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Willie Bird's Restaurant
Category: Restaurants American (Traditional) American (Traditional) [Edit]
1150 Santa Rosa AveSanta Rosa, CA 95404
(707) 542-0861
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 7 am - 9 pm
Sun 7 am - 8 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Dive-y
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
71 reviews for Willie Bird's Restaurant
Review Highlights
"Ranks up there with the best when it comes to turkey."
(in 55 reviews)
"And the mashed potatoes were whipped and buttery goodness."
(in 14 reviews)
"Moist turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, wheat bread."
(in 6 reviews)
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71 reviews in English
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Review from Cole C.
Anaheim, CA
11/27/2011 2 photos
Atmosphere: ok low key diner - you don't go here for the atmosphere
Service: great
Food: Delicious turkey, dressing and creamy mashed potatos
I'll be back. -
Review from Kurt S.
Arlington, VA
11/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
A Triple-D recommendation.
Good and fast. Food is spot-on. If you like turkey, this is a place to go. Definitely an interesting joint. -
Review from Cindy M.
Livermore, CA
9/29/2011
Here's my story of my visit to Willie Bird's. It's funny to write such an awkward review, but here goes it. If you want a heavy meal, lots of food, and you adore fowl, then this is your kind of place.
I didn't know that Willie Bird's was featured on DDD's, but I really wish I'd known that so I would've had an idea of what to order for a hangover. Somebody in town had told us about it and it was just up the road from where we were staying for the night so we opted to stop in for breakfast and alcohol (on my part). The place looked old and dingy, but it's a diner so what the heck. No worries, just give me a spicy bloody Mary pronto because my head was pounding. LOL
I couldn't get that drink fast enough, but when I did the first thing I went for was the slice of celery that was garnish. Perhaps they didn't think I would actually try and eat the celery because they gave me what looked like a decent stalk of celery, but tasted like it was ready to be thrown out. It was sour and totally made me want to spit it out, but I endured and swallowed.....eek. Then to wash it down, the first drink...not so bueno either. At this point I was desperate and should have ordered some other drink, but continued to try and drink what I ordered. I was able to finish most of it, but I honestly think it made me feel worse.
Onto to the service and food...great friendly service and could see the locals frequenting a diner like this. Being that I was hungover, I personally didn't love that I could smell a strong odor of cigarette smoke that must have been infused into the booth I was sitting in. Again, don't complain, just suck it up buracha and order some food.
I guess I didn't get the whole "Willie Bird's" motto until I saw the menu. Everything and I mean everything, was turkey. I went with what any hungover person might do and ordered something that sounded really greasy. The turkey fried steak with all the fixins (home fries - pretty good, over easy eggs - super runny and I couldn't touch them, and biscuit w/ gravy). That should have done the trick so I thought.
Negative...I was too far gone and to NO fault of WB's or our waitress...could I eat more than a bite or two of my food. I couldn't even think of the thought of boxing it up to go.
My husband pulls no surprises and always orders Ham & Eggs, but the waitress stopped him in his tracks that morning. She said "we have turkey ham, is that OK?' LOL. You should have seen the look on his face. He had her repeat it (lol) and then she convinced him that bacon would be OK. He finished his plate of eggs, bacon, hashbrowns and pancakes with no problem. I later asked him if it was good and he said he thought it was okay.
As graciously as a severely hungover and unfed person could do, I returned from the very clean and sterile bathroom, smiled and told my husband to please remove me from the place. If I ever had an opportunity to come back I'd definitely want to do some research on what famous dishes are served here. Of course I would make sure I was in better condition as well. -
Review from Tiffany R.
Santa Rosa, CA
Updated - 2/4/2012
Thanksgiving dinner any night of the week, yuuuummmmy!
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Review from Gilbert R.
San Rafael, CA
2/9/2012
kewl throwback kind of restaurant. i like the bar. i like turkey and it is hard to find in most other restaurants. so get wild turkey at the bar and turkey in the dining room if you like turkey alot.
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Review from rew c.
Santa Rosa, CA
8/18/2011 ROTD 10/20/2011
I don't understand how you can review this place badly - no one walks into Willie Bird's and thinks this is great ambience, or this is where I will have my wedding reception - NO, not this place.
As soon as I saw the old building and my friend's told me the family (the Willie Bird family I suppose) is in the Turkey Farm business - I was looking forward to this new adventure. You walk in and it's wooden panelling everywhere - everything is very old style - prob late 60's early 70's.
Saddle up at the bar and John (daytime) or Willie Wong (not related to the family) makes you a big delicious drink in a bucket - I have a glass fetish and these are great glasses. And it's a good strong drink - you don't have to ask or hope that it's a good drink - believe me it's good and strong and CHEAP. A refreshing gin and tonic in a bucket at the bar on a hot day in Santa Rosa - perfect. I could actually buy a round if I knew the other people.
When I was there - they had some happy hour food set up - cheese bread and a shafing dish of big juicy turkey meatballs with red sauce/ketchup. I wasn't a huge fan of the ketchup sauce - but where am I - I'm not at the Bechamel Sauce Restaurant - it was all quite delicious. Just walk in and enjoy the atmosphere for what is is - it's not a greasy spoon at all - the food is good for what it is and the drink are outstanding with a nice crowd. -
Review from Kris D.
San Ramon, CA
9/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went to this place after seeing it on the Food Network, not bad food but I would probably not drive 2 hours to just eat here, if I happen to be in the neighborhood it would probably be a 2nd thought! The turkey was good although unlike other places they would not serve me any turkey skin!
I've definitely had better turkey at places like Tommy's Joynt in San Francisco. -
Review from Michael W.
La Verne, CA
When you walk into this old fashioned dark wood paneled restaurant you would never think the person who told you to come her drives a red classic car and has bleached spiked hair.
This place is a little expensive for what you get.
As you may have guessed by now yes this is a Triple D
I would go on a Wednesday where their signature dish the Turkey stroganoff is the special which is also what they made on the show.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
I wish I could give them 4 stars but the price really hurts it.
And those crappy veggies on the edge of the plate (just give me more noodles dam it!)
My mom had a turkey sandwich and shes told me it was dry. She wasn't going to say anything but I did. They were right on it and took it off the bill.
Honestly I think Guy Ferrai needs to look a little harder when he makes places Triple D's I have been to a bunch and they aren't the best generally.
I would go back on Wednesday for the stroganoff its pretty good. -
Review from Hasan T.
Rohnert Park, CA
4/4/2011
Let me begin by saying that my girlfriend and I definitely received some strange looks walking in here (Me: skinny black dude, Her: freckled-faced white chick). There was one older couple that literally stared at us the whole time we were there. I shit you not, THE WHOLE EFFING TIME. I guess it has to do more with the type of patrons that come in here, than the establishment itself, and I don't blame them. Anyways, on to the review...
DAYUM is all I have to say about the food. Great down-home meals, and you definitely will be walking out fat and happy. No complaints about the waitstaff. Try 'em out! -
Review from Jackie K.
Santa Rosa, CA
4/27/2011
This is my first negative review on Yelp...the tough thing is it's a restaurant whose food I love, and I've been here many times. Tonight I'm eating in the bar where I can plug in my laptop, have some wine and some dinner.
I was listening to the news as I finished my dinner. Suddenly, there was just me, the bartender and two men at the bar. In the middle of the news, the bartender switched to a Spanish speaking station. Not a word or a glance at me. So much for my finishing off my dinner with the evening news. The men at the bar are speaking Spanish. I guess now that I paid my tab, I'm not the ugly American, but the invisible one,
All over much of the world I've traveled. I've never seen this anywhere but in the United States. And I Love the Spanish language and the Latino peoples. Try this in France, folks.
There won't be a tip for my second glass of wine -
Review from Jim T.
Geyserville, CA
4/24/2011
I love turkey so I thought this place would be a slam dunk but boy was I wrong---the food was barely edible, the service was poor, the atmosphere is just funky (in a bad way), worst of all, the freaking place is filthy and even smells dirty. On the up side, prices are cheap (most crappy stuff IS cheap) I would rather starve than eat here again!
I look at these other reviewers here and I wonder where in hell did they eat--couldn't have been the same place or else they're not very bright ! Some of them actually think it's worth 3 or 4 stars---you gotta be sh*tting me!?!? -
Review from Nikki W.
Santa Rosa, CA
6/14/2011
Just not my cup of tea. A total greasy spoon. That about sums it up. Really nice staff, delicous fatty food, old decor and a bar. So again not exactly my favorite type of hangout but for a lot of people it is a staple. I'd rather be at a cute brunch place mixin it up then setteling down here.
I don't know what thier exact relationship is to the Willie Bird Turkey vendor that attends fairs and festivals but they are bomb!!! So head out to get a turkey leg instead of coming here. -
Review from Ed K.
Plano, TX
9/6/2011
This restaurant located just South of Downtown Santa Rosa, offers a lot of Turkey entrees...eg., Turkey Omelets ....in addition to regular "American" entrees......the turkey used is their own , which is grown locally.....It was rather dark when I entered, but further back in the restaurant there is abundant light....I had the Turkey Sandwich,which was served with a salad and cranberry sauce.....I was waited on promptly, and the staff was very friendly.....all in all, a good place to eat if ya like homestyle cookin'...
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Review from Tony B.
Nice, CA
12/3/2010
This is one of those places that is like the fabric of a community, part of the landscape. I'm sure it's been here long before mediocrity was the norm in dining and before kitsch was manufactured somewhere in China and imported in a shipping container.
I happened into the place on a shopping run and was immediately greeted warmly by the staff. From the bus boy to the hostess to the server, all were totally on their game and very friendly.
The place is definitely old school as described in other reviews. Leather booths and a shelf around the perimeter of the ceiling with semi-collectible items are throw backs to a time when restaurant kitsch was part of the experience and the kitsch probably overflowed from the restaurant owner's personal collection of stuff like steins and glasses and such.
The food is the thing and I ordered a traditional thanksgiving turkey dinner just because that's what the place is famous for. You will not be disappointed whatsoever - the food was as good as you would hope for a place famous for this.
For $15 you get turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, bread and butter, salad and soup. All this without having to listen to your family whine about their whatever ailment or financial situation or political who-ha and you can be thankful year 'round.
I was totally impressed with the service - even the bus boy was friendly and everybody was there when you needed them but not at all obtrusive. As soon as my order was placed, zingo, there was my soup. As soon as the soup was done, wham, there was the salad. This was fast food but not the crap most of us expect from the drive through. Maybe I should say this was traditional food served fast.
While there are lots of places where you can have the same meal as you had in Dallas, Tempe and Fresno, places like this are a treasure that is to be savored by young and old alike. This is one of those places you go when you are old 'cause it's like how it used to be. Sure, many of the patrons voted for George Washington for President but there was a family or two as well so it's not a total jurassic experience.
Willie Bird's is well worth going to and supporting as a fixture that lives up to its time-tested reputation for good food and service. -
Review from Maria V.
Santa Rosa, CA
10/5/2011
I have driven by this place for years and always thought that it looked kinda dark and old and somewhere I would never eat. My boss suggested lunch one day and now I can't believe I had never eaten there before. Delicious light lunch, fresh salad and great half a turkey sandwich. Never been inside the joint but I think it's delicious!
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Review from Erin S.
Santa Rosa, CA
12/12/2010 1 Check-in Here
Old fashion kind of hospitality. Everyone calls you "hun" and you just can't help but smile. Everyone asks you how you are doing from the kitchen to wait staff to the busboys. They are really that friendly.
I have been here for breakfast multiple times and always enjoyed good traditional comfort food.
Today I came in for lunch to try turkey. Its what they do best. I had the Mama Bird Sandwich comprised of multiple slices of turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce on whole wheat. The sandwich was just too good. So filling, but I couldn't put it down.
This place has the aromas of Thanksgiving in the air...so you just want to stuff yourself.
My partner had the turkey-fried steak, which was good, but the gravy just didn't have it. The mash potatoes were too die for though.
Santa Rosa stable that lives up to the hype. -
Review from Doug W.
11/15/2010
While staying just down the street we found ourselves in need of repast and walked here.
Now this is what I'm talking about, a tavern with good food and stiff drinks.
It was Friday and the special was prime rib but I figured it's a turkey joint so why not turkey!
I felt a little Italian and had Turkey Parmigiana and while not veal which I love it was quite good. My bride enjoyed the Hot Turkey sandwich which could feed two. mmm.
Richard the bartender wasn't bashful with his pours either.
We'll be back the next time we are here! -
Review from A I.
San Francisco, CA
10/27/2010
Good basic meal. Here's the trick. There is almost no difference between the Roast Turkey dinner for $17 and the hot turkey sandwich for $10.
Hard to beat turkey and gravy on white bread. The help can be a little slow, but the restaurant delivers a flavorful value, with a large plate of good food.
Full bar! -
Review from Wally W.
Santa Rosa, CA
12/24/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Love it. Has lots of food for a little amount of money. You can order a side of onion rings for $6 and you'll get a huge plate full. You can have a full Thanksgiving meal any day of your choosing.
One side of the building is the restaurant, the middle is the bar, and on the other side is a banquet hall. -
Review from milo a.
Berkeley, CA
8/3/2010
A bit of a dive in all of its stuck-in-70s faux Tudor splendor...but this place is about the turkey, plus the staff is nice and friendly in an old-fashion way...as one might expect.
Lunch special, $11.95 for a full turkey plate, stuffing, mashies, soup/salad choice of dark/white meat and home-made gravy. Someone's mom could have made this...nothing was over-salted, everything was subtle despite being a pile of food.
Just beware of long drives especially up the coast..the tryptophan from the turkey will drop you like a turd. -
Review from a w.
San Francisco, CA
12/8/2010 1 photo
Welcome to 1963.
This place is a throwback, in all the good ways a throwback is. Retro without trying. From the sign outside (and the neon martini glass), to the FANTASTIC leather booths in the huge bar. Martinis are served with a sidecar, so basically 2 drinks in one - one in your glass and one kept on ice for a generous refill.
Then whatever turkey dish you can dream up is on the menu, from a traditional Thanksgiving meal, to turkey paprika, turkey fried steak, etc, etc, etc.
Attentive (old school) service "how's your meal hun, everything okay?" , large portions and reasonable prices.
I heart you Willie, don't go changin'
XOXOX,
Amy -
Review from Kamuela K.
Petaluma, CA
2/7/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I love Wilie Birds! Linda is the BEST bartender, make sure you stop by and say Hi! =)
*** 3 Stars! -
Review from Joey M.
San Francisco, CA
12/1/2010
Kind of an awkward old school feel when you take a look at the place. Awkward in the sense that the decorations, windows, etc, are not maintained - i.e. broken stained glass window covered with old duct tape. Other downside was the incredibly slow service at the table. I digress though - since I came for the food.
Turkey here was cooked to perfection. It was covered in gravy along with the mashed potatoes. Ranks up there with the best when it comes to turkey. I will definitely be making this a future stop. -
Review from bill s.
San Rafael, CA
9/16/2010
This place has major kitsch factor! As a survivor of the 70's, I can confirm the authenticity of the style (right down to the stained glass windows) and cuisine of the sort families used to expect in the pre-80's era. This is the quintessential darkened diner with booths, counter top, heat lamps and even darker adjacent bar resplendent with coats of arms, dark wood trim and side rooms for who-knows-what (Order of the Great Moose meetings, perhaps).
The turkey here is the star of the show, and the titular Willie dishes I've had were very tasty. Usually you don't find the bird to overpower the bacon on a club sandwich, but it did just that a few weeks ago when I first visited this place! Totally excellent stuff. Service is very friendly. Prices are good if you look for bargain items, but can quickly escalate if you splurge on, say, the prawns appetizer.
Don't expect arugula or hummus. This is old fashioned stuff and it's done in a straight to the point kind of way. For those born in the 80's or later it might be an acquired taste, but if you like a retro food vibe that's more than skin deep, you might just have fun.
Willie B. is the real deal. They're not putting on a show for effect - like a time warp, this place has apparently remained the same for decades, and I think there's something to be said for the success of the formula since it's still going strong. Not many places you can have a huge turkey leg, heaping mountain of good mashed potatoes and a gin & tonic chaser. :) -
Review from Jeff P.
Dublin, CA
11/9/2009
My buddy and I saw this place on the food network Thanksgiving time last year and have wanted to go ever since. Since we had nothing to last Saturday, we decided to drive up. I use to go to school in the area so I vaguely remember the sign when I would venture up to Santa Rosa.
As most people have commented, the decor is less than describable although I think the brown vinyl booths added to the charm. We both ordered the turkey dinner which came with soup and salad.
Here is a break out of the dinner
Soup and Salad - Pretty boring. The turkey barley was good but the salad was your basic house salad. They also brought out their version of an anti-pasta plate. It consisted of salami, carrots, celery and some other items. It was pretty comical and reminded me of something you would find out of a Kraft Lunchables.
Turkery - Moist and tasty. I am not a huge turkey fan but this was good.
Mash potatoes and gravy - Some of the best I have had. Giblet gravy was creamy and the mash potatoes were fluffy and buttery.
Stuffing - I am use to stuffing a little drier than Willie Bird's but it was pretty good. Once I got past the consistency I was pretty happy. -
Review from Monica D.
8/23/2010 1 Check-in Here
My second visit to Willie Bird's finally earns the Yelp review... last year I think I would have given this place a solid 4 maybe even 5 stars, I was so starstruck. This joint came on high recommendation from local brewery legend Natalie, and sure enough, we even ran into her mid-meal. A chance encounter on one side of the establishment dropped us in the middle of the cocktail lounge side, which I'm pretty sure hasn't seen any additional lighting or costume changes since the early 70's. The regulars cackled at the bar, the bartender and servers ambled about cracking jokes and doling out smiles, and it was truly a thing of splendor. I fell in love with it then, and I'm still in love with it now -- to the point where I recommend that EVERYONE sit in the bar if they can.
I feel slightly guilty for doing this, but I HAVE to dock them a star for the food. Yes, as most people have mentioned, they give you a ton of it -- my turkey drumstick lunch was, as my brother observed, what Bam Bam Flintstone used to play with in the cartoon back in the day -- and although the kitsch is still in tact at the service is very friendly and accommodating, nothing can disguise the fact that Willie Bird's food generally lacks flavor. Oh! I just felt a stab of emotional pain saying that just now. But... unfortunately, it's true.
You would ordinarily think that the fact alone that this is a TURKEY specializing place would preclude the Geritol-endowed patronage; in other words, turkey usually requires a bit more seasoning/flavoring that other meats, so even though you're probably serving many in this crowd with higher than usual cholesterol or blood pressure or something, taste should supersede health. Nahhhh, not here. So I guess that can be viewed as a good thing overall, but still, it does fly a large flag of disappointment. Our gravies, both brown and country-style, our biscuits, our sausages, our mashed potatoes, our stuffing (well actually the stuffing was quite good, sage, pepper, celery and all), even our Bloody Marys -- all definitely lacking that sodium quality.
So, in essence, yes, this place was featured on Triple D's. Yes, this place is a local establishment, rive with 'regulars' and high recommendations from trustworthy townspeople. Yes, the prices are extremely reasonable and you should expect a doggie bag or two. And yes, of COURSE, you gotta experience that lounge next to the main dining room. But as far as the food goes? Just a tad bit disappointing to say the least. You're still A-OK in my book, Mr. Bird's. -
Review from Robin G.
Sausalito, CA
10/20/2009
Thanksgiving is about 5 weeks away.... you find yourself craving a Thanksgiving dinner and you don't want to spoil the fun of cooking a big dinner before the day with all the fixings... what do you do... what DO YOU DO!!!
.... well you take your sorry ass up to Santa Rosa, and order the turkey dinner at Willie Birds and enjoy every little bit from start to finish. It was good.... it took care of a craving... the turkey was juicy and tasty, the mashed potato's were just a little bit lumpy (the way I like em), the stuffing was good...the gravy covered just about all of the food and the little side of cranberry jelly hit the spot. It was a dinner, not as good if I had made it myself because after all Willie's is trying to appeal to the mass market... I appeal to my family who happens to like the way I cook.
I'd go back.. in fact I am sorry that I haven't been back to Willie's in about 10 years. I think I would do as other reviewers have suggested and stick with the turkey and not venture in to unknown territory.
The restaurant is clean. The service is very friendly and efficient. Nothing fancy about Willie Bird's. However at 1:30 in the afternoon on Tuesday they were very busy. It is very casual. Kid friendly if you've got em. Full bar. Large parking lot. Big dining area in the back. Clean bathrooms... (that's a big plus). And did I mention my whole dinner including salad and bread was $11.99. It is enough food for lunch and dinner.
It is what it is and it doesn't pretend to be anything else.... Food to go? -
Review from Ron m.
Santa Rosa, CA
4/27/2011
I like the "willie bird special" or otherwise known as Thanksgiving . It's a blast from the past type of place where decor is worn but the food makes up for it . Always a great spread at the bar during happy hour . Whats not to like about this place? 4 stars!
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Review from kainoa r.
Santa Rosa, CA
5/4/2008
Here's the deal.
The clientele has been the clientele for decades. No new customers are being gained by the old-school decor, basic service, or kind of dry turkey, flour heavy gravy, or potato-flake mashers. Really. No one is impressed.
That said, I am STOKED that this place is around. The servers are friendly, and it's Thanksgiving EVERY DAY at Willie Bird's. Stuffing? Got it. Cranberry? Of course. And I won't even get into the turkey legs they sell at the market in the summer... Outside of this: THEY ARE F'ING SCARY BIG. I'm pretty sure the turkeys they get those legs from could kill a man.
Back to the restaurant. You know how you overdose on holiday food during the... holidays? Those few other times of the year when you crave it? Hit this place up. And while there, guess how many cigarettes were smoked in the building before California got healthy (see: fascist... kidding.) and banned it. -
Review from Kishore J.
Windsor, CA
4/9/2010
[OLD SCHOOL DONE RIGHT]
This is what Sonoma County should be proud of; local turkey, home-made everything, good service, at a bit of a high price.
Turkey Dinner Plate $16.95 includes soup and salad. The soup was turkey soup and it was amazing! Full of flavor; the perfect make me feel better soup. The salad was fresh romain not cheap iceberg. The mashed potatoes were buttery lumpy goodness covered in scratch gravey. Now the turkey was just perfect, juicy white meat, flavorful, no filler!
Turkey Cutlet Plate $16.95 same as above w/o bones :) The vegetable side was fresh not frozen brocolli, zucchini, carrots, etc with herbs, olive oil and butter - yummy!
Turkey Fingers - not frozen, fresh dipped, all white meat, huge, juicy, tasty - yummy! With fresh cut massive fries.
Enough said??? EAT THERE NOW! We've been in Sonoma County for 5 years and it is the best find so far by my standards! Enjoy :) -
Review from samanta v.
Healdsburg, CA
Updated - 10/12/2009
popped in the other Sunday for some bloody mary's, football and breakfast.
Still delish. Everything on my past review still stands.
and I'm thinking about their turkey salad right now...Listed in: My Neighborhood
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/2/2008
To enjoy this place, you must leave your pretentiousness at the door.
Here are the reasons I love… Read more »
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Review from Angelica R.
Windsor, CA
9/11/2008
Yup definitely OLD-SCHOOL!! And Thanksgiving everyday!! This place is great for girls like me who have no clue how to make Turkey soup, get it to-go and put it in your own pot and deliver to my boy who's sick with the flu :)
Remember Maximus? LOL! -
Review from Keith B.
Santa Rosa, CA
1/2/2009
One of the last remaining of the old SR restaurants. Forget going there for fine dining, but as an alternative to fast food and the sameness of chain eateries, its fine.
Some of the reviews dis it because of the "plain food", but plain food is fine for us "plain people" looking for casual comfort food.
Its like many of the really, really old restaurants and bars around the country. You go there for the friendliness, historic ambiance and non-Yuppie unpretentious crowd. You'll see local farmers, cattlemen, and working people, and three generations of families at the same table. It's like the restaurant equivalent of the movie "Oh Brother Where Art Thou". If you liked that movie, you'll like this restaurant. If you are looking for high-end California fusion food, look elsewhere, as there's plenty of it in Sonoma County, just up the street in the town center. -
Review from Ahna P.
Novato, CA
8/21/2006
I've eaten here a few times over the past year. I've enjoyed the Mama bird sandwich-with extra gravy on the side to dunk the fries in, roasted turkey dinner-thanksgiving meal year round!!, and the scallopini . The pros are the obnoxious amount of food you receive when you order any of the dinner items. Start out with a small plate of fresh carrot sticks, fresh celery sticks, black olives, and a couple salami slices. Then the turkey/rice soup arrives, then a garden salad, then the actual meal! And dont forget the bread basket with clover butter pats......its beyond.
Be warned foodies-they use boxed spuds. Not bad smothered in gravy and mixed with the traditional stuffing.
The interior is truly frozen in time, classic mid-60's. must have not been updated from the hof brau. -
Review from Mashi M.
San Francisco, CA
4/1/2008
Stinky food network, with all your fancy lighting and catchy music. I am suspecting that even you could make me look like Giada in the kitchen. I forget which show it was, maybe that darn Marc Summers. But, they profiled Willie Birds and it looked so good. So, we made an excuse to the go to the outlets and on the way home go to Willie Bird's.
When we got there, well, it was not exactly what I had pictured. The decor was definitely a bit more bar like (with the stained glass windows and booths) and for some reason just seemed smaller than on TV. But, we were greeted by super friendly staff, and our waitress was great! Hub got the Turkey Open Faced Sandwich and I got the Turkey dinner. Which, we realized is the same thing. Except, the Dinner comes with appetizer, soup and salad. The salad was nice, it had beets! The soup was good, but faintly familiar of Campbells. The Turkey, though moist was a bit lacking in flavor. The mashed potatoes very butter and sad to learn from a box?! The giblet gravy, I realized was not my type of gravy. All in all, super friendly service, but the food was not quite worth the 2 hour drive. -
Review from Christine H.
Santa Rosa, CA
10/20/2009
Oh Willie Bird's, so many stories one does not know where to start. The bar can be creepy at times (the old men hitting on a 23 yr old or a teen age girl is not cool). The darkness that engulfs you on a pretty sunny day, as you enter. The smell of a time long past. The decor that makes one think they are back in time. The food that is made with little soul. I'm sorry that you only shine for thanksgiving, St. patty's day, and those rare moments.
At least most of the waitresses are sweet. Get Ann-marie or Cindy they can be a riot. -
Review from John C.
Long Beach, CA
6/19/2009
Why would you go here and order anything else but the turkey? The Willie Bird Special = Turkey. Gravy. Mashed potatoes. Stuffing. Cranberry sauce. Soup or salad. Period. You want a steak or a burger? You're in the wrong place.
For lunch you've got to try the Mama Bird sandwich. It is Thankgiving between two pieces of bread. Moist turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, wheat bread. That's it. Soooo good.
Food quality is above average. But I would certainly hope so. After fifty years of making turkey dinners they should have picked up a tip or two.
The place is a time warp to 1950, and that includes the wait staff. Do not enter if you are in a hurry. -
Review from Jackson F.
Santa Rosa, CA
Updated - 12/29/2009
So we were going to get mexican food but girlfriend wanted something lighter... So she suggested WB's... again. It wasn't much lighter for me. I got the hot turkey sandwhich with mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing. I was super hungry and it totally satisfied. The turkey here is consistant. It's friggin good! And the mashed potatoes were whipped and buttery goodness... definitely needed a trip the the gym after:)
She got the turkey salad, which was done well. However the presentation was a bit lacking. Two ice cream scoops of turkey salad on a bed of lettuce, with raw veggies was fine, but why put in on the smallest plate possible so was no room to manuver around. Are they trying to save on dish soap or something?
I created a juice concoction from the available juices, pineapple and cranberry with a splash of soda. There was too much soda so I asked for more pineapple and the waitress obliged. When she returned with my bevy I said "sorry for being such a princess" she waived me off and said "don't worry about it hun".
Despite the outdated decor and the dark bar area where I imagine shady politicians meeting to plan their next explotation, the rest of this place, if nothing else... has soul.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/10/2009
So I've lived in Santa Rosa for a while now and after seeing this place a buhzillion times while… Read more »
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Review from Kamala K.
Santa Rosa, CA
11/24/2009
MAJOR PASS!!
Worth every cent. A bit pricey but damn good food. -
Review from Helen D.
Santa Rosa, CA
10/3/2009
Oh Willie Bird's...where do I start? Ok, first of all, let me just say that when we came here we were seated in an empty banquet room. The rest of the restaurant was slammed, there were people waiting for seats, but we were all alone in a big old room. It was unusual. Also, there were mysterious red splatters on the ceiling, and after an hour of debate we still couldn't decide if it was blood or ketchup. Did someone get a little overzealous while shaking the ketchup bottle? Or was this so-called banquet room actually the turkey slaughter room? It's still up for debate.
On to the food. I love the menu here. I don't like red meat, but I loooove turkey, so I adore the fact that the menu is 90% turkey. Dishes that are normally made with beef are made with turkey, so that rocks. I mean, Turkey Fried Steak?? Brilliant! So this time I got the Mama Bird sandwich (warm turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce) and it was AWESOME. Thanksgiving dinner on a sandwich...heaven. Everyone kept stealing bites of my food, and then fougt for my leftovers, which is always a good sign. Everyone else's food was just ok. My 3 year old niece's Turkey Strips (just like chicken strips!) were pretty darn good. Willie Bird's gets a solid 3 star rating.
