Willy G's

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  Willy G's is to saloons what I expect classic statuary would have been to the ancient Greeks before all the paint faded away and Nike lost her head. Like the now austere and colorless surfaces of classical art and architecture, so often we think of saloons through the lenses of a sort of presentism: dusty, spartan places with only the minimal comforts and often West-of-Nowhere.
  But how would cowboys, ranchers, farmers and the like in the 19th and early 20th century have seen these places? They would have seen Oases, Meccas of activity and a welcome respite not just from the wearies of the road, but from the wears of a hard and grueling existence.
  
  Willy G's updates the icon of the saloon so that we, with our A/C and cell phones can appreciate the idea as it would have been understood in the colloquial, not as a notion from some gritty 70's Western.
  
  To step off from my soap box for a moment, I have to say that having tried the burgers at Jucy's and Backstreet Bar and Grill (two other worthy establishments for American fare here in Longview) Willy G's is definitely the best, serving burgers with such an attention-to-detail you'd think the Fry Cook was an engineer who renounced his career so as to devote his life worshiping at the griddle.
  It's not just the burgers though. It's all the grill foods that come out savory as Phyrne and sharp as a hoplite.
  
  Whenever family is in town, this is where I take them.
  So get ready, fry cook. Hell is coming to brunch.
  
  tl'dr: cool place. best burgers in town!

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  Posted on 05.28.13 Nate T.

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  Even though I no longer live in the View, there will always be a special place in my heart for Willie G's.  I worked in Longview for about 9 months and would come by Willie G's for lunch or after work for a drink (or two...or three...) a couple times a week.  I can't say how amazing the staff of this place is.  You could walk and they'd know your beer of choice before you even could order.  And the chef, outside from having expert culinary skills, also takes the time to get to know the regulars.  While I live in Austin now and have a wide variety of bars to choose from, with 100 beers on tap, shuffleboard, trendy decorations, and everything else you can possibly imagine, Willie G's will always be my favorite bar. No contest. This place is just special.
  
  Pros: Food (everything...seriously, not a bad choice on the menu), staff, atmosphere.
  
  Cons: None.  Seriously.  If you're stuck in Longview (or if you happen to love Longview), this place will make everything better.

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  Posted on 03.28.13 Kaitlyn C.

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  This bar probably has the widest beer selection in all of Longview. The place itself is really cool, the bar is super long and there are several new, huge, flatscreen TVs. The food it also really great! Try the fried pickle chips or any of the sandwiches. Great food to pair with beer and sports. :) I wish they had more outdoor seating; there are only one or two tables outside on their sidewalk. Also- I was disappointed when they got rid of their jukebox.

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  Posted on 08.09.11 Alyssa M.

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  My first visit here but it won't be my last. It is a nice sports bar in the downtown area. The food was good, I recommend the "Gerald's Monster". They have a large selection of beers and a ton of TVs to watch the games on.

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  Posted on 06.12.11 Gene B.

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  Great little sports pub downtown. I like watching the games here and my experiences with the bartender was pleasant...shallow, but pleasant. The draft beers aren't the cheapest in town, but they're reasonable. They've got a ton of tv's which makes watching the game there that much better.

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  Posted on 05.24.11 Matthew M.

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  Salt salt salt.  Had the fish tacos and they were saturated with SALT.   Do not order the food.  I said something and the bartender, who wasn't attentive, didn't even seem concerned.  He said, "Yah". Whatever.  Will never go back to this sea of salt bar.  The bartender didn't even acknowledge me half the time when I was low on a drink.  I guess that explains the 5% tip.  Later.

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  Posted on 01.15.11 Mikail O.

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  Clean, smoke free environment. Very good food. Best beer selection in town.

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  Posted on 12.14.10 Geff G.

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  Cool bar downtown.  I was not really a fan of the Cobb salad, but they took it off of the ticket.  The queso was great!!  That's my favorite part anyway.  They also have really good buffalo burgers.

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  Posted on 11.19.10 Lesley H.

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  I've written 85 reviews on Yelp and in TWO instances, I have received a response from the restaurant in question. Willie G's was one and the chef responded in a tactful and professional manner. They obviously care. I give them kudo's for that and would gladly go back.

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  Posted on 08.16.10 david h.

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