I have always love eating at Armadillo Willy's BBQ located in San Mateo but decided to pick some up at the Dublin location today since I am in the area. Ordered 1/2 Chicken with garlic Parmesan garlic fries and corn bread. Not happy with the bbq chicken. Chicken was burnt (see pic) This is the worst bbq I had from Armadillo Willy. Felt like the chicken was reheated from the microwave. Skin was not crispy and the chicken was so small and dry. The fries were undercooked and salty. Would not come back to this location anymore. So disappointing! read more

Armadillo Willy's BBQ - Lone Star BBQ 1/2 Chicken and corn bread - Barbeque Near Me - Dublin, California

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Ordered the small plate brisket with pinto beans, brisket was tasty, juicy and tender. Pinto beans very good. read more

Armadillo Willy's BBQ - Brisket small plate, pinto beans and excellent bbq sauce. - Barbeque Near Me - Dublin, California

Their fatty brisket was excellent today so 5 stars. Servers were very nice and place was clean and spacious. Been here before but this meal was delicious! read more

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

Ordered food to go, it was a pretty solid substitute for this style of bbq. They have all the essential sides including cornbread, and they packed a sufficient amount of bbq sauce on the side with our order which I appreciated! read more

Okay I ain't no bbq newb, I've been to most places (here in the Bay) that claim a stake in the game. I've always heard about this chain but have never tried (it's 2024 Yo!). Finally gave them a whirl on a quiet Monday evening after a round of golf. On Mondays btw they do a thing where if one person buys a meal, the 2nd person gets theirs for half off. Cool little score as bbq usually doesn't run on the cheap. Big place yet it was practically empty around 5pm, which kinda surprised me. I guess deep suburban peeps don't eat til much later. Order at a counter, then sit and when your name or buzzer goes, you have to pick up at another counter. I usually don't mind this casual style of approach to service, except here the register dude was very un-enthused and never willing to point things out. Like when asked what sides we wanted, he just stared at us instead of pointing to the part of the menu where that stuff was at. And their menu is a wall of text so it's not terribly easy to find specific things. Just a simple point would have helped is all I'm sayin'. Tri-Tip Sandwich ($19/3.5*) This was my friends, but I tasted the tri tip part. Sliced really thick for a sandwich as tri-tip is usually sliced much thinner for the sandwich application. There's a bit of chew to tri-tip, so there is just a lot more work when sliced this thick. It had decent flavor though like a good salty flavor from a rub with just a tad of bbq smoke. I would order their tri-tip on another visit for sure but probably not in sandwich form. Tots that came with were pretty much perfect tots, crunchy and salty. No one would complain about these. Rib & Brisket Combo ($28/3.5*) Seemed a bit small at first but actually a decent portioning. I just think in the size of the tray they lay this in, there's just too much empty space, so perception value can spiral downward. The Ribs: 3* These were St. Louis Ribs so nice and big with nice bites. Cept those bites were definitely on the dryish side, like they were just sitting around in a food warmer without moisture or cover. They were edible, especially with their solid bbq sauce, but from my experiences at our bbq joints, this may be in the bottom half of the ranking. The rub here also has noticeable sweetness and the smoke flavor is present. Just wished they were more juicy or with 'pop'. Brisket: 3.5* Texture wise, it was tender enough so they got the right timing in the smoker, which is half the battle. But even tho tender, the bites don't explode in juiciness like other briskets do. Again I feel it is in their holding area, is where I think some of this can be remedied. Their BBQ Sauce: 4* It is on the thicker side, which I normally don't prefer. But it does have some good flavor, quite smoky, dark with a good presence of molasses. I normally don't try and use a lot of bbq sauce when I go to a good Q joint, but I think this place needs that sauce. And to their credit, that sauce is good, better than anything from a bottle in a grocery store. So, from a bbq afficionado I just think this is meh. But to a bbq newb or occasional delver in the art of smoking meats, this place is just fine. read more

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I've been craving some BBQ so decided to check out Armadillo Willy's. Upon entering you're hit with the aroma of delicious barbecue meats. I was ready to feast. Ended up ordering a small plate of ribs (4 ribs) with a side of fries and a pulled pork sandwich. The fires were seasoned with Cajun seasoning and the other with BBQ seasoning. Yummy! The ribs had great flavor and some parts were so tender they fell off the bone. Pulled pork was tasty. We definitely left feeling full and we barely finished the fries. Service was excellent and I liked the seating area. I look forward to coming back and trying their other items on the menu along with the daily specials! read more

Stopped by after smelling the BBQ from outside. Ordered at the counter almost like a fast food joint and then picked it up when our number is called. We got the family platter which included the bbq ribs, brisket, potato salad, caesar salad and Texas toast. Was the food good? It was ok. The Texas toast was good. The Caesar salad was fine. The potato salad had mixed opinions. The half and half brisket was really dry. The ribs were tender and smothered with bbq sauce. I really liked this experience and it definitely fed all 4 of us and leftovers. It was a fun experience. read more

Armadillo Willy's BBQ - Family platter - Barbeque Near Me - Dublin, California

BBQ was great! I ordered a small salad for a side and it was not a small. I was expecting a small plate but it was a pretty big bowl. Get the tatter tots over fries! read more

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

Who doesn't like BBQ? The husband and I have been to Armadillo Willy's many times over the years and had mostly good dining experiences. We usually get the Texas BBQ Plate, which is nice way to get a variety. Food has generally been appetizing, however, it's not always consistent. Additionally, portion sizes are small and prices are steep. The restaurant is spacious with plenty of seating and atmosphere is chill. Overall, a decent option to get your BBQ fix on. read more

Fool me twice right? If this place closes down, I know exactly why. Quality and service completely changed through the years and it's not good. Review based on my return visit today 02/10/2023. Ordered a full size Texas rib plate which consist of 6 small pork ribs and two sides, potato salad and green salad today. I also ordered a side of French fries $40 which included a 15% tip. Everything was completely disappointing. When they called my name to get my order, it was pretty sad. The ribs looked old, the salad had brown parts and old stems of lettuce, and the basket of fries looked like it was missing some fries for $5.49. The pork ribs were indeed old, COLD, and rubbery. You had to fight the meat off the bone. I expected more based on my experience in the past at armadillos but it's just gross. The potato salad was room temperature. I didn't even eat it. The green salad was more brown and white with croutons. Last the French fries were actually hot but the serving side for $5.49 was not worth it. I wouldn't come back. read more

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3 stars for this location! They didn't have a kids menu and a small portion of their ribs like some of the other locations my burger was kind of slimy, lettuce was kinda dry, and more importantly, no one cleaned up the other tables! portions were good, and so was the ac read more

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If you have a dried out brisket, PLEASE THROW IT AWAY!! Don't sell it covered in sauce to some poor soul who is now out 20+ dollars. Chalky read more

Erick was so fabulous to us we ate & loved our pull pork & Tri Tip & corn bread honey cinnamon butter, macaroni and cheese So Delicious food OMG We loved it !! You gotta try this Okay* read more

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Smells great when you walk in! Many tables are available for outdoor seating. Excellent pulled pork. read more

Armadillo Willy's BBQ - Weekly specials as of August 2023 - Barbeque Near Me - Dublin, California

I'm so glad there's a reliable BBQ place here in Trị-Valley. This is a solid place to go when we are craving for Texas BBQ.

Had a great meal. It had been years since we had been since we moved from the area. The food was good and what we ordered. The price had gone up, but that is on everything. The foot was hot. The cashier was courteous and helpful. I miss it on a regular basis. Next time I'll stop again. read more

Buffalo chicken sandwich was like a chicken flat nugget. Gross. It was so stony that you couldn't find it inside the bread and burger, and when I but it, no lore chicken just a whole entire bun and pickles leafy bc it was a flat nugget. Tasted like microwaved chicken nugget. The ribs were dry and flavorless and the pulled pork sandwiches were flavorless below average and fatty- dry meat overall on all orders. The Texas bread is just regular thin white bread so it's mid represented in the menu. Also not good and kids never leave that behind - needless to say it went to the garbage. And my kids eat anything when they are hungry- so my conclusion is , this place needs some TLC in the kitchen and menu and we would not recommend it ever nor return. $105 for 4 ppl no beer read more

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I have ordered takeout at least 6 times for convenience. The 1st couple of times, they were OK. The others were not good; the baby back ribs were dry and tasted old. Smoky taste and regular BBQ sauce are very good. read more

Not your average BBQ place! I was expecting a bit of the run-of-the-mill BbQ joint when we happened upon armadillo Willy's. They don't have this establishment in my state, so BOY WAS I PLEASANTLY SURPRISED. The brisket was fork tender and delicious. The chicken was moist and flavorful, the ribs were awesome! And TATER TOTS! I'm a sucker for a good crisp tot and these were just that. If you like tasty bbq, definitely swing by. The establishment was clean and well kept, the staff was friendly and laughed with us when my daughter toppled an entire tower of booster seats. read more

BBQ sounded good and I always wanted to try this place. Love me come good Texas BBQ. I ordered the Brisket Sandwich mixed (means lean and fatty brisket). Would have been nice with some onions and a pickle but over all the flavor was very good, had a good bark. BBQ sauce was sweet and tangy. I ordered the BBQ Fries (good portion, comes with the meal). These had the Rib Rub seasoning on them. My order was Togo, but there was seating inside and on the patio. I would definitely return when in the area. read more

Armadillo Willy's BBQ - Brisket Sandwich with BBQ Fries $18.18 with tax - Barbeque Near Me - Dublin, California

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This s*** for $23??? Pls save your self time and money and dont come to this place. So f***** dry and terrible. Mac and cheese was worse than microwave food. Asked for different side and no. Btw they charge extra for the mac and cheese lol... worst restaurant ever read more

Armadillo Willy's BBQ - Texas BBQ Ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Dublin, California

Went here a few times and wanted to give their pulled pork a shot and man did it disappoint. The pork was so dry I had to take sips on every bite. I won't even feed it to my dog. It's an insult on putting this on a plate if you see something this dry. The ribs were ok. Good sauce tho. read more

Armadillo Willy's BBQ - Dry pulled pork - Barbeque Near Me - Dublin, California

Terrible food. They even have terrible burgers. Absolutely disgusting. We were a group of hungry guys who visited them over the weekend and no one was happy with their food. Ribs were Okay but nothing special for their outrageous prices and Ribs were cold and dry. Service was Ok. They were all bored and standing around and watching us eat and suffer. Restaurant has a terrible ventilation issue. Inside the restaurant was so smoky that we all got sick just sitting there. I am not going to go back there again. It's too bad... they used to have a decent food there. read more

Visited the Pleasanton store one Friday afternoon around 4:00 pm and the place was completely empty. The look on the owner/manager's face said a lot. I ordered 2 small plates (to go) with (1) chicken (BTW: the menu says "1/4 chicken" - it was more like 1/8), and (2) with ribs, and was absolutely STUNNED when I got home. The chicken was dried out and was very small. The ribs were tolerable but slatherd with BBQ sauce (a sure way to hide how long they sat under a heat lamp). The sides were OK, though. The high price doesn't help me with a reason to return. (I don't mind paying for good BBQ.) BTW: This was not my first time there. read more

This place is a ripoff. For nearly $30 they hit you with what looks like sandwich slices. Next time I'll buy the meat myself at Safeway and cook at home. read more

Armadillo Willy's BBQ - I've made better tri tip at home and I'm not a chef - Barbeque Near Me - Dublin, California

Armadillo Willy's is a great place to satisfy your BBQ craving. I ordered the white cheddar macaroni with bbq tri-tip and it was delicious as well as a generous serving! My fiancé had the baby back ribs which were also a generous serving! They have several fries flavors for the side, both the bbq fries and the garlic fries were good. The Texas toast wasn't great so I recommend trying one of their other sides. Also, they were doing $5 beers for March madness so it's a great place to watch sports! read more

Armadillo Willy's BBQ - White Cheddar Mac & Cheese Bowl, Baby Back Ribs-Regular, BBQ Fries, garlic Garlic-Parmesan Fries, Texas Toast - Barbeque Near Me - Dublin, California

So I was really craving some Texas bbq while raiding Pokémon bosses and came across this place. "Real Texas bbq" sounds good enough...right? We ordered the family basket meal. It was pretty good but the brisket was kind of dry and the bbq sauce was a bit too sweet for me. The service was pretty good as they just take our order and they aren't rude or anything. The restaurant looks nice too. But the bathroom was stinky. Also the ribs were salty and ceased salad was heavily dressed. HEAVILY. The potato salad was really good and so was the Texas toast, though. I recommend those sides if you are too lazy to get the premium sides. read more

Armadillo Willy's BBQ - Bunch of food - Barbeque Near Me - Dublin, California

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One of our go-to spots for lunch with the work team. Brisket and tri-tip sandwiches are amazing. Indoor and outdoor seating, which is nice. Service has always been pretty quick (important when your on a limited-time lunch break). But $18 for a sandwich (before drinks and tip) is a bit pricey: so I ding 'em one star. read more

My perpetual diet went out the window with the SIP order! I have cooked a thousand meals since the lockdown started... I was starting to think about becoming a competitive eater but, I figured Joey Chestnut pretty much has that all sewn up LOL! Still... a girl's gotta eat! Just as eating outdoors was getting started to help the restaurant industry a surge of new cases got started. We are shutting down to stay alive. And praying it works! We were close to Armadillo Willies and haven't eaten at one in eons... We pulled up and the website must have been designed by an 80 year old when the internet or WWW as it was called way back when. So no menu online... I was hoping they would have one posted on the door - NOPE! I go to counter they are out of menus but the sweet girl at the counter loans me hers so I can show my husband w/o him coming in. We ordered tri-tip sandwich and garlic fries Hubby said they were spectacular! The garlic is real, not a shake of powder! I got a cup of great onion rings, hot and greasy in the best possible way straight outta the fryer...YUM! This location is spotlessly clean, of course since you can't eat in, it probably doesn't get messy right now. You may want to check your takeout packs to make sure you have everything, napkins and utensils etc. The food was delicious even though my husband thought his sandwich was more of a slider he LOVED IT! Now I'm not sure why it has taken us so long to eat here again. After this visit we may have to visit more often! read more

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I love the staff here at the Dublin/Pleasanton store. They are super cool and helpful. Rib is always good and for the price you paid you - you just can't get wrong. read more

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Mhmmm their bbq is pretty decent. But the prices are pretty high for what you get. I would go here if I'm really craving some bbq in the area. read more

Me and my family have enjoyed BBQ here for many years. Always a great experience and quality made food. Eric and his team have made this my go to spot in the Tri-Valley. As a man from the south its hard to find real BBQ around here and these guys nail it. Make sure you get thier signature cornbread and cinnamon butter spread!!! read more

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

Stopped in really quick since was was getting some peets coffee next door. I forget why I don't come here and today reminded me why I don't. I am always extremely diand feel ripped off each time I come here. Today took the cake.. I ordered the texas trinity. Start off the brisket was the worst it's ever been.. extremely tough, no flavor and just plain sad, the ribs I received 3 of them two wear just like chewing on a tire the 3rd was okay and edible, the sausage was the only good part as you can't screw those up... the beans where good and texas toast side was good... and for 30 bucks it's just a plain rip off... go over to sauced and get a 3 meat plate the would triple the weight of what you receive here. My daughter ordered the special prime brisket chili they have right now and boy.. stay clear of that crap... it was more of a soup and sure was not chili... have some water with a few black bean and some chunks of rubber they called brisket is sure not chili in any form.... Please remind me don't step food in this place anymore... I'm surprised Texans are not burning this place down for the sign outside that says real texas bbq because it sure would not be in business in texas unless it was at the airport... lol read more

Armadillo Willy's BBQ - Poor excuse for texas trinity... dry tough ribs, mediocre sausage, small fatty portion of brisket... - Barbeque Near Me - Dublin, California

Great food every time. Loving me some Armadillo Willy's. Nice variety too. Thank you.

I have a pretty low expectations for 'Texas Style' BBQ spots in California. My review is as follows: I ordered two meats, brisket & ribs, both of which were poorly executed. Brisket (2/10) - dry & overcooked. The lean brisket cuts were extremely dry. The fatty cuts were a little more serviceable but still very very very dry. Ribs (2/10) - the ribs were extremely tight (not tender) and the topside was charred/burnt. I brought them home & wrapped them in foil w/ bbq sauce & butter for 2 hours @ 300 deg to revive them. Sides, beans + Mac & Cheese (7/10) - creamy style mac & cheese with spiral noodles, which was good. The beans were pinto beans with hearty pieces of either brisket or stew meat and a mild spicyness. The staff was super friendly, and the interior was nice and clean, super spacious. I didn't really check the bill until afterwards but seemed quite pricey. $70 for 1 lb brisket + large rib plate w/ 2 sides. BBQ at your own risk patrons. Maybe stick to burgers & sides instead. read more

I ordered dinner online for the family. The food was ready for pickup at the requested time. Portions are hefty and delicious. Staff was friendly and helpful when picking up the order. Highly recommend beans as a side dish - it's full of meat chunks! read more

Why is it so dark in here? I admit I can't quite figure this place out. My experiences here have been very inconsistent. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Today was not so great. Customer service left much to be desired. I Came here hoping to eat a nice meal and a beer. Instead all I got was attitude at the counter. Oh well, decided to go to another place. The difference between this restaurant and Lucille's BBQ is quite dramatic. At Lucile's, they practically jump all over the place to make you feel welcome. Here, not so much. read more

Tried the Evening Bag for Too Good To Go here. Service was quick. Got a baked potato stuffed with BBQ meat (not sure pork or chicken) and a little container of sour cream. Potato was pretty good sized and stuffed to the gills.The meat was delicious. Been craving beef ribs, too bad they don't serve it here. Would have bought some. read more

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

Sliced tritium was delicious. So were the tater tots. Tots were crispy. Just a little expensive. Service was excellent. Very friendly.