We had lunch at Armadillo Willy’s Roadhouse Café in Gilroy yesterday. When I first moved to Silicon Valley in 2000, Armadillo Willy’s served as the “most acceptable” substitute for real (i.e., Texas-style) barbecue available. The focus is on beef, not pork; they serve brisket, not tri-tip (a peculiarly Californian cut of meat); and they smoke their meat, not grill it. Moreover, the founders of the restaurant claim to have been inspired by Texas-style barbecue, so it was “as good as we could get” for the time being.
Fast forward to 2007, and I’ve since discovered a number of other truly great barbecue restaurants in the San Jose area (first among them being Uncle Frank’s; a full review of that later). I’ve also had the experience of actually being able to travel back to Texas and sample some of the real thing there. So Armadillo Willy’s is still an acceptable substitute for Texas barbecue, but it’s no longer at the pinnacle of true barbecue heaven as it once was.
The Roadhouse Café idea, by the way, is nowhere near the quality of the main Armadillo Willy’s restaurants. The idea is to serve the same meats, but cafeteria-style, and aimed at a fast-moving lunch crowd. It’s not bad, but it’s not the same as something you get at, say, Lum’s Barbecue in Junction, Texas, a spot that goes far to prove the adage, “the best barbecue comes from a joint that also sells motor oil.”
Armadillo Willy’s will always hold a special place in my heart because, at one time, it was the best (and only) barbecue I could get. And, even though it’s been dethroned from the top of the barbecue heap, it’s still a decent place for lunch.
9 responses so far ↓
1 Holy Roller // Sep 9, 2007 at 11:47 am
Wait a minute. Is that an olive on top of that chunk of barbecue meat? What kind of self-respecting redneck could possibly allow that?
2 Big Poppa // Sep 9, 2007 at 11:57 am
No way. Big Poppa can’t stand olives. Those, my dear friend, and sautéed mushrooms. And that big chuck of meat is a smoked prime rib from The County Line on the Lake in Austin.
3 Holy Roller // Sep 9, 2007 at 12:08 pm
Yeah well I don’t know about no mushrooms either. Readneck goes in the County Line and says to the waiter, yeah sweetheart could you get me one of those smoked prime rib thangs but hold the mushrooms? It just… something ain’t right about this.
4 Big Poppa // Sep 9, 2007 at 12:11 pm
You obviously ain’t suburban, then.
5 Holy Roller // Sep 9, 2007 at 12:14 pm
I resemble that remark. And listen Poppa, that header photo on your front page is a little more urban than suburban, wouldn’t you say?
6 Holy Roller // Sep 9, 2007 at 12:15 pm
But I like the doggy butt.
7 Big Poppa // Sep 9, 2007 at 12:21 pm
We’re still working on the pictures.
8 Kitty LaDiva // Sep 9, 2007 at 1:35 pm
agreed, doggy butt = suburban
That being said, MUSHROOMS?!?!?!?! Anywhere NEAR BBQ??
Austin notwithstanding, Oh Darlin’, you been on Planet Cali toooo long!
9 Satisfy Your Cravings // Oct 12, 2007 at 8:37 am
[...] is the mail-order wing of the County Line BBQ, which I’ve written about previously. Superb meat, great service. Can’t hardly go wrong, unless you’re allergic to beef. If [...]
Leave a Comment