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    Armadillo Willy's BBQ

    3.3 (556 reviews)
    ModerateAmerican, Barbeque, Salad
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Armadillo Willy's BBQ Photos

    Business Info

    ARMADILLO WILLY'S BBQ ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Melissa G.

    The food and staff were delicious. The dining area was spacious and clean. Portion sizes were fair for the price.

    Kid's Chicken Strips
    Ana M.

    First timer ! I got the pulled pork sandwich and added macaroni and cheese! Absolutely loved it, it was quiet and calm. Love the music makes me think of living in the countryside. After our meal we played a game. The kids loved it. The service was great. Definitely will come back.

    Ribs and brisket combo with a side of tri tip .
    Nancy L.

    I haven't been to this chain for probably 10 years! Menu has changed a bit but quality stayed the same. We got the 2 meat combo with baby back ribs and brisket, with a side of tri tip. The combo comes with 2 sides. Great value ... combo was $27 and the side of trip tip was only $6. Enough for 2 to share. Ribs were nice and easily off the bone. Brisket was a bit dry for me but my Boyfriend loved it. I loved the tri tip. The sides Caesar salad and Texas toast were delicious! Place is clean , but could use some updating.

    Bowl
    r m.

    The meat was delicious. I ordered the bowl, which comes with rice and beans as a base and choice of meat on top. It's a nice portion of food to not be over stuffed. The beans were good, but I was really disappointed in the rice... it was dry, clumpy, and was as if it had been sitting out for an extended period of time, or possibly whatever they were using to hold the rice had been open or uncovered for a while and they gave me the dried up top layer. Outside of that, the cashier was really nice and the place has a fun atmosphere.

    Texas tots
    James H.

    It does the job for your bbq craving but not that great. Order at the counter and wait for your order. Spacious restaurant with tvs. The regular baby back ribs 8 ribs with 2 sides were dry on the outside and too crisp. But the inside was juicy. The texas tots are just regular tater tots and the potato salad is ok. Nothing really stood out but it's worth a try. Different locations across the South Bay.

    Do you love meat in your mouth?! Yes. You do.
    Michael S.

    This place is kind of hidden in plain site. Maybe it's just me, cuz I'm rarely ever in this area, and El Chameeno Ray-All is so full of different shoppes, how could you ever wind up here?! They got BBQ, brosephino. That's all that anyone ever really needs. Okay, maybe not anyone. And maybe not all your needs. But hot dang, it sure hits the spot when you're craving it, amirite?! Of Course, I am. BBQ and Brew. Maybe it iiiiiis all anyone needs! Vegetables are overrated, right? Beer is like Vegetable water, if you really think about it. So you should definitely drink more of it. I know I will :D

    Quang P.

    We did the Build Your Own Plate option where we can select any of the three meats. I went with their bestsellers: Texas BBQ ribs, Baby Back Ribs, and Texas Brisket. We requested that the meat were a balanced between the lean and fatty cut. The plate also came with two sides. I chose the classic sides: Cornbread and Spicy Peanut Slaw. The order came out fast. And man was the food delicious! Everything was falling off the bone and has a nice smokey flavor to it. The BBQ sauce rounds out the flavor profile but didn't mask the meat. The cornbread came with cinnamon butter. The slaw was interesting. It wasn't really that spicy and peanuts added texture to the slaw but it wasn't mind blowing. The whole plate was enough for the two of us and we left completely stuffed! We came on a Friday night and it wasn't that crowded. Ambience was very causal and we got our food right away.

    Richard Y.

    Serviceable if craving bbq. The brisket is tender but lacks any bark, flavor or smokiness.

    Sign
    Kenneth L.

    Armadillo Willy's BBQ is located in Sunnyvale. While driving on El Camino Real, I've passed by this place many a time. I finally decided to stop and try it out. The place was spacious. The staff were friendly and her as I ordered the Brisket plate. My wait was short, and I soon got my food. The Brisket was delicious, as were the Tots and Potato Salad. I will be back to try out more of their menu.

    Texas Prime Brisket A la Carte - Sandwich

    When I paid 20 dollars I expected a good sandwich. something surprising. When I opened my box I was surprised on how tiny it was for 20 dollars. Wow I just spent this money for something so tiny. After I tasted it with the sauce I said damn that's why. It was sooo good it made sense for the price. I do not regret spending 20 dollars for such a small sandwich

    Brisket Small Plate
    Rudy D.

    Been here a bunch of times and have gotten there bakers when offered. Seems that they haven't offered these in awhile. Have had Texas ribs here in the past and thought I could get these as a small plate. Was told it was $24! This is only $2 less than the regular plate! Settling for brisket small plate which was a lot more reasonable. Brisket was good as was the fries. The cost of the ribs is unreasonable.

    Ribs

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    The salmon patty burger is horrible. No Heineken or Stella beer. Service is great . Don't recommended.

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    3 years ago

    Great bbq. Been coming here for years. I like the Texas ribs but my wife takes the chicken

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    Consistently good. Try a chicken sandwich. Get extra sauce on the side. Pretty chill for casual meal.

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    Page 2 of 14

    Armadillo Willy's BBQ Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Armadillo Willy's BBQ

    Do they have a gluten-free menu?

    What day do they do the baked potato?

    Thursdays

    Are there any vegetarian options at this location?

    Yes

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Valley Goat

    Valley Goat

    4.3
    (616 reviews)
    2.7 mi

    ARE WE IN SILICON VALLEY? 4.5…read more One might never know this restaurant exists, tucked away near a Google business park just off Highway 101. You could stumble upon it through Yelp (as we did), discover it while staying at the adjacent Treehouse Hotel, or simply hear about it through word of mouth. The parking situation is an interesting one. After turning into the driveway from Mathilda Avenue, you have two options: turn right for valet parking or left into the Google parking lot. There are plenty of spaces available, though parking there is technically at your own risk. The restaurant told us they had not heard of anyone being ticketed or towed. We first dined here shortly after it opened in 2025 and were immediately impressed by the beautiful grounds. The hotel's eco-conscious gift shop, housed in a glass greenhouse and featuring a colorful vintage VW Bug, is a charming touch. The short walk to the restaurant feels especially relaxing on a warm, sunny day. This has become one of our favorite places to bring friends or host girls' lunches. With three distinct seating options: the dining room, bar, and patio, there's an atmosphere to suit just about any occasion, whether you're dining as a couple or gathering with a larger group. I would recommend visiting during lunch or dinner service and skipping the in-between hours. During that time, only the bar area is open and the menu is more limited. To fully experience what Valley Goat has to offer, lunch or dinner is the way to go. Despite the name, the only goat dish on the menu at the time of this review is the Goat Empanadas. My friend was initially hesitant to order them, but David, our wonderful server, and I encouraged her to give them a try. She was glad she did. There was no gamey flavor whatsoever; the meat tasted more like beef, and the accompanying sauce was excellent. Over several visits, we've enjoyed everything we've ordered and are delighted to have a restaurant of this caliber in our Bay Area backyard. Chef and co-owner Stephanie Izard, winner of Season 4 of Top Chef and an Iron Chef title, owns a total of nine restaurants, primarily in the Chicago area, along with locations in Los Angeles and one at Orlando International Airport. Since we enjoy traveling for great food, we'll definitely be adding some of her other restaurants to our list.

    Heard of this place for a couple years and finally got to try it on a business dinner. In the past…read morewhen I checked it out, I didn't find the menu extensive. Today I was happy with the food, more to that later. First off, this place is not so easy for me to find. There's a blue glass building outside, which misled me to drive around, looking for somewhere else. Would be better to have a sign somewhere more visible on the street. The place was well decorated with hanging plants and gave a calm, peaceful, and open feeling. It feels great to be inside. It's also a good setting for business HH or gatherings. We started with the drinks, and I tried the Goat Gibson, thinking it must be their signature cocktail since it has their name on it. I don't like it at all. It's too savory for my palate. My Vietnamese coworker saw the ingredient list had fish sauce, and he took an interest in it. After having a few sips, he also didn't like it. The Blush Spritz was a lot more normal for a cocktail. Overall, we found the cocktails pricy for the size offered. They also ran out of Laughing Monk which was the only beer our coworkers were interested in. The food on the other hand was better. We had: -Goat empanadas: great bakery skills on the wrapping, fragrant and buttery -Crispy Quinoa + Tuna Poke Salad: fresh tuna, everyone loves the dressing -Roasted Asparagus: interesting presentation with flowers covering the asparagus. We had to dig in to find the asparagus but they tasted good and fresh. -Wood-fired Mary's chicken: half a chicken, the meat was juicy with few bones -Sticky Pork Shank: This is the best. It came with a whole knuckle-sized portion of meat on a bone. At first I was surprised that they didn't offer any serving knives but only a tong. Amazingly, the meat was so soft that the tong was the only tool we needed to break up the meat. Super soft and juicy meat with lettuce leaves on the side to mimic a Korean wrap. -Daily special of Hamachi Collar: not bad, but I prefer the Japanese hamachi kama way of cooking. This one is a big collar that had a lot of meat, but I felt like too much meat could easily make the cooking uneven. One thing we noticed though, is all 3 large plates have very similar salad on the side, all the same pickled onions. It would be good to have some differences among dishes. We also tried their Pandan Flan for dessert. I was expecting a green flan, so when a white flan appeared, it took me by surprise a bit. It did have the pandan taste once I spooned in. And the crispy rice was a pleasant addition to the dish. Lastly, onto service. We had to wait till the party was mostly there to be seated. But our waiter service was good. He gave us good suggestions and kept our water filled. Dirty dishes were also cleaned up timely. All in all we are satisfied with the meal. Some mentioned they would come back. With Google and other big companies around them, they are not short of business. Making a reservation is essential.

    Photos
    DJ Booth?
    DJ Booth?
    Goat Empanadas ($18) limey huacatay
    Goat Empanadas ($18) limey huacatay
    Goat gibson ($22), blush spritz ($20)

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    Goat gibson ($22), blush spritz ($20)
    Bloom

    Bloom

    4.3
    (1.8k reviews)
    4.3 mi
    $$

    That would be our server, Emily. She was outstanding, no matter how busy she was, she made us feel…read moreHeard and appreciated she was terrific. Now, a couple of points to cover. 1. It will be busy you will have to wait, but let me tell you the turnover of the tables by the staff is its own ballet. And once you are shown to your table the wait will be worth it. Point number two order potatoes that are fried in duck fat and sprinkled with garlic and parsley. *if all. I did was return in the future for those potatoes and nothing more the trip is worth it. Now the place is loud and busy and you would not want it any other way the energy is contagious the "Ambiance" is simple you are glad to be there and the employees are glad you are there too.

    Popular American brunch spot, well-lit and decent indoor and outdoor seating. Servers are friendly…read moreand helpful. Didn't need a reservation to sit, but I assume it's much more crowded on the weekends. Parking was fine. Ordered French toast, avocado toast with poached egg, carnitas Benedict, and Churro waffles. Honestly, everything was a bit average and lacking flavor. The churro waffles were by far the favorite and the best deal, price to taste-wise. Definitely get it if you're gonna try anything here. Otherwise, Bloom was slightly lackluster for me. Nothing terrible, but I prefer Sweet Maple as a brunch spot.

    Photos
    Brunch with my girl! Hee
    Brunch with my girl! Hee
    Croissant French toast
    Croissant French toast
    Carnitas Bene w/ avocado, pickled onion, house English muffin, poached eggs, salsas, house potatoes | $25

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    Metro City Restaurant & Bar

    Metro City Restaurant & Bar

    3.8
    (997 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$

    Stopped here enroute from SFO to the Central Valley, with a hungry family after a long flight. This…read morelooked like a good place to stop and refuel. We had a myriad of options with two splitting a big burger, one child enjoying sliders and myself with the Ahi tuna nachos. Mine was really good with plenty of fish but almost too much spicy sauce. I don't really know about the wontons as nachos, but it worked well enough. All the other meals were well received. The garlic fries were more popular than the regular ones. And realistically we only ever ate half of what we had. Service was quick enough and welcoming. 3.9 rounds to 4.

    I cannot thank Nora and the entire Metro City Team. We don't come here often but when we do we…read moreALWAYS have the best experience both with the delicious food but even better the welcoming team of Metro CIty! These days due to my declining health I cannot eat out much so after a full week of nothing but full of dr. appointments and my last one being today at El Camino Hospital my husband asked me where I wanted to have breakfast (I rarely eat breakfast) He had mentioned Metro City and I said "OF COURSE!" When we walked in Nora was doing everything and anything to ensure her guests were well taken care of.... We hadn't been to Metro City in over a year and she immediately remembered us and the last place we sat in the restaurant. I was floored at her care for us..... The food was SPECTACULAR as always!!!!!!!!! These days I am not to eat such good food but in my crazy head my mind was " GO BIG OR GO HOME!" Had the Murphy's Hash Benedict with hash browns. OUT OF THIS WORLD! You can't go wrong with anything on their menu! It has always not just been about the food but the overall experience! Nora has a heart of gold! I so look forward to going back!

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    Metro City Restaurant & Bar
    Crab cake
    Crab cake
    Pick Your Poison Margarita - Prickly Pear ($6 during HH M-F 3-6p)

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    Eureka!

    Eureka!

    4.1
    (619 reviews)
    3.0 mi
    $$
    Outdoor seating
    Kid friendly

    Michael is a wonderful waitress, friendly, welcoming, and incredibly patient. She took the time to…read moreexplain everything on the menu and helped us decide what to order when we were unsure. :) We had a great experience during Happy Hour, which was honestly unexpected because our first visit last year was a little disappointing. Thankfully, we decided to give this place a second chance, and we're so glad we did. The food was tasty and delicious, and the service was fast as well. We will definitely be coming back!

    The staff made my dad's 80th birthday perfect…read more I organized a casual drop-in gathering for my dad's 80th -- no private event, no deposit, just a large group coming and going over four hours. Toni worked with me over the phone to make it happen, and when there was a small miscommunication about the vibe I was going for, she course-corrected instantly -- not just in communication but in the actual setup. That kind of pivot is rare. The outside area was ideal for our group of roughly 60 throughout the day -- a mix of high tops, low tops, and couches that gave everyone somewhere to land. Heat lamps on when we needed them, off when we asked. Ellie and Shailyn were exceptional the entire time. I had to leave before I could personally thank the staff, which I regretted -- so I'm saying it here. This was exactly what I hoped it would be for my dad. Thank you, Toni, Ellie, and Shailyn. -- Anton

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    Eureka!
    Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich
    Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich
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    Horsefeather

    Horsefeather

    4.1
    (228 reviews)
    8.7 mi

    Horsefeather is a great option in Palo Alto, located in the Town & County Village with plenty of…read morefree parking available. I arrived a couple minutes early for my 7:15 pm outdoor reservation on a Saturday and was immediately sat by the kind hostess even though it seemed pretty busy. The waitstaff were extremely attentive and professional, I appreciated the checking in, and even boxing our leftovers for my friend and I. We ordered the Umami Fries to start, followed by two Miso Linguinis. Everything was absolutely amazing! I have not stopped thinking about that pasta. We will definitely be back when we come up to Palo Alto, highly recommend!

    This was my third visit to this restaurant, and unfortunately, it was a disappointing experience…read more We made a reservation, arrived on time, and were seated. At that point, there were only two other small parties in the restaurant. We were initially seated directly next to a group that was clearly enjoying themselves and being somewhat lively. Since most of the restaurant was empty, we politely asked if we could sit elsewhere. We were moved to another small table, and then asked if we could have one of the empty booths instead. The server said he would check with the manager, but the manager declined, even though approximately 90% of the restaurant was empty. We then placed our order. My wife ordered the salmon, and I ordered the mussels, along with the beet and strawberry salad. When the salad arrived, my wife noticed there were no beets in it. We pointed this out to the server, who said he would speak with the manager. The manager eventually brought out a corrected salad. Shortly afterward, however, the server informed me that they were out of mussels. This was especially frustrating because the mussels were the main reason we chose this restaurant--we had enjoyed them on a previous visit and specifically came back for them. To make matters worse, about ten minutes later, two families with children were seated directly next to us, despite the restaurant still being largely empty. Given the abundance of available seating, it felt unnecessary and made the dining experience less enjoyable. Overall, the combination of the seating situation, ordering issues, and lack of accommodation left us disappointed with what had previously been a restaurant we enjoyed visiting.

    Photos
    Dining area
    Dining area
    Deviled Eggs
    Deviled Eggs
    Umami Fries

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    St. John's Bar & Grill

    St. John's Bar & Grill

    4.0
    (2.6k reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    This is an awesome place to watch sports! There are multiple screens showing many different games…read morethat are on. The food is wonderful! There are so many options from burgers to sandwiches to fries and more! I couldn't help myself, so I had to keep ordering

    The extensive beer menu and abundance of TV screens were definite positives, but the cleanliness…read moreand food quality left much to be desired. They were packed during the games, though the line moved fairly quickly. If ordering only beer, orders were placed directly at the bar. The beer selection was displayed on screens above the ordering counter, though there were additional ciders and sours available upon request. Food came out quickly as the grill was constantly being reloaded. After ordering, I was given a pager that buzzed once everything was ready. The pick up station was located near condiment counters lined with half opened bottles of hot sauce, mustard, and mayonnaise. I did appreciate the ketchup variety, which included original, chipotle, and curry options. *Dragonfruit, Passionfruit Sour: pleasantly acidic and fruit forward. This unfortunately came from a can rather than the tap. I was offered a chilled glass, which I accepted, though the can itself was not refrigerated so the final pour ended up disappointingly lukewarm. *Onion Rings: disappointing batter execution. They were already half soggy despite us eating them immediately. The coating lacked airiness and everything had a one dimensional chewiness. I also wished both the batter and onion carried more sweetness and developed flavor. *Sweet Potato Fries: suffered from the same sogginess as the onion rings. The portion was generous for $8, though these largely served as a vehicle for the various ketchup options rather than standing on their own. Oddly enough, the women's bathroom was far cleaner than the dining area itself. Our table appeared unwiped when we sat down, and the sauce station was noticeably greasy. I ended up avoiding most of the condiments because the bottles had a visible and tangible film coating them. Unfortunately, I felt somewhat ill after finishing the meal and definitely noticed the effects afterward. St. John's has a strong beer program and great game day atmosphere, but the cleanliness issues were difficult to overlook. The entire space could benefit from a much more thorough deep clean. On top of that, the underwhelming quality of the appetizers made it hard to justify returning when even the simplest menu items lacked proper execution.

    Photos
    The Bar
    The Bar
    Bacon and cheese fries
    Bacon and cheese fries
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    Armadillo Willy's BBQ - tradamerican - Updated June 2026

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