Willard Hicks

Danny’s Unilocal 2016.
From start to finish, my experience at Willard Hicks was 5 stars. If I could give it 10, I would. Welcome to Campbell, Willard Hicks. This place has great vibe, nice décor, good food/​drinks, and top notch service.
Let’s get into the food now!:
+ Crab Cakes ($ 14) — A good amount of fresh crab meat packed into each patty. The white sauce gave it a nice texture when you dip it with the crab patty.
+ Braveheart Bone In Rib Eye $ 42) — Super tender medium rare of steak.
+ Brussels Sprouts (Side) — Freshly cooked with crispness on the outside; soft on the inside.
+ Mac & Cheese — I thought this dish was okay but my friend liked it alot.
+ Risotto with Scallops ($ 24) — OMG I love Scallops. The risotto was cooked to perfection and packed with mushrooms and scallops on top.
+ Trio Ice Cream ($ 8) — Pick 3 flavors of their ice cream or sorbet. MUST!
+ Crème Brulee ($ 8) — Loved the presentation and the fresh raspberries! Perfect way to end our meal here and since we were all pretty stuffed it was good to share!
Drinks:
+ If you’re a whiskey or wine connoisseur then you must order something here! I love for the fact that they have such a big selections of whiskey and wine here. There’s so many options to choose from and they have Happy Hour on Monday — Friday 4pm — 6pm. Oh yeah, there’s 2 huge tv for you watch the game or anything that’s on. I love their bar setup!
Conclusion: Honestly everything here is worth trying on the menu. I would highly recommend this spot to anyone who’s going on a date or maybe a small group only. Willard Hicks, you guys are worth every dime because of the service you guys provided.
See you guys soon!

The jalapeño cornbread was DELICIOUS. Sweet, spicy, moist, whole corn kernels, and a crunchy glaze on top, like a crème brûlée. The filet mignon was cooked perfectly, and did not disappoint. It went well with the peppercorn sauce. Brussel sprouts were pretty good. Disappointed with the ginger ponzu ribeye. The onion strings were a little too much, and it was really gristly. We got seated right away, but I think our server was on a break, so we had to wait a bit for service. Once he got there, he was super nice and attentive. The manager ended up giving us our cornbread for free since we waited, even though we didn’t even mention it to anyone.

This is my favorite place in Campbell. Fantastic steaks. A creative drink list and fantastic wines. Brussels sprouts were fantastic as was the gelato. Friendly staff. They have private rooms available.

I’ve always passed WH because as a younger twentysomething, and a non-​meat-​eater, I’ve always thought STEAKHOUSE and PRICEY. But my dinner with an old friend on a Thursday night completely changed my perceptions about this gorgeous spot. You can call me a fan.
I was the first to arrive for dinner, and the hosts were very friendly. I had a long day at work and definitely did not look like every other diner in this glitzy spot. However, the hosts were not judgmental at all and gave me the kindest of smiles and polite remarks when they told me that my table was being made. I only waited about 10 minutes in this packed spot when I was showed to my table.
Did anyone say DATE NIGHT? Classy girls’ night out? Or even special birthday meal?! Willard Hicks is a place I would go for special events – and not just parties, but also for times you just want to #treatyoself. Their menu is gorgeous, interior absolutely flawless, and vibes very posh and young-​ish. Sure everyone else around me was 30’s and up, but even with this business-​man ambiance, I did not feel too out of place.
I would totally recommend their cornbread. It’s got a kick to it with the poblano peppers, but it was definitely one of my favorite items because of how HUGE the portions were. I also enjoyed their homefries which looked like french toast sticks, funny enough. We didn’t order entrees because their plates were just grand. Between two girls we were having a feast with their plates to share and appetizers! They aren’t lying when they say you’ll have to share.
We had two servers that night probably because they had breaks during our meal, but both of them were gracious and allowed us to have our conversation without interrupting. I also had a few cocktails, but especially enjoyed their Spanish Rose with Nolet’s Gin. I was afraid it would be too sweet with all those different flavorful fruits in there, but I lapped that stuff up!
My first experience at WH was grand, and I would definitely come back… but on special occasions since I don’t have the funds to spend $ 50 on dinner per person. Yes, PER.

Good food. Good service. Excellent crab ales and their steaks are very good. Haven’t had that burger yet. Probably it’s the best bang for your buck.
The service is good. Sometimes a little pushy but overall a good few experiences. It’s much more reasonable than Alexanders without the presentation. Lively bar and more of a younger crowd/​Middle Ages crowd.

This is what Campbell needs more of.
Beautiful spot, brings out great people, and the staff is always on point.
Keep up the good work WH. I’ll keep. Coming in weekly.

Went for dinner tonite-​service was excellent, nice ambiance. The tri-​colored cauliflour was just the regular white colored stuff so was disappointed. My husband’s filet mignon was ordered medium and was bloody rare, so we sent it back, it was cooked more but was clearly med rare. My son’s rib-​eye was blue in one area and cooked med rare in another. It is a steakhouse, so come on – the meat should be prepared close to what’s ordered. My caesar salad was absolutely drenched in too much dressing and had to scrape it off. The Ahi tuna was prepared perfectly, cornbread appetizer was great and the mini tostadas were delicious and pretty. Tomato soup was also very good. I will go one more time and hope the food will be what the menu says it to be.
Beth was an excellent server and even found the info on the beer when my husband asked.

Since we moved to the San Jose area, this has been one of our favorite places to eat. The combination of atmosphere, flavors, and price keep us coming back. Entrée meats are good sized portions, sides are ordered separate and are made to share.
What I love:
Peppercorn New York Strip: Delicious peppercorn sauce and a really great price for a steak!
Risotto with Scallops: Generous portion of risotto with large scallops. Only downside is once the risotto wasn’t cooked all the way through.
Grilled Swordfish Entrée: Lots of flavor with the lemon buerre blanc sauce.
Apps: I’d highly recommend their cheese & charcuterie board, and their skillet cornbread.
I will say the only down side is that there’s typically a wait and the service isn’t exactly the quickest, but the service staff is friendly.

WELL smack me hard and call me Mary, because this place is HOLY. HEAVENLY. SINFULLY DELECTABLE. Just so damn good in so many ways.
Willard Hicks is new to the downtown campbell scene, so of course my interest was peaked due to my love for this little area. Large and very spacious, décor is simple, industrial, and masculine.
Service was very good, but we did beat the dinner rush so the restaurant was not yet full.
The Feast:
(1) WH Iron Skillet Poblano Cornbread — was the best thing here!!! I am a corn bread fanatic (well just about CORN anything) and i’ve got to say this corn bread was amazing, unique, and complex. The hot skillet has it piping hot with the perfect crunchy exterior, yet soft and moist interior. Great combo of sweet and savory flavors with a jalapeño honey butter glaze that will blow your mind.
(2) Crab Cakes — i’m very cautious of where to order crab cakes, and I’m well aware a steakhouse is not the right place — OR SO I THOUGHT! Our waitress highly recommended the crab cakes and SHE was right! HOLY CRAB. It was delicious! There was a generous amount of crab, cooked perfectly, jampacked with flavor, and finished with a great aioli sauce.
(3) French Onion Soup — my least favorite the whole night. It was tasty, but not amazing in any way. Presentation was beautiful but overall the soup was a little salty, definitely looked better than it tasted. PLUS eveything else was so good, this was left kind of over shadowed.
(3) Tri-​Cauliflower — skillet roasted with a light tarragon vinaigrette = tasty! So freakn tasty! I’m not really sure how the 3 colors differ in taste, due to the overpowering (but oh so delish) tarragon flavor.
(4) Green Beans — Highly recommended by the waitress since it was fresh and in season (had no idea green beans had a peak season btw?). This was also amazing, sautéed perfectly on a piping hot skillet and all the flavors worked well.
(5) Wasabi Mash — fluffy whipped mashed potatoes drizzled with a wasabi sauce. Smooth, creamy, buttery (so much butter!) heaven. Wasabi sauce was light and OK, the mashed potatoes itself was amazing on its own.
(6) Now This Is A Steak Burger — 1 lb angus beef patty = freakn huge. The brioche bun was toasted well enough to hold that hunk of meat. Oh and don’t forget the bacon! And the onion strings! And the roasted sweet peppers! This is that kind of burger, just jam packed and layered up, but for all the right reasons — it was amazing. Oh and to top it off the tower of thick cut French Fries was mind blowing foodgasm.
(7) Ginger Ponzu Bone-​In Ribeye — is one of the house specials THAT is a must try. Beware it’s fusion, if the ginger ponzu sauce didn’t give it away? I’m sure the shiitake mushrooms, sriracha onion strings, and toasted sesame seeds toppings did. Nice big cut, cooked perfectly pink, great complex flavors, on a nice wood board so you can chop in style.
(8) Blackberry Glazed Filet Mignon — is 8 oz filet mignon of pure quality flavor! This was the high light of the dinner! Fire roasted blackberries and grapes added such a unique tasty flavor. While the bleu cheese and truffle parsnip purée just took it to a whole another level. Oh yeah and if that’s not enough, it’s sitting on a cloud of buttery mashed potato Heaven.
(9) Steak tartare — was tasty overall. Arugula salad was nice and light, the potato like chip was unique and added nice texture. The steak tartare had good flavor but really depended on the mustard seeds, which is not my fave choice of seasoning quality raw meat.
The Drinks:
(1) Some Like It Hot — spicy and refreshing just the way I like it! My naughty friend Tequila gets a little fresh with cucumber, lime juice, and my (FAVE) jalapeños! I also like the big square bolder of ice so the delish taste isn’t easily diluted into water.
(2) Rum Runners Old Fashion — tasty classic old fashion, just instead of whiskey — it’s rum. Perfect amount of bitters and light sugar for a sweet touch.
The Sweet Treat:
(1) Cookies and Frozen Milk — hot chocolate chip cookies with their house made ice cream. This was good, but not mind blowing in any way, prob wouldn’t order again — a little too sweet for my taste.

I have been wanting to try this place for a while. This place accepts reservations which is great!
We tried a plethora of dishes, but this review is just for the Blackberry Glazed Filet Mignon (Medium Rare). Perfect size, sweet yet savory, and presentation was unique from the rest of the different steaks/​chops my friends got. Although I must say the grape on the vines was slightly over doing it, I think just more blackberries would keep it simple yet intriguing. I cleaned the whole board that it was served on though, haha.
It is a bit pricey if you consider getting many appetizer dishes to share but I think it’s worth a try. Service is great, our waiter was attentive and checked in on us maybe 4 times during our 2 hour stay. I recommend coming here on a date rather than a big group outing. I will come back on special occasions.
Tip: It’s a hit or miss when they cook your meat the way you want it. My steak was cooked perfect, but my friend’s Medium Rare Ginger Ponzu Bone-​In Ribeye was cooked Medium-​Done.

OK so it is Monday before Xmas so one expects it to be busy but why is the onus on the customer to have wait so long! After all as the owners of the Opa chain you would think as professional restauranteurs they would know how to staff the place. But then again as it was part of the Opa chain why were we expecting anything great!!!
The steaks arrived cold, the sides arrived cold, even though they were on cast iron skillets! When we complained they reheated the steaks so they are no longer cooked as ordered!
And we were comped exactly nothing.
What is wrong with the Valley that people put up with such crap.
If you want a really good New York steak go to The Big Basin in Saratoga, you may a little extra but you get what you pay for.

Great spot in Campbell just enough upscale to make it special. Happy hour menu has some great 5 dollar bites try the cornbread and firecracker chicken bites! For dinner I had the Asian mambo salad and it was delicious the filet mignon melted in my mouth.
Also the champagne by the glass may look expensive but they seriously over pour! Enjoy!

Came here Monday night for steak and MNF
Ordered the NY steak from the grill came with a side I got Au Gratin with candied bacon bits… yummy (LB steak could take pointers from WH). Steak was nicely cooked, great flavor.
Finished off with warm cookies and ice cream
Great first experience
Thanks to the WH staff!

I didn’t order any food, but took a detailed gander at the menu. I would like to come back. The beer I ordered at Happy Hour was huge and $ 7 on Happy Hour. I believe it was $ 9 ordinarily (DAaaaaamn GINA!)
The guy next to me ordered a rib plate that was large and smelled amazing.
The prices for food seemed a bit high, but if everything coming out of that kitchen tastes like that guys ribs smelled then it would seem worth it.
I look forward to going back, getting a huge beer (during happy hour) and ordering some of what smelled like heaven.

We celebrated my friend’s birthday here just recently and I’m already wanting to go back for more! Nice ambiance specially since we were assigned the separate room towards the back for our party. Great laughs, food, and our own space to watch the game that was on! Our server was also very attentive so no complaints there!
WE ORDERED
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— Coconut Crusted Shrimp — Love the batter, but it’s the Thai curry broth that makes this starter really good!
— Our Street Tacos — We Mean it — The steak and meat in the taco was sooo tender! Definitely a fancy street taco, lol!
— Pobalno Cornbread — YUMMMMMMY!!! This is no ordinary corn bread! We definitely enjoyed this!
— Grilled Corn — Love the jalapeño butter on it, but it could’ve used more seasoning!
— Brussels Sprouts — Love the sugar glazed on the brussels!
— Cheesy Au Gratin — This is another yummy side to share! A little oily, but it was good!
— WH Peppercorn New York Strip — This was my entrée and it was served medium rare as requested! The steak was also juicy and flavorful!
— Crème Brulee — Loved the presentation and the fresh raspberries! Perfect way to end our meal here and since we were all pretty stuffed it was good to share!
5 STARS, I can’t wait to come back!!!

Another bday dinner tonight. Instead of going back to The Sea by Alexander’s, we got lazy and ubered here instead. Charcuterie platter was a little sad, pretty bare. Corn was really good minus the blue cheese. I ordered the ribeye Ginger ponzu since our waitress highly recommended that over the fish.
The meal arrived with cold teriyaki poured all over the ribeye.
The restaurant manager said «well, they’re both soy based…» «Indeed they are, they are also both originated from Japan» I replied while laughing and thinking how intelligent he sounded NOT. as he tried to justify the dish. While I took huge sips of my silver oak cab, waiting for a candid Camara to pop out. Another sip, ef it! downed the glass… Still no Camara. He was still talking.
Be quiet, just put it in a bag, Jinger my dog will not care if it’s ponzu or teriyaki, she’ll love it!
My dog thanks you. She wants us to go back. I think not.

My Fiancé and I can thank our nephew for teLLing us about this pLace. WiLLard Hicks has been bookmarked for quite some time and I’m sure gLad we finaLLy had the time to check it out.
We caLLed a LittLe before 630PM on a Saturday night and was toLd we couLd be fit in for a reservation @ 7PM. WhooHoo!
We got there a LittLe Late but they were very accommodating. They confirmed our name and teLephone number and toLd us that they wouLd send us a message when our tabLe was ready.
Located in the downtown area of CampbeLL, you are surrounded by a number of eateries and cute LittLe shops. Be aware that parking can be difficuLt. We drove back and forth muLtipLe times and ended up with quite a bit of a waLk.
We are seated and noticed that it was a tabLe too cLose to the door and the huge gusts of wind was going to be a probLem. My fiancé brought it to their attention and the gentLeman at the front offered to cLose the door. UnfortunateLy, patrons kept opening it anyhow [super annoying btw] but the mgr in charge stepped up and offered us to move down a few tabLes.
I can’t thank you enough.
We ordered:
–Mandarin Sweet Tea (aLcohoLic bev)
–WK Street Tacos (Seared Ahi, Steak, Rock Shrimp)
–Bone-​In Ribeye
–WK Peppercorn New York Strip
–GriLLed Corn
–House Cut Fries
–Tri CauLifLower
Mandarin Sweet was Light and refreshing.
Street Tacos are absoLuteLy AMAZING– ahi tuna and steak left us in awe, rock shrimp was meh.
Bone-​In Ribeye & New York strip was cooked to perfection and was weLL seasoned.
House Cut Fries resembLed Cajun fries with a sLight kick of heat– YUM.
Tri CauLifLower was my favorite side dish. BeautifuL and vibrant with the tastiest tarragon vinaigrette. MUST HAVE.
GriLLed Corn was just a bit off. ALthough the dish Looked appeaLing, it Left our tastebuds unsatisfied. We couLd have done without this.
ALL in aLL, food was on point and so was the customer service. KayLa was our server and we couLdn’t have asked for anyone better. She as very patient and answered any questions we had. Thank you for making our night that much MORE amazing.
WiLLard Hicks, you get TWO THUMBS UP in my book. I wiLL be raving about this pLace to aLL my buddies & wiLL definiteLy be back to try other dishes WH has to offer.

Amazing, mouth-​watering bone in rib eye steak. The steak has so much flavor… I’ve gone back multiple times and they have been pretty consistent with both food and service.
The brussel sprout side is SO delicious (infused with truffle oil and brown sugar)
Kids meals are generously portioned.
Lastly for dessert try their cookies & frozen milk mmm.

To celebrate my hubby’s new job and promotion, I decided to take him to Willard Hicks for a semi-​fancy dinner. I was already aware that you can’t make reservations for any party less than eight so we decided to get there at around 5:30 pm. Luckily, we got there before the huge crowds came by so we were seated immediately.
The restaurant is a great looking place and makes an amazing atmosphere for a date. Their booths are gigantic and can comfortably sit at least six people. The tables have a rustic feel with warm woods and chic metal stands. They have a live DJ and a well stocked bar with three television sets. My hubby was very impressed with its design.
Our waitress was very friendly and provided great service, refilling our waters the minute it was low, checking in on us throughout the night, and giving great recommendations.
To start, we ordered the crab cakes for our appetizer while for our entrees my hubby chose the filet mignon and I the scallop risotto. Then to end our night, we ordered the ice cream and Gelato trio (salted caramel, blackberry Gelato, and mint chocolate chip) for dessert.
The crab cakes were very big and beautifully decorated. They had a nice bread crust and sat on top of a creamy aioli sauce. The arugula provided a nice bitter taste that complimented the savory flavor of the crab. My hubby really enjoyed his entrée, noting that the steak was cooked perfectly and that the mash potatoes were creamy. The grapes added an interesting touch, but he wasn’t too fond of the sour blackberries.
For myself, the risotto was deliciously creamy, cooked with tender mushrooms and crunchy almonds, eliciting an enjoyable bite that most risottos don’t have. The scallop was easily speared by my knife and had a nice caramelized color to it. Thankfully though, my hubby helped me finish such a large serving. Finally, the dessert was wonderfully light. My favorite flavor was the blackberry, just a bit tart and absolutely refreshing. My hubby liked the mint chocolate chip more, which should be called chocolate shavings since there was an abundance of chocolate-​y goodness in one bite.
I’m so glad I took my hubby to Willard Hicks. For all the food we got and the quality, the prices are very reasonable. We will most definitely be back to try more.

I had Willard Hicks bookmarked since they first opened but hadn’t had a chance to try it until last week with the bo$$.
We decided to have a relatively early dinner because 1) they don’t take reservations for small parties 2) we didn’t want to deal with chaotic parking downtown. The restaurant was pretty empty when we walked in (5:30PM on a Wednesday night). Warriors were on TV so the bar area was filled. Ambiance was very rustic — wood panels on the walls & wooden chandeliers but the glass panels made it modern.
For appetizers, we had the WH iron skillet poblano cornbread & street tacos. The cornbread had a very slight kick & drizzled with «jalapeño honey butter» but tasted like an Asian spicy/​sweet glaze. The street tacos come with 3 — perfect because there was 3 of us. I got the steak & it was really good! The ginger cilantro lime aioli really made the tacos amazing. My boss said that a reviewer warned that the tacos are the best things here. Who would’ve thought it would end up being true!!!
I ordered their signature blackberry glazed filet mignon & a side of wasabi mash. My dining companions had 1) signature ginger ponzu bone-​in ribeye w/​chopped salad & 2) filet mignon from the grill & brussels. WH advertised on the menu that their salads are big enough to share but that wasn’t true. it was a personalized size. My filet mignon was ordered medium well & came out medium rare. I ended up eating around the rare center & just took it home.
The wasabi mash was disappointing — regular mashed potatoes w/​some wasabi mayo looking drizzle on top. Although the two filet mignons are 8 oz each, mine looked bigger. The brussels were alright, nothing to write home about really. I’m pretty sure the sides are made to share but they did not come with serving utensils — we had to ask. Service was attentive but the food took much longer to come out than we thought.
Overall, this was a mediocre experience at best. When WH says «they are big» (the sides) & «big enough to share» (the salads), I really question their perspective of «big.» Perhaps my view is skewed. when I say big, I mean huge. Anyway — skip this place & go to a Michael Mina steakhouse! WH’s «braveheart» brand of steaks just didn’t cut it for me.