Armadillo Willy's Barbecue

This location is closing January 31, 2025. The atmosphere here is the best I’ve seen in an Armadillo Willy’s and the games look like a ton of fun! Food is always great and I’ll miss this place. When you do close, please bring a lot of the atmosphere you have here to your Sunnyvale location, we need more things to look at and games to play over there (NEED SHUFFLEBOARD)

Centrally located in the heart of Los Altos. It's a jazzy sports bar, serving Texan bbq , burgers, sandwiches etc. Had Baby Back Ribs - juicy & delectable. IPA beer was good. Overall a gastronomic delight. Self service- as in Starbucks. Friendly counter staff. Good ambience- lots of memorabilia: classic movieposters, bikes, model cars, typewriters and the like, plus various screens showing live sports. Uplifting music but not too loud. Pity, the place is shutting shop soon.

Fantastic place! Had the trinity plate and the meat was cooked to perfection. The ribs and brisket were super juicy and super tender. The sausage was the real star though, it exploded with flavour. The barbeque sauce was quite complex too. Really yummy food, a bit expensive, but it's hard to find meat cooked this well elsewhere. Would recommend!

We walked uo and placed our order at the register, prior to sitting. Very friendly staff. They were helpful in helping us select, the food was good, the brisket just fell apart. 1 point lost because it doesn't look like they clean the restaurant. The windows had spider webs and dust collected. 2 meals, 1 soup and 1 margarita, $85

We were in the mood for BBQ. Pleasantly surprised with the food and service here. Everyone very friendly, food very tasty. Suggest the jalapeno bbq sauce over the standard sauce. Sides are great, bbq tasty and not dry. Root beer amazing. Texas toast on point.

The food is good, you have to pick it up at the counter. The service could be better, but was ok.

$24 for a big plate of ribs +1 other meat (ordered trip tip). Big for one person, a bit small for 2, so I guess the small plates (which are basically half the size of a hig one) would be only good for children or people of small appetites. They have daily specials that run all day long, worth taking a look.

New review after 10+ visits within approximately one year: From 4 stars down to 3 stars. The (high caloric) food quality, the service quality and the price are in a bad relationship. It's self service but the prices indicate full service. I also don't like the too obvious ask for a tip in a self service setting. Recently, they introduced a new payment system. Now you have to disclose your phone number to get a notification when your food is ready to bring picked up at the counter. This is a negative development in my opinion.

Great flavorful ribs I just miss the all you can eat rib special they had a few years ago .... The smokiness of the ribs is great and reminds me of the salt lick in Texas.. By

I'm from Texas originally so the bar for brisket is high and I thought the brisket was good- a bit dry, I ordered a mix of moist and lean and got lean and unfortunately it needed more sauce. The sauce was yummy flavorful and sweet. The sausage was very good, better than the brisket in my opinion. I also got the potato salad which was good but pretty much your typical potato salad and the bbq fries were yummy but essentially just seasoned fries. I'd eat here again to give the brisket another try or have a different type of meat . I ordered out so not much to share related to service or ambiance but the order was pretty fast in terms of wait time etc.

It was chill, my family has been going here a long time. Food quality hardly wavers whether your a family of three or catering for a large party. My most recent visit was after a long hiatus and I realized they're a lot more conservative w their bbq sauce, now you have to ask up front for extra! At a bbq place!

Very disappointed to hear this location closed. Fortunately I live between this location and the Sunnyvale one. Just hope this isn't a trend to come. I've never had a complaint with there quality of food served.

Overall - I thought the food here was okay-good. Can't speak to the ambiance/setting of the restaurant itself since we ordered delivery. The delivery was really fast! I got the small plate of pit-smoked boneless chicken with a side of Texas Toast. The chicken was good, well-cooked. Definitely needed the BBQ sauce with it, but yummy. However, I was a little disappointed in the Texas Toast - not sure if it's just because it was delivered, but it wasn't very crisp and even tasted a little soggy. I would try this again though, and will go in-person next time to re-review!

More "bark" than bite. I've been getting ribs here for years but the quality of the latest order put me over the edge. These ribs had probably sat under some heater for hours and were mostly inedible crust, (generally known as 'bark' in the case of BBQ). I'm willing to give Willy's one more chance. I don't know if ordering by computer allows comments but I'll give it a shot. The sides, salad, toast etc were decent and everything was nice and warm. The girl at the counter was friendly, but takeout doesn't give much opportunity to interact with staff.

Very consistent California take on Texas BBQ. They smoke their meats at each individual location. The staff is always happy to see you. If you like country music, go ahead and dine in so you can take in the sounds.

Brisket was a little on the drier, leaner side. Mac and cheese was delicious, corn salad and potato salad weren't bad either. Ambiance was a lovely slice of classic Americana. Service totally fine too. 3.5 stars for food, but bumped up to 4 stars because it's pretty good value for money.

Armadillo is my husband favorite spot. I usually try and stay away because the food is heavy. But when we have it it's just delicious. The service here is great and the ambiance pretty laid back. It usually depends on the time and day of the week, if you are looking for good BBQ this is your spot hands down !

People don't sleep on the burgers here. My go to is the Ultimate Hickory which has bacon, onion strings, lettuce, tomato , onions and bbq. Sauce.Typically has Mayo and mustard as well but I for go that and do light on the bbq sauce. They have one of the best ranch here too. What I really enjoy is it's never busy and always empty which is surprising. Looks like most of the parking lot are for Chef Chu. Overall a great place and the burgers are great.

RAW CHICKEN. Gross. Wtf, they should be a little more CAREFUL! No one likes to get SICK on RAW FOOD. Disgusting, DO NOT EVER EAT HERE! BBQ chicken CAN be pink, but NOT Fleshy and RAW SKIN. $20 wasted and side of salmonella, noooo thanks.

Picked up a belly buster order for group and it was great! It fed 6 people with lots of food for leftovers. We thought everything was delicious. Didn't care too much for the macaroni and slaw - a little bland. Corn bread was really good too.

Bbq was good Service absolutely horrible only person at the bar eating and was ignored by the staff tthey were more interested in themselves than the customer

Second time is a true test in my opinion. Is it as good? In this case YES and better! We stopped by about 15 minutes before closing. We asked if we could still order? She said absolutely! I said can we still eat here? Of course. She was absolutely lovely. We ordered, baby backs Mmmmm Pulled pork, fries and Texas toast. Everything came out hot and delicious. Melt in your mouth BBQ. Perfect sauce. Crispy hot and perfectly seasoned fries. We were concerned about them waiting for us and she (Im sorry I didn't get her name) said take your time, no rush, enjoy! And we did! This is our new favorite BBQ spot!

Perfectly adequate brisket but not that "oh hell yeah" flavor I get from smaller family operations.

Our company picnic was catered by Armadillos...Very dry chicken and ribs, very light on bbq sauce as well. I wish companies would take care in serving and offering food that is palatable. It was expensive for what our company received. Anyway maybe the restaurant is different.

The Guest Services As expected A-1 Great Location Medium Rare Burger good with the Salad Mix Fast & Great cooks today

I 100% recommend this restaurant!!! I had my wedding celebration here and I totally love it. The employees were so attentive, friendly, and flexible. They come over a few times to gather all the dirty dishes and clean up. Though out my event it was super clean. The food was amazing and was brought out nice and warm. We did have leftovers so two of the employees come out to pack them for me. I was totally taken care of. If you need to plan an event, I totally recommended this restaurant. I would definitely come back and eat here! Don't forget to be kind with them and give them a good tip ... because the deserve it.

We absolutely LOVE this location. Besides the staff that are very friendly the bar area with games my son and I really enjoy. The date night out for me and my son is this restaurant and I lovely plate of ribs. The other locations that I've been to do not have the same ambience or game/bar area, although I'm sure I have not going to them all. I highly highly recommend this restaurant . Food, fun, and friendly. I would, especially like to recognize Massimo, so friendly, on top of it, and he alone will bring me back into this restaurant!

Armadillo Willy's has definitely changed since the last time I went for a school fundraiser around 5 years ago. The food was still good but wasn't as busy as used to be. Got the family combo and was alot of god

I ordered the Texas Trinity BBQ Plate. I chose juicy for the brisket. It was about the right amount of fat, maybe still just slightly on the drier side for my taste, so I definitely wouldn't go for lean unless you are unable to handle fatty meat. The ribs were wonderful, with a strong smoky aroma and a nice crust. The sausage was quite tasty as well. For sides I got the spicy peanut slaw and Texas tots. Service was great. They didn't have outdoor seating set up because of the season, but once I requested it they gladly took a table and chair out of storage for me.

If you need a baseline crowd pleaser BBQ spot, this is a solid place in the Peninsula if you stick to specific things on the menu. My first love here is the Baby Back Ribs and the Texas Ribs aren't bad either. You get a good smoky flavor with good bark. The end pieces can be dry but that's what you have to live with when going with a chain restaurant. I love their sides as well particularly the fresh green salad and potato salad. The Texas toast is also wonderful. If you go with the Family Pack the sides they give you are big!!! Fries are also fantastic, cut just right and double fried to perfection. There was a time when they had 50% off burgers on Saturdays but that time is long gone. However, I can say that through that promotion, I found that they make amazing burgers and particularly the best bacon you'll have. Lots to like here and a good place to take friends new to BBQ.

Their cornbread is really good. It is moist, not gritty and has a nice crust. When eaten with their cinnamon butter, it is delicious. Unfortunately their baby back ribs were dry. They were tender but the dryness ruined it. The draft root beer was really good. I don't think I will come back here for their ribs but I will order their cornbread again.

I like your BBQ although the prices start to hurt. To make things worse, I read that you will charge an extra $1 for online orders soon because you have this system that is adding on hidden fees. I strongly advise you to reconsider and go back to a cheaper ordering system. Why should I as a customer have to pay for your luxury payment vendor?

Great bbq I've had in awhile. Don't get this kinda of bbq on Maui. Baby back ribs, brisket, and st. Louis ribs were on point. Seasoning alone was great, but adding the sauce was awesome. Picked up order but the place was nice. Service was excellent and my order was ready a little earlier then it was supposed to be. Great price for the amount of grindz you get. Mahalo Nui Loa...

We only get take-out since I do not care for the ambiance. I think the prices are high for what one gets but the ribs are very tasty. The cornbread muffin is also very good.

My Wife and I have frequented many restaurants in the area while having medical procedures done at Stanford. We could not believe how Great the Food and Service was at Armadillo Willy's. Most restaurants that we have been to here were over priced with mediocre food and service. William was our Server and was a blessing. His attention to detail, service and recommendations were spot on. The food is fair priced. Great portions and incredibly tasty. Thank You

Armadillo Willys still got it. Best BBQ place around Los Altos in my humble opinion. They are pretty much a BBQ place and they do not disappoint. No sireee they do not disappoint. I ordered the turkey with salt a course black pepper rub, potato salad and fries my hubby ordered a chicken sandwich with potato salad as we shared my fries . This is a must try BBQ place. Friendly servers and cooks.

Three visits lately 1. lockdown just lifting, great brisket, good portions, worthit 2. smaller portions, same food, barely worth it 3. Done finished forget it rip off portions. Paid $27 for the meal in the pic I spent two hours that evening in the bathroom: vomiting and diarrhea. Never again. Too bad that brisket is very good when it does not make you sick, too but rip off small portions. No mas.

My boyfriend and I just moved into this town and Armadillo Willy's is in the neighborhood. I stopped in and ordered a tri tip sandwich. The service was great and the staff was friendly and helpful. The sandwich was delicious - moist, smokey tri tip with the jalapeño bbq sauce was an excellent choice. I will be back to try the tacos!

Sep. 28, 2019 Armadillo Willy's 1031 N San Antonio Rd Los Altos, CA 94022 I actually ended up here because Chef Chu's next door was full up. This is not a bad second choice. I ordered the small Beef Brisket plate with a corn bread side. The counter person asked me if I wanted the juicy or dry, who in their right mind would order dry? I asked for juicy. They gave me the order status disk and my order was ready for pick up shortly. The brisket was excellent; tender, juicy (due to the fat) and smoky. The corn bread was okay. It wasn't a lot of food for the money, but enough for me. I also got a senior discount, which I didn't ask for, but is appreciated, because I qualify. Definite repeat. A little pricey, a ding for value.

I hired AW's to cater an outdoor event for our horseback riding club. The driver did a great job setting everything up quickly and efficiently. The food arrived hot, special requests ( gluten free, vegan etc) were labeled in separate zboxes, and everything was delicious. I especially appreciated the fact that they would have let us cancel the day before if it was going to rain- which thankfully it didn't . Everyone loved the food and we'll definitely use Armadillo Willy's again.

Super welcoming staff, and the full bar is a mad plus. The food was great, and if you go early enough its rather calm. I had the bbq chicken sandwich and its a really simple sandwich, but as simple as it is, is as good as it is. Give it a try.

My husband and I ordered from here for the first time today. We both ordered the '18hr brisket'. I asked for the brisket sandwich my husband asked for the small plate. We both asked for Mixed, which means 1/2 fatty parts and 1/2 lean parts of the brisket. We waited about 15 mins for our food which we didn't mind since our side orders of fries and tater totes came out nice and hot. The flavor of the brisket was great. I was however underwhelmed with the small portion of brisket on my bun (ordered the sandwich). For one thing the bun was way too big and thick. The yummy flavor profile of the brisket just didn't go well with the cold dense hamburger bun. Maybe next time I'll order the brisket by itself, and leave a five star review instead.

Ah back to back BBQ updates. Like the other spot we have been fans of Armadillo Willy's BBQ for some time. Their loyalty program is top notch and the food usually is pretty good and the prices (for the area are not too bad). However back to back burger disasters (as outlined on the previous reviews) resulted in my hanging a two star on the this location and we took a break for a while. Recently we started coming back into the fold so to speak and after a few really good meals, we have decided that its time to place the 4 stars back on. First off the entire menu was revamped. Gone are the burgers (they were my fave but given the last few experiences, perhaps its for the best. Now there are twice the number of sides, a whole slew of Tacos, and yes some old favorites still make an appearance. In addition they continue to have quite an impressive draft beer game with constantly rotating taps. The Food: Brisket Tacos: OMG who doesn't like brisket? Who doesn't like tacos? No friends of mine for sure. Put those two together and you have something I could eat daily. The smokiness and richness of the brisket coupled with a chipotle crema are perfectly balanced by the salsa and the acidity of the pickled red onions. It is perfection on a tortilla. Turkey & Avocado Stack: (why yes I cut and pasted this one from the previous review) We love this one. The turkey is smoked and moist and its usually a very generous amount. The sourdough bread has just the right amount of butter on it and is grill/toasted to perfection. We skip the mayo as the avocado subs nicely for it. Served with those great pickled onions, its perfect. Tri Tip Sandwich: Tri tip can be a minefield. Its pretty temperamental and requires a patient hand when cooking otherwise I may was well put my Vans between two slices of bread. Its pretty clear that they took their time and did it right. I also threw caution to the wind and made it a deluxe which added Jack and cheddar cheese to it along with fresh jalapenos .The smokiness of the meat on bread with the cheese some onions is one of those simple pleasures in life. Its a very clean tasting sandwich and the peppers added just the right amount of heat. I skipped adding the salsa because the sandwich simply tasted awesome without it and I was afraid it would muddy up the clean flavors. Pig Sticks: This was a letdown and we were happy to have ordered a small appetizer portion. Notionally ribs, these did not work for us. For our taste they were way way overdone and crispy. That may have been what they were after, but If I want bone in pork jerky Ill ask for it. The Asian sauce was on the bland side an muted Hands down its great that they have regained their form

Hey what's going on I haven't been back online in a while online do you know what I mean this is actually a decent place for Silicon Valley get your life together and get down here

I'm from Texas, here on a work assignment. I was a bit skeptical when I saw the "Texas Style BBQ". I was not disappointed. I recommend the jalapeño sausage sandwich. The sausage is actually made in Texas. I have not tried anything else yet, but I plan on going back this weekend. The restaurant itself reminds me of most Texas bbq joints that I've been in. If you aren't smelling smoke, you aren't in a Texas bbq place. Nice and clean, plenty of room.

I have been going to Armadillo's for years. I started going to this place when it first opened and they were full service, that tells you how long ago that was. I am so old that I remember when there were armadillos walking up and down the streets-Lol ( just kidding). Seriously this place and location never disappoint. They always have nice and friendly staff. The guy that we ordered tonight from was a younger dude, very knowledgeable and educated and greeted everyone with a smile. Listen in the world we live in where everyone is on edge, uptight, screaming and cussing, it's nice to see smiling faces wanting to help customers. I ordered the Patty Melt which was a great suggestion from him. That burger was on sourdough with double cheddar cheese and grilled onions served with a side. I am telling you it was awesome, just to perfection. My friend ordered the Hickory Burger and was amazed at how great it was. When I am looking for some BBQ or some quick down-home cooking I come out here to Armadillo Willy's. Listen, it is quicker than flying over to Texas to get BBQ and awesome burgers. So glad that this location brought their hamburgers back!! You cannot go wrong coming here for lunch or dinner. Now about those armadilloes, legend has it, that if you are quiet enough and are open to the vibes of them armadillo...Willy may join you for a bite. I hope you have an awesome kick back time here. And remember for all your BBQ needs..think Armadillo Willys. Take out and catering is available and is well worth it.

The price, and the food, is the best in the area. The service is excellent. Carolina salad with a side of Texas ribs

We have been coming as a family to Armadillo Willy's in Los Altos for over 20 years. This 2023 summer when we went to Armadillo Willy's, the supervisor William, was outstanding and so helpful kind, respectful, and courteous in taking our order. He even went out of his way to get our order and personally bring it to us. He is a wonderful employee and exudes warmth and patience.

Allen and I have had our fair share of BBQ in the bay, and I would say it's been a long journey to find good BBQ that doesn't disappoint. Samantha told me about this place a few years ago, but I only came here after hiking Mission Peak and our group was pretty hungry! For the 4 of us, we ended up ordering under the Family Platter, The Belly Buster: Texas BBQ Ribs: yum!! I loved how tender and meaty this was. The rub was not bad, liked that it was not too salty. Sauce comes in the middle, so you can dip or not. Baby Back Ribs: also pretty good! A bit salty rub, but the meat was tender. Tastes better with the sauce, since it balanced out the salty with the sweet. Lone Star BBQ Chicken: not bad, but just tasted like grilled chicken with no flavor. Definitely use some sauce with this. 18-Hour Texas Brisket: yummmm! Me like. Super soft, tender, fatty...eat it while its hot! East Texas Pulled Pork: not much impression on the pulled pork. Texas Jalapeno-Cheese Sausage: pretty good! I'm not a huge sausage fan, but this was not bad. (4) Fresh Baked Corn Muffins: I loved how HUGE these muffins were. It also tasted really good! Not too buttery, you can taste the corn flavor, but also a good neutralizer. (2) Classic Sides (spicy peanut slaw, potato salad): both were yummy! The only thing though - the potato salad is really mustardy (which I like), but might not be a traditional taste for others. Overall, we had a bunch of sides leftover (they give A LOT!), and some meat left. I've been wanting to come back here since I last came, so that's a good sign!

I usually go to the Blossom Hill store and order their 18 hour brisket. It's one of their best offerings. Today I was in the Palo Alto area and stopped at their Los Altos store. I was surprised at their much larger dining room. When I got my 18 hour brisket, I was extremely disappointed. You can usually cut it with a fork. Not this one. It was tough, dry and tasteless. The sauce in a small cup barely helped. I hope this isn't a trend chain wide. Now I'll think twice before going back.

Had the $27 rib plate. The ribs were small, tasteless and fatty. Nothing like what they served years ago or other rib places serve today. If you want good ribs definitely go somewhere else.

Food was delicious. Manager was very nice, remaking the burger for my friend on top of refunding his meal. Free mints. Thanks for helping out the Los Altos cross-country team.

I ordered catering in Mtn View for my new Office Manager job. They came and delivered in time and set up everything nicely. The BBQ chicken and Boca burgers we delicious. Corn muffins were cold with the butter but otherwise delicious.

Coming in on a Friday 7:30pm there was a full parking lot as well as a long line. My expectations were a bit high seeing thus but apparently that's where I went wrong. My boyfriend got the Turkey Avocado Sandwich with fries. The turkey was really thick and was very okay especially for the price. The fries were well seasoned and had a decent crunch. They were literally the only thing I enjoyed this dinner. I got the Baby Back Ribs and the Texas BBQ ribs in the small extra meat portion. I was really disappointed. They were both dry and there was a lot of fat and cartilage. Some of the ends were over cooked so it was hard and burnt. There weren't enough dry rub on it so I had to use of the BBQ sauce which I've never had to at other BBQ places. All in all I wouldn't recommend their ribs. Now, I just wish I was at Emergency BBQ or Gorilla BBQ and eating their meats instead.

Family bbq meal was good. I felt we got extra value. We could have used more sauce on the to go package.

I haven't had Armadillo Willy's in at least 10 years, and only catered at work. A group of 16 of us went out to lunch on Friday, and came here as it is large and could seat all of us. We individually ordered, and I got the pulled pork sandwich on sourdough ($1 extra) with fries. For about $12 and some change, not bad. We each got a buzzer, and neat how they have their own soda machine, along with many other options. Bar is located near the front with TV screens as well. Food came out quickly and when I went to pick it up, I was surprised to see another large dining area, definitely older looking. My pulled pork was perfect, plenty of meat, and like how they have the veggie toppings aside. Fries were perfect, and side of ranch was given to me with ease. Overall, very surprised that their food was so good, and not just ribs and bbq. Hamburgers looked really good too, as well as their side salad!

Ordered from DoorDash last night. My brother and I shared a baby back ribs plate and a brisket plate. Brisket was good - but the riiiiiibs! I want my baby back baby back baby back! So flavorful and tender and sticky and delicious! The cornbread was soft and warm yet the tops were crispy and perfect with the cinnamon honey butter or whatever that voodoo magic was. We were trying to be good and not order the Mac and cheese so we got the slaw (decent) and the potato salad (AMAZING). I'm pretty confident their Mac and cheese must be amazing though. We will 100% order from here again. Shocked the reviews aren't higher!