With a sign on the front door reading “Sorry! We’re OPEN,” a company motto of “Endevour to be Adequate,” and a wine selection of red, white and pink, Armadillo BBQ in Duvall is a fun-loving restaurant with an attitude. But, that sass and good food (of course) is what draws people to this small town establishment.

Armadillo BBQ in Duvall
Armadillo BBQ in Duvall

Tove and I were honestly just passing by Armadillo BBQ the other day when we suddenly decided to stop in. I literally slammed on my breaks and made a hard right turn to get into the parking lot. It was a split-second decision. I’m pretty sure it was the large outdoor grill and smoker that lured us in.

When you walk inside Armadillo BBQ, you quickly notice how quirky the restaurant is. We saw plenty of armadillo decorations, a rubber chicken, old paintings on the walls, and strange-looking dolls (among several other obscure items). Even the coat hangers on the end of the booths are strange — they’re rubber fingers. It’s a different atmosphere, but Tove and I had fun looking at the little trinkets there.

Armadillo BBQ in Duvall
That’s me digging into a beef rib

The smell of barbecue overwhelms the small, wooden restaurant. I say “overwhelms” in a good way, because that smell gets your mouth watering before they even bring you a menu. They have a lunch menu (until 5pm) and dinner menu at Armadillo BBQ, which includes sandwitches (how they spell it on the menu — again, quirky), hot sausages, and plenty of barbecue options.

Tove and I were at Armadillo BBQ at lunchtime, so I ordered the Bone Jour (one pork rib, one beef rib, 1/4 of a chicken, and two sides (I went with baked beans and potato salad)), while Tove chose the Rib Special (choice of three pork or beef ribs with two sides (she picked the corn bread muffins and coleslaw). Both plates were loaded with food (I was stuffed to the brim) and fairly inexpensive for what you get (both were just $10).

Armadillo BBQ in Duvall
The Bone Jour

One of the most popular items at Armadillo BBQ is their special barbecue sauce. In fact, that was Tove’s favorite part of her meal (I was partial to the beef ribs and baked beans). You can buy bottles of their sauce at the restaurant, and after a quick search on the internet, you can also get the barbecue sauce in the Seattle-area on AmazonFresh (if you want to give it a try). The ingredients include: molasses, orange juice and brown sugar. Yum!

While Armadillo BBQ has an attitude, the service was very friendly. They’ll even bring Armadillo BBQ to you. No, not just your table — they also do catering. I actually remember eating Armadillo BBQ at catered events when I was a kid in Woodinville. It was such a treat back then, and I remember a lot of adults being really excited about Armadillo coming to town.

Armadillo BBQ in Duvall
Pork ribs

It’s a bit of a drive from Seattle (about 35 minutes), but you should definitely give Armadillo BBQ a try if you’re ever in Duvall (or call them up for catering). It’s a fun, edgy atmosphere with good service and tasty food. No matter where the restaurant is located, it’s pretty hard to beat a combination like that.

Have you ever eaten at Armadillo BBQ in Duvall? What did you order — AND — what did you think of your meal? We’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Don’t forget to also check out Seattle Bloggers for more great places to eat around the Puget Sound.