THE BLUE DILLO has found a permanent home at 302 S. Stephenson Ave. in downtown Iron Mountain. The crew at the Blue Dillo — from left are Charli Sanders, Chris Sanders, Lynda Goss, Jesse Harrison and Kaci Grailer. (Jim Paul/Daily News photo)

IRON MOUNTAIN — After serving food out of a tiny trailer, the Blue Dillo has found a home.

Missing the cuisine of their native state of Texas, owners Charli and Chris Sanders, along with Lynda Goss, started the Blue Dillo two years ago by parking the food trailer on U.S. 2 across from Home Depot. Despite the small size of the operation, the Blue Dillo quickly built a strong base of loyal customers.

The story behind the name Blue Dillo is a humorous one.

“We really could not think of anything more Texan than an armadillo,” Charli Sanders said. “I imagine if you brought an armadillo up to the U.P. it would probably be pretty cold, so we went with the Blue Dillo.”

When the location at 302 S. Stephenson Ave. in Iron Mountain became available after The Green Spot closed, the owners saw their chance to get out the trailer once and for all.

“Operating in the trailer was challenging — not enough space, if the weather was terrible,” Charli Sanders said. “In the winter it was pretty rough, constantly trying to winterize the trailer, keeping the tanks warm and keeping everything from breaking.”

Sanders learned her kitchen skills from her mother, Goss, who has worked in and owned restaurants almost all of her life. In addition, the Blue Dillo has two employees.

The building had to be renovated before the Blue Dillo could open in the new location, Sanders said. They built the dining room table and front counter themselves. Sanders added that with the kitchen opened up to the dining room, customers can watch their food being cooked, something they seem to enjoy.

With the Blue Dillo’s move to a new location and bigger kitchen came some expansion to the menu, including breakfast platters and chicken-fried steak so tender it can be cut with a fork for the lunch and dinner menu.

Sanders and Goss describe the menu as southern comfort food, like the burgers and burritos they enjoyed so much back in Texas.

Besides the chicken-fried steak, which Sanders said is becoming a signature dish at the Blue Dillo, the Lone Star burger is one of the best sellers. The Lone Star is a half-pound burger topped with a quarter pound of barbecue pulled pork, American cheese and onion.

Most popular at breakfast time are the burritos — the classic, tater, westerner and Chorizo Spurito.

Consistency and quality ingredients are what sets Blue Dillo apart.

“We make it the same way every single time and we do not buy anything frozen,” Sanders said.”Not buying frozen allows us to not be affected by supplier changes. If a supplier was carrying one brand of frozen item and they switched, we would not be affected by that.”

Homemade items at the Blue Dillo include biscuits, onion rings, sauces and the much-loved salsa.

For the time being Sanders said they are happy with the way things are at the Blue Dillo — they do not need to get any bigger and are just looking forward to serving all the people they can.

“We cannot wait to meet more people. We really enjoy it here,” Sanders said. “She (Goss) loves talking to people, so the open kitchen is great for her.”

The Blue Dillo is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. To view the menu and order online, go to www.bluedillo.com.

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The Daily News plans to highlight some of the new business owners in the region. Know of a business that recently opened or changed hands? Contact Jim Paul at 906-774-2772, ext. 85229, or jpaul@ironmountaindailynews.com.