To be fair, the smell of the BBQ as you walk to the door is awesome, and the food is pretty good. It's a pit BBQ place, where you see it all being cooked and pick what you want, which gets thrown on a tray. I went with brisket and sausage, a baked potato and corn, with a Coke. There's a reason they don't post a menu with prices. My meal was .... $37.50. I thought the cashier was kidding, and I cracked a joke. The potato alone was $3.75. The soda was over $2. Rather than start a riot, I sucked it up and paid. The sausage was decent -- definitely not great. The brisket had a lot of flavor, but close to half of it was inedible fat. The corn was a little cold and clearly had been soaked for hours -- picture your fingers after submerging them in water for hours. If this meal had been free, it was very good. If it was somewhere around $10, it was fine. But for nearly $40? At that rate, the food is horrible, and management should be incarcerated for charging those prices. read more

This place is pretty good. Atmosphere is great also. I had the chicken and wife the brisket. We were both very satisfied. Sides could be a little larger, however. read more

The staff at this establishment are absolutely wonderful. We were greeted at the front entrance by a very friendly and informative gentleman. The bbq was amazing the sauce has a vinegar taste that is not my favorite but all the meats and side dishes were amazing. Truely a unique experience. read more

Order less than you want. Good food, friendly service, but no matter what increment you tell them (you order by the pound) they will give you more. read more

No. This location will turn you off the franchise. Roanoke and then Coppell but not here. I ignored my 1st immediate reaction to leave at the entry when I was engulfed in smoke so thick it was hard to see and breathe. I've NEVER had that experience at the other locations. Some smoke but not to the degree here. I turned to leave the scorch trials but then I spied the ribeyes on the grill. I also saw the poor black guy tending to the steaks and felt like a brat. If this man could patiently sweat it out for hours in this environment, tending to steak. I could suffocate long enough to order. My sister wanted brisket so we proceed to the smokers. 2nd instinct to leave. The smoke is so bad my eyes are now full of grit. Both smokers were closed, we had multiple employees giving us misdirection on which smoker to go to as I hunch over, walking back and forth trying to rub dirt out of my eyes. It was so gritty because they had coals in a shovel being dropped at the base. And the guy holding the shovel didn't look like he was paying attention he was busy giggling with another female employee just holding a hot empty shovel with leftover embers towards me. I felt so unsafe and annoyed. Why the heck would you not hold back customers until you were done than risk exposure to liability??? I'm so irritated I'm no longer hungry. The smoker opens and I'm disgusted. Everything is just over done. The poppers are unrecognizable, the chicken and everything inside looked just shy of being cooked into ashes. I want to tell Crys don't order any of it but were right in front of the guy taking our order. Crys grabs a corn cob, a few slices of jalapeño sausage, a piece of brisket and 2 ribs. $20 bucks worth. We loved the jalapeño sausage. Left the ribs and the brisket on the tray after a quick sample. What a waste ... And wait it out for the ribeye. Ribeye arrives 15-20 mins later. No. The cut is too marbled We rip it apart trying to find meat. I'm so over this shit, I'm done. We have about 3 slices of steak meat each and give up. Crys asks if I want to take the leftover ribs, ribeye or brisket to Phx, my dog. No. I feel so bloated off of what little we ate, I'm not going to endanger my dogs digestive tract either. I would have asked for my $60+ back but I felt so shitty, I just wanted to leave. Roanoke or Coppell, but not here. read more

Took my husband here for his birthday as he kept telling me how great they are. The meats were the best I have had in this area. If you have never been there before ordering can be confusing. You go through the pit to get your meat before moving into the restaurant for the rest of the food. For a person with anxiety issues being crowded through a dark smokey room with 100 other folk was a bit much. If we go again I am giving him my order to pick up for me and I'll wait inside. read more

This is was my first time eating at Texas BBQ restaurant. When you drive in to the parking lot you immediately smell the smoky wood burning, so you know you are in for a treat. Once you enter you are greeted by a very nice gentleman that explains the inner workings of getting your BBQ grub. Once you pass go, you approach all the Texas meat goodness. You order your meat, and it is weighed by the pound. Then you enter the main seating area where there are a ton of fixins. I tried the briskett (a little dry), spicy sausage, and the pork ribs. The meal was great and service was friendly.. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Approaching heaven. - Barbeque Near Me - The Colony, Texas

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We ate there after CHURCH today...it was really GOOD!...This is the 2nd time eating there...We were not Disappointed!...We live in another city and it was REALLY WORTH THE DRIVE! read more

I will not be going back. First off when you walk up to the door you are being bombarded with smoke. Choking on smoke. Then you have to walk through the smoke filled room to order your meat. Pulled pork is in some kinda sauce to keep it moist but for me it just made it greasy. Jalapeño sausage is very hot. Much hotter than most other places. Mac and cheese was good. Beans were pretty good and have sausage in them. My husband also got the jalapeño sausage and brisket. His brisket was really good. We got a chocolate pecan pie but were too full to eat it so took it home. It was excellent even after sitting in the fridge for a few days because we kinda forgot it was there. When we left in our separate cars(we met there)we called each other basically at the same time and were like OMG. We couldn't stand the smell after being in that smoke room. We both had to drive home with the windows down it was so bad. Don't plan on going anywhere after you eat here. You will reek of smoke. Food was not worth smelling so bad read more

As a transplant to the state of Texas I was really excited to try my first Texas BBQ. I over ordered, ribs, brisket, spicy sausage, shrimp & chicken poppers, jalapeño corn the list goes on. Always a great experience when I go. When my family comes to town, this is the first place they want to go. read more

Huge Disappointment After hearing about this place we decided to take our relatives out to eat after attending church on Sunday. We got sliced brisket, sausage and shrimp poppers. The brisket was overly salty, the sausage only so-so and the shrimp poppers were nothing to write home about. None of us like the potato salad and don't even get us started on the "cornbread salad"; that was a joke. Probably the best thing about the meal was the cole slaw and pinto beans which you can eat all you want. It's fair to say we walked away very disappointed; there are definitely better choices in bbq. read more

Overpriced and average BBQ. Always a fun atmosphere though. Last time I went the food was very cold and I could have hammered a nail in my wall with the petrified turkey. Don't drive more than 5 miles to get it. Certainly don't wait more than 10 minutes in line, you will be disappointed. read more

The building the structure, decor, even the barbecue delivery/ordering all speaks Texas barbecue.This is the third location for this company it's original is out in Stephenville Texas and the second location is in Coppell this is the newest which just opened in March 2016 in the colony i'm not a barbecue aficionado or the person that drives to the 400 miles to eat barbecue but I am someone that enjoys and knows good brisket. the brisket is what most people judge good barbecue on this was absolutely horrible there wasn't any smoke ring or bark it was just all one color and when you asked for it to be sliced it was all sliced/chopped mix and specifying fatty or moist or lean isn't even an option here it's all the same brisket. I rate this place a step below Rudy's on the brisket scale.. as for sides i ordered the potato salad and i'd say it was just ok little bland, the banana pudding was great probably the best thing i ordered. I tried the chicken and the turkey as well as a jalapeño sausage and they were pretty much spot on with what you get at Rudy's if not just a little bit better than Rudy's but I wouldn't go back here unless I got something other than brisket but it seems like it's more of a tourist place then a Texas barbecue place, i'd skip this place and go to Pecan Lodge, Hutchins, Heim in Ft Worth any day especially since you're paying about the same amount coin. I know most of the customers come here for atmosphere, ambiance and most of the customers have no idea what good BBQ is and to be honest Hard Eight doesn't have to change a bit cause they'll still have people standing in line day and day out. But my advice to management is get a pitmaster that knows how to smoke brisket as good if not better than Rudy's and you'll start getting the attn. of the serious BBQ connoisseurs. read more

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Not sure what the hype is about but my family did not like this place. First, having to stand in line in the smoky pit for ten minutes was not a good start. My mom had to take my kids inside because the smoke was bothering their eyes. Once we got our meat (pork ribs, brisket, smoked turkey, jalepeno sausage, and brisket) we headed inside to pick our sides. We opted to try a bit of everything - Cole slaw, potato salad, beans, cornbread salad, and creamed jalepeno corn. Everything looked great but we were sorely disappointed. The jalepeno sausage was good but the rest of the meat was completely flavorless. The potato salad had a odd flavor that we couldn't identify, and the cornbread salad was just dry cornbread crumbs with cheese. We were so unimpressed that we didn't bother to take home leftovers. Needless to say, we won't be back. read more

Best BBQ experience ever!! I've been to Dallas twice and always make a point of going!! I love the smokers and all the delicious food!! Will come back every time read more

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My family decided to meet for dinner at the Hard Eight BBQ located in The Colony, TX on July 21, 2019. I've been to this style BBQ place before, where you go up to the Meal section, and order your meat by the 1/4 pound increments. I ordered sausage and turkey. My husband ordered pulled port and brisket. After they put your meat on your tray, you go inside to pick you side dishes. I wanted a roll, instead they gave me a slice of bread. That was disappointment number 1. We went through the line and paid. We took our cup to fill with ice and soda. There are free beans (but they were bland). The bland beans were disappointment #2. And finally the last disappointment was the meat: We sat down and ate, and the turkey had a funny tasting seasoning on it. And the regular sausage was bland as well. My husband did not like the pulled pork and thought the brisket was just okay. read more

My friend recommended this place and I am happy that I was able to Visit during my short trip to Dallas. I loved the fact that I could pick out just how much meat I wanted. So if I just wanted one single rib, I could have gotten that. And by the way, that rib... was a amazing. read more

The brisket was very flavorful - my husband is a fan of the fat and says it's probably the best he's had. The jalapeño sausage was also really good. The set up this restaurant is different, but we loved it! read more

Food is always on point. Everyone I recommend this place to loves it. Highly recommend the brisket, half chicken, and the baked potato. The chicken can be pretty dry the next day, so it's best consumed the day you purchase it. read more

The friendliest service I have seen in a long time! From the minute we stood in line to order, to the cashier lady who checked us out, to the gentlemen who cleared our table, and finally to almost every employee who wished us a good evening on our way out. Miles of smiles, and great food to boot! Mac'n'cheese: crazy good, creamed corn with Jalapeño: crazy good, Brisket: *drool*. Nuff said. read more

This was a decent barbecue spot in the multitude of Texas barbecue spots. We got a bunch of the different meats and sides and took them to a party at home. The meat was good but not stunning. The sides were OK. The place looked like fun but we didn't stay. read more

If I could give it a "0" I would. By far the nastiest, coldest, dry meat I have ever ate. Everything was cold except the mac n' cheese. BBQ sauce was ice cold as well. Spent 60$ for 3 people (2adults, 1 kid). Very disappointed and will never return! read more

The first time we tried to go, there was huge line out the door around 7 on a Monday night and we decided to skip it. The second time, there was no line the entire night. The service was efficient in getting the meat. I've never been so I asked for a bit of everything. Overall, the quality of the meat was good and tasty. The chicken was a bit dry but I guess that happens when it's on a bbq pit. The ribs were by far my favorite. The alcoholic options were adequate, would have liked a few more draft beer options but bartender was very friendly. Staff was very helpful in getting us anything we wanted after we sat down and asking if we needed anything else. Overall, a very good experience with a lot of out of towners visiting. Would recommend it. read more

Lunch for 2, $50. Too expensive and not a fan of the cafeteria line. We had coleslaw and potato salad, just ok. Ribs & sausage were salty. I've had better Texas BBQ. Doubt I'll be back. Really wanted to love it. read more

Great bbq place. There set up allows you to try all the different kinds of food they offer without breaking the bank.

Food was average. In this part of the metroplex, diners expect a full service restaurant. Standing in line is simply not acceptable. Go over to 3 Stacks in Frisco for a good example. read more

Worst place and horrible food and customer service. I found hair that was not mine in my food. Disgusting. Never again

Went in for lunch today with a few people from work. They charge $15.50/lb for whatever meats ala carte so you can mix and match. I got some brisket and jalapeno sausage along with Mac (shells) and Cheese and Creamed Jalapeno Corn. I asked for cuts from the fatty side and ended up with about half lean half fat. They have two lines for meat/side so the moved fast for us. The fat side of the brisket was OK but the lean side was over cooked and disappointing. I think they are using select or choice grade for their brisket and charging a lot for it (see below for more details). The Jalapeno sausage was OK. I wouldn't have ordered it but I thought it was Jalapeno Cheddar like many of the other joints around here make. The traditional sauce was very much like other standard sauces, sweet and a little spicy. The spicy sauce was more vinegary than spicy. I think the spicy would go well drizzled on some pulled pork but not much else. The shells and cheese is about like any other place and not that special but the jalapeno creamed corn was different and tasty. There are also free ranch style beans and sandwich bread available. Now here is where is get interesting.I go back to get some more brisket and some ribs to take home for dinner with my wife. A lot of the high end places in the area like Hutchins and Lockhart that charge $16/pound or more are using prime brisket. That's one of the way's they get it so tender and juicy. So I ask the cook what grade brisket they use. He wasn't sure but said select, then choice. He then checked with the pit boss who said it was prime. I don't think it was prime. If it was it was then they have a serious problem because all the fat was cooked out of it. I checked their website and the only reference I can find related to "prime" is the prime rib. Either way I think this place is a better than your chain BBQ but not as good as some of the top places in town. Update: the free ranch style beans are great. I wish i had gotten more. The ribs were dry and not that flavorful read more

Words can't explain how great this place is. It looks like a whole in the wall but it is the best BBQ I have ever had in my life. If you are ever in the Plano area you HAVE to stop here and eat. I promise you won't be sorry. Everything here is the best of the best I promise if you go once you will be planning a second trip back on your way home. read more

First time to the Plano location, I usually eat at the Coppell location. It was great as expected but I guess I went too late on a busy day. They were out of potatoes, chicken and turkey. But what they had tasted great as always. I will recommend them to anyone, the Oreo mud pie was great also read more

U can smell the smokey BBQ flavors and spices from the outside grill. What a smart way to draw people in! The decor is very Texas, an in between an old barn/ warehouse. Very rustic and casual. The food is weighed in lbs. there's brisket cuts, lean tender juicy etc. spicy sausages, baby back ribs that falls off the bones! Large shell Mac n Cheese, sweet potatoes, corn on the cob, coleslaw, spicy beans, sooo many more to name! The flavors are so good and we got more than we could finish! I heard to not come on the weekends cause the lines can be very loooong!! Glad we went on a Monda n there was no lines! read more

Ribs were way over cooked to mush. Brisket was eh decent at best. Spicy sausage was on point. Rudys is better and way cheaper. And that's sad to say read more

Awesome food, loved the atmosphere the food choices were awesome and reasonably priced. The drink menu was great and drinks were well made. Great location, easy to get to and although it was crowded there was no wait and the buffet line went fast. read more

Great service. Convenient location. Good food. Loved the sauces. Chicken kabob could have been cooked a notch better.

Very very good BBQ. My husband and I shared the Ribeye and hands down the best steak I've ever had! And the Mac & Cheese just the way I like it! Can't wait to come back! read more

First off, the beans are the bomb! I went for dinner for a birthday. I asked for shrimp and jalapeño wrapped in bacon. These were way over cooked and shrimp was dried out :(. I asked for a 1/4 lb of turkey and 1/4 lb of sliced brisket. The meat slicer threw a slab on both on my tray. I got the meat, one drink and no sides. It was $38!! I like the seasoning on the meat but my brisket was very greasy which made me sick and I couldn't eat the shrimp poppers. read more

Decided to try this place out for lunch today, unfortunately it was not a good choice. Let me begin by saying the restaurant looks really nice, & clean and it gives your a feeling like they might really know how to do BBQ. However that being said that was the food was anticlimactic, and left much to be desired. I left the restaurant still having not satisfied that craving for barbecue. We ordered 1 lb of ribs, a brisket sandwich, 4 pieces of shrimp jalapeño bacon bites, 2 roasted corn cobs, 1 cornbread dressing , 1 potato salad, 2 small drinks $50.00. The ribs had no smoke flavor despite us passing the HUGE piles of wood out front. There was no seasoning on the meat at all. Out of the 4 shrimp wraps only 3 actually had shrimp, but how can you prove that once you're at the table. The roasted corn were good, but not great. The cornbread dressing was cold, like refrigerator cold, to give you an idea of what it was, imagine taking a nice cornbread and putting it in the food processor and having corn bread dust packing into a 3oz cup. My brisket sandwich was meh... It's was dry and flavorless. Even with their BBQ sauces it was dry, like an overdone turkey on the day after thanksgiving. I'm sorry to say that I won't be going back, they won't be taking my money again anytime soon. If you're looking for good barbecue this is NOT the place. read more

The ribs were amazing - perfectly tender and flavorful. The sausage was pretty run-of-the-mill and the brisket was too dry, but the fried okra was excellent and the sauces were both good. I'd love to go back and try some of the less-common barbecue dishes, like the steak and kebabs. And I'd definitely return for those ribs. read more

The very first time was a great experience. They were very helpful and have tons of options and smells amazing! However the second time I went they had no sirloin and they said it would be 30-45 minutes til it's ready. I don't care for any of the other meat there, but I couldn't just eat fries and dessert I wanted food so I resorted to the ribs, it's unfortunate that i didnt like them whatsoever. They weren't seasoned and they didn't have that smokiness that I remember having when I had my sirloin the first time. Next time I go I will make sure to call them before and ask if there is a wait on sirloin, its unfortunate that I would have to do that if they know it's gonna be busy they should have the meat ready ahead of time, especially when they see the line out the door. read more

Hard Eights was ok. Nothing to me stood out. My wife enjoyed it. Definitely not the best. But i won't come again, unless my job is paying.