Right down the street from maizies this is a great place to end your Monday night. I haven't experienced the food because I was always stuffed after the burger ar Maizies. But this is a great Monday spot because you don't pay for pool!
There are a lot of locals who frequent here, I would guess more on Monday. That's very much a guess because its the only day I went! You know what happens when you assume though...
Anyhow! It's very low key with great prices on drinks! Bar tenders are happy to give up suggestions when you're ready for something new. This is nice when you're as indecisive as myself.
They have loads of games besides pool. Darts, touch screen, etc. You will NOT be bored! (: Â The patio is a tad small and on a main road, but that's ok I was always too busy inside on the games to notice.
I like this place because the people and bar remind me of the east coast in a way. I will be returning!
Great Local Hang Out - BEST Happy Hour Munchies!
This is a great little eclectic bar and grill with fantastic food at amazing prices.  Definitely the best late night eatery in Phoenix, the Calamari and potato skins are both offered on the half price special.  The Armadillo Gold Wings are really a great twist on the classic hot wings and the Beef Stroganauff  is to die for.  There are lots of tvs with sports, pool tables, a bar and a patio with misters, and some booths in the back room.  The atmosphere is laid back and it always feels dark and cool inside which is really nice, especially during the summer.
It doesn't look like much from outside, but the food is gourmet and delicious. I've tried many things on the menu and liked all of it. My favorite thing by far is the buffalo chicken sandwich. Pay the extra to get it with onion rings. My parents always request to go here when they are in town visiting. Great place to watch games and not get your typical bar food. They would get 5 stars if they had better service. Nothing terrible, but have to wait awhile sometimes.
Review Source:I've been going to Armadillo Grill for years. Tai the manager is great. He is such a hard worker! What a great place. They have AMAZING FOOD! It's worth trying because the Food is more than great. You can play pool, listen to music, go for drinks or place bets. I recommend going there to eat I can't say it enough delicious! The staff and the over all atmosphere is laid-back, and cool. Check it out for dinner and drinks afterwork with your friends-it's awesome!
Review Source:Great man cave!!! The bar area has plenty of TVs and OTB if you into the ponies. I had a very good salad and fish and chips that was done just right.. Â Just right? Yea the fish was not fried to shoe leather and the breading was fried to a perfect golden brown!! There is also a dining area as well away from the bar if you do not wish to man cave it....
Friendly service and daily drink and food specials puts this on my "go back to" list when in the PHX area.
I liked this place! I like the outdoor area where you can sit outside. They have TVs everywhere. Our waitress was super friendly. Fair prices. We ordered the fried pickles for starters (half Cajun half regular) and Oh. Em. Gee. SOoo good! I couldn't decide weather I wanted the pulled pork sandwich or the meatloaf sandwich. I went with pulled pork. Meh. I've had better. Wasn't all that delicious, so kind of a let down. I wish I had just ordered more fried pickles. Lol. But yeah,cool place! I'll be ordering something else next time though.
Review Source:First time to Armadillo Grill and I was pleasantly surprised. Based on other people's reviews, I was expecting a dingy, dark dive bar. This is just not the case! I think many people simply have never been to a real dive before. The area surrounding the bar was dimly lit, but that's a good thing! It looked pretty awesome in there actually, and the pool tables were in a separate area in the back. We sat in the other separate area with booths which was brighter and gave it a quieter, more restaurant feel (even the bar area was NOT that loud).
I have to agree with everyone's love of the fried pickles. Went with the original kind. I think they dip them in panko after the batter, super crunchy and delicious. I forced my roommate to try one bite with ranch dressing (he HATES pickles), but he actually couldn't seem to stop taking more bites. Pretty funny! I ordered the salmon in parchment special for $9.99. While it was good, it was not great. It tasted like the salmon I buy (and cook myself) from Costco. A little chewy on the teeth, but hey, it's 9.99! It came with green beans, broccoli and carrots which were really well prepared with garlic. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed cooked veggies so much. There was wild rice pilaf as well. Tasted like the kind I used to buy in small boxes at the store. That's not a complaint, it's good. My roommate ordered the grilled cheese and tomato soup which he liked very much.
I think we were supposed to get the pickles at half price since we ordered at 6:45, but were charged full price. It didn't matter this time since we were using a Groupon and were a little short using the whole thing anyway, just something to note. Service was a little slow at times, but not enough to make us upset, we weren't in a hurry. Besides, everyone there was VERY friendly, even the servers that we only saw in passing smiled and said hello. That's pretty rare, especially in Phoenix (I'm a native, I can say it)!
Overall, I would definitely come back. I like the atmosphere, people, food and prices. Just wish it was closer to my house!
This place is half off-track gambling and half-sports bar as evidenced by what is on the TV's as well as the patrons. So for me, on the one hand having to be around the knuckle heads who want to waste vast amounts of time and money on which horse can run fastest is a negative. The dark and dingy interior doesn't help either. Â
But on the other hand, the food is certainly a cut above the typical greasy, soggy bar food one usually encounters at most sports bars for a decent price. If you're there to watch a whole football game like I would on a few occasions you could end up spending in the mid to high 20's when it's done, but if you're just there to get a meal and maybe a beer, then obviously you won't end up spending as much like around $15. The bartenders are overall ok. No real issue there.
Overall it's more of an interesting experience than a pleasant experience, which is why I will pop in from time to time, but only from time to time just to mix it up.
Oh yeah, and to their credit (at least in my book) they play metal later in the night when all the games are over and there's no more retarded horse racing on.
Armadillo Grill has always been a great go-to for good bar food. Besides general bar-fare, they offer some of the best weekly dish specials a bar can conjure up. They are not simply a OTB or pool hall... they are much much more.
~Fud/Drink~
As stated, they have superb dish choices each week. They do seafood/fish surprisingly well. The most memorable dish from here was actually a Basa filet in mushroom gravy and perfectly grilled veggies along with mashed potatoes. That, my friends, is NOT traditional bar-fare. The chef they have locked up (love that comment Joe S.) does a stellar job. Please don't forget they offer all the traditional fried food options you can dream up. But this is a multidimensional bar, which makes it so unique. They also have stellar drink specials throughout the week and into the weekend. The barkeeps keep regulars happy with free-flowing drinks and will make your day as well if you stop in! They offer a full bar along with beers of different variety as well as select wines to be pared with your special dishes if you purchase one.
~Atmosphere/Service~
Once again, service is superb every time I go. I am by no means a regular, but they treat you like one. I feel at home here when I come in to have a bite or shoot some pool. There is no real dive atmosphere, its truly an interesting mix. The inside is by no means "nice", its a bit older and adds to the general feel of the room. Along with the bar area with the regulars and the OTB on the screens with rooting betters, it surely is an interesting collection of atmospheres in one. You do not need to worry about loud noise though, the patio outside is helpful and can alleviate any issues with inside noise. I never have noticed much of a noise factor though, its a fine spot to both watch a game and dine at. Its impressive how you can go about it at the 'Dillo.
~Extras/Rating~
Call ahead for specials that day/week, the website they have does not get updated at all unfortunately. Look online, there are numerous coupons available from different spots... I use Entertainment coupons here and they work like a charm! They aren't the finest bar in town, that's understood. But its drink specials, above-par food, central location and outstanding staff each earn a star, giving them 4 overall stars. Much love for the 'Dillo, can't wait to go back and check in!
I think it has to be said that this place is definitely more of an OTB than a restaurant/sports bar. Â With that being said, it's not a bad place to grab a drink, get some grub and watch a game. Â You might have to fight with the people focused on the horse racing, but it's not too bad.
Review Source:This place is right down the street from the office, and I've gone here with co-workers for lunch many times over the past few months. Â The place is okay, and seems to have some serious track betting going on here. Several TV's with horse racing on, machines and some betting tickets and such. I'm not much of a better myself, so I'm not even really sure how it works at this place.
Anyways, I'm kind of torn between two and three stars for this place. Â For starters, the inside kind of feels dated, and its always dark when we're there. Also, we usually sit in the back when we are here, since our party size is usually between 6 and 9 people at any given time. Â Someone always calls ahead from the office to let them know we're coming in, so they already have the table set up in the back for us when we arrive.
My problem is two fold with Armadillos. First, is that it the service always seems slow, and secondly, they don't seem to have a great lunch menu. It seems to be mostly dinner type dishes, that can be quite big and heavy for the middle of the day. Â They have an insert to their menu with "daily specials" but nothing that really caters to the lunch crowd. Â I mean, sometimes I want a light lunch, not a huge heavy lunch that makes me tired for the rest of the day.
Also, most of the time here it seems to take forever to get our bill, and our food. I know their busy cooking it, but being that they open at 11 AM, and when we arrive we're usually the first people to be in there (aside from a few stragglers at the bar) I wish it wouldn't take so long to get our food. Â Plus, we only have an hour for lunch! Â One time, it took so long to get our bill, we started getting ansy and tried to hurry out of the place. We have to be back at the office by 12:30, and we didn't get our bills until 12:30! Â By the time we all got our change and cards back and left, it was after 12:45, and we didn't get back to the office until 12:50. Â We were 20 minutes late back from lunch!
I only go here now because once in a while the ladies from work take me, and its not half bad food. I just wish they had a better lunch time menu and that the service would pick up a bit so we don't spend so much time waiting and paying for our bills.
First time at this place and it was really nice, the sign kind of sneeks up on you if your going west on Camelback , but it's all good you can get in the back way.. Prices were great and the food was really good.. Oh and they have off track betting to boot.. The staff was really friendly as well.. It was a good chioce..
I will go back..
So, this is one in the series of reviews I'm throwing up there during my #transientweek adventure during the first week of July thru Southern Nevada and Arizona.
After reading all the reviews, damn, I wish i would have tried some food. We came here while plowing thru bars one night in Phoenix. The prices were very reasonable and got smashed off Kiltlifter and shots of Jameson (this seems to be a very disturbing trend). Our waitresses were the bomb. Had a great time. Cool little shindig of an area if you're in the area.
Plus, Jerome is my hero.
Armadillo grill is usually a place my
Coworkers and I like to out out together after work. The spinach dip is great and the servers are nice. Recently, I tried joining them at the bar and had the worst experience, I will not be going back. The bartender was very rude to me and after six times of asking for a menu I had to flag down a server to get any help. It took 2 hours to get an order of wings and I was very unhappy with the service. Armadillo is great if you go during happy our and sit at a table, but I would never recommend going to the bar.
Wifi not working, server and bartender say it's a common occurrence. Shame.
Most TVs are Vizio monitors (not true TVs) and VERY small (22"?) and NONE are in HD! Further, on a night of NBA playoffs, 90% of the 'TVs' have off-track betting on them instead of sports!! Weird.
Good service at bar. Jimmy is good. But must be forced by mgmt to use a jigger to pour drinks, which is a bit unexpected in a dive bar like this.
Fried cajun pickles are just ok. Kind of tasteless and underdone. Â They're using a cheap pickle I think.
This is mainly an off-track betting bar.
I love this place! When you walk in, you enter the bar, and it's a very friendly, sports-themed bar. Lots of seating, pool tables, TVs, and lots of activity but all of it friendly and open. Then there's the food-oh, my! The burgers are fabulous-fresh ground beef, fresh buns, ripe tomatoes and lettuce, and great fries. I also LOVE the tomato soup...WOW! You have to try the tomato soup! Â They have a decent beer and wine selection, and even their coffee is good!
The staff is very friendly and accommodating to our weekly group of about 10-15 writers. They split checks without hassle and are super friendly, which is not always easy to find with a large party. They consistently go above and beyond, and I think they're fabulous!
For what it is, a neighborhood sports bar and grill, the AG exceeds on all counts. Â Off track betting, usually friendly service, amazing drink deals, and surprisingly great food - their Armadillo Gold wings may very well be the best in town. Â
What you won't get here is hipster pretension - but if you're looking for an unassuming place to grab a drink and budget friendly nosh and maybe bet on a horse race - this, ladies and germs, should be your stopping place.
Bottom line: Great food. Decor could use some help, and the TV's were a bit small to be a sports bar. Food was affordable, and portions were large.
Drinks were as expected, nothing good or bad about it. I had Kiltlifter, my friends had sodas and iced teas.
We ordered some buffalo and honey bbq wings, as well as some calamari. First, the wings were huge, which was good because we only got about 8 for the 1lb order. But they were very well done, and the flavor was not added on post cooking, as most average establishments do. No, the flavor was baked in.
The calamari was not rubbery, but had a good snap, which means it was well cooked and of good quality. The breading wasn't overboard, and had a nice crunch to it. Very well done.
For the entrees, we had the Beef Stroganoff, the Buffalo Chicken sandwich, and I ordered the Mac and Cheese with the Buffalo chicken upgrade.
First, my Mac and Cheese. It definitely wasn't box mac. It had a few cheeses that were  blended and mixed in with penne, and the dollar upgrade of buffalo chicken was a heapful of chicken on top. It came together very well, and tasted great. Well worth it, and the extra for Buffalo chicken. Portion size was also good.
The Beef Stroganoff was well done according to my friend, and it looked huge. Comfort foods should always be generous portions and have a nice home cooked feel to it in order to be successful. They were.
And the Buffalo Chicken sandwich? My friend said it was the biggest one he'd ever gotten. It looked it. And he enjoyed it. So there's that. It didn't look too extravagant, but then it shouldn't be. It just looked big and tasty.
So why four stars? First, the decor was fairly outdated. It looked kind of like a neighborhood bar, but facing Camelback, and being so close to the Biltmore, I really thought they could use an upgrade. The TV's were at best 30's and the audio was low. A sports bar usually has at least a few 50's and pump out the sound for the major games.
But, all this could be why their prices are affordable (just go to Biltmore instead, and overpay for the ambiance), and their food is certainly good enough to keep people coming back. In fact, writing this review, I believe I shall go there again tonight.
Hello Horse Racing Fans!
I thought I made a mistake when I saw off track betting as we were walking in and one table had cheat sheets, racetrack programs, daily racing forms. I was considering becoming a paid public handicapper scratching out a tip sheet on my napkins.
Asian Seared Salmon $10. A 5oz. filet of salmon, seared medium, served over field greens and soba noodles in a soy balsamic vinaigrette.
Herb Crusted Beef Tenderloin $19. A 7oz center cut of beef, double baked mashed potatoes with seasonal veggies, mushroom gravy and topped with onion rings.
Both meals were really good. Had an enjoyable martini too.
We came for HH and it was fun, we had too much food, and we had FOOD!
2 orders of wings - HOT HOT HOT
2 orders of cracked black pepper calamari - Inhaled
1 order of fried pickles - it was ok
1 order of potato skins - YUMMY
1 order of mac and cheese - it is served with diced ham - the cheese was too creamy for me. Â I like cheesy cheese.
1 order of grilled cheese and soup - M said it was GOOD
1 order of korean bbq pork tacos - G said it was very good
1 order of beef kabob - V liked it, I was too full to try
The girls had tons of drinks too. Â Great specials on drinks.
I've been to a lot of places in the Phoenix area, and this is the best overall value you can get. Tons of TVs, horse races, great food, great drinks, all at very reasonable prices. I was impressed, not only with the taste of the food, but with the presentation as well. Love this place.
The bar tenders are attentive, receptive, and personable, without being overbearing. This has become a weekly spot for my wife and I to visit, and one which we look forward to spending our money at.
Easily one of the best day drinking spots in the valley, especially to watch a game. First of all, the appetizers are just crazy cheap during happy hour, and it way generous portions at that. $3.75 for a plate of decent calamari? Sweet. The same price for a generous portion of hummus and pita? Score! Wash it down with the nice tap selection...they have some four peaks brews, and of course a modest liquor selection that covers he basics.
You can bet on horse races if you have any idea what you're doing. Or you can grab a table and yell at the TV as loud as you want. People here are nice enough to be chill about it. The staff is both kind and prompt. I like.
My second time into the Armadillo Grille and I hopped on Yelp specifically to bump it up to 5 Stars from the 4 I gave it last time........ um........ except....... er....... I apparently only reviewed it in my head last time and didn't put it on Yelp....... oops!
A buddy needed some new shoes and wanted to hit the Last Chance across the street (BTW... clothes are terrible there... but it's definitely worth checking out for men's shoes...... Steve Maddens, Mark Nasons, Robert Waynes, etc...... returns from Nordstrom at like a third to tenth of the normal cost!) and wanted to head somewhere for a drink and cigar, so we hopped across to Armadillo.
Upon entry, the place was PACKED...... it was a mixture of randomly-beautiful-people hanging out for cheap drinks and good grub..... and middle-aged-guys hanging out for the OTB and smoking patio.
Note: Not joking about the beautiful people...... I've never felt that ugly in my life (no wise-cracks allowed); haha! Â If I was still single, I would have had to pinch myself at all the winks and smiles coming from random supermodels decorating the place...... and would've stayed longer to get more social!
In any case, the hostess brought us out to the patio... told us the specials... and even took our first drink order (I love when places do that...... so much better than, "Here ya go... So-and-so will be right with you"). Â The bloody marys (maries? mary's?) are the Sunday special, so we asked her to make them spicy and bring us a couple.
To keep this short...... we smoked cigars on the patio uninterrupted except for the ladies coming over to tell us how great they smelled...... had PHENOMENAL hand-made bloody... however-you-spell-the-plural of mary...s......... ate homemade tomato soup with buttery crisp grilled cheese sandwiches........ buffalo chicken sandwiches that were unique and delicious........ had outstanding service from our waitress, Virginia............. and walked out of there for less than 20 bucks a piece INCLUDING a 30 percent tip.........
What in the wide-wide-world-of-sports more could a couple 30-something bums from North Snobbsdale and Peorisnob have asked for, right?!
If you've ever been anywhere near the Biltmore area and HAVEN'T tried this place...... shame on you!
Cheers!
The Dillo is easily one of the best bars in the Camelback Corridor, with a friendly staff, great drink specials and yummy snacks!
I started going here when I moved into the area, and now I don't mind going anytime of the day! The day bartenders are always super friendly, as are the night bartenders. The food is delicious regardless of when you order it- my favorites are the fried pickles (frickles) and the buffalo mac n' cheese.
If you work in the 16th street area, don't forget to write the name of your establishment on your check so that you can be king of camelback!
Go Aunt Chialda's! ;-)
Love you Dillo!
I suppose I'm biased since I consider this my "pub". Â It's within stumbling distance from my home. I frequently stumble over there and back several times a week.
I think everyone should have a pub. It's like a living room away from home. The Armadillo has the requisite multiple TV's,, happy hour specials, pool tables, and an interesting assortment of Runyonesque characters who come and go. It's the closest thing to a dive you'll find in that section of the Camelback Corridor, and I mean that in the best and most enthusiastic sense. I love dives.
The munchies menu (discounted during happy hours and all-day Monday) includes several appetizers, including fried pickles, a very decorative hummus plate, and some of the best wings in the valley (try the Armadillo or Honey-Hot). Drink prices are good, and they have specials like "PBR power hour" (one dollar Pabst Blue Ribbon beers for you culturally-impoverished sorts).
Again, hard for me to objective, but it' a definite favorite that I would recommend to anyone.
Upon first impressions, not that impressed. After a few minutes, I'm in love. The bartneders qere amazing, hooking it up with much needed shots and a free beer when he forgot to change the keg. The bartenders love to joke around and it seems like there are a lot of regulars. Always a good sign...
I would give this place five stars if I had the food, they have tomato soup. Alas, I was out with the biggest tool in N Scottsdale and apparenty I didn't deserve a meal with this horrible "date" because I wanted to leave so I could watch It's Always Sunny. Best decision of my life!
Also, a warning to all Armadillo employees, I may attempt to steal that big red chest in the Women's bathroom. It may take a few attempts, and I may get arrested, but I have to have it!
Really? Seriously? Sarah L. is the L for Little Pompous? Where is your hood, North Snottsdale? Unbelievable. How can you review a restaurant you didn't even eat at??? from your review you just walked in had a beer, peered down your nose and left.
This is a great little spot tucked away unsuspectingly on Camelback road. They have a great happy hour, pool tables and a surprisingly great menu. I haven't been here in awhile because of the economy the way that it is. But they did have off track betting as well . Not sure if they still do.
The service is good the people are fun and friendly. I like bar food but you can get so much more here.
Some of my Fav's
The herb crusted beef tenderloin is outstanding great cut of meat cooked to perfection.
The Mediterranean stuffed chicken stuffed with artichokes, black olives and feta with a dill sauce and wild rice it is delish!
I am not a big fan of Pesto but their Penne pesto cream is yummy.
Also try the Thai Chicken skewers, Artichoke Croquettes, Louisiana Shrimp, or the Cracked Black pepper Calamari!
This is a restaurant/bar! It's a joint, a neighborhood hang out.
I hate to be rude but geez, you stick to your hood and I'll stick to mine. When you offer a review in the future you should start by saying I rarely go anywhere that doesn't require a 20.00 cover and has a coat check.
After sneaking in to the Biltmore to use their hot tub for 2 hours, we needed a place to grab some food and a drink or two. Of course, it was more for me that we needed a dive-y sort of place as I had no makeup and a baseball hat covering my wet hair. Nico recommended Armadillo's and I was a fan right away. We sat at the bar and the bartender was friendly and prompt with our drinks.
We ordered:
*Wings in Armadillo Gold Sauce- Nico loved them
*Potato Skins- soooo good! Some of the best skins I've ever had
*Hummus and Pita bread- also v good. Pita was warm and toasted perfectly
There were a lot of sports fans glued to the Chargers game and it was a fun atmosphere. Â Definatly a place to stop in for cheap food and drinks, with or without looking like a complete scrub.
The Good the Bad and the Ugly
The Good,
Food and friendly sincere service that is available "late night" will defiantly earn my 4th star. Â
The menu is so large that you can very easily miss an entire page. And the food offered is all over the place from meatloaf and cheesesteaks to great dinner items you find in upscale dinning restaurants. Â
The bad,
Drink Specials are tempting enough to go here to get bombed. Â If you are a binge drinker or just love great deals, Armadillo Grill is your weekday hook up.
The Ugly,
Sorry staff and management I love you guys but pointing fingers does not keep a restaurant  clean.  But it does keep the local dive bar feel alive and I'm ok with that.
The food sucks... don't order the fried pickles, ever!
It's a total dive... don't sit down in the restrooms, ever!
The bartenders are good, the games are fun, and they have pool. What more can you ask for? I've been here a hundred times after work, and there is always something going on. It's definitely an "industry" bar if you know what I mean... always full of bartenders, waiters, and hotel people. We go here because it's cheap, a good place to wind down after work, and they have golden tee.
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