Located in Winters in Yolo County’s quiet farmland, Buckhorn Steakhouse carries forward a century of hospitality that began with the historic Hotel De Vilbiss. The restaurant channels that old-school warmth, where you’ll find serious beef, lamb, and fresh fish prepared to standards you don’t see everywhere. The dining room has real rustic character—the kind of place where locals have been bringing visitors for generations and everybody knows what they’re ordering before they sit down.

What matters for traveling with a dog is the outdoor patio. This is where you and your dog can actually eat together, not relegated to some afterthought corner. The patio’s set up so you’re genuinely part of the restaurant experience, not just tolerated outside. You can work through a good steak while your dog settles beside the table, and the staff treats the whole arrangement as completely normal. There’s enough space that it doesn’t feel cramped, and the outdoor setting means you’re not worried about shedding or the occasional shift in position.

Winters sits in the agricultural heart of Yolo County, about an hour’s drive from Sacramento. It’s the kind of place where a steakhouse like this makes sense—where beef comes from neighboring ranches and the clientele expects quality without pretense. The restaurant fits naturally into the community, which means it’s not the kind of place that feels stiff or formal. Your dog will pick up on that easy atmosphere.

If you’re passing through on a longer drive or staying in the area, Buckhorn is worth planning an actual meal around rather than treating it as a convenient stop. The quality of what comes out of the kitchen justifies the trip, and the patio setup means your dog gets to be part of an actual dinner rather than waiting outside a restaurant door.