We found this place on yelp and it happened to be a Monday night, so we decided to go cut the hamburger that's only available on Mondays. When we arrived, the parking lot was pretty full but when we went inside, they could see us still right away. We both ordered hamburgers, medium, and they were cooked to perfection. They both came with a big salad and a scoop of ice cream at the end. Oh, and there were some baked beans which were actually very tasty. We felt like it was a good value and everybody inside who worked there were amazing. I would come back to this restaurant over and over if I lived close by. read more

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My second mother brought us here for an early birthday dinner, and it was so much fun! It's a classic roadhouse, with a big open fire pit, all inclusive prices (you get your meat of choice, beans, a salad, and a scoop of ice cream), plus some a la carte options, and they give you the option of cooking your own meat, which we didn't opt for, but was a fun idea. I got halibut, my mom got the half chicken, and Jefe got ribs. All were perfectly cooked and came out HOT. Mom and I also got a baked potato b'c we both love them, which came with sour cream and butter on the side. The salads are iceberg lettuce, but you have the option of upgrading to a romaine mix. Their blue cheese dressing was yummmmy & the salads were huge. Beans were delicious, BBQ saucy and the perfect texture. The ice cream the night we were there was butter pecan, which i didn't know I loved, but I do! Our servers were super sweet and just the right level of attentiveness; almost like they knew we needed something before we did. My scampy husband told the host that it was my birthday, and the whole restaurant sang to me! I was mortified but also thrilled.... In a separate part of the building, they have a big bar, which my brother-in-law says is the best in the county. We didn't go in because it was getting late, but we are planning to check it out next time we're in town. read more

This is kind of a long overdue review, but I went here about six months ago. The place is very lively and has an awesome vibe. I got the catfish which was heavenly! Service was good and so was the ambience. It's on my list of places to return to. read more

Cool, funky steak joint that started out as a Quonset hut in 1947. They have a large charcoal grill in the center to cook your steaks yourself or by the staff. I had a rib eye (special on Saturdays) that was charred just so and DELICIOUS!! read more

We've been to The Willo probably half a dozen times since moving to Grass Valley from the Bay Area three years ago. It definitely has a roadhouse feel. The noise level is what might be described as "energetic," but not oppressive. You can have a normal conversation without any trouble. The menu is quite basic, heavily oriented to steaks. You can save $0.50 by cooking yours yourself. I think that's more a gimmick than anything. I've never seen anyone taking advantage of that cost-saving measure. The bar produces decent-sized cocktails. The up glasses are somewhat on the small size, but they bring shaken drinks like martinis to the table in small shakers. The cocktail server insists that you take a good slug of your drink so she can pour the "extra" into your glass. Very informal and homey. The Willo is as unfancy and unpretentious a place as you might imagine--but if a well-cooked steak is your jam, it's a great choice. read more

This is a great place for great service and very good steaks.the meals are so big that we always split one meal and add a side salad.

Have been there a few times, and the food is always good. Sometimes the waitress is a little rude and seems to rush us, but we are not affected by it. I just politely tell her we want some time to just visit before ordering. If you have allergies, you need to let them know as the salad is made of iceberg, which I am allergic to. A lot of food, and the prices are not cheap, but reasonable for the quality. read more

The location is cool, in the cuts. A lot of history at the location. I heard the steaks were bomb..they weren't. Asked for medium rare...was medium well. The cook, slash waitress, not very welcoming or friendly. The beans..ok, the salad..not good. I think this place would be better for drinks, but for a steak dinner, I will look elsewhere. read more

We go up to grass valley about once a year and this place is always our first stop for dinner! Absolutely love the steaks here the menu is very basic but it's always top notch and cooked too perfection! read more

The Willo - the kitchen of a restaurant - Steakhouses Near Me - Nevada City, California

Bazaar, pay premium price for a steak premium price for a potato butter and sour cream. Your only choices for dessert, it's ice cream. There were no Spring greens, no tomatoes, no beats, nothing on the salad, just a plane. Ranch salad, I won't go back there until they change their look on life. read more

We enjoyed our steak dinner. First visit on a Saturday night and we both decided on steaks and to split the potato. I ordered medium and my wife ordered well, both steaks were cooked to order. Wait staff were attentive and even came to our table early to take our order before a +20 party in the back began ordering, thank you. There is an open flame where you can watch your steak cook. We received bread, salad, dinner and ice cream at the end of dinner. A true 4 course meal. We will return read more

It was a fun campy place. Nice family vibe. Very clean. Steak was very good. Perfectly seasoned & cooked. Service was good And in a time where we leave most restaurants feeling like we paid for more than we received it was the opposite with this place. There was a lot of food. Had to take quite a bit home. We'll be back the next time we pass through Nevada city. read more

Thanks Yelpers. Glad to have stopped by this restaurant that holds a lot of history and charm of this area. Super friendly staff, owner and manager. Felt very welcomed. Patrons very friendly, too. Didn't feel bad saying we were tourists. So they have a huge open grill in the restaurant to the right of the restaurant entrance. You get a 0.50 cent discount if you go up there and cook your own steak. Heck, I was going to PAY .50 cents for the PRIVILEGE of cooking my steak on such a massive grill. Don't worry, one can ask the Lady Griller Master for pointers and she will openly advise and help. Stated how I like my steak done and she advised how to put the grill marks on and when to turn it. I enjoyed the whole experience. read more

This is a fun old school restaurant. The ribs and steak are great. Get ready to dig in and eat. The portions are large and the food is delicious. You can feel the history of the area. read more

The Willo is the best of the best. No frills, no specials, just GOOD meals. The steaks are cooked to perfection, love the beans, salad and bread. It is the best bang for the buck. Family friendly and an experience of the old days at Grandmas house. read more

Service was amazing. The staff was friendly and efficient. The food was a little bland for me but the quality of the steak was good. I would recommended offering some options for seasoning. The restaurant clean. Since the grill was a main attraction for the restaurant, I would have like to see my food grilled on the grill if they are going to renovate in the future. read more

Consistent, reliable, reasonably priced...food is good...every meal ends with a scoop of ice cream...they have a room for groups and our homeowners association has had their annual party here a few times. It is a bit noisy and a bit of a challenge Conversation particularly with someone who's wearing hearing aids, and it's getting all kinds of background noise. So you go for the food not the conversation. Enjoy. read more

I'm not sure how this place can charge the prices that they do for such basic food. What's most disgusting is that they put EVERYTHING on one plate. The steak, salad, beans, everything is served on top of each other. The annoying thing is as soon as you order a beverage they want you to order your dinner (before your drink ever comes to the table). All they care about is turning the tables. They offer no appetizers, no dessert other than a scoop of ice cream. read more

Had the best smoked pork chop, beans, salad, garlic bread and ice cream. Very casual dining with great service. Can be busy so I recommend reservations. read more

We were in Nevada City for a Wedding, and had dinner at the Willo on a recent Friday night. We could not have had a better experience and have been raving about it to family and friends since. Unassuming inside and out with a dirt parking lot, the ambiance screams roadhouse. The parking lot was packed, and the so was the restaurant when we opened the door. The couple in front of us had reservations and were seated immediately. We did not have reservations, and the young lady who greeted us looked around doubtfully for a minute, but then immediately led us to table in the corner. It seemed like the last two seats in the house, but other tables looked nearly finished, so I guess she figured tables would come open. We were barely seated when a man with a gruff voice shouted, "it's Ed's birthday," and the entire restaurant sang happy birthday to Ed. I'm not a fan of wait staff parading to the table and making a scene for birthdays, but somehow this was quick, and sincere, and just right. We had a waitress that handled our beverages and another that took our dinner orders and cooked our steaks. They were both nice and attentive. I had the ribeye, and my wife had the medium sized NY strip. We thought both cuts were excellent, and I compliment The Willo and its meat purveyor. All of the food was good, the steaks were fantastic, the bottle of Pinot was both good and fairly priced. Great food, great service, great ambiance at a fair price. Look forward to a chance to go again. read more

Looking for a classic steak dinner this is the place. The restaurant has an old town feel with lots of history. The staff is always friendly and the food comes out quickly. Enjoy the smell of the indoor grill as you wait. read more

This place is everything I ever wanted in a steakhouse. Laid back environment, no frills, amazing food, but THE STEAKS are the star. When we come back, we definitely want to check out the bar next door. read more

The steak is without question the best in town, The people are the friendliest of all time and you really couldn't ask for more in terms of a small town steakhouse experience. The ONE thing that holds this place down.. is their salad. If you can even call it that.. I'm not sure what they do with all the actual leafs of the lettuce but the salad choices are between iceberg hearts or Romain hearts, if you're lucky in the " step up " version of salad they offer might have 5-7 pieces of spinach in it other than that it's a pile of lettuce hearts. Please include actual lettuce foliage in your salad. It's really disheartening paying 40 dollars for dinner and getting a salad full celeryesque hearts of stuff that should have ended up in the trash. read more

Been to Ruth Chris several times, the steak is no better, the sides, yeah I go there just for the sides sometimes, but you won't get a better steak than the willow read more

Been going here for years. Moved out of the state and was able to surprise my mom for her birthday at her favorite restaurant for her big 70!! Big smiles and great food. Can't wait till next time!! Love ya mom!! read more

The best steak that I have had in a long time. We went on a Saturday night and I had the rib-eye special and it did not disappoint. The others in my group ordered the New York steak and the ribs which were also flavorful and cooked to perfection. The ribs were cooked and served with a shiny bbq sauce glaze that made them oh so tasty. The servers were friendly and they good care of our group. The inside Had an old western feeling to it which seemed appropriate and welcoming. They've also got a full bar which I took advantage of with a couple of rum and cokes which honestly seemed to be of casino strength but were cheap so it's all good! read more

Went there last year before Covid-19. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience. We look forward to the day we can go back without any fears of COVID. This review is for December of 2019. We had ordered 3 steaks and 1 chicken. The steaks were made to perfection. The chicken came out cooked well and delicious. Side were brought out in quick unison of our meals. Delicious drink cocktails and quick service. Crowded for sure. Glad we made reservations for the night. Pricey but worth the once a year excursion. Waiting to go back! read more

Love this place, just a good old fashioned steakhouse with amazing service and ambience.

UPDATE because once it's posted, you can't edit your review: 1. I do not now and never have, live in Monrovia, CA. I don't know where that came from. I've changed my profile information many times, but that never changes. 2. The steaks at The Willo are excellent. I've never ordered a chop or fish or anything else, but more than one friend claims that this is the best steak they've ever had and that this place is their favorite restaurant. Homey, good service, excellent steaks, good prices - what's not to like? read more

I heard this place was the best steaks around. I got a 16 ounce $40 steak that quite literally had no flavor whatsoever to it. I mean not even salt or pepper. Completely bland and tasteless. The salad was good, the garlic bread was pretty good, the waitress was very friendly and cheerful, but the steak.....absolutely would never recommend that to someone unless it was on the house. They have an option to cook the steak yourself and they give you $.50 off, which was hilariously silly to me, but I have since concluded it's not about saving money when you cook it yourself, but, rather, you have the opportunity to cook a tasty steak for yourself. read more

Best Steak in NORCAL hands down. Hard to beat a charcoal Steak cooked inside.

This is a midpriced meal for the area. The steak Med rare was good but the care shown for the sides and general meal were more reminiscent of a cheaper roadhouse BBQ. There were any sides for the potatoes, the salad was obviously from a bag, and the overall meal was definitely not matched by the good quality of the steak. A real dichotomy. read more

The Willo is an interesting place to go ...once. I know there are plenty or happy reviews and honestly, I don't get it. The steaks are just ok. I get better from Costco for a lot less money than I spent for a ribeye at the Willo. Staff is great and that's not my complaint. It's the quality of the food. In addition to a so-so steak, the iceberg lettuce was limp and covered with dressing. It was more like dressing with a bit of limp lettuce. The beans...didn't touch after the first bite. The small bit of ice cream ... I'm sure the Willo has devoted customers but not me or my friends who felt the same way as I did. I won't be back and will not be taking out of town friends there unless their menu and quality get much better. Go to the Northridge if you want folksy atmosphere and good food. read more

I absolutely love the Willo. Superior steak with fabulous taste, in a humble setting. I love it

My kids and I went here to celebrate 1 sons birthday. My sons girlfriend's steak was mostly gristle-pricey for gristle! Then came time for payment my card went through fine my sons card did not- his girlfriend was trying to move funds from 1 account to cover the meal and the guy was being a complete jerk- dude like we aren't going to come in and eat if we can't pay seriously?!?! I just handed over my card and paid because the guy was getting so irate- definitely will not go back! My 1 son is LE I mean come on! read more

The food was awesome! The service was great. My husband had the ribs, and they were very flavorful and moist. I had a steak, and it was done to perfection! We've already been back twice! We love this place! I'm read more

Absolutely the best steak! Fantastic roadhouse environment. The owners, Mike and Nancy, are wonderful people. We can't wait to return !! read more

Food service ambience takes you back to the 50's and we loved everything about this place! The steaks are cooked properly and so affordable. Go off the beaten track just a few minutes past downtown Nevada City. We will go now each time we visit. read more

Good food, huge portions, fun environment. There's an option where you can cook your own meat for -$0.50 off the regular prices. We were there for my bday and on top of being lazy as usual, it seemed dumb to cook for myself, defeating the purpose of a bday dinner party. It was still pretty sweet though. read more

Stopped by here on our way back from snowboarding at Sugar Bowl and wow what a find! The steak was some of the best I've had and i live in San Francisco, restaurant central! Service was good as well! Definitely gives off the rural country style vibe but as a graduate of Chico State, didn't bother me at all. If 4 city slickers can enjoy this place, no reason you wouldn't either! read more