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    The Willows

    3.9 (268 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    The Willows Photos

    THE WILLOWS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Intimate
    Romantic
    Classy

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    Recommended Reviews - The Willows

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    New York steak was made to perfection
    Ruth O.

    Having our steak dinner here at the willow was one of our favorite things to do while visiting Solvang but last night our service was horrible. First the host was rude by having us walk to the patio then telling us we had to go back to the lobby and wait. Our server seemed to love to say "no we don't do or we can't do that" if I am paying that amount I'd appreciate a good service.

    Crab Cakes appetizer
    Anthony N.

    We visited The Willows while checking out the casino this past Wednesday evening and really enjoyed everything at this restaurant. We were seated right away and had excellent service from everyone, especially our waitress Alicia. She really took care of us, answered our questions about the menu options and was wonderful. We ordered the crab cakes as an appetizer and for entrees we got the veal osso buco and jidori chicken plates. Everything was fantastic. The veal was one of the best dishes I've had in a long time. It was mentioned during our visit that we were celebrating my mother's birthday, and Alicia brought over a lovely ice cream cake desert, which was very kind and appreciated. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The decor and ambiance inside was really nice and I was especially drawn to the beautiful light fixtures and wall art decor.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Many thanks to the Willows Team for such a wonderful meal. It was a 5-star experience!

    Mac and cheese ... read review for secret
    Alia S.

    Well... I think the photos speak for themselves! Steaks were both amazing. The filet melted in my mouth, hardly took even a push on the knife to cut and the Gorgonzola was the perfect complement. Corn and the spicy sauce... yes please! Send more please! Ok the Mac and cheese was gooey inside and just perfectly crusted and crunchy on top! Ok here's the secret... menu reads "torchio, Parmesan, aged cheddar"... What it doesn't say is it's topped with cheese-it s !!! No joke! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The atmosphere here is just like you want it to be. A little darker, a little cooler and a lot yummier than the rest of the casino![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Our waitress was great ... very very sweet and very personable! I'm not going to lie though... this was a romantic birthday dinner I was treating my boyfriend to and as much as I enjoyed the banter we got a whole life story from her. I had just driven up from la to meet him here for dinner and we were just wanting some alone time. I think we know more about her than her therapist, that she chatted freely to us about! I spent many years in management and service in the restaurant industry so I always really do value a server who can be themselves with guests.. BUT this was a very expensive romantic dinner for two that became for three... particularly when she brought out my boyfriend's birthday dessert. A time when a couple wants to share their hopes for the next year. Again when she brought the check to be signed... something I don't really like doing while my server is watching. I always tip at least 20% and this was no exception. Next time though I guess we will have to speak up and ask for some alone time!

    Crab cakes.,  Real cesar salad with a real anchovies.        And lollipop  amb Super Delicious
    Nallely G.

    Great place, amazing atmosphere and food is phenomenal [[HIGHLIGHT]]love everything about this place inside the casino upstairs, great for a Romantic date or just for goid food and cocktail[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

    Rib eye steak (split), garlic mashed potatoes, cosmo
    Cassandra O.

    [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great ambiance and service.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Food and drinks were delicious. Staff were very accommodating and helpful.

    New York State bone in dinner everything was great except for the box mashed potatoes. It's sad that they cant splurge for real potatoes.
    Jennyfer S.

    The steak was good and the sides were good. It's except for the mashed potatoes that clearly tasted like powder box mashed potatoes. Upsetting for a bill of $230 for 2 people . The waiter Marco was amazing

    Peppercorn crusted filet mignon
    Joanne P.

    Absolutely loved our Valentine's Day dinner! Booked our reservation in December '22 and decided it'd be better to have a table indoors. Although there's heat lamps outside- one could never gauge weather that far ahead of time. I didn't want to deal with having any hiccups. With that being said- once we checked in, ladies were given a long stemmed red rose by the hostess. I should've took a photo of the Valentine's Day menu $85pp w/ an additional $30 wine flight option. Hubby ordered the shrimp cocktail for his appetizer. And man! I have never seen shrimps that HUGE before! I ordered the lobster bisque. And I love how chunks of fresh lobster were at the bottom of the bowl. The bisque is poured from a carafe. We both enjoyed our 7oz medium filet mignon. Both were peppercorn crusted. I enjoyed every tender melt in your mouth bite. Pour over the light gravy. The sides we picked were the mushrooms, garlic infused mashed potatoes, and the Mac n cheese. Thought I was gonna have room for dessert. But, silly me. We walked away with leftovers from our side dishes. Staff was amazing and always checked in on us.

    We each get our own tomahawk steak every time we come here
    Jennifer K.

    The very first time we came here last year I got the tomahawk steak and my wife got a ribeye but after she tasted mine she loved it. Since then we've been here twice just this year(2024) and have been getting our own tomahawks because it is so good that we know if we shared just one it wouldn't be enough for both of us. We came here on 12-29-2024 randomly because my wife said she had to use up whatever was left on here chumash card before it expired. It was so busy and packed. Since it was a last minute dinner plan we did not make reservations so opt to be seated outdoors to be seated quickly. The service last night was not upto par compared to the last two times we were there. [[HIGHLIGHT]]If the bar area was not crowded we would have ate there instead.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]I was a little worried about it being cold and windy last night but their heat lamps were pretty up high so it wasn't too hot or cold.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The best part of being outside was the fresh air, the restaurant inside smelled a lot more like cigarettes than usual maybe because there were soooo many more people than usual cause of the holiday season.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Once we were seated it took 10 minutes for someone to serve us water & bread while letting us know that a server will be with us soon. Well the server didn't come out until 15mins later to take our order. They forgot my wife's mashed potatoes and I knew our server wouldn't come check up on us once all our food was out even if we needed more water. When he finally came out because I kept looking, I told him he forgot my wife's mashed potatoes so we just asked him to pack it to go and by time he brought it out we wanted take the leftovers. We ended up staying in the restaurant til almost closing time(we got seated around 7:50pm)because it took the server soooo long to pack our leftovers. Also maybe cause everyone who ate outside all finished and we were the only ones left. [[HIGHLIGHT]]They also turned off the heat lamps and I started to get cold while waiting for our leftovers to get packed and for the check come out.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Since it was a fairly long wait and maybe someone saw me cross my arms cause I was cold someone turned my side of the heat lamps back on[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. When the server finally came back with our packed leftovers and check we told him we had a twism deal, he told us that if it's more than a $100 it doesn't apply but he talked to the manager and he also apologized for not being attentive that next time we come he would be better and because of that we actually got the twism deal. Which definitely made up for the lack of service that night. We love this tomahawk steak too much to not come back.

    Black widow margarita
    Julia R.

    Willows is a great place for a meal if you are at the casino or nearby. The atmosphere is not "romantic" to me because you have to go through the casino to get to it, but it has a good vibe overall and casual attire is usually fine. The cocktails are great--honestly one of the best lime margaritas I've ever had and the raspberry mingle is like an adult capri sun. Some of the menu items do switch up, like one of my favorites the beet salad is gone but it's been replaced with an amazing fried cauliflower/sweet chili sauce appetizer. Steaks are good quality and the sides are all fantastic so you really can't go wrong. Wait staff is so friendly too!

    Alaskan King Crab legs and a side of Mac and cheese! Yummm!!!
    Dan N.

    Frank and Chef Sergio are pretty consistent on delivering tasty items at Willows. Even if you don't plan on gambling in the casino or catching a show, you cant go wrong at Willows. Service is always on point and they have a great selection on the menu as well as the bar. We'll worth a visit if you are looking for great steaks or seafood.

    Rosa G.

    I love this restaurant definitely the best I've ever had. The lobster was cooked to perfection so was the steak. Service was amazing and they were able to get us a reservation same day for a group of seven. it is so convenient that you can have a nice dinner and then have fun at the casino for a while. everything that we ordered was delicious no complaints. I will definitely be coming back here. The surf and turf is Amazing highly recommended it!

    Arugula Salad

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    The Willows Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Willows

    Are nice jeans acceptable attire? And does anyone know the cost of the corkage fee?

    Karen, jeans are acceptable attire. The dress code is pretty relaxed. As far as the cork fee I do not have an answer.

    Do we get free dessert, if it is your birthday?

    Yes. It is ice cream.

    View All 4 Questions

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    Santa Ynez Billiards & Cafe

    Santa Ynez Billiards & Cafe

    4.7
    (138 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    When you walk in, it's definitely not what you'd expect from a place with "billiards" in the name…read more Yes, there are pool tables--but it feels much more like a cozy lunch spot. There's also a full bar, a beer fridge, and a great patio, so it's really a mix of everything. The owner is super friendly and welcoming. The food is solid, and they've got a great selection of local drinks. Whether you're stopping in for a quick bite, a drink, or a casual game of pool, it's got something for everyone.

    This place is just as good as other reviewers claim. It is a mom & pop family style restaurant…read more-bar-billiard hall. Unlike many other billiard halls this place is clean and has a family friendly atmosphere. There are three pool tables in good condition. Little close together, but workable. Used our own cues so don't know the condition of theirs. Only one rack on our visit. Full sized tables not the coin pay smaller kind. Was $10 an hour on our visit which is a good deal in our experience. Played about 1 hr 10-15 min and were only charged for an hour. Didn't good our ID while we played--old school small town trust. The bar has only beer and wine. They have glass door fridges like at a convenience store for soda, other beers not on tap, and some other drinks. Bartender also takes your food order. He was friendly. The food is fast food American and Middle Easter -Mediterranean. We got the chicken shawarma and kebob to go. Like many comparable places, the food quality and taste was very good but the quantity was a little small. If you are very hungry or a big eater, then you will need more than one entree. Prices were reasonable. Parking lot is a little small. Should be some street parking too. Seems like a local hangout in a tourist area. Was slow on a weekday between 2-5 with a lot of young couples stopping by for drinks and take out. Definitely the kind of family style and local place we like to go when on a trip. Highly recommend for a casual hangout on your trip to the area or to play pool. Yelp menu pics for this place were incomplete and too old. The app does not always upload my photos properly, but tried to upload the whole food and liquor menus posted on the walls during our visit.

    Photos
    Santa Ynez Billiards & Cafe
    Beef Shawarma
    Beef Shawarma
    Great Beer Selection

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    Great Beer Selection
    The Sports Bar

    The Sports Bar

    4.0
    (50 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$

    Chumash Sports Bar has high-quality, great-tasting food with generous portions that definitely…read moreleave you satisfied. Everything we've tried has been delicious, and you can truly taste the quality and freshness in the food. Ashley is hands down the absolute best bartender/server! She's attentive, friendly, and incredibly helpful. She knows the menu inside and out and always has great recommendations. Plus, she makes the BEST lemon drops! She really makes the experience even more enjoyable. The only downside is that the Mother Clucker (spicy crispy chicken sandwich) isn't available until 4 p.m. Unfortunately that means we can't order it for lunch, which is disappointing because it's one of our favorites. I'd love to see that changed in the future. Overall, great food and great service -- we'll definitely keep coming back!

    Everything was really good overall, but our drinks didn't arrive until we were already halfway…read morethrough our meals. The setup is really cool. you walk in and see multiple kitchens cooking different types of food all in one place. We tried a mix of sushi, tacos, stir fry, pho, and wings, and everything hit the spot. There's plenty of seating, and the large TVs throughout make it a great place to watch sports. If you sit at the bar, they even have casino-style machines so you can sip and snack while you play. Service was decent, aside from the delay with the drinks. I understand the bar was busy, but waiting until we were halfway done eating was a bit much.

    Photos
    11/26/25 Waiting for pick-up order.
    11/26/25 Waiting for pick-up order.
    Gyoza s with sauce with stringed carrots
    Gyoza s with sauce with stringed carrots
    6/9/26

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    6/9/26
    Vaquero Bar

    Vaquero Bar

    3.8
    (78 reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $$

    The novelty of spinning records wore off fast, and what could've been a cool, defining feature for…read morethe place ended up feeling more like a missed opportunity. Kelly seemed more focused on catering to a small group of guys in cowboy hats than maintaining the vibe that actually makes this spot stand out. Instead of reading the room, she and her May 1st bartender colleague locked into a single stream of country music that clearly wasn't resonating with most of the crowd. That's really the frustrating part, it wasn't just a music choice, it was the complete lack of awareness or willingness to adjust. People weren't being heard, requests were ignored, and the whole "records" concept felt pointless when it was treated so rigidly. If you're going to lean into vinyl as part of the experience, it should feel curated, responsive, and a little bit special, not like someone just putting on their personal playlist and tuning everyone else out. The drinks were genuinely great, which makes the situation even more disappointing. The potential is clearly there, but the execution on the atmosphere just didn't match. If the records are going to stay, they should actually be used to enhance the environment, not limit it. Otherwise, it might be better to ditch the gimmick entirely rather than let it drag down what could be an otherwise standout spot.

    I can see why this place is a Michelin star restaurant. It's worth the price but if you want a…read moreslightly cheaper experience then do the brunch. Honestly the steak is a have to and so good! The ambiance makes you want to spend your whole day there. The bar is well stocked and the staff is friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. I highly recommend you try if in the area.

    Photos
    Vaquero Bar
    Vaquero Bar
    Vaquero Bar

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    S Y Kitchen

    S Y Kitchen

    4.4
    (1.1k reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$$

    Having been advised by a local museum docent that "everybody eats at SY Kitchen", I jumped online…read moreto make a quick reservation for two of us. We walked in early, asked to sit at the bar, and our reservation was honored. The restaurant was bustling but service did not feel rushed or hurried. We were lucky to dine at the bar; Mr. Maciel took truly excellent care of us the whole evening, remembering every request and taking care of every detail for our dining experience. His wine recommendations were also spot on. We decided to focus on three different pastas and were not disappointed. Highly recommended. My absolute favorite was the Wild Mushroom Pappardelle but honestly, every pasta was delicious. Portions were generous and leftovers were promptly boxed up to take home. Folks clearly schedule special dinners here, warranting dressing up, but casual diners such as ourselves also felt comfortable. I'd recommend dining at the bar for exceptional service and a front-line seat to all the action.

    Perfect spot for a Memorial Day trip. Great energy and amazing food to pair with wine…read more Mushroom Pasta: Mind-blowingly good. A total standout. Prosciutto Platter: The ultimate wine companion. Flawless. Roasted Olives: Surprisingly delicious and a must-order. Pizza: Solid and well above average. A must-visit if you're in Los Olivos. Every single dish hits the spot. 10/10.

    Photos
    S Y Kitchen
    Butter squash soup
    Butter squash soup
    Signature watermelon  margarita and espresso martini

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    Signature watermelon margarita and espresso martini
    High Roller Tiki Lounge

    High Roller Tiki Lounge

    4.0
    (305 reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$

    One thing we quickly noticed in Solvang is that there aren't many places open late, so finding High…read moreRoller Tiki Lounge open until 11 PM was a huge plus! After a delicious dinner nearby, we stopped in for drinks, live music, and a good time and this place delivered. They had a great live band playing fun tunes that really set the atmosphere. The vibe was relaxed, lively, and exactly what we were looking for to end the night. Their drink menu is packed with creative and fun options. I ordered the Mango Michelada, and it absolutely did not disappoint. Our waiter was also fantastic, very attentive, friendly, and kept checking in on us throughout the night. If you're in Solvang and looking for a fun late-night spot with good drinks, music, and great service, High Roller Tiki Lounge is definitely worth stopping

    We wanted to start our Friday night by grabbing a drink and checking out High Roller Tiki Bar, but…read moreunfortunately, our experience was disappointing from the start. After walking in and passing the host stand, a server who was seated at the bar got up, walked us to a table, and suggested we sit on the loveseat. The host was friendly and welcoming, and the space itself seemed promising. We were excited to settle in, have a drink, and check the place out. The restaurant was nearly empty when we arrived, but shortly after we were seated, a larger group came in. From that point on, it felt like we were completely forgotten. The server focused on the larger party, taking drink orders and delivering beverages as more guests from their group arrived. Meanwhile, we sat waiting without any acknowledgment. Another group of ladies was seated nearby and appeared just as confused about who was helping them. We both work in the restaurant industry, so we understand that larger parties can demand attention and that things don't always go perfectly. We tried to be patient and give the team the benefit of the doubt. However, after waiting more than 15 minutes without anyone checking on us, taking a drink order, or even acknowledging our table, we decided to leave. What made the experience especially frustrating was that the restaurant wasn't busy when we arrived. We never felt welcomed beyond being shown to our table, and ultimately it felt like our business wasn't valued. Hopefully this was just an off night, because the atmosphere and concept seemed like something we would have enjoyed. We'd be willing to give it another chance, but first impressions matter, and unfortunately this one missed the mark. Sadly, it looks like we definitely missed out on the famous Bowl for Two.

    Photos
    Booths in Club 433
    Booths in Club 433
    High Roller Tiki Lounge
    Seating area

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    Seating area
    The Tavern

    The Tavern

    3.8
    (335 reviews)
    4.4 mi
    $$$

    My wife and I had a very fun evening at Mattei's. rhe wait staff were just fab, informative and…read morefriendly. When they found out it was my birthday, they treated me very nicely and that was greatly appreciated. The Tavern is also a pretty space for dining and that made it even better. My wife had the kale salad (she loved it) and we shared the fried cauliflower and mashed potatoes (also good) The one downside was that I had the pork chop as my main and it was way overdone. It was a bit tough to eat. Otherwise Mattei's would have been 5 stars for sure. The next morning we went back and visited the coffee bar. Drinks were excellent, we got the cheesy eggs/toast which was very good and they have a nice seating area.

    We made a reservation at The Tavern to celebrate our one-year anniversary, so it was disappointing…read moreto arrive and learn that our reservation had somehow been canceled. We had specifically chosen this restaurant because we were traveling with our dog and understood that their outdoor seating area was dog-friendly. We were told that the outdoor patio was closed for a private event. Since we had made our reservation more than a week in advance, it would have been helpful if the restaurant had notified us ahead of time so we could have made other arrangements. Unfortunately, we ended up having to leave our dog back at the hotel. To their credit, the hostess did her best to accommodate us and found us a table in the bar area near the fireplace. However, the location wasn't ideal for an anniversary dinner. Guests frequently walked and stood in front of the fireplace directly in front of our table, and at one point other patrons even sat down at our table, making what was supposed to be a romantic evening feel awkward and disrupted. The food itself was excellent, and we genuinely enjoyed our meal. Had it not been for the reservation mix-up and the restaurant's lack of proactive communication regarding the patio closure, this would likely have been a much higher-rated experience. Unfortunately, the service and overall experience fell short of what we expected for such a special occasion.

    Photos
    Inside the tavern
    Inside the tavern
    Fritto misto
    Fritto misto
    Smoked old fashioned

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    Smoked old fashioned

    The Willows - seafood - Updated July 2026

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