Armadillo Grill

I love the format, ordering at the counter and then self seating! Simple and to the point…read more They have an art dispenser machine! Got a horchata, fish tacos and chips and guac and salsa. The outside patio is gorgeous, they have vintage glass blocks inside. I like the wall paper tabletops lol. Everything about this place works and has this low key, lots of soul vibe. Love it!

Nice little place with a small courtyard, for now. Colorful interior. Moving to Carr Mill mall this…read moreyear. The menu is above the line with menus with prices along the counter. Friendly staff. I went for lunch on a Friday to try their Friday special. Chicken Mole as a filling or on a platter. I went with the platter which comes with beans (I got black) rice, 3 tortillas and side salsa. I tried the tomatillo arbol and the habanero. I liked the green tomatillo salsa best. I also got a small side of queso, which was very tasty. The whole meal was good. I'll have to come back more often it's been years since I've been here, and all their fillings are good. If you want to go vegetarian, I highly recommend pure de Papas.

Inside. Menu above ordering line.

Salsa & Chips. $5.50. Upgraded to all-flour chips for $1.45 extra. This photo is a close-up of the all-flour chips only.

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House Margarita. $7. This was OK. It tasted watered down.

Que Chula

4.1(141 reviews)

0.8 mi

On our way back home from Florida and stopped in Chapel Hill as a stop on the way back. Wanted to…read morehave dinner and found this Mexican restaurant near our hotel. Our waitress was very friendly and guided us in our selection for dinner. Everything we had was fresh and delicious. We love Mexican food and the quality of this food was top notch. Highly recommend for the quality and flavor of the food.

Amazing food. Great service. Fun time!! My friends and I got chorizo queso dip which was…read morephenomenal, and drinks specials and all of our food was amazing!! Highly recommend.

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Outside

Cosmic Cantina

3.8(181 reviews)

0.9 mi

Huge burrito. Wish the tortillas were grilled but still very good. I would go back for sureread more

The place seems popular but I wasnt too excited about. The ambiance is basic/average. The food…read moreordering takes a bit of time because one has to order everything separately. This might work out well for UNC college kids who may not necessarily want an entire entree.

Chicken Constance Burrito

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Cheese and Chicken Quesadilla

Latin Grill Taco Truck - Carrboro

4.7(31 reviews)

0.2 mi

This is the best taco truck around. We've been to all of them in carrboro chapel hill area and this…read moreremains our fav. Check it out!

Quick walk to this taco truck from Cat's Cradle. Friendly & quick service, low price, delicious…read moreauthentic Latin flavors. My wife and I both had steak tacos and rice & beans. Hit the spot after our show!

Latín grill taco truck

Veggie Quesadilla

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Enchiladas

Bandido's Mexican Cafe

3.7(135 reviews)

1.0 mi

Fantastic food and service as always. Would have been nice to receive more chips but delicious…read moreenough!

Absolutely delicious food! The guacamole and the San Antonio burrito were to die for! A hidden gem!read more

4.5 lb burrito! Happy birthday Gabriel 7/22

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La Montaña

4.3(91 reviews)

0.2 mi

Great restaurant and great service. Easy to find. For all those reviews about parking. Just use the…read moredeck at the back of the lot. It's a 2 minute walk. Food was excellent. Service was great and ambiance was delightful. Highly recommend.

We found this place on instagram and couldn't wait to check it out. Parking is horrible but you can…read morepark down the street and walk. I may be slow but I had a difficult time trying to locate this restaurant. My GPS was way off. After arriving the restaurant is stunning inside. It's small and intimate. Very cute and cozy inside. The menu isn't overwhelming and the staff is friendly and accommodating. Prices aren't bad but the portion of food is very small. Everything we had was delicious and full of bold flavors, my mocktail was disgusting and had way too much salt on the rim of the glass.

Atmosphere

IG: @foodie__fe - Ceviche & Edamame Guacamole.

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Acme Food & Beverage Co

3.8(637 reviews)

0.0 mi

The service and food was excellent! I came here for a group dinner and usually am not much of a…read moresouthern food person but you can tell how fresh every dish is! As a vegetarian they were very accommodating with the risotto!

Dinner was delicious. We had the Chile releno and Angel biscuits for appetizers. The red drum fish…read morewith cauliflower rice and mushroom/ corn ragu was wonderful. The jambalaya was also good. The strawberry basil gimlet and the watermelon tequila was very good. I found the food to be extra salty. I think that is for most restaurants compared to home cooked meals.

Outside seating area

The gumbo was also super tasty, with a little bit of a kick. Better with even more shrimp ! 9.5/10

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Savory cast iron skillet cornbread with bacon & cheddar

City Bus

4.1(34 reviews)

0.3 mi

The red sauce is one of my favorite things on earth. The burritos are very good, don't get me…read morewrong, but they're a type and quality you've had many times before. Mac's homemade red and green sauces are what you will remember about City Bus. The service is of course fast and friendly. As for ambiance, it's a bus in a parking lot. What do you want. Just sit on a picnic table next to the car wash and treasure your squeeze bottle of red sauce like a pro. You won't regret it.

So freaking good. There are a few picnic tables in the parking lot to munch after ordering. Tacos…read moreare packed with filling but notably lack chopped onions. It comes with grilled onions and there is also a self serve pickled onions container. I couldn't find prices for half the menu, and I think each taco is over three dollars. However, the price is justified considering the large chunks of high quality meat in each. Highly recommend loading on the pickled onions. The lime was juicy and meats were tender. They also do not open at 6:30pm. We came at 7pm, knowing they didn't open at 6:30pm and they arrived around 7:15 and took a bit of time to set up. Worth the wait for me!

The new bus looks great!

Carnitas, asada, pollo tacos

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Taco

Cholanad

3.9(455 reviews)

0.6 mi

I got some chicken tikka masala while on campus and it is absolutely amazing. The portion size is…read morehuge and very filling, the price is decent, and the flavor kicks and rocks your mouth. Great classic local spot.

I underestimated this restaurant, both in the scale and ambiance of the dine-in experience, but…read morealso in the food they offered. This place has an extensive South Indian menu of dishes that are hard to find, which is to say I could have gotten something more creative than the standby of a masala dosa. The execution of the dosa, however, was excellent, with the sort of thin crispy texture I've never been able to duplicate at home, plus a mouthwatering potato mix and a robust chutney selection. I also had the option of a tea with saffron threads (and sugar) in it, which was an interesting one. An introduction to the South Indian food experience was part of college for me, and with this being on the main stretch in a college town, it can serve as a similar experience for many.

Lamb/lentil balls

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Chola Fish curry

Chipotle Mexican Grill

2.7(108 reviews)

0.6 mi

Ordered through Grubhub an we are very happy we did. Food…read morewas prepared very well and large portions. The flavors, seasonings and amount of meats was very good. only slight gripe is with the queso, it's different than the "normal" cheese. Plenty of chips to go with meal. Prices are as expected. Enjoying leftovers for sure.

A lot of people don't seem to like this location but I don't have many problems with it. The staff…read moreis kind. The food is consistently good. They give small portions but what can you expect from a chipotle. My biggest complaint is that the restaurant always seems to be very messy. Overall not an awful location.

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11 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Olivia N.

8 years ago

i live near Armadillo and like to eat there a lot, especially in the summer when it's nice out because i can walk over and get it to go and sit outside at weaver street or take it into 2nd wind and hang out for a while. i think their guac is really good and i've always had a good experience with their tacos. i like that they make them to your specifications so that people with dietary restrictions don't have to worry. HOWEVER, someone who works there is incredibly disrespectful about allergies. my good friend is allergic to wheat to the point where if he eats something that's been cross-contaminated with wheat he'll have to go to the hospital. i understand this might be the most common situation and that many people might only have an intolerance and say they have an allergy to avoid ingesting gluten, but my friend could actually die if he eats it and one employee always treats him like he's lying. there have been times where my friend has been served a product with wheat and if he hadn't caught it before he ate it he could have gotten really sick. to me, one of the most vital things about working in the food industry (which i have done for many years) is ensuring that people are safe, and part of that is respecting people's allergies and not assuming that they're lying. armadillo grill is a good place to get decent food, but if you have an allergy i would watch out read more

Marc P.

184

8 years ago

Normally love Armadillo. Please see earlier review. However the staff was so rude and unattentive last night I feel compelled to leave this review. The register clerk could only stop playing Clash of Clans on his phone long enough to tell me "no" when my daughter asked for a larger cup. Sorry to interrupt your game, pal. The guy making the food asked my name to double check my order before giving me a boat of chips. "Wouldn't want to let the customer steal 5 cents of chips". Then he argued with me when we couldn't find the kids quesadilla. He asked if I wanted him to come show me where he'd put it on the tray. By this time I'd gone up and down the steps to the upstairs 5 times and didn't want to go again. Please just give me a fresh quesadilla. He buried the other one underneath chips to where nobody could find it. All in all the staff dug in on three separate occasions to be rude when they could have said "yes" to about 25 cents worth of requests. Meanwhile I spent $70 bucks at a cheap Tex-mex joint and got treated like a jerk. Armadillo is awesome cheap and easy Tex mex. i think they put opiates in the cheese dip because it's crazy addictive. My husband and kids love the buffalo wings. Recently we've been going up to the upstairs bar for margaritas and they are wonderful. In short, armadillo never disappoints. read more

Barbara C.

11 years ago

I came here For lunch and totally enjoyed the atmosphere and the food. I did find it a little over priced but I am glad I tried it anyway! review helps others learn about great local business Please don't review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you're connected in any way to the owner or employees. read more

Rebecca P.

9 years ago

The food is good. I'm not so sure what the point is of filling out the order cards though. When you give the card to the cashier, he/she just repeats everything back to you anyway. May as well just take the order verbally. Overall, good food for the price. read more

Erik N.

13 years ago

My first time eating here and I absolutely loved it. The staff was super friendly. I had to go all out and had 2 steak soft tacos, a crunchy taco, a steak burrito, as well as chips and queso. Oh and did I mention the chocolate chip cookies are amazing?! read more

Livy C.

5 years ago

Dillo is an iconic carrboro restaurant and a local favorite. Armadillo is your classic mexi-american. My favorite is the burritos and dipping them in dillos famous queso dip:)) it's a bit spicy i love it!! read more

Maelin H.

9 years ago

Love it! One of the first restaurants I visited when I moved to Chapel Hill... I've been in love ever since. Great queso and very affordable meals. I'd highly recommend their steak taco! read more

Jimmy M.

4 years ago

Steak burrito absolutely fantastic. Try this place if you're looking for a good burrito.

Alex M.

14 years ago

Fresh ingredients, good atmosphere, and the queso is the best.

Melanie W.

340

11 years ago

This place is great! I go here every time I get a chance.

Collin T.

9 years ago

Love this place. Super quick. And the queso is amazing.

Armadillo Grill - tex-mex - Updated September 2026

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It's a small, clean and brightly painted space with a few tables inside and out in a strip shopping…read morecenter off Hwy 54 outside of Chapel Hill. The AC was really cranked up because it was a hot day but with the loud music. It was so loud that the guy at the counter and myself had to raise our voices to hear each other. I will say he was friendly and the service was nice and speedy. I went for lunch, and since I was feeling hungry, and they didn't have complimentary chips and salsa, I decided to get a gordita to go with my meal. The gordita was a nice crunchy fried masa tortilla at least on one side. The side laying on the tray got soaked in a grease and mainly water combination. Luckily it held together. Unfortunately, I ordered Tinga and it was pretty much tasteless. Every other time I've had Tinga anywhere else it's been marinated or stewed in a smoky and slightly spicy red sauce. This was not, it tasted and looked like just plain shredded chicken. It didn't help that pintos in the Gordita were also bland. The only saving grace was the green tomatillo sauce that tasted like it was from a can. The reason I wanted to try this place was because they had an all day breakfast portion on their menu. So the meal I ordered was the chorizo and eggs. At other places the chorizo spices up the scrambled eggs. This time it did not. It was average at best. And the red guajillo salsa was not spicy as the menu said. I've had better from a jar. I don't think I'll be returning. There are other authentic places nearby with better tasting Mexican food. I wanted to give the place 2.5 stars because it's just average, but I'm OK with 3 because of the good and friendly service.

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The first time I came here it was fabulous. The second and third time were just alright. I…read moresuggest getting the special. Very kind employees.

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