We went to visit some friends and they wanted to take us to the Willo for dinner. I looked it up ahead of time and was excited to try it. Certainly off the beaten path for out of towners but just a short drive for locals. Either way, you need to try it. Doesn't look like much on the outside, it is a dive but you are there for great food, great service and mining town like atmosphere. Basic place but the portions are more than enough and the food is pretty good. Steak was good quality, plenty of salad, beans had a good taste and potatoes are large. Don't just think about going, do it! Bar is old school for sure, but has a pool table and tvs. I am glad we went and would go again. read more

The Willo - New York Steak - Steakhouses Near Me - Nevada City, California

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Must order: ribs! Best I've had. Great family ran restaurant and bar. We love to eat in the bar area because of the awesome & fun atmosphere. Has shuffle board and pool table. read more

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First visit here. Food was great. Service was great. I had the catfish. Will definitely return again.

This place feels like it's in the middle of nowhere, which is not far from the truth. There are two entrances to the building, one leads to the bar and the other to the restaurant. I have had the great pleasure of patronizing both components of the Willo compound. In the bar, they got two kinds of music: country AND western! Actually, it may be a wider selection than that, but this is the kind of place where you want to hear Johnny Cash or Buck Owens wailing on the jukebox. Beers are cold, the bartenders are friendly, and the wood paneling is resplendent. The dining area (front room) has a giant grill/barbeque pit where you can watch your meat get cooked or (for a whopping 50-cent discount) grill your own. There's also a back room for seating larger parties with great historical pictures on the wall (ask me about the "Steam Donkey" sometime). I've dined here twice, once opting for the Grilled Catfish, and the next time ordering a righteous hunk of meaty goodness they call the 16-oz. Choice New York Steak. Both were excellent. The next time I visit, I will try me the Smoked Pork Ribs since the portion that landed on my friend's plate looked oddly reminiscent of the bronto-ribs that topple Fred Flintstone's car. I'm sure they are prehistorically delicious! So if you're in the vicinity of Nevada City and got a hankerin' for a country-style, stick-to-your-ribs meal with a few tall coldies, The Willo is the place to go. Nothin' too fancy, just meat, beans, iceberg salad and you can add a hot baked tater. Willo-the-wisp is my kinda joint! Ptui... DING! read more

The owner is a problem. He is arrogant, prejudice, rude, and unprofessional, he lacks decency. The owner gets drunk at the bar and wants to start fights with customers It is ridiculous!!! The new owner is insane. I will never go back. The owner does not seem to treat the place as a business , but as a place for his drinking. In addition , if you are a person of color or have an accent ,I strongly recommend staying away from this place. I witnessed when the new owner decided to start talking loud to a customer who is not Caucasian He asked her to go to another bar. He was drunk and he did not want person of color to be served. The owner is prejudice , but he just seems insane - out of control with his behavior. I would not be surprised if he is facing a lawsuit or several. The bartender was nice. I believe some of the people at the bar were uncomfortable. The staff seemed embarrassed by the new owner. The new owner is just a really nasty person I will not support his business. I can find very steak somewhere else even if I have to drive a bit longer from home. read more

Delicious! Our meal hit the spot! The garlic bread is very good! Will go back when we are in town again!

Hello! I am so sick of patrons coming on this website with untruths and hatred. First of all my husband has known Mike since Jr. High. We all grew up in a very diverse community. He is not a racist and he is never confronted anyone and kicked them out of his place of business, must less fought anyone. He is not a new owner. He had been there since 2002 or 2003. With all that being said. They have the best steaks in N vada County and all of there food is excellent. The staff has always been fantastic and I hope and pray that they will make it through Covid. Thanks so much Mike and Nancy, you are a jewel to our community!!! read more

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. read more

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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 decor 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! read more

The Willo - Steakhouses Near Me - Nevada City, California

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! read more

The Willo - Photo of old neon sign out front on Hwy 49 - Steakhouses Near Me - Nevada City, California

Good food, Good Portions. The only snag is the guy totaled my bill incorrectly, and charged my card before I could dispute it. He handed me the original ticket all scratched out. Strike One , You're Out. read more

We have been going to The Willo for 25 years and it just doesn't get any better for a great steak dinner. Mike and Nancy have owned it for almost 20 years and they treat their guests like friends and always make you feel at home. You will hear Mike's laugh anywhere in the restaurant and Nancy is always making sure your dinner is perfect. Not sure what that review from Emigrant Gap was talking about. Seems real contrary to the experience that we always have. The Willo is a great place to take out of town friends if you want to treat them to some Nevada County charm and friendliness. Can't recommend it more for good food and great atmosphere. read more

Been going here for years. Its always good, basic, straightforward and honest. Its very "old school" and humble without the slightest bit of pretense. The reason I'm writing this is because I believe it needs to be said. The staff are pleasant, helpful, and relaxed. They laugh a good bit and put everyone at ease. That is so remarkable when so many places are so serious and business like-- you might say cold and impersonal. At some other places you might be lucky enough to meet a wait person with personality and you might get a sourpuss or tired out stressed out person. You can't blame them-- sometimes life is hard. However, I have never in all my years had that experience at the Willo. Everyone is usually upbeat, friendly and works hard at making your visit relaxing. Comfortable as your favorite shoes without fail. And often a pretty good steak, a big ol baked potato, tasty grilled garlic bread and always chilled, fresh iceberg lettuce salads. Nothing gourmet just and honest, down home hospitality. Good job Willo! read more

Don't really know why most of the ratings are higher than this. Maybe because there aren't many other restaurants in the area. We went there on a Saturday night because of the "ribeye special". We had reservations for 4 at 6:00. We arrived a few minutes early, the restaurant had plenty of open tables so the hostess seated us but said it might be a few minutes before a waitress could get to us. We were seated in a corner table with not much room to move as we were so close to the people at the next table. We looked over the menu, the waitress came took our drink order. It was about 10 minutes when the waiter took our entree order. Not many options. Entrees come with salad, and beans, and an order of garlic bread. We ordered 2 ribeyes and 2 grilled Halibut. We also ordered a baked potato. The garlic bread came out first which we inhaled (don't think they offer any appetizers) then came the potato and probably 10 minutes later the entrees. The salad was iceberg lettuce with a plop of dressing. The beans were lukewarm and very underwhelming. The steaks were very good (don't know that they were $31.00 good but they were far better than the $28.00 frozen, overcooked Halibut patty. Dessert was a scoop of vanilla ice cream! All in all it was $170.00 for a one time experience to be forgotten! Again don't really get it! Will go somewhere else next time. read more

We had a great meal here on one of our last nights in Nevada county. We were going to return to a home in Paradise and had been told this was a place we needed to visit before we moved. It was great! Son bought a t-shirt and wears it proudly!! read more

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...... read more

The Willo - This is there version of a loaded baked potato I guess. But it was cooked spot on!!! - Steakhouses Near Me - Nevada City, California

If you want a perfectly cooked steak, this is your spot! This is pretty much a red meat and potatoes type of place, so if you're looking for options when it comes to decent veggies or other meat alternatives, you'll likely be disappointed. read more

Best steaks I have ever had! Simple side dishes, but it's about the steak, not the sides!! The decor is not fancy, and makes the Willo an off the beaten path local secret. Don't expect a fancy steak dinner but the food is great! read more

Great staff and food! We were there on a Friday evening and they had a band that was really good.

I LOVED this cute and quaint restaurant in the middle of "no where" Staff were attentive, kind, and had great customer service. The food was so good too! I can't wait to go back! read more

Came on a recommendation and did not disappoint. Great service, great food, even better vibe. Just good simple eating. The steaks were cooked perfectly which is more than I can say for more higher end establishments. A cool overall experience. Definitely going again. read more

Excellent food and great service. This was our second time and it was even better than the first. The warm charming atmosphere is welcoming and very "Home Town". We even joined the entire restaurant in singing happy birthday to Kathy (we have no idea who Kathy is). This will always at the top of our list when visiting this lovely area!!! read more

Okay, so this isn't all jazzed up like a contemporary steak house, but it is country and cozy in an eclectic sort of way, and it's clean. I enjoy the friendly family style atmosphere here. There is plenty of lighting, so you can see the menus and what you are eating. I have never been here when it wasn't full of diners and it isn't overwhelmingly loud at all. Some of the best restaurant steaks that I have ever had, came off the Willo's grill. The salads are tasty and plentiful, but without any preservatives. Veggies are nicely grilled and the bread has always been fresh and served with butter. I get the Ribeye and as usual it is superb. The wait staff has always been friendly and efficient and I have yet to see anyone who wasn't an attentive waiter/waitress at the Willo. read more

Excellent service and friendly. The catfish dinner was awesome. My friends had the steak dinner awesome. Highly recommended if you're in the Nevada City. Make sure you make reservations. They fill up! read more

This place is a Nevada City landmark and offers no frills. Simple but excellent food. We loved steaks. The wait staff was friendly and checked in often to see if we needed anything else. It was a treat to find that a small bowl of ice cream comes with the dinner. The prices are reasonable. We had a good experience. read more

No better steak in Nevada County !! Just a perfectly comfortable place that it very reasonably priced for what you get. A big streak, nothing but to quality meat. Best people, friendly environment, great food, best value We go out very frequently, and I entertain clients often. Truly my favorite place to stop fr a drink on the way back from the river, or by far me favorite dinner house in Nevada County read more

The Willow has been a Nevada City staple for as long a I can remember. It's always tasty and consistent. The decor is in serious need of an upgrade however. I don't think it's changed since the 80s. The steak was tender and the fish was moist and delicious. I only wish they didn't shove the whole meal on one plate. A separate plate for the salad and or beans would have been nice. read more

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This place is a gem. For sure worth stopping in for a great experience. Bar side is my spot as it's low key and feels like a step back in time. NY strip and baked potato are always cooked perfect. Rib Eye on the weekends. What a consistent spot for good steak. read more

Steak is very good, prep by your request - rare to well done. Service is superb even though atmosphere/ accommodation is so so

This is a great little spot of highway 49 to get a steak. Service was great and the staff was extremely friendly. We felt really at home there. You get the option to cook your own steak but opted for the staff to cook. It was a perfect medium 16oz NY with baked potato and salad. Cooked very well. The only downside was it was a little small and cramped on the inside and the food/drink menu was pretty limited. read more

This might just be my favorite steakhouse in northern California. I absolutely love that it is like going back in time 40-50 years and that the servers treat you like family (even when they don't know you). The steaks are awesome (whether you choose to cook them yourself or have the restaurant cook them for you). Also, the bar side has a shuffleboard table! Win, win, win. read more

Way to go Willo! Went for the first time on Sun, 12/23/18. One of the best steaks I've ever had. Two of us had ribeyes (not usually served on Sundays) and the other two had New York. All great! Excellent 5 star service. Totally chill casual atmosphere. $10 corkage fee which was great. read more

it's the goto place for a medium priced steak in the grass valley/nevada city area. the menu is pretty simple, mostly steaks, chops, halibut and burgers. not a fancy place, its rustic and local. read more

Our family special occasion place to go. We love the staff, food and atmosphere. Wouldn't change a thing!

"There will be a test after you read the history. If you get 70% or higher, you get free ice cream"--Gay, (bartender) Serving, lumber men, miners, and passer-by'ers, The Willo has been in business for 65 years. When I called asking if they server prime rib on Wednesday, they sadly said no, but they have New York steak. I ask some other stupid question, and she said, "Honey, we are a steak place, that is what we do". I hate to be uneducated about anything, and clearly I had no idea that The Willo is KNOWN for their New York steaks; nominated the best more times than I have toes and fingers. Back to my test: "Why is Willo spelled this way"? The Willo is a combination of old Frank Williams last name and his wife's first name Lola. (owners) Soon as I walked in, I saw the open fire pit! I love it... I chose to eat at the bar, being I was by myself tonight. Gay, right at first asked my name and where I am from. From that moment I was introduced as William "The Newbee". They made me feel right at home, and opened up their local, country arms to me without any hesitations. This is the stuff I love! The character on the walls, the people that come in all is really home town. My New York Steak was amazing, --I asked a stupid question again, I said, what does med-rare mean to you? LOL.. The answer I got was: Honey, I don't know I don't cook it! But if you say med-rare that is exactly what you will get. I could just hug her! :) My plate was simple, salad, steak and BBQ beans, but the taste so very good. BTW: my ice cream was so very good.. mmmmmm Come here for the getaway, come here for the people, and stay for the steak! Did you know that they have served over 1 million choice New York Steaks? The rest of the story: http://www.thewillo.com/willo_story.html read more

Have you ever wanted to cook your own steak in a restaurant? Have you ever wanted to pay less money to do so? Have you ever wanted a really delicious cheap steak? Yes, you say? Then this is the place for you. This ain't no fancy steakhouse, this is a man's steakhouse, where the men are men and the women are men too. You sit at tables probably built by hand right before you got there. The chairs are really uncomfortable, but you are a man you can take it, you are there to just eat meat anyway. They have a really great menu, great servers and great atmosphere. Like I said nothing fancy, just good food in a mountain town in the middle of nowhere. Plus there is a bar tacked on next door which makes it really easy to transition into a nice drunken evening. I got a steak and it was SO good, cooked to perfection on an open flame and the sides were great too, I think I had the beans and potato. It was like camping on the Oregon Trail, without the dysentery and Poopface wasn't killed crossing a river. Anyway... This place is awesome, go here, live here, eat here and experience it. It is such a gem. read more

I have to say, my experiences at the Willo have been not very enjoyable. Probably it helps to visit the bar first, to have a few drinks and lower your standards. I have only been there for dinner. This is apparently a profitable business, because the owners have put none of their profits into making the restaurant an inviting place. The napkins are those cheap paper tissues in standup containers. The dinner rolls are those sold in supermarkets at bargain prices. The service is not notably friendly. There are many better places to go for steak. The place seems to do good business as a road house. It is the nearest restaurant for residents of North San Juan. It will probably continue to survive, but it is definitely not worth the drive from Grass Valley or Nevada City. read more

I'm from Chicago which means one thing, we slaughter a lot of cows. Once I moved to California I realized two things - [1] You massage your cows and paint their nails [2] You don't know how to make a deep dish pizza. However, The Willo delivers a delicious cut of steak for a completely reasonable price! Holy barnacles batman, this place is a gem! Just a few minutes north of Nevada City! It's the perfect combination of old school, hole in the wall and full flavor steakhouse. Plus this place dates back to when Lincoln was president, it's a no brainer to check this place out. read more

Me...on my birthday last night @ "The WIllow", a once fav go-to place for a steak I will NEVER, EVER step foot in or patronize again!!! My Mom REALLY wanted to take me out with the family for a steak, so... we went. So, we're all gathering in the parking lot and my Mom goes in ahead to let them know we've arrived... it's early @ 5:30pm (Saturday), hardly any tables occupied at all and I enter the restaurant to the sounds of the owner (whose name escapes me, nor do I care to know it now after this fiasco...) being unconscionably out-of-line with how he's berating & embarrassing my Mother in front of everyone in the restaurant about the reservation and some mix-up on the date, not dropping it and every time she tried to say something, him talking over her unkindly (where upon I wanted to leave immediately but family said to 'let it go', despite his moments later explaining he had PLENTY of available seating for us until 7pm, when the "Real" crowd starts coming in...? What a pleasant & grateful comment from the owner of a restaurant you're about to patronize... is the verbal abuse extra, or included in the tip???) :/ Willing to chill and let it go (only because of family insistence), we were seated, laughed a bit about it and ordered drinks (where I ordered "2" Bloody Marys, simply because I understand how often challenging it is there to get a second drink. I only ever received but "one"... even after twice mentioning having not received the second BM. Anyway, our waitress was a sweetheart, smiling and very quick at taking our orders. Unfortunately, the final problem occurred when I received my steak (where I ordered a Rib-Eye) and received a New York. I KNOW my cuts of steak, and especially what I've received as a Rib-Eye at the Willow before... and this was NOT a Rib-Eye... though it was pointed out to me soon by the owner, "the ridge", which makes it a Rib-Eye...? Quote: "I cut this just this morning, it's clearly a Rib-Eye, can't you see the ridge, right there? I mean, it IS only a 14oz portion you ordered but, it IS a Rib-Eye." He then copped this same disrespectful attitude with me that he had earlier with my Mother and got condescendingly sarcastic about the steak I was served. Well, I'd HAD ENOUGH! This, and especially his grandstanding belittling of my Mother earlier was all the arrogance from a restaurant owner riding the coattails reputation of the former owner's reputation I could take! The thing that got me most in his comment (besides the rest of it) was his implication that I was somehow "cheap" in having only ordered a 14oz Rib-Eye "portion" (at $30, mind you)... though their menu only states "RIB-EYE" on it, NOT Rib-Eye portion, or a mere 14oz Rib-Eye... so I'd ordered the ONLY Rib-Eye offered. However, I held my tongue despite fuming at this stage; I did NOT raise my voice and did NOT get in his face (as I should have) or call him out publicly on his unprofessional behavior, primarily so as not to ruin the evening for everyone... which, according to most my family, I did anyway by not simply "letting it go". Honestly, I'm SICK & TIRED of letting poor behavior go unchallenged!!! Especially when I'm paying for it, or someone I know is... it's poor business, it's inexcusable and it's just plain rude! However still, after 10-15 minutes past and it was clear to the owner I was not going to eat my steak and he approached me again, I chose to be passive aggressive by calmly telling him how I felt about his earlier behavior toward my Mother & now his attitude with the steak and that I was DONE, lost my appetite and was NOT interested at all in a meal. He seemed to suddenly realize what he'd done but, Instead of listening to me (a fed-up and already upset customer), he responded by coming up behind me every 5 minutes the rest of the meal (repeating my name, Dennis Dennis Dennis, incessantly...and I go by "DJ", NOT Dennis...everyone knows it) trying to convince me to take another steak, another piece of meat, let him soothe me in some way, going on & on and further irritating the situation instead of simply heeding what I'd told him; that my mind or appetite wasn't going to change once he'd crossed that line he should not have in the first place! Still, he insisted on doing everything in his power to make a public scene (again) in painting me as some sort of stubborn bully to the rest of the patrons in the room, and to my family... all of whom, remember, were there for MY Birthday. *ugh* The evening wound up with the rest of the staff kindly singing Happy Birthday to me when they brought our scoop of Ice Cream and, the owner announcing (so all in the restaurant could hear, conveniently) that he'd comp'd all of the Rib-Eye orders (I have no idea how many others ordered one). I found out later that my little brother left quite a hefty tip for the wait staff so, I genuinely hope THEY got it and NOT the owner, who initiated the entire mess in the first place. read more

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. read more