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Photograph by Skye Dunlap
By moving into its new highly visible location on the corner of Stevens Creek and De Anza boulevards, Armadillo Willy's doubled its restaurant capacity. Here, Frank Hatfield shows off the restaurant's Texas-style rib dinner.
A piece of Texas set in the heart of Cupertino
Armadillo Willy's eatery breathes life into the old Siren's building
By Joann Liao
Images of the Lone Star State catch the eye the minute the door opens at Armadillo Willy's. From food to decor, the theme here is Texas.
Cowboys and steers grace the walls of the restaurant, along with vintage advertisements for Lone Star beer and Frontier gas. A large sign welcomes patrons with "Greetings from 'So Big' Texas!" Folded aluminum roofing hanging over tables decorated with red-checkered tablecloths adds to the atmosphere. The smell of barbecue pervades the room.
Armadillo Willy's got its name when the owner of the restaurant chain had a brainstorm while researching barbecue in Texas. "He was at an armadillo race, and the winner's [armadillo's] name was Willy," said Frank Hatfield, general manager at the restaurant. And in 1983, he founded Armadillo Willy's barbecue in California.
The food at Armadillo Willy's is all about barbecue, Texas-style. Texas-style barbecue, according to Hatfield, is barbecue cooked without direct heat, using the hot smoke from a hardwood fire. "It's a slow-cooking process," Hatfield said. All the meat served at Armadillo Willy's--from the ribs to the chicken to the turkey--is cooked through this process.
The menu at Armadillo Willy's offers chili, ribs, barbecue, and a fact sheet about armadillos and barbecue. Barbecue sandwiches come in at under $6, while barbecue platters may run up to $13.99. The restaurant also serves burgers from $4.89 and up. According to the fact sheet, armadillo meat tastes like chicken, but it is not featured on the menu.
Armadillo Willy's is a privately owned chain, with eight restaurants all in the Bay Area, from San Mateo to San Jose. The newest location opened on De Anza Boulevard less than two months ago, having moved from its former spot at the corner of Rodrigues Avenue and De Anza Boulevard. "We needed more table room," Hatfield said. "And we wanted to stay in Cupertino, and this was a noticeable location."
The restaurant occupies the building that formerly housed Siren's, a combination flower shop and pizza parlor. Though Siren's closed before its lease ran out, its owner would not give up the rights to the lease. The building stood empty for the two years before Armadillo Willy's moved in. By moving into the new location, Armadillo Willy's has doubled its restaurant capacity.
Armadillo Willy's is at 10100 N. De Anza Blvd. near Stevens Creek Boulevard. It is open Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Weekend hours are Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 9 p.m. For information call 252-7427.
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
