Goode Company’s Armadillo Palace received a facelift last year after undergoing a renovation that included a new bar, dance hall, inviting backyard and, perhaps most importantly, a kitchen expansion. The Texas saloon/dance hall – a destination for Texas food, music, entertainment and all around Southern hospitality – launched their new lunch and dinner menu on Friday, April 21.

The kitchen renovation was completed the week of April 10, and owner Levi Goode and R&D chef David Luna (previously of Flora & Muse, Shade, Line & Lariat) have been antsy to debut the restaurant’s new menu. It has everything a Houstonian would want – “flavors rooted in the salt of the Gulf, soul of the South, spice of Mexico and the mesquite smoke of Texas.”

Fried pork skins with white cheddar dust at the Armadillo Palace

We stopped in last week, and Levi and Luna gave us a comprehensive tour of the new menu. There’s lots to choose from, and many of the new options are meant to be shared, like the fried pork skins (photo above) that are dusted with white cheddar. At $4, these are a cheap (and cheesy) eat. They’ll still be poppin’ when they hit the table. And don’t overlook the bread basket ($5, photo below). Freshly baked cornbread and buttermilk biscuits are served with seasonal jams and a beer-shallot butter. Just hope that the rest of your food comes out not long after the basket o’ bread – once you start you can’t stop.

The Back Porch Bread Basket

Wash down the carbs with one of the new cocktails created by Rob Crabtree, like the refreshing Luckenbach Mule ($9) with vodka, Ancho Reyes, ginger, watermelon, lime and soda. It’s light and bright with a tasteful amount of ginger.

Luckenbach Mule

Of course, Goode Company’s classics like seafood campechana, Gulf oysters, seafood gumbo and po’boys still find their place on the menu. But if you’re stopping in to check out what’s new, try the already-popular Deer Camp Quail Runners ($14, photo below). Quail legs are bacon-wrapped and roasted over mesquite and served on a bed of white cheddar grits and roasted tomatoes. It’s all about the smoke on these little legs, and the juices that have come together at the bottom of the skillet make for a slightly-sweet and complex dipping sauce.

Bacon-wrapped quail legs

It’s easy to pass up a salad at a place like this, and, frankly if we were eating on our own, we most likely would have. Thank goodness we had menu guides, because we’ve already developed a craving for the charred romaine salad ($7, photo below). The wedge of romaine has an intensely deep smoked flavor that pairs lovely with the bright pickled red onion, queso fresco and nutty pepitas. It’s drizzled with a creamy Parmesan chive dressing to bring it all together.

Charred romaine salad

A new entree item that, according to the restaurant, represents the aforementioned “four pillars of the Goode’s culinary journey” is the heritage pig’s head carnitas ($26, serves two or more, photo below). Milk-fed pork is cooked carnitas-style and served with fresh salsas and hand-made tortillas. The pig’s head is brought to the table with the same wow factor as a sizzling, steaming plate of fajitas. The head is already pre-scored, so run the knife under the meat and you’ll get chunks of moist pig’s head with crispy, charred skin.

Pig’s head carnitas

Two other noteworthy entrees that will take you in different directions are the redfish on the half shell ($27), simply prepared and will “save you a sunburn,” and the 12-ounce heritage pork rib chop ($26, photo below) that is house-cured and slow roasted over mesquite coals, served with tomato-bacon jam and a slab of pork belly.

Pork chop

Need help deciding among sides to share? The creamed corn ($6) is jazzed up with Mexican spices, cheese and cilantro for an elote-like take on the Southern side dish. And the rosemary-scented duck fat skillet potatoes ($6) are as addicting as that bread basket.

Texas sheet cake

And we know not to skip out on dessert at a Goode Company restaurant (ahem, pecan pie), and the Armadillo Palace is no exception. The Texas sheet cake ($6, add $2 for vanilla ice cream, photo above) is moist, not too dense and topped with candied pecans, and the strawberry tequila cobbler ($6, photo below) will brighten up your palate after a meal of smoked meat.

Strawberry tequila cobbler

The Armadillo Palace, 5015 Kirby bet. Hwy. 59 and Bissonnet, 713-526-9700, thearmadillopalace.com
Hours: Tue. 11 am–11 pm, Wed. 11 am-midnight, Thurs. & Fri. 11am-2 am, Sat. 4 pm-2 am