First time eating here and don't plan on coming again! For someone who has never been here it was extremely confusing and not what we were expecting. If you are wanting a normal sit down experience this is not the place for you. The process and set up was extremely confusing and not functional. The staff were not friendly and expect us to know how the place worked. The seating was also uncomfortable. We had our sandwiches fast but sat waiting for our French fries for 10 minutes. The pulled pork sandwiches were fine, nothing to write home about. Overall, it was not the lunch we were expecting to have and will definitely not be going again. God bless. read more

I heard many things about this place. While passing through the family and I decided to stop in Great atmosphere, bbq pits and stacked wood was pretty cool. We were greeted by a young man that helped us with the menu ordering etc. We ordered the meat and then inside for the sides . My 2 stars The ribs were sub par the brisket was very fatty. Sides- potato salad was good. The cole slaw was old. I have eaten a lot of Texas bbq and I have to say it was not even close to even some of the mediocre bbq. I normally give a place a second chance but not this time. Best thing about this place was the plastic cups. read more

I tried a little everything the brisket was moist but had no flavor I tried the ribs they were okay a little tough but needed more seasoning the poppers with jalapeno and bacon wrapped chicken were delicious sausage was okay barbecue sauce was generally good country tavern in Kilgore is a winner and bodacious in Longview Texas is very good especially the brisket read more

Over rated and over priced IMO. The sides are just so-so. The beans are good. But man they aren't super friendly and it is sooooo expensive.

Quick look rating: 5/5 Food & Quality, 5/5 Service, 5/5 experience. To order: Ribs, brisket, spicy sausage, get a shrimp popper wrapped in bacon and the beans! Don't forget their banana pudding, yellow/mustard potato salad and cole slaw! The beans are located near the drink station and are free with your meal. They have been mixed with their spicy sausage. Ribs are on point here, dry rub, amazing ribs! The ribs like my cousins dreamed of that have this great coloring and smoky flavor that will make your eyes roll into the back of your head. Keep your eye on the pit - when they open it check out how yummy the food looks! Make friends with the "PitMaster" and their crew, they have been working hard on making your BBQ fantastic! Now I have only heard the expression "make your toes curl" until I came here. The staff is very customer service focused and friendly! Keep it up team, nicely done! Fun little place, I love stopping in on my travels! read more

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Great food had chopped beef sandwich and brisket potato. Very good. Staff very friendly and helpful. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Stephenville, Texas

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Stopped at Hard Eight while spending the afternoon with my daughter. First, let me say parking was decent. We didn't have any trouble finding a space. Walk in to the pit area and order your meats. There is a big menu prior to entering this area, so you should be set. Enter the restaurant and pick up your sides. Then on through to pay and seat yourself . Restaurant offered plenty of seating. Restaurant was clean! Condiments were all provided nicely in the area next to the drink fountain, and everything was well stocked. Beans, pickles, onions, jalapeños, toppings for baked potatoes (bacon bits, sour cream, butter, cheese, etc) all available. Food was decent. Good smoke ring on the brisket. Ribs seemed very dry. Sausage was ok. Poppers were not what we hoped and I wouldn't buy again. The turkey was AWESOME. The cobblers were really good. The cream jalapeno corn and mac and cheese were both extremely tasty. I wouldn't make a special trip to go there, but I wouldn't hesitate to eat there when in Stephenville. 4 people for a late lunch ran just under $60 - and we had food to bring home. read more

I love love love Hard 8. I will stop here anytime I'm in Texas. I love their fresh buns. Fresh pies, fresh meat, fresh veggies; see a trend here? I'll admit I've only had their chopped brisket, but it's so good. Does not have tons of fat, meat always tender and smoked to perfection. I used to visit their Brady location but since that's gone; I hit up Stephenville's. read more

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It was a LONG wait but the food was very good. Definitely worth the wait. The meats are market rate and by the pound. all the sides are separate. Pinto Beans are Free. The potato salad was not that grwat because it was mustard based. The cream corn and Cole slaw was great. It's a lot of food so go hungry. It gets a little pricey so go on a pay day. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Delicious Beef Kabobs. BIGGEST Texas sized Kabobs ever. - Barbeque Near Me - Stephenville, Texas

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Fresh good smoked meats!! Very worth it!! Pick your meats and pay by the pound. All you can eat beans and add on your extras like potatoes, slaw or onion rings. We tried several different meats and was not disappointed.... they were all so very good. I particularly enjoyed the ribs but the pork was super good also. The bbq sauce had a little sweet taste which I really enjoyed. I forgot to take pics because it was so good, I gobbled it up. read more

Very disappointing. We road a motorcycle all the way from Dallas to eat at Hard 8 and found the cooks "during a pandemic" not wearing masks. We left. read more

Horrendous service. Waited 25 min for my steak while my family ate without me. Only to find my medium Rare steak was well done. No offer to fix it. Will definitely not return. Also ran out of baked potato at 7:30 on a Friday night. read more

Great stop on our way home. Quick friendly service. Large portions and really great food!

This place serves up heaven on a plate. We had read on a pilots forum that if you fly into Stephenville airport Hard Right has a golf cart you can take to the restaurant if you're hungry. Well, we were flying a small plane from North Carolina to Nevada and this was smack dab in the middle of lunchtime. Golf cart wasn't there, but perfect timing would have it as a bbq truck pulled up to drop someone off right as we were tying the plane up. We waved to him and he waited while we put the plane away, and drove us right over to Hard Eight just around the corner. A sight for sore eyes after hours in a small plane. We ordered outside, then went inside to pick up our drinks and sides. Sat down and feasted on a most incredibly juicy chopped brisket sandwich, Mac and cheese, and a side of coleslaw. The pics I took suck because I was just so hungry I wanted to dive in as fast as possible. Highly recommend. Some of the best bbq I've had around. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Chopped brisket sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Stephenville, Texas

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We are out-of-towners and we're recommend by many locals to try Hard-Eight BBQ. From the experience to the food, everything was amazing. As soon as we walked up we were greeted and asked if we had ever been there (which we had not) and the guy working the BBQ was so informative and friendly. Once we had our BBQ and went inside the ladies inside were just as friendly. I was so excited that they served margaritas. I mean there really isn't anything better than Texas BBQ AND Margaritas!! * Recommended food: Brisket Stuffed SWEET Potato (yes, sweet potato), Fried Okra, Mac & Cheese, and Jalapeño Corn. read more

Amazing food!! Got the baked potato with pulled pork, delicious! The Mexican sweet corn is really good too! Definitely will return!

Oh yeah!! This place hits the spot!!! We eat here whenever pass through Stephenville. Favorites are the rib and the pork chops. Have a big smoker when you walk up and get to pick what you want. When they open that smoker my eyes get bigger than my stomach and get more than we can eat. But don't worry about that there is plenty of foil wrap and bags to put your leftovers in. It is just as good the next day. I need to try a steak next time go though. They are cooked to order. Stop by next time in Stephenville or make a little detour if close. This time of year is nice to sit on the patio and have some BBQ and few cold beers. read more

Went there yesterday 2-24-2023 had lunch, it was the worst, the pork ribs were burnt brisket wasn't sliced right and only made it harder to chew the meat which already hard to chew! Someone came by the table and got us some new ribs, i was going to say fresh, but what we got was fresh!? In either case we won't be back, went so far out (we live in Hurst, Texas) to be disappointed. I want to add to that, it cost us $60 for my wife and I! read more

It's been about two years since I've been to this formerly 5-star location and have to say I was disappointed. Ordered 1/2 lb sliced brisket, 3 pork ribs, chopped brisket sandwich and poppers. The Wife had the brisket sandwich and thought it was huge (she only ate half of it) but the taste was "okay". My brisket was also okay. We were there at 11:30 am, 30 minutes after opening and it felt like it was a leftover from the day before. I ate it all but could have found the same at any roadside BBQ joint. The worst part of the meal was the ribs. What a disaster! First cut was off the end of a rib that had been in the oven for some time as it was dry, hard and reeked of smoke. The other two were somewhat moister but flavor was lacking and were very soft on the bone again making me think they were a day old. The first rib took me 7 hours that day to get the hard as a rock meat fibers out of my teeth. Makes me wonder if I will ever go back to my original favorite BBQ place. On a solid note, the fries are the best anywhere. read more

Food was amazing great customer service friendly atmosphere clean the manager even came over and checked on us she was super sweet Loved it read more

Delicious!! However, my reason for the 2 star review is during this pandemic this restaurant is not wearing masks!! You have to protect your employees just as much as protecting your patrons. Sad to say I'm not going back. read more

A buddy and I flew up for the day and had lunch here. Very convenient location from the airport. The food was pretty good and the service was incredible. They had someone come grab us from the airport in a company truck which was a nice touch. Will definitely come back! read more

My husband and I love driving through the beautiful countryside to get to Stephenville from our home. This Hard- Eight location is our very favorite. We are never disappointed with their food and service. The food is absolutely perfection. Love to try their desserts too. They make the best tea. I always leave with a full large tea to enjoy as we drive back home. We usually make a point of enjoying Hard-Eight Barbecue once a month. read more

Really great bbq! The bacon wrapped chicken is awesome. Get it dipped in the garlic butter! We flew in and they gave us a ride to the restaurant! read more

Went for lunch... This is slowly going down the drain... Over $40 for lunch we didn't really eat. We got and old butt end of brisket cold, chew, lacking flavor. The poppers were also cold, old, and clearly left over from last night... Good part of the meal was salad and beans... Sad this place had batter standards and quality.. read more

Always great food. Main entrees. Sides. Desserts. It's all good. Just have to keep going back to try everything.

After talking about it for months, my husband and I stopped in on our way home from visiting family. We've eaten at the ones in Burleson and Coppell and had wanted to see what the original was like. We had been disappointed with the Burleson location and had hoped this would be great, but we were really disappointed with this one. My sweet potato and the cherry cobbler were good but everything else was super dry. Our ribs were almost like jerky. I could hear crunching as my husband ate his. The sliced beef brisket had no flavor and was dry. I didn't finish mine. I'm not a sauce person but to eat the little brisket that I did, I had to put sauce on it. To end on a good note, my husband liked the corn and the peach cobbler and the staff were friendly. We won't be returning. read more

We stop by here every time we visit our daughter in Stephenville. Best bbq in the area! We've tried a little bit of everything and have not been disappointed. Can't wait to go back read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Stephenville, Texas

Best turkey sandwich known to man!!!!! They dip the turkey in butter then place it lovingly inside warm jalapeno sourdough with bbq sauce!!!! But seriously if you want real Texas BBQ you must stop here. All the meats are sold by weight right off the pit. read more

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Tasteless BBQ, terrible service Not a fan of the design on ordering your meal. Confusing and no explanation from the BBQ chef. Ignored actually while waiting in line. Steaks thin and fatty, Chopped beef had a weird texture and no flavor. BBQ sauce same, colored watered. read more

This place is awesome! Fresh out BBQ. The scent and smoke is enough to lure you in the from the street. Go down the line and drool over the options. I can't wait to go back. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Stephenville, Texas

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This is one of my favorite barbecue places ever. I love the ambience, the food is great, and the staff do everything they can to make sure you are happy. The brisket sandwiches are awesome, and the jalapeño cheddar bun is a must. The fries are hand cut, and the okra is cooked perfectly. The pinto beans (free) are awesome, as well. I haven't had a bad experience here ever. It is a must stop for me when I am in the Stephenville, Texas area. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - French Fries - Barbeque Near Me - Stephenville, Texas

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This is the best BBQ place I've been to in a while. You order your meat straight out of the smoker. Tell the guy how much you want and how you want it chopped and you get it right then and there. They got everything you could possibly want. Ribs, brisket, prime rib, pork chops, sausage, vegetables, and free Mrs. Baird's white bread and jalapeno beans. But the real kicker is FREE BEER! I'm not even joking. This place refuses to charge for beans and it refuses to charge for beer! Dr. Pepper costs more than beer here! Absolutely unbelievable and absolutely fantastic. It's a classic BBQ place with spurs on the walls, signed pics of country music stars I can't recognize, and walls and walls of rodeo pictures. This is 100% authentic Texas. If you don't have cowboy boots and jeans, you will be out of place. It's not really near any big city or major highway, but Hard-Eight is really close to Stephenville airport. It's a pretty popular stop for general aviation pilots and is about a 1 hr flight away from Dallas. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Stephenville, Texas

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We were visiting friends in the area. They took us to Hard Eight. We walked to the entrance and you could smell the bbq. The pits were outside and you could pick what you wanted. I had some brisket and a baked potato. Once inside the restaurant you could pick further sides and your beverage. It's pretty casual dinning. The food was tasty. read more

i got my order to go and they put sauce on the sandwiches which made the bread to soggy to even pick them up. I got food for 4 people and was only allowed to get 2 small servings of beans. way over priced for what I got! we have been eating here for years but will not go back. read more

The cashier charged me double price for a bbq brisket sandwich, which was really tough meat. Beans fair, potato salad fair and cole slaw fair. Cute place but prices are high and food not great. read more

The atmosphere of Hard Eight makes you immediately feel that you have found a great BBQ place. Step up to the pits, and order your meat right from the smokers. Enjoy the staples of Texas BBQ: brisket, sausage, pork ribs and chicken. In addition to these standard cuts of meat, Hard Eight also serves up sirloin steak, rib eye steak, kabobs, and shrimp or chicken poppers (meat wrapped in jalapeños and bacon). Inside the restaurant, you can pick up all the fixings: fries, chips, coleslaw, salads and BBQ sauce. White bread and beans are complimentary. We enjoyed eating on the large covered patio while sampling the sausage, pork ribs, and chicken poppers. The chicken poppers were a great choice for something unique to Hard Eight BBQ! read more

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Walk up and pick out your food for the most part. One of the best Rib eyes I've ever had for the money. Very warm and friendly people. Some have complained about the sides. I had just an old fashion bake potato and fried okra which were great. Staff was very friendly. Since moving here I've told everyone back home about this place. If you handle the flies which that can't really do anything about you'll do fine and have a great meal. read more

I always get the lunch special! The chopped ham sandwich with jalapeno cheddar bread. The bread is so soft, sweet, and delicious. I've tried the brisket, but I like the ham better. read more

Recently moved to Stephenville and had been told this place was the "best BBQ in the area". Pork ribs were ok. Nice seasoning, light smoke and tender. They could have pulled membrane to make it even better but I am sure they prep several racks a day/night and that process is time consuming. Brisket :( was a massive let down. Ordered 2lbs; 1lb point 1lb flat. All cut about 1/2" thick. A tricked used to mask over cooked (overly tender) brisket. VERY dry, and no flavor. Couldn't taste any seasoning or even any smoke. My two stars are due to the pork ribs. If I judged brisket on its own I would give zero stars if I could. read more