Armadillo Border Grill & Cantina
15001 E Mississippi Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80012
Armadillo Border Grill & Cantina Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Aurora for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Aurora for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Aurora for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
15001 E Mississippi Avenue
Aurora, CO, 80012 - Phone (303) 337-2761
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 8:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Mike H.
This review is from a dinner recently at the Armadillo grill/cantina that was a special treat from my mom. I've never been to the Armadillo before, but on recommendation from my uncle we decided to go. The food was filling, fast to arrive at the table, although I will agree with some of the other reviewers in that the salsa and queso could have been spicier or at least a bit more flavorful. The chile rellenos was great, the rest of the main course and dessert was quite good as well. I've tried many different styles of Mexican/tex-mex and 'southwestern/new-mexican' food, from the chains to the smaller hole in the wall run by immigrants places. Denver has a wide variety of such food abounding. Although the Armadillo serves up what is definitely an americanized style of cuisine, it is a reasonably priced tasty place to eat a quick dinner or lunch. I was very happy with the quality of the food I was served knowing full well I wasn't going to get the selection found in a burrito van or a hole in the wall place but rather something more sanitized for the american palate. For this style, the food is rather good. Although there seems to be more seating than customers, (the place seems second only to Casa Bonita in cavernous-seating alcoves) they seem to know what they're doing, as they've been around forever. Late on a Friday night there were about 6 different groups eating. I can imagine there is more of a crowd around lunch and and I for one look forward to going back during lunch some day to find out. I rate it high up on the kitchy/campy coolness factor as well. The mariachi music was quite pronounced all throughout dinner :) To those who say make mexican food yourself, I agree; I can cook up an amazing bean/beef burrito dish in a crock-pot that will make any of these places pale in comparison. But for when I just don't want to cook? I'll go here ;) Their margarita selection was rather impressive. I forget what I shared but it was very tasty indeed.
(4)Desiree P.
I could take it or leave it. I don't mind going here though. I actually really like the salsa. I like that it doesn't have chunks of anything...it's minced well. I just don't like chunky salsa...chunks of tomato, onion, jalapeno...gross. Seems like a simple recipe and fresh...sometimes simplicity is best in my opinion. Every once in a while you'll get a chunk of garlic, but, I don't mind that. They used to sell mole, and it was so good. Unfortunately they don't anymore...they kind of americanized the menu. I mean, it was pretty american before, but, now...even more so. As far as dessert, I always get the flan which is really good if you happen to enjoy flan like myself. Oh yeah! I almost forgot! The wings are surprisingly very good! I definitely recommend them. The chicken soup is good too. But, definitely try the wings some time!
(3)michelle b.
Nope. Ick. Salsa is basically ketchup. Food is not hot and mediocre at best.
(1)Blythe K.
This place gets four sars because I was pretty impressed by the menu. They have some unusual items that I haven't seen at other Mexican restaurants (meat sopapilla, anyone?) and a decently sized selection. One star gets removed because their queso was only average and the meal itself was a little greasy, even by Mexican food standards. The decor was cute, the atmosphere was friendly, and the service was quick. It would be a fun place to take a group of friends without spending much.
(4)Denise G.
Apparently the amazing Armadillo in Litteton closed, so I had to check out the Aurora location. I checked out Yelp and heard horrible things. I wanted to go regardless. I have a good sense for these things and I was not wrong about this one. It was great! The service was extremely fast, so not sure why so many people complained about it. The waitress was awesome! I ordered the combo with one chicken enchilada and two ground beef tacos. Brian got the molcajete which is basically a bowl full of different kinds of meat. Weird, but taste really good. Love the chips and salsa! Great margaritas, and they were cheap. I will be back and rave about this place. Stop listening to the bad reviews and go to this cutely decorated restaurant.
(4)Gabriel S.
Elizabeth had amazing customer service! Hooked us up! Pretty to look at! Highly recommend!
(4)Anthony Q.
Live right around the corner and decided to try this place... Overall review DISGUSTING! The food was so bland and the drinks were flat. My Pepsi was flat and my friend's beer was flat as well. We sent the beer back and the refreshed beer was flat also, sent it back again. When the food came out my friend never got his taco for his combo but were charged for it on the bill. Overall service was bad, food worse, don't recommend this place at all.
(1)Dana M.
I am sad to have to update my review. The food is still good, however, the service STINKS! For the past 3 times we have gone, a cup of chicken and rice soup takes about 20 minutes. People in my party were done eating the buffet and I still had not received my soup. I tried to call the number they say to call and it always states that the voice mailbox is full and I called over 6 times.
(1)Katie B.
Only eat here if you have 2 plus hours. The service is slow, the drinks are weak, and the food is just alright.
(2)Matthew C.
The margarita here is very good. Armadillo is a nice place to relax and eat in Aurora. The service is nice, and during weeknights it doesn't get too busy. The food is good - and the menudo is nice and spicy.
(4)Bianca S.
Two stars are for the salsa and for the fact that the waiter was nice. Coming into this place it was a super snowy bright day and my grandpa & I walked in and got blinded almost by the lighting change. This place is toooo dark. My grandpa missed one of the steps because it was too dark for him to see and he fell and it knocked him out. No one even came to help either which was pretty messed up. We still decided to eat here though. My chili rellano was the most disgusting thing I've ever had. My margarita was like watered down tequila with a little lime juice. Not good at all. I've had better margs at hole in the wall dive bars. After I ate here I went home and crapped my guts out for the next few hours. No Bueno. I won't be coming back. No matter how many coupons you send me in the value book mail thing.
(2)Rachel B.
This place is pretty awesome. Great, fast service. Good food and a great atmosphere. We were a bit timid about trying it out because it looks pretty ragged from the outside and is in a dreary part of Aurora, but inside it really is a gem. The entrance greets you with an Adobe fire place. A nice touch. We had a Valpak coupon for a buy one entree get one free, so why not?! Good Happy Hour prices too. The chips and salsa are exceptional, thank goodness, because I feel a Mexican restaurant should always succeed there, at the very least.
(4)Sarah C.
Okay, when you walk in the ambiance is great and honestly I had high hopes, but that's about it. Everyone there was paying with a groupon or yelp deal, seriously all the other tables except the one that just left because the service was some of the slowest around. Luckily I enjoy the company of my date because it took about two hours. The queso wasn't impressive, however my steak enchiladas were really good. I of course did a quick restroom check and it was seriously destroyed. Overall, I won't be back, but if they got themselves a strong server and had the host tidy up the bathrooms every hour they'd have a success story on their hands.
(2)L L.
Food is good but service is a disaster. It took us an hour to get our food almost and the restaurant was barely packed. The manager didn't acknowledge us once and the girls barely spoke any English. Yelp granted us a free coupon for checking in for a free margarita but the waitress came back and said that we couldn't use two "coupons" for both the margarita and the $40 for $20 deal we bought. Understaffed and the kitchen played loud obnoxious music the entire time we were there. We will not be back.
(1)Ashly L.
I absolutely love this place. My husband and I go their all the time. They have amazing food and the service is so sweet. Alejandra is so sweet and she was an amazing server. The only thing I would change is better specials.
(5)C V.
Came for brunch, buffet was still available. Food was ok, place wasn't very clean though. Service was good
(3)Brenda S.
This food was very good..and the hot green chili was Hot..so good..compared to other places we ate..we are still looking for pueblo style ..but we were satisfied..we had seconds on the salsa ..they definitely gave us enough food on a combo that me and my fiancé split it....and were full
(4)Dorene P.
I've been going to the Armadillo for the past 20 years with excellent food & service, but due to my experience yesterday, I do not think I will return! We stopped by for a late lunch during "happy hour" Margaritas $2.99! And had a coupon for buy one entree get one free expires Oct 2014, presented to the waitress and was told she would have to see if valid? OK Ordered a couple margaritas and 2 meals, check comes, she didn't use the coupon, notified the waitress, then she comes back and says we now have to pay full price for drinks $6.50! since we are using the coupon for food! WHAT! we were ripped off!!!! THE ARMADILLO IS NOT THE RESTAURANT IT USED TO BE
(2)Katey H.
I don't know why this place gets a bad rap. It was delicious. Got a free marg, although it was a little skimpy on the tequila, and had a groupon. It was a great deal for a lot of food. It was very delicious and we will certainly come back.
(5)Erin H.
Tried this location for the first time last week. My friend and I just got chili con queso and multiple margaritas, so I can't speak to most of their food, but what we had was good. We were seated promptly and our server took pretty good care of us. The queso was delicious, as always. (As I've said in other Armadillo reviews, they would get 5 stars if it was solely based on queso!) The margaritas were ok. I tried 3 varieties - house, midori, and ultimate. Both the house and the midori had a very sweet taste, likely from the mixer. In fact, the midori one almost tasted like a jolly rancher - not really what I was looking for. The ultimate was good, but a bit too strong on the alcohol flavor for me. Our server was very patient (as we were there for multiple hours catching up) and kept the drinks and water flowing. Overall, a good experience.
(3)Kim G.
You have to try the molcajete bowl! Great service tonight!
(3)Leanne E.
I have been to this restaurant three times now, and after the third visit, I will not be revisiting. My first visit was awesome. I had a Groupon for the fajitas, and they were amazing. The margaritas were decent, no complaints, and the service was pretty good that day. I went another time, and the food was good, the service was fine, no major complaints. However, all of that good was undone on Saturday, June 16th. I went in for lunch with my boyfriend. The waitress didn't pay us a whole lot of attention, which isn't normally a big deal, but we were the last people in the dining room to get our food after ordering. It is a huge pet peeve of mine when I get my food after everyone else without an explanation of why. A nice young man noticed apologized, and had our waitress inform us that our food was coming soon. I ordered a quesadilla, and my boyfriend ordered enchiladas. Nothing special. So, then the food comes out. My quesadilla has too much filling or not enough cheese, and I flag the manager. First, it was a lovely see through white blouse she had on. Second, she said, "You do know it's white cheese, right?" I said, "I know, but there's not much, and I was under the impression that" At this point, she looks to my boyfriend to fix the issue. He tells her "more cheese", which was the wrong answer, but I will discuss that in a review of him on a more personal website. So, she takes my plate, saying "We'll have a new one out to you in one or two minutes." My boyfriend was about done eating when my food reappears. I was disgusted, because there were fork marks in my sour cream, I thought that they had given me the same plate. At this point, I deal with it, which I shouldn't have done, but I was hungry. So, the nice waiter comes by and asks how it is. They hadn't fixed the problem at all, it didn't have more cheese, it was the same thing I'd been given 10 minutes before, and I inform him as such, saying "But I guess I'll deal." He tells me he's sorry to hear it, and gets my waitress for me. When she appears, I tell her about the same thing. Normally, you don't want to hear "It sucks, but I'll make it work." If you're striving for a high level of service, she may have stuck around for a few seconds after dropping off the second one to make sure it was ok instead of running away before I could even ask about the fork marks in the sour cream. I waited what seemed like an eternity (which was honestly, probably 3 minutes, but on top of everything else, it was too long) to have her come back, and at this point, because of the lack of cheese, I already dug into the sour cream to try to make the thing edible, but I did not succeed. So, she drops off the bill. My food is on there (after sending it back, complaining about it, and still not eating it? No, I'm not paying for it). So I had the manager come over again. We explain that we waited a really long time for our food, that my second quesadilla took so long that my boyfriend was done eating. And that I was disgusted that it was served to me on the same plate. The manager informed me that it wasn't and I said, "That's even worse, because now I don't know who put the fork marks in my sour cream." She informed me that there were not fork marks in my sour cream, that she still had my other quesadilla in the back. I became insistent, she finally said. "Well, I don't want to argue anymore" so she huffed off with the receipt and removed my meal from it. I have never been treated so poorly by a manager in my life. I called the comment line twice since, my calls have not been returned. I sent an email through the website, no return email. So not only did I get awful service, but nobody seems to care about it. It's too bad---it was my favorite Mexican restaurant until that fateful lunch that Saturday afternoon. Update: Called the restaurant directly. Spoke to the manager. According to the manager, I didn't pay for the food, she didn't see what the big deal was. Claims her boss will call me, but she does not have a direct line for him or have any idea when he will drop by. Also, she claims not to have been there, and I could be wrong, but she sounded very similar, and her name rang a bell. Hopefully it's because of a different, more positive visit, but I guess time will tell.
(1)Claudia B.
I met a friend here because she suggested that I'd like the queso. I've been looking for good queso in Denver for a LONG time. I grew up in Texas and went to school in Georgia and both of those states offer up some pretty fantastic queso. For some reason, Colorado doesn't seem to have the same idea of melted cheese. Well, this place certainly gets it! I wish they were closer to my house (wait...maybe I don't). I only had the queso and the margaritas here but I can definitely say that I'll be BACK FOR BOTH! YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(4)Nicole S.
The food and service are decent, but nothing spectacular. I was disappointed because I ordered the beef and guacamole tostada and the beef and bean burrito (combo) expecting juicy shredded beef, and I instead received a mushy mess of ground beef in my food. The menu should have specified which type of beef they use. Not worth another visit.
(2)Laura M.
Ok so I love Armadillo but it is not fancy or amazing....it is just good greasy and cheesy Mexican Food. I like the chips and salsa (they don't charge for refills which some places do). I usually get a create-a-combo with a beef taco, bean burrito, and a cheese enchilada. The sauces are flavorful and this meal comes with rice & beans. The service is friendly and usually pretty quick. I have been going here for many years and I'm sure we will continue to visit for years to come.
(4)Russ S.
I need to preface this revue by stating that I used to manage this place years and years ago...so I know the restaurant's menu staples inside out and have prepared each dish innumerable times and have hired and fired a slew of employees at this location, as well as several other locations. I will not bias this revue based on any past good or bad feelings as a result of having been employed here...it's been 10 years now since I left the company, and I've returned as a customer numerable times since those days. If you go in with the mindset that this is "Rocky Mountain Chicano" food and not authentic Mexican, you'll be fine. The Lucio family recipes for their original menu items are good. They have the best green chili in Colorado, in my opinion (regular, extra hot or vegetarian choices.) Their fajitas are stellar, as is the addictive and fattening con queso dip. Their signature item, the Burrito Supreme, is very very good, a huge portion of beef or chicken and refried beans inside and smothered generously with the wonderful green chili, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomato and sour cream and guacamole. The chicken soup, menudo and tortilla soup are all good, as are their fried ice cream, flan and apple chimichanga desserts. Nachos are great. I don't recommend salad or seafood here; it's just not their forte (nor authentic to the whole Rocky Mountain hispanic family experience.) Anything that might seem slightly adventurous (and newer) on their menu is generally not the best choice, so just ask your server what the most popular items are, and they'll steer you in the right direction. They have pretty good margaritas, but go top shelf. Service is generally pretty good; just understand that this is a low-priced old school Colorado Mexican food haunt and as such, don't expect anything out of the ordinary. Very kid-friendly, and their chips and salsa are strangely addictive, even though not "authentic" by any means (too much oregano and black pepper.)
(3)Cash B.
Seems like the Armadillo is back! Once again I'm a fan and the food has been good during my (two!) visits over Christmas. As always, the atmosphere is fantastic.
(4)Nikki S.
Average. We went there because my boyfriend purchased a Groupon and we were both looking forward to trying a new local place. Waited a little while (too long, in my opinion) for our waiter. So long, in fact, that i walked to the bar myself to order a margarita! Food was so-so, nothing special at all. The queso app had obviously been microwaved which was a huge disappointment (it was very runny and the cheese was glued to teh side, like when you overcook in the micro...). Our main dishes were okay, we each got enchiladas with rice and beans. The menu was quite extensive and had a lof of choices, so that's a plus. Service was friendly enough, re-filling our waters and chips, but we really didn't see our waiter after ordering. May go back, just because it's within walking distance of our place. Having the Groupon made me feel better about dinner, too (not paying full price for mediocre mexican food)
(3)Aaron J.
Food was decent Americanized Mexican fare - the fajitas for two come on a HUGE platter it's easily enough for three. Service was solid for the most part, but stretched a little thin. Would visit again.
(4)Christi S.
Ok, initial disclaimer, I am not Mexican, I have never claimed to be Mexican and my tolerance for Mexican food runs about the length of the drive thru line at Taco Bell. Proceed with caution. My husband loves Mexican food so we occasionally venture out for it. We've eaten at various "chain type" places from here to Tampa, FL (maybe that is our mistake) and are typically disappointed in what we find. And since we're not IN Mexico, we live with it. This place is really no exception. We were seated right away, which was no surprise because there were a total of 6 people in the place (first warning sign, I know). But our server took her time playing around behind the bar (not serving anyone, not restocking...just moving glasses around and nonchalantly wiping things off) before she wandered over to take our drink orders. We were given AMPLE time to go over the menu (read: it took her 15 minutes to bring carbonated drinks back to the table), at which time we ordered our food. The typical warm chips and salsa were served. And yes, I am not Mexican, but I know what salsa is or isn't. And it ISN'T tomato PASTE with tiny "might be" onions in it. Right? Right. My 5 year old ordered a cheese quesadilla and it was awful. It was nice and hot when it was served, but the cheese had a "sour" taste to it. He didn't finish it. My husband ordered the tri-color enchilada plate. One was cheese, another chicken and finally a beef. He only enjoyed the chicken enchilada, the others were sadly lacking in flavor. I (being extremely conservative with Mexican fare) ordered the two combo enchilada plate with one cheese and onion and one spinach enchilada. The cheese and onion was excellent, I loved it. But the spinach was really, really bland. But I guess that is what I get for ordering a spinach enchilada, eh? All of the dishes were served with refried beans that were very tasty and Spanish rice that was sort of bland. A little bit of good and bad with every bite. LOL Overall, this place didn't stand out but neither did it completely disappoint. It was pretty much on par for a chain type Mexican restaurant. Perhaps next time we go out for Mexican food we should try a tiny, hole-in-the-wall, stip mall place. Any suggestions?
(2)Dan S.
Great atmosphere and the chips and salsa are excellent. Took the family here the other day and my daughters vouched for the cheese burgers (yeah I know). I had a traditional margarita and the Yucatan shrimp bucket. I was terrified that the "shrimp bucket" wouldn't actually come served in a bucket (hey when it says "bucket" it better be delivered in a bucket) and it did much to my relief. Anyway the shrimp was lightly battered and plump and the bucket was impressive. Been here a few times in the past five years and I'm pretty sure based on that experience that we'll be coming more often assuming we all still are employed in '09. I think there's going to be 17 people employed in the US by the end of the year and we'll all be living in yurts or something. But yeah hopefully we all still get to eat out the rest of the year.
(4)Trish G.
This was great I got a table right away, the service was fast, friendly and tasty.
(5)Leona A.
Margaritas are NOT good... cheap sweet and sour and no alcohol. Salsa is pretty good, but rice is dry and beans runny. If you go, stick with the basics~ cheese enchilada because they can't mess that up.
(2)Allison S.
Always good deals in the coupon mailers; free margarita or another deal if you check in on Yelp. Their food is sooo good in my opinion. Also I love how it's not always super busy so I can feel like I have the place to myself. Nice quiet u issue establishment. Chili rellenos are one of a kind.
(5)Tim R.
So I have been coming here for YEARS and I decided I needed to let people know about this place... The feel of the restaurant is very warm and comfortable. The staff always makes you feel like you are at home and the salsa is simply amazing!! For a good family dinner I highly recommend this place. The chicken del mar is MONEY!!
(5)Sarah H.
Some good, some bad = average overall. The good: salsa was delicious! Very flavorful, right amount of spice. The chips were warm and the tri-color was a nice detail. The queso was also pretty good, though it was just your basic Velveeta and Rotel combo. The rest of the food was okay but a bit bland for Mexican. The bad: this restaurant is badly in need of a face lift. There are what appears to be bullet holes partially piercing the bullet-proof windows on the south side of the building. The interior is too dark - we came at lunch but it felt like we were eating at night. And it seems like about half the booths have torn up seats - not very comfortable or welcoming. We didn't have any real problems with the service but our server was not particularly friendly or attentive, either. Overall, this is a decent place to catch a bite, especially if you've got a coupon, but there are better choices in the same neighborhood - check your Yelp app!
(3)Karen C.
My son bit into his food and found a piece of sharp metal in his food. While the manager was nice about it, he did not seem very concerned about it, if my son had swollowed it, it would have been very bad. I felt there should have been more concern shown, especially from a manager, instead he acted like it was no big deal.
(1)Milton G.
Here's the deal, if you go for any of their normal lunch or dinner menu items- the food tastes pretty average and you may not be that satisfied. The only two (2) plates I enjoyed were the molcajete meat bowl and the chicken torte. The sopapillas are really tasty though and they come with a complimentary squeeze bottle of honey which makes the lunch/dinner better. Now here's the secret: Sunday Brunch! Yes, Sunday Brunch is a delicious mixture of American favorites which include pancakes (freshly made), bacon strips, biscuits and gravy along with Mexican favorites including breakfast burritos, hot (and I mean hot!) green chili, fajitas, and tacos among other things. You can also get awesome desserts that include a chocolate fountain, brownies, and mini muffins. The cost is decent for an all you can eat Sunday brunch so I don't think you can go wrong. My only other concerns are the drinks are pretty average- the diet coke is pretty watered down and the ice tea is average. Also the doors on the men's room are broken and the one (1) door to one (1) stall doesn't even close to lock and stays open, so just be advised. However despite the concerns, I will keep coming back- from Sunday brunch that is!
(4)Andrea P.
If I could give this place a negative 1 I would. First of all I found a shard of glass in my Margarita, I almost swallowed it thinking it was a piece of salt. I took it out of my mouth and grabbed it with my fingers and it stabbed my finger. Now for the food. I had the carne asada and the meat was overcooked and so tough it was inedible. AND it had no flavor. The rice was tasteless and so were the beans. Casa Vallarta or Guadalajara or soooooo much better. The only reason we even went to Armadillo is because we were headed to Nickel a play (which is amazing, my kids love it) but the food here was so disappointing, my son almost choked on the meat because it was impossible to chew and I almost swallowed a sliver of glass!!! The margarita was terrible as well, too much sweet and sour -it was rather disgusting- minus the glass. If you want an award winning margarita go to casa vallarta on parker road. I am sick and tired of bad businesses being allowed to remain open in Colorado. There should be some kind of standard!
(1)Annie B.
I took my boyfriend and roommate out for dinner here in December 2008. We all love Mexican food and were driving down Mississippi and spotted The Armadillo. It was a Friday night, around 8pm, and the place was completely dead. I was a little scared at that point. Restaurants are dead at peak hours when they've proven themselves to be sub par. We were promptly seated, drinks brought out quickly. We waited a little longer than we should have for our appetizer of chili con queso (melted cheese... how long can that take when you're not serving anybody else?). The table was also sticky and it irritated me throughout dinner. I ordered the chili relleno plate. It was mediocre at best. The beans were mealy, the rice had hardly any flavor and the chile rellanos were soft, mushy and really unappealing. The quality of food did not match the price tag. Our service however was good. I downed about 3 giant glasses of water. On our way out, I stopped by the bathroom. It was shocking how dirty it was! I saw paper everywhere, water all over the sink and just turned around and walked out. I made the boys hurry up with their cigarettes so we could drive home so I could use the bathroom! I don't think I will be returning.
(1)Christi S.
Ok, initial disclaimer, I am not Mexican, I have never claimed to be Mexican and my tolerance for Mexican food runs about the length of the drive thru line at Taco Bell. Proceed with caution. My husband loves Mexican food so we occasionally venture out for it. We've eaten at various "chain type" places from here to Tampa, FL (maybe that is our mistake) and are typically disappointed in what we find. And since we're not IN Mexico, we live with it. This place is really no exception. We were seated right away, which was no surprise because there were a total of 6 people in the place (first warning sign, I know). But our server took her time playing around behind the bar (not serving anyone, not restocking...just moving glasses around and nonchalantly wiping things off) before she wandered over to take our drink orders. We were given AMPLE time to go over the menu (read: it took her 15 minutes to bring carbonated drinks back to the table), at which time we ordered our food. The typical warm chips and salsa were served. And yes, I am not Mexican, but I know what salsa is or isn't. And it ISN'T tomato PASTE with tiny "might be" onions in it. Right? Right. My 5 year old ordered a cheese quesadilla and it was awful. It was nice and hot when it was served, but the cheese had a "sour" taste to it. He didn't finish it. My husband ordered the tri-color enchilada plate. One was cheese, another chicken and finally a beef. He only enjoyed the chicken enchilada, the others were sadly lacking in flavor. I (being extremely conservative with Mexican fare) ordered the two combo enchilada plate with one cheese and onion and one spinach enchilada. The cheese and onion was excellent, I loved it. But the spinach was really, really bland. But I guess that is what I get for ordering a spinach enchilada, eh? All of the dishes were served with refried beans that were very tasty and Spanish rice that was sort of bland. A little bit of good and bad with every bite. LOL Overall, this place didn't stand out but neither did it completely disappoint. It was pretty much on par for a chain type Mexican restaurant. Perhaps next time we go out for Mexican food we should try a tiny, hole-in-the-wall, stip mall place. Any suggestions?
(2)Dan S.
Great atmosphere and the chips and salsa are excellent. Took the family here the other day and my daughters vouched for the cheese burgers (yeah I know). I had a traditional margarita and the Yucatan shrimp bucket. I was terrified that the "shrimp bucket" wouldn't actually come served in a bucket (hey when it says "bucket" it better be delivered in a bucket) and it did much to my relief. Anyway the shrimp was lightly battered and plump and the bucket was impressive. Been here a few times in the past five years and I'm pretty sure based on that experience that we'll be coming more often assuming we all still are employed in '09. I think there's going to be 17 people employed in the US by the end of the year and we'll all be living in yurts or something. But yeah hopefully we all still get to eat out the rest of the year.
(4)Trish G.
This was great I got a table right away, the service was fast, friendly and tasty.
(5)Leona A.
Margaritas are NOT good... cheap sweet and sour and no alcohol. Salsa is pretty good, but rice is dry and beans runny. If you go, stick with the basics~ cheese enchilada because they can't mess that up.
(2)Katie B.
Only eat here if you have 2 plus hours. The service is slow, the drinks are weak, and the food is just alright.
(2)Allison S.
Always good deals in the coupon mailers; free margarita or another deal if you check in on Yelp. Their food is sooo good in my opinion. Also I love how it's not always super busy so I can feel like I have the place to myself. Nice quiet u issue establishment. Chili rellenos are one of a kind.
(5)Tim R.
So I have been coming here for YEARS and I decided I needed to let people know about this place... The feel of the restaurant is very warm and comfortable. The staff always makes you feel like you are at home and the salsa is simply amazing!! For a good family dinner I highly recommend this place. The chicken del mar is MONEY!!
(5)L L.
Food is good but service is a disaster. It took us an hour to get our food almost and the restaurant was barely packed. The manager didn't acknowledge us once and the girls barely spoke any English. Yelp granted us a free coupon for checking in for a free margarita but the waitress came back and said that we couldn't use two "coupons" for both the margarita and the $40 for $20 deal we bought. Understaffed and the kitchen played loud obnoxious music the entire time we were there. We will not be back.
(1)Matthew C.
The margarita here is very good. Armadillo is a nice place to relax and eat in Aurora. The service is nice, and during weeknights it doesn't get too busy. The food is good - and the menudo is nice and spicy.
(4)Bianca S.
Two stars are for the salsa and for the fact that the waiter was nice. Coming into this place it was a super snowy bright day and my grandpa & I walked in and got blinded almost by the lighting change. This place is toooo dark. My grandpa missed one of the steps because it was too dark for him to see and he fell and it knocked him out. No one even came to help either which was pretty messed up. We still decided to eat here though. My chili rellano was the most disgusting thing I've ever had. My margarita was like watered down tequila with a little lime juice. Not good at all. I've had better margs at hole in the wall dive bars. After I ate here I went home and crapped my guts out for the next few hours. No Bueno. I won't be coming back. No matter how many coupons you send me in the value book mail thing.
(2)Rachel B.
This place is pretty awesome. Great, fast service. Good food and a great atmosphere. We were a bit timid about trying it out because it looks pretty ragged from the outside and is in a dreary part of Aurora, but inside it really is a gem. The entrance greets you with an Adobe fire place. A nice touch. We had a Valpak coupon for a buy one entree get one free, so why not?! Good Happy Hour prices too. The chips and salsa are exceptional, thank goodness, because I feel a Mexican restaurant should always succeed there, at the very least.
(4)Denise G.
Apparently the amazing Armadillo in Litteton closed, so I had to check out the Aurora location. I checked out Yelp and heard horrible things. I wanted to go regardless. I have a good sense for these things and I was not wrong about this one. It was great! The service was extremely fast, so not sure why so many people complained about it. The waitress was awesome! I ordered the combo with one chicken enchilada and two ground beef tacos. Brian got the molcajete which is basically a bowl full of different kinds of meat. Weird, but taste really good. Love the chips and salsa! Great margaritas, and they were cheap. I will be back and rave about this place. Stop listening to the bad reviews and go to this cutely decorated restaurant.
(4)Gabriel S.
Elizabeth had amazing customer service! Hooked us up! Pretty to look at! Highly recommend!
(4)Anthony Q.
Live right around the corner and decided to try this place... Overall review DISGUSTING! The food was so bland and the drinks were flat. My Pepsi was flat and my friend's beer was flat as well. We sent the beer back and the refreshed beer was flat also, sent it back again. When the food came out my friend never got his taco for his combo but were charged for it on the bill. Overall service was bad, food worse, don't recommend this place at all.
(1)Dana M.
I am sad to have to update my review. The food is still good, however, the service STINKS! For the past 3 times we have gone, a cup of chicken and rice soup takes about 20 minutes. People in my party were done eating the buffet and I still had not received my soup. I tried to call the number they say to call and it always states that the voice mailbox is full and I called over 6 times.
(1)Sarah H.
Some good, some bad = average overall. The good: salsa was delicious! Very flavorful, right amount of spice. The chips were warm and the tri-color was a nice detail. The queso was also pretty good, though it was just your basic Velveeta and Rotel combo. The rest of the food was okay but a bit bland for Mexican. The bad: this restaurant is badly in need of a face lift. There are what appears to be bullet holes partially piercing the bullet-proof windows on the south side of the building. The interior is too dark - we came at lunch but it felt like we were eating at night. And it seems like about half the booths have torn up seats - not very comfortable or welcoming. We didn't have any real problems with the service but our server was not particularly friendly or attentive, either. Overall, this is a decent place to catch a bite, especially if you've got a coupon, but there are better choices in the same neighborhood - check your Yelp app!
(3)Karen C.
My son bit into his food and found a piece of sharp metal in his food. While the manager was nice about it, he did not seem very concerned about it, if my son had swollowed it, it would have been very bad. I felt there should have been more concern shown, especially from a manager, instead he acted like it was no big deal.
(1)Milton G.
Here's the deal, if you go for any of their normal lunch or dinner menu items- the food tastes pretty average and you may not be that satisfied. The only two (2) plates I enjoyed were the molcajete meat bowl and the chicken torte. The sopapillas are really tasty though and they come with a complimentary squeeze bottle of honey which makes the lunch/dinner better. Now here's the secret: Sunday Brunch! Yes, Sunday Brunch is a delicious mixture of American favorites which include pancakes (freshly made), bacon strips, biscuits and gravy along with Mexican favorites including breakfast burritos, hot (and I mean hot!) green chili, fajitas, and tacos among other things. You can also get awesome desserts that include a chocolate fountain, brownies, and mini muffins. The cost is decent for an all you can eat Sunday brunch so I don't think you can go wrong. My only other concerns are the drinks are pretty average- the diet coke is pretty watered down and the ice tea is average. Also the doors on the men's room are broken and the one (1) door to one (1) stall doesn't even close to lock and stays open, so just be advised. However despite the concerns, I will keep coming back- from Sunday brunch that is!
(4)Sarah C.
Okay, when you walk in the ambiance is great and honestly I had high hopes, but that's about it. Everyone there was paying with a groupon or yelp deal, seriously all the other tables except the one that just left because the service was some of the slowest around. Luckily I enjoy the company of my date because it took about two hours. The queso wasn't impressive, however my steak enchiladas were really good. I of course did a quick restroom check and it was seriously destroyed. Overall, I won't be back, but if they got themselves a strong server and had the host tidy up the bathrooms every hour they'd have a success story on their hands.
(2)Ashly L.
I absolutely love this place. My husband and I go their all the time. They have amazing food and the service is so sweet. Alejandra is so sweet and she was an amazing server. The only thing I would change is better specials.
(5)C V.
Came for brunch, buffet was still available. Food was ok, place wasn't very clean though. Service was good
(3)Brenda S.
This food was very good..and the hot green chili was Hot..so good..compared to other places we ate..we are still looking for pueblo style ..but we were satisfied..we had seconds on the salsa ..they definitely gave us enough food on a combo that me and my fiancé split it....and were full
(4)Dorene P.
I've been going to the Armadillo for the past 20 years with excellent food & service, but due to my experience yesterday, I do not think I will return! We stopped by for a late lunch during "happy hour" Margaritas $2.99! And had a coupon for buy one entree get one free expires Oct 2014, presented to the waitress and was told she would have to see if valid? OK Ordered a couple margaritas and 2 meals, check comes, she didn't use the coupon, notified the waitress, then she comes back and says we now have to pay full price for drinks $6.50! since we are using the coupon for food! WHAT! we were ripped off!!!! THE ARMADILLO IS NOT THE RESTAURANT IT USED TO BE
(2)Katey H.
I don't know why this place gets a bad rap. It was delicious. Got a free marg, although it was a little skimpy on the tequila, and had a groupon. It was a great deal for a lot of food. It was very delicious and we will certainly come back.
(5)Erin H.
Tried this location for the first time last week. My friend and I just got chili con queso and multiple margaritas, so I can't speak to most of their food, but what we had was good. We were seated promptly and our server took pretty good care of us. The queso was delicious, as always. (As I've said in other Armadillo reviews, they would get 5 stars if it was solely based on queso!) The margaritas were ok. I tried 3 varieties - house, midori, and ultimate. Both the house and the midori had a very sweet taste, likely from the mixer. In fact, the midori one almost tasted like a jolly rancher - not really what I was looking for. The ultimate was good, but a bit too strong on the alcohol flavor for me. Our server was very patient (as we were there for multiple hours catching up) and kept the drinks and water flowing. Overall, a good experience.
(3)Kim G.
You have to try the molcajete bowl! Great service tonight!
(3)Leanne E.
I have been to this restaurant three times now, and after the third visit, I will not be revisiting. My first visit was awesome. I had a Groupon for the fajitas, and they were amazing. The margaritas were decent, no complaints, and the service was pretty good that day. I went another time, and the food was good, the service was fine, no major complaints. However, all of that good was undone on Saturday, June 16th. I went in for lunch with my boyfriend. The waitress didn't pay us a whole lot of attention, which isn't normally a big deal, but we were the last people in the dining room to get our food after ordering. It is a huge pet peeve of mine when I get my food after everyone else without an explanation of why. A nice young man noticed apologized, and had our waitress inform us that our food was coming soon. I ordered a quesadilla, and my boyfriend ordered enchiladas. Nothing special. So, then the food comes out. My quesadilla has too much filling or not enough cheese, and I flag the manager. First, it was a lovely see through white blouse she had on. Second, she said, "You do know it's white cheese, right?" I said, "I know, but there's not much, and I was under the impression that" At this point, she looks to my boyfriend to fix the issue. He tells her "more cheese", which was the wrong answer, but I will discuss that in a review of him on a more personal website. So, she takes my plate, saying "We'll have a new one out to you in one or two minutes." My boyfriend was about done eating when my food reappears. I was disgusted, because there were fork marks in my sour cream, I thought that they had given me the same plate. At this point, I deal with it, which I shouldn't have done, but I was hungry. So, the nice waiter comes by and asks how it is. They hadn't fixed the problem at all, it didn't have more cheese, it was the same thing I'd been given 10 minutes before, and I inform him as such, saying "But I guess I'll deal." He tells me he's sorry to hear it, and gets my waitress for me. When she appears, I tell her about the same thing. Normally, you don't want to hear "It sucks, but I'll make it work." If you're striving for a high level of service, she may have stuck around for a few seconds after dropping off the second one to make sure it was ok instead of running away before I could even ask about the fork marks in the sour cream. I waited what seemed like an eternity (which was honestly, probably 3 minutes, but on top of everything else, it was too long) to have her come back, and at this point, because of the lack of cheese, I already dug into the sour cream to try to make the thing edible, but I did not succeed. So, she drops off the bill. My food is on there (after sending it back, complaining about it, and still not eating it? No, I'm not paying for it). So I had the manager come over again. We explain that we waited a really long time for our food, that my second quesadilla took so long that my boyfriend was done eating. And that I was disgusted that it was served to me on the same plate. The manager informed me that it wasn't and I said, "That's even worse, because now I don't know who put the fork marks in my sour cream." She informed me that there were not fork marks in my sour cream, that she still had my other quesadilla in the back. I became insistent, she finally said. "Well, I don't want to argue anymore" so she huffed off with the receipt and removed my meal from it. I have never been treated so poorly by a manager in my life. I called the comment line twice since, my calls have not been returned. I sent an email through the website, no return email. So not only did I get awful service, but nobody seems to care about it. It's too bad---it was my favorite Mexican restaurant until that fateful lunch that Saturday afternoon. Update: Called the restaurant directly. Spoke to the manager. According to the manager, I didn't pay for the food, she didn't see what the big deal was. Claims her boss will call me, but she does not have a direct line for him or have any idea when he will drop by. Also, she claims not to have been there, and I could be wrong, but she sounded very similar, and her name rang a bell. Hopefully it's because of a different, more positive visit, but I guess time will tell.
(1)Claudia B.
I met a friend here because she suggested that I'd like the queso. I've been looking for good queso in Denver for a LONG time. I grew up in Texas and went to school in Georgia and both of those states offer up some pretty fantastic queso. For some reason, Colorado doesn't seem to have the same idea of melted cheese. Well, this place certainly gets it! I wish they were closer to my house (wait...maybe I don't). I only had the queso and the margaritas here but I can definitely say that I'll be BACK FOR BOTH! YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(4)Nicole S.
The food and service are decent, but nothing spectacular. I was disappointed because I ordered the beef and guacamole tostada and the beef and bean burrito (combo) expecting juicy shredded beef, and I instead received a mushy mess of ground beef in my food. The menu should have specified which type of beef they use. Not worth another visit.
(2)Russ S.
I need to preface this revue by stating that I used to manage this place years and years ago...so I know the restaurant's menu staples inside out and have prepared each dish innumerable times and have hired and fired a slew of employees at this location, as well as several other locations. I will not bias this revue based on any past good or bad feelings as a result of having been employed here...it's been 10 years now since I left the company, and I've returned as a customer numerable times since those days. If you go in with the mindset that this is "Rocky Mountain Chicano" food and not authentic Mexican, you'll be fine. The Lucio family recipes for their original menu items are good. They have the best green chili in Colorado, in my opinion (regular, extra hot or vegetarian choices.) Their fajitas are stellar, as is the addictive and fattening con queso dip. Their signature item, the Burrito Supreme, is very very good, a huge portion of beef or chicken and refried beans inside and smothered generously with the wonderful green chili, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomato and sour cream and guacamole. The chicken soup, menudo and tortilla soup are all good, as are their fried ice cream, flan and apple chimichanga desserts. Nachos are great. I don't recommend salad or seafood here; it's just not their forte (nor authentic to the whole Rocky Mountain hispanic family experience.) Anything that might seem slightly adventurous (and newer) on their menu is generally not the best choice, so just ask your server what the most popular items are, and they'll steer you in the right direction. They have pretty good margaritas, but go top shelf. Service is generally pretty good; just understand that this is a low-priced old school Colorado Mexican food haunt and as such, don't expect anything out of the ordinary. Very kid-friendly, and their chips and salsa are strangely addictive, even though not "authentic" by any means (too much oregano and black pepper.)
(3)Cash B.
Seems like the Armadillo is back! Once again I'm a fan and the food has been good during my (two!) visits over Christmas. As always, the atmosphere is fantastic.
(4)Nikki S.
Average. We went there because my boyfriend purchased a Groupon and we were both looking forward to trying a new local place. Waited a little while (too long, in my opinion) for our waiter. So long, in fact, that i walked to the bar myself to order a margarita! Food was so-so, nothing special at all. The queso app had obviously been microwaved which was a huge disappointment (it was very runny and the cheese was glued to teh side, like when you overcook in the micro...). Our main dishes were okay, we each got enchiladas with rice and beans. The menu was quite extensive and had a lof of choices, so that's a plus. Service was friendly enough, re-filling our waters and chips, but we really didn't see our waiter after ordering. May go back, just because it's within walking distance of our place. Having the Groupon made me feel better about dinner, too (not paying full price for mediocre mexican food)
(3)Aaron J.
Food was decent Americanized Mexican fare - the fajitas for two come on a HUGE platter it's easily enough for three. Service was solid for the most part, but stretched a little thin. Would visit again.
(4)Laura M.
Ok so I love Armadillo but it is not fancy or amazing....it is just good greasy and cheesy Mexican Food. I like the chips and salsa (they don't charge for refills which some places do). I usually get a create-a-combo with a beef taco, bean burrito, and a cheese enchilada. The sauces are flavorful and this meal comes with rice & beans. The service is friendly and usually pretty quick. I have been going here for many years and I'm sure we will continue to visit for years to come.
(4)Mike H.
This review is from a dinner recently at the Armadillo grill/cantina that was a special treat from my mom. I've never been to the Armadillo before, but on recommendation from my uncle we decided to go. The food was filling, fast to arrive at the table, although I will agree with some of the other reviewers in that the salsa and queso could have been spicier or at least a bit more flavorful. The chile rellenos was great, the rest of the main course and dessert was quite good as well. I've tried many different styles of Mexican/tex-mex and 'southwestern/new-mexican' food, from the chains to the smaller hole in the wall run by immigrants places. Denver has a wide variety of such food abounding. Although the Armadillo serves up what is definitely an americanized style of cuisine, it is a reasonably priced tasty place to eat a quick dinner or lunch. I was very happy with the quality of the food I was served knowing full well I wasn't going to get the selection found in a burrito van or a hole in the wall place but rather something more sanitized for the american palate. For this style, the food is rather good. Although there seems to be more seating than customers, (the place seems second only to Casa Bonita in cavernous-seating alcoves) they seem to know what they're doing, as they've been around forever. Late on a Friday night there were about 6 different groups eating. I can imagine there is more of a crowd around lunch and and I for one look forward to going back during lunch some day to find out. I rate it high up on the kitchy/campy coolness factor as well. The mariachi music was quite pronounced all throughout dinner :) To those who say make mexican food yourself, I agree; I can cook up an amazing bean/beef burrito dish in a crock-pot that will make any of these places pale in comparison. But for when I just don't want to cook? I'll go here ;) Their margarita selection was rather impressive. I forget what I shared but it was very tasty indeed.
(4)Desiree P.
I could take it or leave it. I don't mind going here though. I actually really like the salsa. I like that it doesn't have chunks of anything...it's minced well. I just don't like chunky salsa...chunks of tomato, onion, jalapeno...gross. Seems like a simple recipe and fresh...sometimes simplicity is best in my opinion. Every once in a while you'll get a chunk of garlic, but, I don't mind that. They used to sell mole, and it was so good. Unfortunately they don't anymore...they kind of americanized the menu. I mean, it was pretty american before, but, now...even more so. As far as dessert, I always get the flan which is really good if you happen to enjoy flan like myself. Oh yeah! I almost forgot! The wings are surprisingly very good! I definitely recommend them. The chicken soup is good too. But, definitely try the wings some time!
(3)michelle b.
Nope. Ick. Salsa is basically ketchup. Food is not hot and mediocre at best.
(1)Blythe K.
This place gets four sars because I was pretty impressed by the menu. They have some unusual items that I haven't seen at other Mexican restaurants (meat sopapilla, anyone?) and a decently sized selection. One star gets removed because their queso was only average and the meal itself was a little greasy, even by Mexican food standards. The decor was cute, the atmosphere was friendly, and the service was quick. It would be a fun place to take a group of friends without spending much.
(4)Andrea P.
If I could give this place a negative 1 I would. First of all I found a shard of glass in my Margarita, I almost swallowed it thinking it was a piece of salt. I took it out of my mouth and grabbed it with my fingers and it stabbed my finger. Now for the food. I had the carne asada and the meat was overcooked and so tough it was inedible. AND it had no flavor. The rice was tasteless and so were the beans. Casa Vallarta or Guadalajara or soooooo much better. The only reason we even went to Armadillo is because we were headed to Nickel a play (which is amazing, my kids love it) but the food here was so disappointing, my son almost choked on the meat because it was impossible to chew and I almost swallowed a sliver of glass!!! The margarita was terrible as well, too much sweet and sour -it was rather disgusting- minus the glass. If you want an award winning margarita go to casa vallarta on parker road. I am sick and tired of bad businesses being allowed to remain open in Colorado. There should be some kind of standard!
(1)Annie B.
I took my boyfriend and roommate out for dinner here in December 2008. We all love Mexican food and were driving down Mississippi and spotted The Armadillo. It was a Friday night, around 8pm, and the place was completely dead. I was a little scared at that point. Restaurants are dead at peak hours when they've proven themselves to be sub par. We were promptly seated, drinks brought out quickly. We waited a little longer than we should have for our appetizer of chili con queso (melted cheese... how long can that take when you're not serving anybody else?). The table was also sticky and it irritated me throughout dinner. I ordered the chili relleno plate. It was mediocre at best. The beans were mealy, the rice had hardly any flavor and the chile rellanos were soft, mushy and really unappealing. The quality of food did not match the price tag. Our service however was good. I downed about 3 giant glasses of water. On our way out, I stopped by the bathroom. It was shocking how dirty it was! I saw paper everywhere, water all over the sink and just turned around and walked out. I made the boys hurry up with their cigarettes so we could drive home so I could use the bathroom! I don't think I will be returning.
(1)