Richard Pearse Tavern

About Richard Pearse Tavern

Armadillos at the DB Richard Pearse sits on Le Cren Street in Timaru's Highfield, serving the generous tavern fare that has made Armadillos a familiar name across the South Island. It is one of a family of Armadillos venues stretching from Richmond in Nelson and Springlands in Blenheim through several Christchurch suburbs down to Lyttelton, Timaru and Te Anau — and this one trades from 12pm until late, seven days a week.

The kitchen leans on the grill and the sea. Steaks come in 250g and 300g cuts, cooked to order and finished with garlic butter, mushroom, gravy or peppercorn sauce, with the house's duck fat potatoes or crispy fries alongside. The signature dish is a plate of slow-braised pork ribs smothered in homemade BBQ sauce, while gurnard stars in the beer-battered fish 'n' chips, the Seafood Workshop and a creamy seafood chowder. Five stacked signature burgers, a lamb hotpot under puff pastry, schnitzels and pastas round out a menu with real range.

There are separate lunch, pensioner, kids and dessert menus, a function menu for group events, fundraiser quiz nights, gift vouchers and online booking — making the Richard Pearse an easy call for everything from a family dinner to a work do.

Armadillos at the DB Richard Pearse: Timaru's Tavern for Ribs, Steaks and Seafood

On Le Cren Street in Timaru's Highfield, Armadillos at the DB Richard Pearse serves the kind of food people cross town for: slow-braised ribs glazed in homemade BBQ sauce, big steaks off the grill, beer-battered gurnard and burgers stacked high in toasted buns. It is the Timaru branch of Armadillos Restaurants NZ, a family of venues that stretches from Richmond in Nelson and Springlands in Blenheim through Belfast, Halswell, Templeton and Beckenham in Christchurch, down to Lyttelton, Timaru and Te Anau. Here, doors open at 12pm and the kitchen runs until late, seven days a week.

From the grill and the sea

A proper tavern meal starts properly, and the starters set the tone: garlic bread built on freshly baked ciabatta and the house-made garlic butter, a chilli cheese version drizzled with sweet chilli sauce, camembert crumbed and fried until crispy with plum sauce and garlic toast, or six king prawns arriving sizzling in a cast-iron ramekin. There is an entree seafood chowder, chicken tenders with BBQ sauce, golden buffalo cauliflower wings with aioli, and a soup of the day your wait staff will happily fill you in on.

The mains list splits into red meat, chicken and seafood, and the grill does the heavy lifting. Pick a 250g prime ribeye or a 300g prime rump, cooked just the way you like it and topped with garlic butter, mushroom sauce, gravy or peppercorn sauce — then choose vegetables or house salad and, crucially, the house's duck fat potatoes or crispy fries. Going larger, the 300gm sirloin surf 'n' turf pairs a New York cut with four prawns in creamy garlic sauce. The dish the name hangs on is Armadillo's Signature Ribs: pork ribs slowly braised until succulent, smothered in that homemade BBQ sauce and served with crispy fries. Elsewhere on the menu you'll find a NZ lamb hotpot under a puff-pastry lid with mash and gravy, a chicken, bacon and mushroom pasta in white wine sauce, a classic crumbed schnitzel, and a chicken and bacon stack on creamy mash with mild cajun cream sauce.

Timaru's coastal setting shows in the seafood. Gurnard appears twice — pan-fried and topped with garlic prawns and fresh salsa in the Seafood Workshop, and beer-battered in the classic fish 'n' chips with tartare and lemon — while the main seafood chowder gathers a medley of fresh seafood into a creamy white wine reduction, finished with toasted ciabatta and crispy kumara.

Burgers built high

Five signature burgers all arrive stacked in toasted buns with crispy fries. The NZ Prime Angus beef burger comes with beetroot relish — a proper Kiwi touch — plus swiss cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato and aioli. Alongside it: a grilled chicken version with smoked tomato relish, a southern-style crispy chicken burger with peri peri sauce, a fish burger carrying that same beer-battered gurnard, and a mushroom and halloumi burger with caramelised onion for the vegetable-leaning. Sides run from those duck fat potatoes and mash to garlic prawns and house salad, so no plate has to stay as it came.

More than a dinner run

The Richard Pearse works hard beyond the evening menu. There are separate lunch, pensioner and kids menus — handy for family meals — plus a dessert menu for anyone who still has room. Groups are well catered for with a dedicated function menu, and the team runs fundraiser quiz nights for community causes. Gift vouchers and online booking are available through the Armadillos website, or you can call the venue directly on 03 684 3566.

Open from noon to late every day of the week at 118 Le Cren Street, it is an easy fit for long lunches, after-work dinners and weekend gatherings alike. Whether you land on the ribs, a ribeye with peppercorn sauce, a bowl of chowder topped with crispy kumara or a burger with beetroot relish, the promise is the same one that's carried the Armadillos name around the South Island: familiar tavern classics, done generously.

Signature items

• Armadillo's Signature Ribs
• Prime Ribeye Steak
• 300gm Sirloin Surf 'n' Turf
• Fish 'n' Chips
• NZ Prime Angus Beef Burger
• Main Seafood Chowder

Menu

Sides

• Duck Fat Potatoes — The house potatoes, available as an extra side.
• Mash Potato — A side of mashed potato.
• Vegetables — A side of vegetables.
• House Salad — The house salad as an extra side.
• Mushrooms — A side of mushrooms.
• Garlic Prawns (4) — Four garlic prawns as an add-on.
• Fried Egg (1) — A single fried egg add-on.
• Extra Sauce — Additional sauce of your choice.

Starters

• Garlic Bread — Freshly baked ciabatta loaf smothered in homemade garlic butter.
• Chilli Cheese Bread — Fresh ciabatta loaded with cheese, garlic butter and sweet chilli sauce.
• Crumbed Camembert — Camembert crumbed and fried until crispy, with plum sauce and garlic toast.
• Sizzling King Prawns — Six prawns served sizzling in a cast-iron ramekin in garlic, lemon and chilli.
• Entree Seafood Chowder — A smaller serve of the house chowder — fresh seafood in creamy white wine reduction.
• Chicken Tenders — Chicken tenders served with BBQ sauce.
• Soup of the Day — Daily soup special — your wait staff will advise.
• Buffalo Cauliflower Wings — Battered cauliflower wings cooked until golden, served with aioli.

Mains - Chicken

• Warm Chicken Salad — Marinated chicken breast with bacon, grapes and greens, house dressing and crispy noodles.
• Classic Chicken Schnitzel — Crumbed chicken breast fried golden, topped with mushroom sauce, house salad and fries.
• Chicken and Bacon Stack — Marinated chicken on creamy mash with crispy bacon and mild cajun cream sauce.

Mains - Seafood

• Seafood Workshop — Pan-fried gurnard topped with garlic prawns, fresh salsa, and duck fat potatoes or fries.
• Fish 'n' Chips — Beer-battered gurnard fillets with house salad, crispy fries, tartare and lemon.
• Main Seafood Chowder — Fresh seafood medley in creamy white wine reduction, with toasted ciabatta and crispy kumara.

Mains - Red Meat

• Prime Ribeye Steak — 250g ribeye grilled to order, choice of garlic butter, mushroom, gravy or peppercorn, with vegetables or salad and duck fat potatoes or fries.
• 300gm Sirloin Surf 'n' Turf — New York sirloin topped with four prawns in creamy garlic sauce, with vegetables or salad and duck fat potatoes or fries.
• Armadillo's Signature Ribs — Slowly braised pork ribs smothered in homemade BBQ sauce, served with crispy fries.
• 300gm Prime Rump Steak — Prime rump grilled your way with a choice of sauce, vegetables or salad and duck fat potatoes or fries.
• NZ Lamb Hotpot — Lamb hotpot topped with puff pastry, served with mashed potatoes and gravy.
• Chicken Bacon and Mushroom Pasta — Pan-fried bacon, chicken and mushrooms in creamy white wine sauce, topped with parmesan.

Signature Burgers

• NZ Prime Angus Beef Burger — Beef pattie, beetroot relish, swiss cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato and aioli in a toasted bun with fries.
• Grilled Chicken Burger — Marinated chicken breast, swiss cheese, smoked tomato relish, bacon and aioli with fries.
• Southern Style Crispy Chicken Burger — Crisped chicken with swiss cheese, smoked tomato relish, bacon, lettuce and peri peri sauce.
• Fish Burger — Fresh beer-battered gurnard with lettuce, tomato, aioli and tartare sauce, with fries.
• Mushroom & Halloumi Burger — Portobello mushrooms, grilled halloumi, caramelised onion, lettuce, tomato and aioli.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Armadillos in Timaru located?

At the DB Richard Pearse tavern, 118 Le Cren St, Highfield, Timaru.

What are the opening hours?

12pm until late, seven days a week.

Do I need to book?

Online booking is available through the Armadillos website (Timaru – Richard Pearse), or call 03 684 3566.

What is the signature dish?

Armadillo's Signature Ribs — slow-braised pork ribs in the house homemade BBQ sauce with crispy fries.

Is there a kids menu?

Yes, there is a dedicated kids menu, along with separate lunch, pensioner and dessert menus.

Can I host a function or group event?

Yes — there is a function menu, and the venue also runs fundraiser quiz nights. Enquiries can go to [email protected].

Are gift vouchers available?

Yes, gift vouchers can be purchased online via the Armadillos website.

Tips

• {"body":"Online booking is available for the Timaru (Richard Pearse) venue through the Armadillos site, or ring 03 684 3566 — the kitchen trades from 12pm until late, seven days.","title":"Book ahead for dinner"}
• {"body":"Wherever the menu offers a choice of sides, the duck fat potatoes are the house signature; crispy fries are the other option.","title":"Say yes to duck fat potatoes"}
• {"body":"The soup of the day changes daily — your wait staff will advise what's on.","title":"Ask about today's soup"}
• {"body":"Ask about the function menu and fundraiser quiz nights, or email [email protected].","title":"Planning a group do?"}
• {"body":"Beyond the evening mains there are separate lunch, pensioner, kids and dessert menus — worth asking for.","title":"Don't skip the other menus"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Dedicated kids menu available.","dietary":"Vegetarian-leaning picks include the buffalo cauliflower wings and the mushroom & halloumi burger."}