30 opening on a Sunday — the dark and «untouched for 50 years» restaurant is way in the back, behind the bar and the restrooms — a few parties of 2 or 3 were already seated at various spots on the trestle tables. I was directed to a small table that sits only 2, so I didn’t have to make friends with the other diners in order to eat.
The prompt and efficient waitress brought me bread (good), a whole pitcher of ice water (excellent), a large serving bowl with some really tasty vegetable soup (mostly celery, onions, and carrots), another bowl of iceberg lettuce salad (hey, I like iceberg), a platter of baked beans (OK), a plate of rice with chicken (outstandingly tasty: I understand this is just the Sunday side), fries, and then — since I wisely refrained from filling up on all of the above — my choice of meat, two large lamb chops, crispily broiled but still juicy and lightly spiced. And lastly a small container of vanilla ice cream that’d been so deep in the freezer that it ranked about 0.8 on the Mohs scale.

Wool Growers. the definition of a hole-​in-​the-​wall restaurant, straight from about 3 decades ago…
We came here to meet up with family for lunch. It was perfectly in the middle between everyone; an hour and a half drive for all of us. It’s pretty much a ghost town — so the plus side is there’s no problem for parking. There’s also a nice little park across the way.
First things first, this place doesn’t even take credit cards; only cash! They have a nice warning on the front door about it, so no excuses.
You’ll have to pass through a couple doors before you walk into a dark room with several long picnic style tables. The idea is family style. There’s no menu; they come up to your table and ask if you want chicken, tri-​tip, pork chops or lamb chops. We told her it was our first time, but she explained nothing. She was nice, don’t get me wrong, but at least help us out a bit and tell us if we should be ordering one thing, or if we can order more later, or if it’s one choice per person…
We ended up choosing lamb chops, tri tip and pork chops. Three plates arrived: 4 skinny pieces of tri tip, 2 pork chops and 3 lamb chops. Also family style: minestrone soup, beans, french fries, rice with shredded chicken, and salad. All of which were pretty good but we then realized half the things there were pre-packaged.a little disappointing… I did enjoy the salad though. The lamb tasted a little too fresh off the farm for me but the tri tip and pork chops weren’t too bad. No to-​go boxes, but they do bring out ice cream at the end!
The bill was probably the best part — around $ 70 for 5 people all you can eat. A pretty good deal but in this case you do get what you pay for. It wasn’t terrible, but I’ll also note I wouldn’t drive out to the middle of nowhere again for it. I had high expectations but unfortunately I was left saying meh…

The food is good. It’s family style, you get a choice of whatever is on the menu, that’s it. Communal seating, though we were able to get a small private table for two.
Service was efficient and polite –they seemed surprised at our constantly saying «thank you» when they brought things out. Perhaps the locals are just used to being efficient as well.
Tons of food, pretty much all you can eat and drink.
I was a little surprised that lunch was $ 18 — sure, it was good, but that’s two meals at most Indian buffets.
The «delicious» wine mentioned in other reviews is Gallo burgundy (I confirmed it with the waitress). Perhaps those little bottles make it taste better :)
Lunch indeed ends at 2 — a family that came in at 1:58PM was politely declined.

If you want to feel completely insignificant, this is the place for you. Do not go here if you need to be in control –or– you want to be pampered.
We arrived for lunch at 1:30, lunch ends at 2. I asked for more fries… apparently after 2, and waitress said «no more fries, cooks leave at 2.» But she was nice enough to bring us more soup.
While enjoying my meal, I was raving that this place is five stars. From the soup to bread to wine to fries (that I didn’t get enough of). The fish was just okay.
I’m mixed because I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and ambience, but as I write this 5 hours later, as I look back I felt real insignificant and they’re attitude was like «we could care less about you because there is a line of people to take your seat. «
I enjoyed the experience, meal and drink, but won’t be back.