Armadillo Willy’s BBQ

Having lived in Texas, I might be biased and a little more pickier however this spot definitely got my craving for some BBQ turkey in!
I went with a group of people and most got the ribs, fries and corn bread muffin that looked amazing.
The things that really stood out to me where the enhanced waters (watermelon, mango, lemonade to name a few) and the 3 types of BBQ sauces. I really loved the jalapeño BBQ sauce! It left my mouth in flames which most «spicy BBQ» don’t do. I loved every bite.
Maybe I should have asked but most of the authentic BBQ places I went to in Texas had a more open viewing of the meats and ability to taste the meats so you know which one you like the best before you buy it… which I really appreciated considering that it’s pretty pricey.
Overall, I’m satisfied. My inner Texan is satisfied.

I’ve been here several times and let me tell you what I think:
Visit number one: I ordered the ribs, pulled pork, tater tots, beans, coleslaw and cornbread… Now, I’m not certain why. But I was just not feeling it! I was a little disappointed by the food then and it just didn’t have a «WOW» factor.
Visit number 2: I decided to come back and give it another shot. This time pulled pork, potato salad, beans, and cornbread. I don’t know what happened this time around but it was delicious!!! I have stuck with that order ever since!
The potato salad is delicious, pulled pork (can’t go wrong — put the spicy sauce on it), the BEST cornbread EVER.
In fact, I think I’ll eat there tonight:)

Absolutely one of my favorite places for BBQ! The Smoked Pork Green Chili Stew was out of this world! So good I wrote about it in my food blog! You can read more in detail at

I enjoy coming to this location the people here are friendly. Place is always clean and usually don’t wait long to get my order. There are times I am unable to dine in and pick up.
**due to phone service otherwise *****
If ordering via phone call 30 minutes prior to desired pick up time as there has been times I have had to wait 15 –20 on hold. 1^st person to pick up can I put you on hold and before you can even answer too late music is playing to only pick up again and be asked to hold once more as they have a customer in line (am I not a customer on the phone –I must not be as important since you can not see my face.)
Why not just come in then. Don’t live in the area closer to different location just don’t like there service. Other than that it’s a great place to eat, foods always hot and good!

I got a bbq chicken salad and coleslaw for lunch today. The chicken in the salad was really dry. I liked the corn bread croutons and salad dressing tho. Their Thai peanut slaw is really good. I haven’t tried their bbq meals yet, but I will be back to update my review.

I was in the mood for some BBQ and this happens to be across from my gym so felt I should check it out.
First… Unlike many restaurants that claim BBQ or smoked food this place is legit. By that I mean they actually have smokers to cook their food and not just baking and adding liquid smoke.
Simple you order your food and sit down and wait for your buzzer to go off. Efficient and easy. No fuss with a waiter or anything so a plus to them.
They have the basic flair of BBQ food… Ribs, pork, brisket, etc. Being indecisive i got the Texas trinity: ribs, brisket, and sausage. I never knew sausage was one. But I’ll talk about that later.
Price wise… A bit higher than I expected. You get ALOT of food (and take out trays are readily available and you will need it). But that was perhaps due to my trinity costing more than normal or «small» BBQ plates (which run around 7 – 10 bucks).
The food. I love BBQ I love smoking BBQ and I of course love eating it. I have had Texas BBQ and this stuff was pretty good (especially being in Sunnyvale). PPP on your sauce and your ready to eat. The ribs and sausages were great. I was shocked when I saw sausages thinking the trinity would be chicken… But after a few I was happy they had sausages. So good.
The brisket… You can order in either juicy or lean or a mixture. When I first got it I was disappointed to see fat on the brisket. That is the «juicy» style and it’s supposed to have fat on it. Consider it the butter in the meat. Personally j would never order it juicy after having it once… Great flavor but I felt my arteries crying in pain.
Luckily there was enough food that I could not eat it and still be full. But to be honest I ate the brisket as well. I did order it as a «mix» so was expecting both juicy and not so juicy… But fat.
I will be back to try out a BBQ sandwich one day after a workout.

7÷29÷15 (update): Just a quick one since I tried a new item and my beloved fries are no more. I’ve been warned that this place has consistency issues, and I am starting to see this…
1. Cajun Fries $ 2.95: So let’s start with the side item. My last fries here were frickin’ amazing. I gave them ⁹⁄₁₀! Well, it looks like I must have gotten super lucky that time cause today’s sucked hard. The fries were really soggy. Only the spices kept them interesting. But no spice in the world could save these. So… inconsistency brewing… we’ll see. ³⁄₁₀
2. Ultimate Hickory Burger $ 9.95: Well, I ordered this knowing I usually don’t like BBQ sauce in burgers. I figured this being an actual BBQ place it would be good. Well, the burger itself really was damn good – I asked for the meat «medium» and that’s what they gave me. It was thick and juicy. Lots of good cheese and various other burger toppings. Yeah, so, there’s a ton of that sauce. Definitely way too much for me – it totally covered up the yummy burger. Anyway, trying to be unbiased, I’d say I’m pretty sure their other burgers would be awesome, but the sauce is just too much on this. The drowning of the sauce also made the onion rings soggy. Guess soggy was the word of the day. ⁶⁄₁₀.
Hopefully next time will be better…
Still ⁴⁄₅ for now
#american #bbq #brisket #fries #americanbbq

I went with a large group from work and it is the ideal place for this kind of gatherings, team buildings, etc. We had some visitors from Brazil and they are used to their ‘churrasco’ so vegetarian or Indian or Thai or anything that was not pure meat and more meat was not even considered. We all shared all types of (bigggg) dishes in the menu and I was very satisfied with the flavor and quality of the meat. What I found was a little bit messy is that we made a reservation but then we arrived there and it seems that was never considered. However, they acted promptly and we got a big nice table for around 15 people and considering this, the service was not too slow. Prepare to eat a lot and to share if you care about your diet.

I actually live closer to this location than any of the others, but I have visited the Homestead and the LA location several times. I rather consider this one my «home store» however. The food experience is pretty much the same at all of them– not a bad thing. The food is good. I’ll paste my thoughts about the food from my other review, since it’s pretty reflective of the Sunnyvale location:
«I had a period of time that I really wasn’t happy with Willy’s, maybe about 6 years ago or so. I don’t know if they were going through some kind of flux with corporate change-​overs or what, but a lot of things suffered during that time– food, service, menu selections. Whatever happened, they have seemed to have pulled out of that funk and are now my go-​to barbecue joint, where I used to mock them.
The food is pretty well standardized at this point throughout all of AW’s restaurants. You’re not really going to get a very different food experience at any of them. This is not to say it’s bad per se, just that it’s going to be similar to same no matter which of the stores you visit. I rather like the food, so I’m not going to complain. Everything is prepared on-​site, so the freshness and genuineness comes through.
The peanut slaw is always a winner, and this from someone who DESPISES cole slaw typically. AW’s is just different and the textural changes between the dressing, the cabbage and the peanuts is fantastic, plus you get the little jalapeño fire and a dash of cilantro. Like I said, I hate slaw from everywhere but this one is nice.
The barbecue chicken is wonderful and falls off the bone at a glance.
The ribs always deceive me. When ordering I think I am capable of eating a lot more than what the full order supplies me with but inevitably at the end of the meal I’m usually staring at a bone or so with hatred because it’s defying me. The flavor is solid and they’re always tender. I like to buy extra so I can eat them later at home.
The brisket, though different from the lamented, late, great Uncle Frank’s, is pretty pretty pretty good and I always order a little bit to go with my ribs (which is why I can’t finish my ribs, probably…). Different than Frank’s, but definitely superb in it’s own right.
The sauce is solid. I usually get the jalapeño but the other offerings are pretty good too, though I think they can stand to dial it back to just two.
Order extra to share and take home.»
Things I like about this location better, other than it being nearer–
The location is easy to get in and out of and there is always abundant parking, no matter the time of day or day itself. Luckily there is more than one way in and out of the parking lot; you don’t have to be at the mercy of El Camino.
The floor is open and feels airy but still traditional. You can smell the smoke and meat cooking. It’s a good thing.
The staff is always welcoming and friendly, and it seems this way at the other places too.

The smoked cowboy sausage was pretty good, and I liked the different BBQ sauces. I came on a weekday lunchtime, and the place wasn’t too crowded. I was glad we got the orders quickly, however the prices were too expensive for the quantity, in my opinion. But I did come from Texas, so my expectations are different. The quality is quite good though. I will need to try something else next time!

A good rule of thumb is that you won’t find good, consistent barbecue at a chain. Armadillo Willy’s is no exception. I’ve eaten here many times over the years, since tye sponsor kids’ sports teams and host school fundraiser. I have never been impressed – the meat is usually undersmoked and dry, and the sides are bland.
Today I had a pulled pork sandwich, ribs, and beans. The pulled pork was actually the best entrée I’ve had there — nice and smoky, and moist enough that it’s enjoyable with a heaping of sauce. The bun was fresh and fluffy, too
The ribs convinced me that AW’s hasn’t ha a huge turnaround because they were tough, dry, and generally lacking in flavor. This is the standard fare I’ve come to expect from them. I don’t know what happened to their pulled pork today that made it so great, but it didn’t carry over to the other meat.
The beans? Terrible. Of course.

BBQ is good! I love the ribs. The brisket is really good as well! Only reason why I didn’t give this place 5 stars is because they don’t clean the booths and tables off often. There has been eaten food outside for like 30 mins … Bugs and birds are starting to come around it

I do like if not LOVE Armadillo Willy’s BBQ.
I’m trying to eat healthier.
I’ve eaten here dozens upon dozens of times, and everything is delicious.
I figured to be good to watch my waist and order a Salad (with Brisket).
I love the brisket. I like the tri tip and the sausage too. The ribs are flavorful.
In a way it is very healthy to eat the meat here since you burn major calories smiling as you enjoy your food. :)
Plus, BBQ food allows the fat and grease to drip off and actually is a great way to prepare food.
If you come here, don’t cheat yourself… get the BBQ, forget about the Salad. Although the salad is good, my jealous wandering eyes kept tearing up with regret for not ordering a BBQ meat platter.
So, bite the bullet, eat the meat, and do a bit more cardio, hit the gym, skip the soda or deserts, but don’t deprive yourself of indulging in a great BBQ meal and making the mistake of just opting to graze on greens.
If you do get a salad ‘tho, do yourself a favor and add an extra side of meat… and don’t forget to order their french fries which are super delicious too.

We got takeout through doordash. All around, it was a very solid meal (and keep in mind, I’m from Texas). No, it won’t compete with Franklin’s in Austin, for example, but I challenge you to find better here in the peninsula.
We ordered the Belly Buster Family Pack and shared among 4 adults. It was so much food, we have enough leftovers for lunch tomorrow. It looks like they were running out of brisket b/​c they didn’t give us very much, but they threw in some extra ribs to compensate.
The brisket was good, great bark, the TX BBQ ribs were great, and I loved the baby-​back ribs (cooked to perfection– just before «fall-​off-​the-​bone-​but-​dried out» that you tend to get at crappy steakhouses. The cornbread was very good, nice and moist, and the accompanying cinnamon butter was amazing. The beans had great meaty chunks in them, and the salad had cornbread croutons which were a creative touch.
If you’re craving TX BBQ and are stuck in NorCal, do yourself a favor and try out A-Willy’s.
EDIT: After I wrote this review, the founder, John Berwald, reached out to me and sent me an extremely thoughtful message. It’s great to know that he is so passionate about BBQ and continually working to improve his methods. As an amateur barbequer, I can appreciate the skill that goes into making such great food. Thanks, John!

This place is great. I’ve only been here one other time (tonight and about 1 ½ years ago) but both times have been awesome. This is also the only armadillo willys I’ve ever been to.
I have to say, this is solid bbq. The beans, corn muffin, and sausage were delicious! I had the bacon cheese burger with Cajun fries and it was so good, totally hit the spot.
What really boosted their rating was their service. Andrea was great, I feel every place needs a person like her to act as an example of superb customer service. She was super friendly, helpful, and really made us feel welcome. she went above and beyond. I can’t say enough good things about her.

BBQ platter with ribs, sausage, brisket and a ton of the sides (I had tater tots) served on a large aluminum platter lined with wax paper! This was a ton of food and loved the smoke flavor. You will also get the smoke smell once you walk into the restaurant which helps you work up that appetite. They have a few BBQ sauces to pick from but I like the spicy sweet version. Seating area is very ample where you can spread out and oink out.

Went in today with my aunt and my grandma to go and try a Parisian burger, they are an old-​time family treat that goes way back to the 50s and 60s. I wasn’t a real fan of them growing up but I got to say today’s was really very good. Too bad that they are only sold on Mondays.
The rest of the menu here at armadillo Willys looks really good to the place smelled so damn good.

The Tri-​tip is so flavorful and tender! The Santa Maria Tri-​tip sandwich is one of my favorites. Their burgers are great. Plus you can sub the beef patty for a turkey patty or Boca patty on any of their «burgers». I love the bacon cheeseburger with a turkey patty.
I would give them 5 stars if the kitchen staff were more reliable about getting the substitutions correct. A few too many times when I have asked for grilled onions instead of a raw onion they didn’t get the order correct. My husband orders the free extra toppings for his burger on the side like the peanut slaw and they put it on the burger. Stupid stuff like that but it still matters.
Highlights:
1. The managers are super amazing and know the meaning of customer service!
2. Saturday has ½ price burgers from 11am-​4pm!
If I did a better job of checking in every time I come here, I’d be the Duchess for sure! Watch out title holder, I might just start doing that.

I will never be back after the horrible experience I had today. My bill was $ 11.56. I gave the cashier a ten dollar bill and the rest in change. The cahier chuckled and rolled her eyes at me. The cashier’s name is Nicole she is also a manager. I ordered the pork sandwich with a side of tots. When I got my order it had a side of bread and no tots. I told the cook that I ordered tots. Nicole rang it in wrong. I heard her tell the cook it was me. She said I ordered texas toast not tots. Really I think not considering I did not even know texas toast was a side. So when the tots come out to my table I notice there is a hair in my ranch. At this point I have had it. I asked for a refund. The managers
did not know how to issue one. They could not get the $ 11.56 total that I was charged. So they gave me $ 10.56. At this point I took it I did not feel like arguing over a dollar.

«Most Awesome, Epic Prank Ever In All of Human Pranking History». I hate seeing Youtube videos with these kinds of titles. Talk about setting the bar unreachably high, only to inevitably fall way short.
Similarly, Armadillo Willy’s claim of being «Real Texas BBQ» is quite a high bar, one which I felt they missed by about the actual physical distance between California and Texas.
My Lone Star ½ Chicken ($ 12.95), despite the menu claiming that it’s smoked over an oak fire, was lacking in both smokiness and metaphorical fire. Not dry per se, but not too juicy either. This came with two sides, and I chose a salad and garlic fries, the latter being $ 1 extra. The salad was fine, and it was nice to see a generous helping of garlic on the fries, but the texture of the fries was inconsistent, with some being too soft.
The wife fared slightly better, ordering the Beef Brisket ($ 16.50) with salad and sweet potato fries (also $ 1 extra). She enjoyed her brisket, but it tasted too dry to me. Good meat should stand out on its own. Sauce is a bonus that should complement, not compensate.
On the plus side, I thoroughly enjoyed the sweet potato fries, which were crispy and seasoned well. Score.
The staff was friendly, with a sweet lady at the cash register and another lady coming by our table to check on things. I only wish the BBQ was better. Maybe even «Real California BBQ» would be too generous of a tagline.