Amazing. Tonight we rediscovered a gem out in the distant world of Montana. No frills just good food. BABY BACK RIBS that are off the charts. Perfectly grilled with bountiful meat. Delicious flavor. So very filling. Add to this gem the onion rings, clam chowder, mac and cheese, salad the total package. All this in a casual understated atmosphere. Great place !!!!!!! Make the effort and make the trek to Three Forks area to Willow Creek. You will not be disappointed. read more

We have ate here several times, love the new menu. Service excellent & food even better. The crusted Walleye is amazing! There were 7 of us & not one complaint about the food, one had ribs & steak plus Cajun shrimp. I would love to have their breakfast some time soon read more

The food could compete very will with many high end restaurants in California. The service is great, food fantastic. Don't let the exterior fool you, great food inside awaits you. read more

Went to grab late breakfast. It took over an hour for our food. People that came in after us got their lunch served. They were cooking steaks before our omelets. All of the regulars got their food first despite showing up a half hr after us. The omelet I had was a sausage omelet. They made a plain omelet and put cheese and sausage on top of it then folded it over. Nothing inside melted or became one with the egg. Not a great way to do that. The potatoes on the side were raw and inedible. I left them on the plate. Other than that... the sourdough bread was excellent and the bartender was nice. Would not go back for the breakfast, it was lackluster and slow. read more

Willow Creek Cafe & Saloon - Sausage Omelet - Barbeque Near Me - Willow Creek, Montana

Love Willow Creek!! The ribs are absolutely to die for... and the fact that the book Blind Your Ponies was based off of this Inn makes it even more special!!!! read more

My husband and I had dinner at Willow Creek for Valentine's Day. We have eaten there over the years many times with friends and family, but it had been a few years since our last visit. We were pleased with the service and food - the ribs are still as good as ever. read more

We have been here many times hoping for better. Tonight the " chef" told us our raw burgers were "we do our best " and if we weren't happy not to come back. We tried to be polite about the issue but were not receptive equally. read more

Willow Creek Cafe & Saloon - Two raw burgers - Barbeque Near Me - Willow Creek, Montana

my first time to eat here on Feb 1 2026 and it was amazing I had to nicest servers and the food was great..I Love the old cafe this is a gem to enjoy..I will be back..the prices for breakfast where not that bad and everything is made in house..Its old but open and made me feel at home..Thank you to the crew.. read more

Willow Creek Cafe & Saloon - country benny - Barbeque Near Me - Willow Creek, Montana

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Super great ribs , the staff is really nice. Hometown cooking and the breakfast on Saturday and Sunday is amazing

Best ribs! All the servers and bar tenders are so nice and friendly. The vibe in there is great old western feel.

Had dinner there last night 10/17/25. Ordered the rib eye ($54.00 steak) medium well and blackened. I also ordered a baked potato loaded. Upon getting my food. It was not hot. My steak was medium rare and my potato and steak were warm. I will not send food back. Too many issues can occur when a person does that. For what I paid,not worth anywhere close to what I paid read more

My in-laws recommended the ribs here. I'm from the South, so I wasn't too excited. The pictures didn't appear fancy, but reservations were recommended. Who has better ribs than the South, right? Welllll..... that would be Willow Creek! Absolutely amazing ribs. My husband had the 1/2 rack of baby backs. They were tender, but not falling off the bone, had a tasty flavor and a beautiful smoke ring. They were mouth watering for sure!. They were served with a tangy Carolina sauce. All in all, maybe the best baby backs I have ever had! We were pleasantly surprised! My husband even stopped by the kitchen and complimented the chef! I had the Walleyed crusted fish. It was also very good. Nice, flaky white fish with a perfect crispy crust of macadamia nut glazed with a lemon honey compound butter and served with asparagus. Yummy! The rolls were served warm and had a sweet flavor like Hawaiian bread. The salad was fresh, but mostly a mesculin mix of greens, only 2 slices of cucumber and 2 cherry tomatoes. For dessert, I indulged in a deletable plain cheesecake with huckleberry sauce. It was so good, I forgot to take a pic! Now I understand why reservations were recommended! Overall, this was an amazing experience- great service and large servings of wonderful food! I really wanted to give 5 stars, but the salad was lacking. My rating is actually 4.5 stars. If you're in the area, or not, I definitely recommend going here. It is worth the drive and don't forget reservations! read more

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Service was great. Drinks were great. Got our food in a timely manner. Last time I reviewed this place I wrote I loved the soup that still holds up. My husband loved the ribs when he went last time. I tried to get a steak because I thought it would improve from the time before but it was very bland so bland I dipped it in someone's gravy off their plate The soup was so good though. Will try again! read more

Willow Creek Cafe & Saloon - steak and mashed potatoes - Barbeque Near Me - Willow Creek, Montana

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We had a large group of people (25) -Sat April 27th EVERYTHING was AMAZING !! there was no wait - which had a THREE Hour wait for our food the night before at a different local restaurant (and the food was not even cooked - at a Steak house ) The staff was so nice !! There was no complaints from anyone ! The food was cooked to perfection - all of it. Very professional ! We have eaten there for years and will continue to bring our family and friends there! The drive is beautiful and well worth it! read more

The food and atmosphere are excellent. The service was also wonderful. I especially like the Chicken Fried Steak.

We moved to the area 8 months ago. Finally tried this restaurant. We came on a slow night. I ordered 1/2 rack of ribs and my wife ordered the Spicey Squash salad. The ribs were really good. Not great, but really good. My wife loved the Spicey squash and chicken in the salad. We had beers and wine. Great value on both. Will definently come back for dinner in the future. read more

Mmm mmm you've got to try their ribs. Delicious on their own but the sauce is amazing. I'd never tried a mustard based bbq sauce but I'm sold on it now. I even went back a few days later to have more! read more

There isnt a single bad thing I can say about this place. Breakfast on Sundays, lunch, and dinner! All is fantastic. We love this place and make the drive almost weekly. The staff is wonderful and I look forward to seeing them when we visit. Check them out! read more

Food and service are great! The ribs are so good that I've been thinking about them for 6 years since the last time I was here from Texas! read more

Willow Creek Cafe & Saloon - Ribs w/ onion rings - Barbeque Near Me - Willow Creek, Montana

Come on...don't let this great restaurant die. We had our second meal there under the new ownership. The first was great in terms of what we expected in the food and service. But last night, the rib recipe had changed, the ribs were undercooked (meaning not falling off the bone and pink inside) with a new sauce. The baked potato was cold and No dish provided for the bread. The tiny paper napkins are not adequate for a place that serves ribs. Lori is a great cook ; maybe she needs to spend more time in the new kitchen. One more strike and this place is off our list. read more

We have been a few times and the food is always tasty. We have had the fried green tomatoes, mussels, ribs, and hunters chicken on our visits. The service is friendly and check back often. Fun old country bar on one side and nice dining area on the other. The prices are on the high end for what you get though. read more

we learned about this authentic slice of Americana from the book Blind Your Ponies. the beat up tandem bike is still out front. service was great, as were all the people. the bartender warned us they had a substitute chef, and the breaded food items were a bit burned. but the soup was great, the salad was fresh, and we will definitely make the 80 minute drive from Big Sky again. Out of the way small town places like this need to be savored while they are still here. and tonight they had live music playing both kinds of music, country and western, with some Springsteen snuck in. read more

I've been to this little place numerous times and always order the ribs...I think this time they put day old ribs in the microwave cuz they were Very dry. The staff should have taken them off the bill. I will not order them again! Disappointed read more

We have been coming to Willow Creek for years and have always loved it. We came tonight for my daughter's birthday and it was severely disappointing from start to finish. The clams used to be my favorite on earth, and tonight we got two orders only to find the broth tasted like dirty dishwater was nothing like it used to be, and the clams were very fishy tasting. My mom ordered a $52 ribeye medium and it came out well done. My daughter ordered the cheaper steak and it was flavorless. My husband ordered Kung Pao ribs and they brought half KP, half mustard. When he let the waitress know, she took the whole plate back and brought his plate back after they had attempted to scrape off the mustard flip them over, and then put Kung pao sauce on the same ribs. The waitress did not come over and check on us one time during our entire meal to see how things were or offer us more cocktails. I understand many restaurants are shortstaffed in Montana right now. However, there were only three tables in the entire restaurant and one group of five people in the bar next-door, so there was plenty of staff to be checking on the tables and making sure everyone was OK. The two waitresses were mostly standing on their cell phones the whole time or talking with the people at the bar next-door. I am extremely sad to say that that will be our last trip out there after many years of family tradition, and a $250 meal. read more

We didn't have reservations. Ooops! Make yourself a reservation. This is a popular spot! We were super fortunate we snagged a seat in the bar. However, many people were turned away because it's busy and in high demand. The ribs are all they claim to be. They fall off the bone and leave you a hot mess wanting more. The shrimp skewers were a nice addition to balance all the meatiness of the ribs. Our salad was tasty and the beer was cold. If you're in this area, make sure you go out of your way to find the Willow Creek Saloon. I can't wait to go back. read more

Sat down in bar area. Waiting 25 min. No one came to greet or take drinks. Normally this place has amazing service and greater food. Don't know if I'll come back. read more

Came to Willow Creek with family for dinner. They told us the best ribs were here. They were right. WOW Tender and juicy, with a mustard based BBQ sauce. We tried two desserts both were great. Our waitress was friendly and the atmosphere is quaint. You need reservations so make sure you make them or you'll miss out. The area is small no stop sign or traffic light (unless we came the back way) I come back the next time I'm in Montana. read more

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It's expensive for alright food. I went there and heard they had the best ribs yet they came out cold and were hard for $30 for a rack of ribs kinda blows my mind. read more

I used to love Willow Creek. The place has done a nose dive since the place changed hands. Had a 7:00 reservation. Didn't get seated until 7:30. It's now 8:17 and our food is no where seen. HORRIBLE! Don't waste your time! I will never come back. UPDATE: After this post I received an message from Lori from Willow Creek insulting me and telling me that they were busy and that I don't know what that means. WOW! I guess it's my fault I had to wait 30 minutes for a table and over an hour for my food. HORRIBLE! read more

Fantastic Kung Pao ribs in a pleasant rural Montana atmosphere. Service was good and pretty quick.

CLOSED on MONDAYS!!!!!!!! This place is now Woolzie's Willow Creek Cafe. The Staff was SUPER helpful! New owners! no longer willow creek cafe. Look up Woolzie's instead! read more

We drove in from Helena to eat at Willow Creek with some friends...it was a HUGE Disappointment last night. (Haven't been there in 2 years). The French onion soup was one of the worst we have ever had. It was basically salty water with white onions which were not even carmelized. Presentation was poor. Two fat croutons were floating in a very small sized cup. The broth was not only salty but bitter due to some type of alcohol in the soup...no cheese...basically inedible and poor presentation. The Fish and Chips entree was mostly all French Fries which looked like they came straight from a frozen bag. The Cod (3 small finger sized pieces)...was soggy and sitting on that mound of French fries. Service was poor...the waitress couldn't remember what we ordered as she constantly said.. "you betcha and sweetheart" to the 4 of us...and failing to bring the wine...or provide bread plates..or even bringing us our overpriced bill. The Baby Back Ribs...was dry...and the Sauce was not quite like we remembered..as if they just dumped sauce on it... was better than the Fish and Chips...but still disappointing. The noise level was so Loud..some people who just sat down left right away because of the noise. We had the Russian Creme dessert..it was Rubbery Jello...no huckleberry sauce like we remembered in the past... the recipe changed..we struggled to even finish half of it. But we did enjoy the Apple Struedle Cheesecake. Willow Creek was once upun a time a Montana gem of a restaurant...I don't know if new owners took over..but they are doing things on the cheap and charging expensive prices. Willow Creek is such a cute place..but we are sorry that we will not go back. read more

I have in the past been a very big fan of WIllow Creek, and have sent countless guests to the area there to dine- I am afraid no more. We drove 30-miles to go to WIllow Creek last night to arrive to a handwritten sign on the door 'Reservations only, no walk-ins,' something I have never seen before in Montana- or anywhere in the world for that matter. Well, this just can't be for a restaurant with a bar in the middle of nowhere Montana. Especially Willow Creek where they are always so friendly. So we went in anyway (it was 7:20pm on a Sunday night, Sunday working hours posted as being 4 - 9pm). We approached the bar and asked if we could sit at the bar and order food, and the bartender responded no, it was reservations only. She offered to pour us a drink, but we drove there to get food, so thanks anyway. While inside, I noted that the place was borderline empty with at least 10 open table, and not a soul sitting at the bar. Willow Creek also has a semi-open kitchen visible from the bar area. I couldn't see much because there were two cooks standing aimlessly in the doorway not looking very busy. I also did not see the productive energy 'mayhem' that happens in an overworked restaurant kitchen. So we left. Outside, I called the restaurant and asked to make a reservation. The response was "No, we are full." I responded by saying '"Can we sit at one of the 10 empty tables or the empty bar I am looking at right now?", and the lady that answered the phone responded that I should talk with the manager. And I did. I stated that we had driven a long way and hoped to eat there tonight, and were very let down to see an empty restaurant not willing to seat us and wondered why we could not give him money in exchange for food, which is of course the business he is in. His response was a very gruff and rude: "I have been working all day and I am f*&:ing tired," and then he hung up. I am a tremendous proponent of locally owned Montana businesses and part of my business is sending visitors to places just like Willow Creek. Needless to say, I will not frequent a business that does not want my business. Nor, can I with a clear conscious, recommend to any local, or visitor, to make the drive out to Willow Creek and run the risk of not being served dependent upon the manager's whim and how tired he is. Sadly, his actions are a direct reflection upon the entirety of the Willow Creek establishment. It is a shame that an individual's actions can mar a patron's opinion so grandly, but Willow Creek has quickly gone from one of my favorites to 'Do Not Go' status. There are always circumstances and situations that cause a person to act a certain way. However, there is no place anywhere, let alone in small town Montana, for a prima donna restauranteur. No food, atmosphere, or location is good enough to justify being treated disprespectfully- and this certainly includes Willow Creek. Perhaps they were short staffed, someone died, or a food order did not get delivered. That is fine, but tell me the truth and with respect; not that you are 'too tired'. After all, I am the one potentially giving you money for service, not the other way around. Further, the best part of Willow Creek has always been the friendly staff and welcoming, unique 'Montana' atmosphere- not the food. Yesterday that was completely gone. I feel sorry for the staff of Willow Creek who's wages are dependent upon serving patrons, because if this level of treatment and policy continues there will not be any patrons for them to earn money off of in the future. In conclusion, barring some serious management attitude changes, Willow Creek is no longer worth the drive. I encourage the manager/ owner to respond to these statements, as I very much want to give Willow Creek the benefit of the doubt to the reasoning of why they would not serve 2-guys food with an empty bar, empty tables, and idle staff. I want to support their establishment, but need to know if problems will be rectified for the future. read more

The prime rib was ok, but not great. My family enjoyed the ribs. The service was terrible; our server was really slow and tried to force my husband to order more food. Overall, not a dining experience that I was to repeat, but I'm glad that we tried it. I did feel the the dishes were a little overpriced for the quality and quantity. read more

This place has the best ribs I have ever had, but for the price and terrible service it isn't worth it. We went twice & had a different server each time, but the service was terrible from both waitresses. The 2nd visit took at least 40 min to get our order taken and we had reservations. The waitresses would not make eye contact when they walked past you so it was difficult to get anything from them. It took about 3 hours, no joke, for the whole process from getting the food to paying. I will never go back, it was that bad & I've never experienced service this terrible anywhere in my entire life. read more

A perfect Montana spot with some great food. This place is in the middle of Big Sky country and worth the drive. Good prices, great bar, traditional Montana atmosphere and GREAT food! As others have mentioned the Ribs are great. The desserts are fantastic and my Manhattan was cheap and perfectly made. A Montana staple that is not to be missed. Be sure to make reservations. Usually only needed a day or two in advance. Total price for 4 with multiple drinks and 2 desserts was $95. read more

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Brought my husband here for the true Montana experience! We are both from California but I was born in Bozeman and come back often to visit family. I hadn't been to this restaurant in awhile but since it was my husband's first time in Montana, we brought him to check out the ribs. The atmosphere is rough but fun, with real bullet holes in the ceiling, deer heads mounted to the wall and a true saloon feel. I had a really good steak with the red potatoes and a salad with delicious huckleberry dressing. My husband devoured his ribs- which if you haven't had them before you are missing out. He said that are among the top 3 best ribs he has ever had- and that is saying something! Highly recommended and a fun experience for those new to Montana. read more

Came here at 4:30p with my husband. Pretty empty with plenty of seating still (although by the sounds of the calls, reservations for dinner seating were starting to fill). Either way, we chose a high top in the saloon side. Hubby and I split a full rack of ribs which came with a salad (or soup) and choice of side (we chose onion rings but multiple potato opts available too.) The ribs were very yummy. The mustard sauce did not disappoint... and we got extra on the side (perfect for leftovers). Staff was friendly and we enjoyed the atmosphere. Very much looking forward to dinner here this summer after riding bikes at Copper City!! read more

I have been here before, and the food was great. I have called the restaurant several times, during their stated hours open, and received a voice message, that reservations are needed and to call back... Impossible to reach for reservations. I suggest they have a dedicated person answering their phone. So, show up with no reservations and take your chances? Keep calling, hoping they will answer the phone? I hope they will read this review and start answering the phone. read more

I've eaten at the Willow Creek Saloon many times and can honestly say that their ribs are mouth watering delicious! The barbecue sauce is homemade and unlike nothing you'll experience anywhere else. The meat is tender and falls right off the bone. The chicken wings and hamburgers are awesome as well. Atmosphere is very friendly, cozy and casual. read more