The Willo

Saturday — May 21, 2016 — My wife and I had never heard of The Willo until our good friends, who live in neaby Brown’s Valley, took us there for dinner. Our friend, Bill, had made reservation three days prior and it was a good thing he did. We arrived at 6:30pm, 15 minutes prior to our reservation time. The place was packed !! It was a classic mountain roadhouse restaurant, lots of wood beams, a funky bar with all kinds of signage, waitresses with pencils behind their ears, the works. It was loud, but not deafening.
The owner,(Mike Wilson) met us at the door and said our table was ready if we wanted to sit down. We did. Again, classic mountain eatery, heavy duty chairs, an old wooden table, plastic coated menus, etc. The ice water was on our table in two minutes. They have a full bar so cocktails were no problem. The bartender made me an excellent Kamakazi.
They actually allow you to cook your own meat if you want, or, for .50 more, they will cook it for you. The special of the house is the Rib Eye. It comes with beans, salad (choice of dressings), garlic french bread. The waitress, very friendly and efficient, gave us time to settle in, get a drink and review the menu. After a few minutes she returned and gave us some info of specials and reccomendations, again, no pressure, no hurrying. We were all pretty hungry so we were ready to order. We all went for the Rib Eye (the special of Fridays and Saturdays). My wife and I ordered the baked potato side to split.
The place was very active, lots of familys, kids, young couples, some actually appeared to be out on prom night — all dressed in ruffles and gowns. Within about 15 –18 minutes, our orders were being placed on the table. You can see by the photos in the Unilocal layout what the dinners look like. I can say it was all delicious. The steak was plentiful and tender with a fine grilled taste. the salad was very fresh and the beans were a nice little side, tasty and filling. The baked potato was a bigge, and split, it was just right. The waitress came back within 10 minutes to check on things and then the owner came by and made sure all was in order. We had no complaints. All this was topped off with a nice scoop of mint-​chip ice cream.
So, next time you are cruising the gold country around Nevada City, find time to drop into The Willo — you won’t be diappointed.

our favorite steak, always good, great staff, ambiance to die for, 3 pictures of marilyn monroe, 5 elvis clocks, 2 john wayne pictures

This review gets 1 star because the food is decent. I went here and had the worst service I have ever had at a restaurant. The two lady’s who waited on us were incredibly rude and I felt very uncomfortable. I actually had to get up and ask them twice for the bill and they didn’t even apologize for the inconvenience they caused me. Oh and the drinks are weak and expensive. I will never go here again. It’s Terrible.

Love the Willo. We’ve NEVER had a bad meal. Suzy cooks a New York to perfection. Love the beans… get them in a bowl on the side. Garlic bread is basic and great. Atmosphere? Elvis hasn’t left this building

I just love places that can be funky and still serve a good meal. Our steaks at the Willo were perfect! We called to make a res at about 4:00 Friday and the earliest we could be seated was 7:30 and that is too late for us. So we got one for Saturday for 5:00. Reservations are pretty much a must for weekends.

You can’t do better then a perfectly cooked steak and baked potato. This place is a bit outdated and dive barish but with steak like that who cares! As a local gem it’s perfect! I wouldn’t touch a thing. And you get ice cream at the end of your meal!!!

It doesn’t get more local — nor more delicious — than The Willo. Friendly staff who remember their regular clientele by name. Steaks cooked to perfection. Tasty meals with generous portions. AND — local ice cream with a new flavor each visit! Don’t judge this book by its side-​of-​the-​road cover, it’s a can’t miss, local treasure!

I really like the Willo. Have always eaten in the bar which feels very comfy and «saloony» to me. Had a great Cadillac Margarita and tasty hamburger (Monday night special) one time. Had a terrific steak and baked potato next time and it was cooked to perfection.

Best to make reservations but we got lucky and still got in with just us two. Haven’t been in 9 years and after revisiting I released I’ve been missing out! The menu is simple and straightforward and the wait was a good bit but everything was worth the wait! Had the halibut and upgraded my salad (glad I did it was delicious with homemade croutons and flavorful pickled tasting beets). I left feeling satisfied yet not hurting stuffed. The ribs were cooked to perfection with a side of the richest sauce gooey sweet yet smokey spice BBQ sauce. All of the staff was so friendly and the patrons with such a small town welcoming feel. They sang happy birthday to patrons and everyone in the place sang along. You just leave with what a true old fashion restaurant experience used to feel like. We will be back for sure. It is a smaller close sitting place with more pricey items and only one child’s menu option of a burger so my recommendation is go on a date or with adults for a better experience because kids may get ancy with the longer wait time for food but I wouldn’t let it stop you from eating there of the kids foots go either. Every plate is cooked fresh to order and placed in the grill. You can taste it too because it taste fresh and never re warmed under a light feeling.
We will be back– thanks for the experience!

I’ve been going here for 20 years! Definitely my favorite steak house! The steak, bread, and salad are all delicious! And to top it all off they make the best drinks. I also enjoy the small town feel.

I first experienced The Willo around 1999 when my college classmate, who is a Nevada County local, brought me here after an afternoon of hanging out along the Yuba. I fell in love with both the Yuba and the Willo that day. From the quaint, neon sign out front, to the unique spelling of its name, to the amazing wood beams in the women’s restroom (I take photos of them every time I visit! Don’t judge, check it out!), to the cinder block grill where you can cook your own steak, to the iceberg lettuce and dressing «salad», to the paper placemats and the friendly staff who always ask if you have a reservation, even if the restaurant has multiple open tables.
One day I will venture onto the bar side of this establishment, but for now, I will continue to enjoy the perfectly cooked roadhouse steaks and the hometown feel when dining here after a long day of swimming in or hiking along the magical Yuba.
Pro-​tip: This place isn’t for the high maintenance types.

So it started off a little rough. We tried calling to make reservation or see how busy they were but nobody answered phone. We showed up and the old guy ask if made a reservation and we told home we have been calling for last hour. He didn’t believe us even tho my wife showed her iPhone showing 27 attempts. He then comes back to us later on and says he has a dial tone. My wife tried calling again and phone never rang. Is it possible the ringer is off?!? Lol
But the manager/​cook seated us right away and this place could use a full remodel. But don’t touch the food, steak was awesome. Only addition would be to offer a real loaded baked potato.
But we will be back…

What a dump. DARK brown paint on the walls and low ceiling, no windows (none at all!), bare light bulbs. I am not making this up. The steak was grocery-​store «Choice» quality; nothing special. Everything else — bread (a grocery store bun grilled with margarine and garlic powder), salad (iceburg lettuce and bottled dressing: really?), baked potato (small and shriveled and $ 2 extra) — tasted like something you’d get on an airplane: overly processed and bland. My husband took me there based on a recommendation from one of his friends and I could not wait to leave. I felt bad for my husband because he wanted to do something nice for me and I could not conceal my disappointment.

Visiting from out of town and my cousin recommended this place for dinner Sunday night. She said «it’s not fancy, but it’s good!» And she was right! My fiancée and I eat a lot of steaks and go to a lot of steakhouses and this place really is incredible. Simple and delicious! We’re considering doing our rehearsal dinner here next year. This place is absolutely a roadhouse bar with great food and attentive service. Can’t ask for more than that!

Wow. What amazing steak I had tonight. Fantastic baked beans and potato, salad was just lettuce and dressing but still yummy. Man, do they cook a steak great.
We had superb service. Ambiance was casual, loud. What you’d want. Everyone was singing happy birthday to each other.
I recommend the willo for a great fulfilling meal and great service.
Also! The bar side has shuffle board! And and pool table and juke box. It’s all in all a one of a kind place/​experience. I just happen to love it.

Great food! Had a large group for a pre wedding family dinner and everyone loved it. Steaks are great, drinks are strong, and the atmosphere is classic

What can you say about a place that makes you feel like home … Love Mike and the entire crew and the best steak in town…

Wife’s birthday was today, and a co-​worker had told her about this place. Pam is a (mostly) healthy, light-​food girl but she occasionally has to get her inner carnivore fix. Fortunately I was able to get us a 5:30 reservation as apparently this place gets booked up.
I had the 16oz steak, she the piggy ribs. Both were cooked perfectly. We were advised to ask for the salad dressing on the side as apparently they go to town with it otherwise.
The décor is tacky unless you’re a fan of Elvis/​wolves/​Marilyn Monroe/​Harley-​Davidson/​John Wayne/​American eagle clocks. The walls are covered with your choice of such, all available for sale!
Pam scarfed her pigflesh and declared this place worthy of the trip up from Rocklin. Ergo: we’ll be back!

Best ribeye i have ever had. Cooked perfectly per request. Beans were yummy. Garlic Bread was plain-​ish but yummy. Salad was generic but yummy. Ranch was watery but yummy. Service was super friendly. Four stars due to the ambience.
Will definitely be back!

My metal-​backed stackable conference chair from the late eighties creaked as I sat down. The green paper placemats the only splash of color on the old particle board conference table in front of me. Once I settled, I couldn’t help but notice the Elvis and Marilyn Monroe vanity clocks staring out from the walls; each bearing a classic dreamy pose, mounted on wood and covered in a shiny resin. There must’ve been at least a dozen. There’s a bar built from old cement blocks smack in the middle of the… oh wait… that’s not a bar. That’s the grill. And the people grilling? Those are your servers.
Kind of a cool concept.
Our table was lit by a tiny chandelier of Western-​style lanterns. But the rest of the restaurant is lit by over bright LED wall-​mounted lanterns. Ambiance, peeps. That’s what’s missing here.
Unless you really dig the Sons of Anarchy, dusty rustic, cigarette butts in the entrance, benches made from particle board, cement block, old carpet, «our theme is brown» look.
But here’s the thing, the food? It’s pretty darn good. My entire party gushed about their Rib Eyes and New York’s for days. Sadly, I went with the fish and chicken. I lost. The prices are fabulous for the amount of food you receive. It’s pretty unheard of to be able to order a couple steaks, a couple baskets of bread, baked potatoes and drinks and get out under $ 80.
The Willo is a pretty odd place. And sometimes that experience can be fun. The servers were extremely friendly. The owner has a great sense of humor and knows his patrons by name. It’s the sort of small-​town experience you hear about from decades past. And that’s part of The WIllo’s charm: its past. It’s worth reading the blurb on the front of the menu to get an idea of what the place has been through as it will make you appreciate the bizarre ambiance a bit more.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. And I’m sure I’ll be back.