While this place is a whiles away from home, the bbq is good and the portions are large. If I'm in the East Bay visiting family, I will usually head out of my way here for lunch. I can't say what dish I love most, between the mains and the sides. And I love their sauces. While precautionary measures were in place, I never worried about cleanliness or the workers being inattentive to the safety measures. They have indoor seating that can accommodate large groups, even when the tables were spread 6 ft apart. Even after California opening up, they continue to clean tables immediately, wear masks, and put forth a conscientious effort to make all customers feel at ease. In a time when this is not always true, I still feel comfortable coming here. If you're in the mood for good customer service, delicious food, and a safe eating environment for either a date or a family gathering, I can't recommend a better place. read more

Food was ok, just doing the math. I got four half bones of pork ribs at $19.99 + 1 side and a drink total plus tax and tip $27.67. That is absurd. Service was take you order at the counter then call your name to come get the plate all wile asking for a tip before any services have been provided Ambience now this restaurant excelled in the way it looked on the inside it was very clean. The bathroom was clean. The personnel were clean. It looked like it was gonna be great.. read more

Went here to get lunch on the go. I ordered a LONE STAR BBQ 1/4 CHICKEN and fries. What can I say? Fries were overly salted and soggy. The chicken was dry and over sauced. It's as if they took babecue sauce and lost control of the jar. Extremely disappointed. Food was messy and tasteless. I will not be back... read more

Armadillo Willy's BBQ - Messy, dry chicken... - Barbeque Near Me - Dublin, California

I haven't been to the Dublin location in awhile. Now I remember why. I ordered the brisket small plate, tri-tip side and mac n cheese. The brisket was over cooked but still moist (marinade?). The tri tip was horribly over cooked and dry as shoe leather. Inedible. Way over priced for the amount of food you get. I need to find a good BBQ place, this isn't it. read more

This review is specifically for my experience with Armadillo Willy's on 9/26. I would generally rate them at 4 of 5 stars;however not yesterday. I placed my order of two entrees online and paid. Went down there 20 minutes later to pick it up and it was ready in the counter. I then saw a big ad/sign for $20 growlers so I decided to get one. Issue 1 - don't advertise something you don't have. After asking for a growler, the guy says they don't have any more but could put the beer in sealable pint containers. Not seeing much difference, I agreed. DONT EVER DO THIS!! Why? When beer, just like soft drinks, is shaken and moved, air is produced. This made the plastic containers buckle and I had beer foaming up, pressurizing each container , and squirting out of the containers as I was driving home. I lost about 1/5 of the beer in each container and it ended up soaking the bag and in my car. Good thing I carry a cooler so it was easy to clean but this is NOT acceptable. Even overnight, each container is still leaking. This was all before I even got the food out of the bag. We ordered a burger and salad, as well as a rack of ribs. Issue 2 - the salad preparer was lazy. When the cover was placed on the container, lettuce leaves were hanging over the edge and the lid closed on top of them, leaving the leaves dangling half in and half out. Terrible presentation. Would it be too much to spend an extra 5 seconds to make sure everything was in the bowl? Issue 3 - about 1/5 of the ribs were over cooked and burnt. The pieces were so black and hard, there was no point even trying to eat them. Those pieces even smelled burnt too that I didn't want to even pick at them. This is a $65 order with an additional cash tip while there too that I won't easily forget. read more

Decent place for lunch. It can get a bit pricey, but their lunch specials are a good deal. I like their Tuesday lunch special, which is tri-tip. The portions of meat are generous and I usually get it in a sandwich. The first time I got this dish, I ordered steamed veggies, which were not seasoned and mushy. The second time, I got their fries, which came in a generous portion and were absolutely delicious. The pickup counter offers a variety of condiments (ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauces in a variety of spice levels). Service is fast and friendly, but nothing that stands out in particular. read more

Armadillo Willy's BBQ - tri-tip sandwich (Tuesday lunch special) - Barbeque Near Me - Dublin, California

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My husband had to go out into our Covid 19 world last week and was next to Armadillo Willy's. We have eaten there in the past. So he when called and offered to pick up dinner so we wouldn't have to cook I of course said yes! The Belly buster was around 80 bucks. It comes with 2 kinds of ribs (I love ribs), chicken, pulled pork, sausage and brisket!! In other words ALOT of meat! All which was moist and cooked well! Even the chicken which can be dry sometimes in my experience. 4 corn muffins which were delicious! And 2 sides - we chose beans and slaw. The beans were great and included a generous amount of meat inside. And the slaw ( my husbands favorite side includes peanuts, so ya know.) The staff was super friendly and thanked my husband for coming in during this tough time for restaurants and gave him a very different (he said, I didn't try it) can of beer on the house. We very much enjoyed something not made at home finally! When this is over we will dine there again! read more

Armadillo Willy's BBQ - Ribs- sausage- chicken and brisket included in the belly buster. Yum - Barbeque Near Me - Dublin, California

This place is awful! Dry brisket, dry ribs, etc. this is not Texas BBQ. For the price of this place I could have had a great sushi dinner next door. Probably the worst bbq I have ever had. read more

Loved the potato salad! The place was clean and smelled fantastic! The service was excellent. Will definitely be going back.

Ordered the small combo- 20 plus bucks for less than the amount of food you wood get in a kids happy meal, taste was decent but prices too high for the amount of food read more

Good experience every time with friendly staff and consistent, delicious food. A great neighborhood bbq place with reliable staples!

I've always had a good experience at Armadillo Willy's regardless of the fact that they are a franchise. This particular visit, we ordered an El Jefe sandwich (5/5), and a few sides: 1/4 lb juicy brisket, bacon Mac n cheese, corn bread, and potato salad. Everything was soooo good, and we honestly expected there to be leftovers considering it was a heavy meal. There was nothing left! The brisket was melt in your mouth, and the El Jefe sandwich a terrific combination of flavors. I'm looking forward to when we get to go back. read more

Ordered baby back ribs and boneless chicken unexpectedly terrible. Both ribs and chicken were not tender. The chicken was like eating a hockey puck. read more

Great place. Love the vibe, I felt like i was in Texas. Food along with the service was excellent as well. Highly recommend this place.

Best Damn this side everywhere Real talk! I real love the tenderness of the meat. Most of all the cornbread & the beans w/ brisket meat!

Belly buster is a good value, staff is always flexible allowing at least on small substitutions. Good quality, this is one of my go to favorites! Next time you have a half dozen friends over try the belly buster, maybe add a half LB or pound of brisket as needed, and tell me I'm not right. read more

Came in a bit before 7 pm. Only two small groups in the restaurant. I expected a bit more activity. I ordered andouille sausage with a couple of sides. The sausage seemed like it had been around for a while. Texas toast was disappointing. Fries, just ordinary. I hadn't been here in a while and expected better. Service, however, was pretty quick. read more

It was my first visit (DoorDash) but not my last. My family is relocating to the area from TN, so pursuit of bbq is a must! I don't have to look any further. I ordered the belly buster for myself, so I'm set for the week. The ribs, chicken, brisket et al were all moist, flavorful and cooked to perfection. I was so full, I've only begun to nibble on the sides but so far the tots and cornbread are spot on. I have much more food to eat and I look forward to bringing the family. read more

Moist brisket, amazing jalapeno sausage My son loves their homemade mac n cheese. Everytime I'm in the area I stop by for delicious barbeque! read more

You've probably driven past and noticed the Coco Cabana thousands of times but never noticed this hidden gem ever especially if you use the Dublin Blvd entrance. Its in the last corner of the parking lot and easy to miss. The tri-tip and the brisket is excellent. The tri-tip not over seasoned and the brisket juicy, smoked deliciousness. I like how you have the choice to order lean or mixed and I like how they don't slather on too much BBQ sauce - but they add a bunch on the side for you to add on yourself. These two previous mentioned things along with their low prices make for an easy 5 star experience... but theres more: Ambiance is also outstanding. The baseball game in the background on tvs scattered about and the tall ceilings and comfortable bench seats. Large windows, checkered red and white table cloths just like at a BBQ picnic. Outdoor seating also available. Soda options also impressive. They have the usual that you might have a preference for as well as the better for you type stuff. The only improvement is I think they should re do the signs somehow and make the "BBQ" portion of their name larger. The name here is so long that I think the font has to be so small for it all to fit. I've been around this area lots since Roxbury was built and missed it for years. read more

Armadillo Willy's BBQ - $8 BBQ baker special - Barbeque Near Me - Dublin, California

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All I gotta say is don't go to a BBQ PLACE FOR VEGETARIAN FOOD. Lmfao people got jokes. Anywho, food is always great and consistent. I love their bbq sauces and their Texas ribs. Might possibly have the best cornbread I've ever had. read more

Awesome place to eat bbq. High quality meats for sure , staff friendly and the place is so cozy . Will always go here for my BBQ cravings from now on! read more

Have been here a few times. The place has really tasty meats and some great sides. Service was also great. Will definitely keep coming back.

The ribs were tough as hell and the flavor was not marinated in. We have had good BBQ here but it is always hit and miss. 1/2 the time it is bad. read more

Steak wedge - pretty good Brisket, corn, & fries - pretty good Service - decent Atmosphere is like most of the other locations- wood color with signs and bar tables read more

Armadillo Willy's BBQ - Steak wedge - Barbeque Near Me - Dublin, California

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OMG!! The service and food was amazing! We will definitely be using Armadillo Willy's again in the future. Thanks for making this event so successful! read more

I haven't been here in years and was pleasantly surprised by the new menu items. I had the El Jefe sandwich which was loaded with pulled pork, cole slaw, beef brisket and sausage (choice of Andouille or Hot Link) and it was paired with a ocean of french fries. I appreciate that they have a very large selection of side dishes to choose from including Caesar salad. Everything was perfect...staff were friendly, food was great, prices were fair and restaurant was super clean. I will definitely be back to try different menu items... read more

I used to live in Santa Clara & would go to the armadillo Willy's there with my fam a lot growing up. I went here yesterday because it's near my boyfriends house & I feel like it's been a decade since I've eaten here. Why have I waited so long?! I don't eat bbq often & this made me want to change my ways. Got a full slab because go big or go home rt? Also got fries & corn bread, which was the perfect lil sweet ending to a hearty meal. Make sure you eat the corn bread with cinnamon butter! Minus a star because towards the end I think they burned something? We reeked of burnt bbq after which was disappointing because I wanted to at least smell like good bbq lol. read more

Armadillo Willy's BBQ - Full slab of baby back ribs, fries & 2 corn breads - Barbeque Near Me - Dublin, California

Really good brisket. I had the juicy and my wife had the lean. Both of us thought it was excellent.

had a great experience coming down here for the first time, Fantastic Service, Great Flavors and the owner Erik and staff are very friendly

I seldom post a negative review, but am making an exception tonight. Have had their ribs before, but tonight I threw away most of my baby backs. Undercooked, lacked flavor and too much fat. The entree is too expensive to get subpar food. I won't be ordering ribs anymore from this location. read more

Fairly poor bbq. The pulled pork tasted like weak roast beef, the brisket was bleh at best, ribs were somewhat ok but lacking in meat. Fries were cold, greasy and the seasoning wasn't up to snuff. The spicy slaw was ok but nothing to write home about. Vastly over priced for what you get. I've lived in Texas, worked in Louisville and grew up in Florida. I know good bbq and this isn't it. read more

It's been awhile since I've visited a Armadillo Willy's. The last time and last place visited was about 12 years ago when I still lived in Santa Clara. My partner (in crime) and I attended a training class around the corner from this Willy's and when we broke for lunch, we agreed to eat here since neither of us had been in years. Walking in, I looked over their pretty extensive menu and decided to go for their BBQ Melt with Tri Tip, minus the bacon. After ordering, I headed over to the drink fountain and found their flavored waters. I went with the strawberry kiwi and taking a sip realized, it was fricking amazing. My food was up in minutes. Two pieces of huge Texas toasted bread. Tri Tip, two cheeses, onions and jalapeno BBQ sauces filled the middle. On the side, a good helping of potato salad. Humm, humm good. read more

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The "Belly Buster" is awesome!!! $70, for like 20 lbs. of tasty meat! Strangely, the two sides are super disproportionate to the amount of meat served in this pile of carnivorous awesomeness. Let me set the table for you... My wife and daughter were on vacation for a week leaving me 'n the boys (16 & 10) to fend for ourselves. We ate salads, sandwiches, pre-made lasagna and scrambled eggs (oops, almost forgot the bowls of cereal - for dinner, yep! Go dad!) Anyhow, we were ready to up the ante on Friday night. My boys (and me) are meat lovers, but when mom is around, we limit our intake or red meat. Well, when mom's not around, we go for broke and get down! My 16 year-old actually brought up bbq, so we pulled up the Armadilly Willy menu online. After studying our options carefully, we decided to go for broke and order the "Belly Buster." It's a party-sized tray of beef, pork and chicken that comes with two sides, corn muffins, dipping sauces and a hefty dose of meat-coma after indulging. I decided to call ahead and place the order as we were hungry and didn't want to wait when we got there. Javier took the order and quickly dialed it in. He told us it would be 10 minutes, I live 12 minutes away - perfect. Upon our arrival, we waited in line to pay...and waited..and waited. Finally, we paid, gave the dude my name (not Javier), then waited again. After a few moments of standing near the register, same dude asked, "May I help you?" This pissed me off..."Hey dumbass, you just collected my $70, asked my name and did nothing. Yes, you can get my food! It's now going on 25-30 minutes since I called in the order! He asked my name again with the manager standing there looking confused. Guess what?! The bag he grabbed was the same huge sack of grub that was sitting there when I paid! I "nicely" told the manager and counter dude, "Hey bro, you need to wake up and get your head in the game. Bossman, dude made us stand around and wait for no reason." They stood there looking annoyed at me, but whatever...pay attention guys, I'm impatient when I'm hungry and I didn't order a "side" of incompetence with my "Belly Buster." The food? GRUBBIN' GOOD! Got home and attacked the tray of meat like wild animals - no manners, no class, no rules. So, the food was probably in the range of 4 solid stars...maybe 4.5? The sides were really small - puzzling if you actually had like 6-8 people eating this meat fiesta, they each get a spoonful of slaw and beans. I didn't really care, because we came for the MEAT. Unfortunately, counter dude screwed things up by acting ridiculously clueless (along with his Mark Davis look-alike manager - Google Oakland Raiders owner.) A simple, "Bro, so sorry - how about a free dessert or a sack of fries to go with your BB - I dropped the ball." Nope, I was the bad guy on this day. Oh well, I loved the Gut Buster, er Belly Buster anyway. The aftermath: We got our asses kicked. Saddled up for a meat-lover's lunch on Saturday and may have a few more bites for dinner along with a few bowls of Cheerios. Curiously, the chicken was the only thing left after Saturday lunch. 3.49 stars - I'll be back. In case you were wondering: THE BELLY BUSTER FAMILY PACK 65.95 Texas BBQ Ribs, Baby Back Ribs, Lone Star BBQ Chicken, 18-Hour Texas Brisket, East Texas Pulled Pork, Cowboy Sausage, along with four (4) fresh baked corn muffins with Willy's famous cinnamon-honey butter, and your choice of two of the following; spicy peanut slaw, potato salad, Texas corn salad, sweet Willy's BBQ beans, or fresh green salad. read more

Armadillo Willy's BBQ - Whoa! Belly Buster. - Barbeque Near Me - Dublin, California

I grew up with Armadillo Willy's and it's been years, so finally wanted to try it again. Unfortunately, there is a reason we dont eat here anymore. Chain restaurants are just dying due to not serving freah ingredients. The ribs were super over cooked, the lettuce in the pulled pork salad was PINK, and just didnt look appetizing. Been regretting spending $70 on food that has left my tummy unhappy since Sunday night. Of all the bbq options, makes me wonder long long food is kept around. When you see the lettuce is pink....wouldnt you NOT serve it? read more

I was starving when I came here. I got the pulled pork sandwich and I tried to eat it was slowly as possible instead of scarfing it down and not actually tasting it. The pork had just enough saltiness that went well with their barbecue sauce. I especially liked the bun.. it was soft on the outside but grilled nicely inside. What disappointed me was their fries.. I ordered them for my mom since I already had Texas toast.. We started eating them less than an hour from when I bought them and they tasted like they've been in the basket for half a day.. I know that fried foods get soggy eventually, but this was too quick. As far as service, there were only two other people ordering to go, so I got my order quick. And the lady who took my order was nice. I'd like to come back here again with family or friends to have a nice sit down meal as I took my sandwich to go. read more

Armadillo Willy's BBQ - Pulled pork sandwich with Texas toast - Barbeque Near Me - Dublin, California

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I really like this place for their Santa Maria Tri-Tip Sandwiches and sweet potato fries! It's a casual sit-down place where you order when you walk in and they hand you a vibrating disc to let you know when your order's ready. The tables are always clean, there are high seats and couches, and on nice days, the outdoor seating is refreshing. My family and I almost always order the Santa Maria Tri-Tip Sandwich because it's pretty much the best thing on the menu. We've tried other sandwiches like the brisket sandwich, the pulled pork sandwich, not to mention some plates, such as the baby back ribs, but nothing is more satisfying then the tri-tip sandwich. The sandwich itself comes with a generous portion of sliced tri-tip that is cooked to perfection; I've never had one that was dry or unsavory. The bread is coated and slightly toasted with garlic butter that gives it an amazing aroma and goes along fantastically with the tri-tip. There's also a side of fresh red onions and sliced pickles, not to mention a little cup of fresh salsa to pile into the sandwich. So good! The sweet potato fries are also pretty good, but pretty standard. My mom likes the cajun fries, but I feel that they're a little underseasoned for my taste. The seasoning itself tastes good, but there's not quite enough of it, and sometimes the fries seem to come out a little wilted (which has never happened with the sweet potato fries). If you do get the cajun fries, make sure to get it with a side of ranch because it makes it that much better. read more

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If you want a huge meal for 4 people, order the Family Combo pack. For $44.95 (mention if you're a AAA member for a 10% discount), you get a full slab (12 bones) of Texas BBQ Ribs and a whole BBQ Chicken along with 4 fresh baked corn muffins with cinnamon-honey butter, and your choice of two of the following: spicy peanut slaw, Texas corn salad, potato salad, sweet Willy's BBQ beans, or fresh garden salad. We chose to get the potato salad and the BBQ beans. It doesn't include drinks. The food came on two trays to fit everything we ordered. For 4 people, it was a lot of food. Even though we were hungry, we still had 2 corn bread muffins, 3 pieces of chicken, half a pint of beans and a third pint of potato salad. We all enjoyed the potato salad but the beans could've used more flavor so we added the original bbq sauce to it. They also have chipotle sauce and jalapeño sauce at the counter if you're in the mood for spicy. The ribs were tender and easily fed all 4 of us. The chicken was juicy at the beginning but as it started getting cold, it became a bit dry. We all tried to eat the corn muffins but we're so stuffed that only 2 were eaten. This was the second time we've been at this location and the food has been cooked well and the employees have always been attentive and helpful. I would come back again with friends so we can order the bigger meals to share. read more

Armadillo Willy's BBQ - First visit with the peanut slaw and the potato salad as our two sides. - Barbeque Near Me - Dublin, California

I was expecting better. The food was tepid in temperature. The sandwich I ordered, The El Hefe, could have had more slaw on it. I barely had a mouthful to taste it. The pork was very fatty. I had to use 2 containers of sauce because the meat was dry. I did like the mac and cheese, I just wish it was hot in temperature. read more

The Ribs were so dried and no bbq taste. I believe the ribs were left over from several days ago. Will not recommend this place.