Such a unique wonderful experience for friends and family to experience a Texas barbecue, sitting area is more unlike a big open cafeteria. Bar is available inside seating area, separate purchasing for alcohol. Different kinds of meat, sides, and desserts read more

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As a casual barbecue consumer, this is a very solid place to get your bbq. There are plenty of meat selection. We ordered the fatty brisket (very solid), a rib eye steak (medium rare and solid), sausage, bacon wrapped sausage and half chicken. I always order chicken because I like it and to see how the cooks do with chicken. I can tell you it was one of the best bbq chicken I have had. Very tender and seasoned properly. The selection for sides is a little underwhelming. Yes I know this is a meat place but wish they had more than beans, fries, Mac n cheese etc. I wish they would add fried okra, green beans, collard greens, to really complement the excellent quality of the bbq. Service was excellent. Busy place but the lines move. read more

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Wow. What a disappointment. Brisket overdone, ribs and chicken lacked flavor. Best thing is the TX atmosphere. The sides and dessert were just OK. read more

Y'all. I have questions. Existential ones. Like: How do you mess up every side dish AND the meat at a BBQ joint... except the steak? We walked in hungry, hopeful, and ready for a Texas BBQ experience. What we got instead was... culinary betrayal. Let's start with what I was told was Mac N Cheese (liar, liar, pants on fire!). This was NOT mac & cheese. This was a bad Velveeta fever dream -- like someone watched a commercial for shells & cheese, got jealous, and then decided to recreate it out of spite and fake cheese sadness. It was gloopy, weirdly tangy, and had the texture of regret. Moving on. The potato salad? Imagine your cousin who can't cook -- you know the one. The one who brings something to the cookout because you didn't tell her not to. That's this potato salad. No seasoning, no love, just cold yellow mush that whispers "you made a mistake." and want to cry giant foodie tears... I got a couple of the pork ribs to try.... However, Hard Eight was tryin ME, ok?! Dry. So dry. Sahara desert dry. I took one bite and felt like I owed my mouth an apology. Where was the smoke? Where was the moisture? Where was the BBQ pride? Then there was a moist brisket, which was a real heartbreak. What even was this? Stringy, bland, and less exciting than volleyball game at a nursing home. If you're gonna charge me BBQ prices, at least pretend the brisket spent time near a smoker. Will I go back? No. Absolutely not. How dare you approach a Texan with this mess and try to call it BBQ. Shame on you. read more

Such a fun experience! You enter the smoke pit and have meats galore to pick from! Beware: it is HOT while standing there! We both got 1/2 of of brisket and 1/2 jalapeño sausage! You can any increment of any of the meats! Once you get your meat and weighted in, you enter the restaurant to get bread, sides, dessert and drinks! Also if you get a bake potato or sweet potato you would get your toppings here as well! Sides I got was jalapeño corn, loaded potatoes salad, pickles, onions, honey wheat bread! Sodas are refillable and FREE BEANS when dining in! Didn't try them, but other people in my party said they tasted like beans lol There was plenty of sitting, A/C was in the main building and room behind the bathrooms. The outside area isn't AC and is hot on hotter days! Everything tasted amazing and can't wait to go back and try other things! read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Brisket, jalapeño sausage, pickles, onions, loaded potato salad, jalapeño corn, wheat bread - Barbeque Near Me - The Colony, Texas

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Came here on a Thursday evening. Ordered a few pounds of meats. All of which were super dry, including the "moist brisket." Not sure what happened to this place or if it was a one off but felt like a complete waste of money and belly space. Actually turned me off from bbq. In addition, came here on a date and my date actually slipped and fell due to spilled liquid on the floor that wasn't cleaned nor had a sign to watch out. She ended up with a huge bruise on her knee and limped the next day. I told management about this and they just brought out a safety sign to put over the wet spot. I expected some sort of acknowledgment and sincere apology but none of that was offered. Just an empty wallet, dried out meat, and a bruises. Terrible experience. read more

While in Dallas visiting friends, we wanted to have at least one Texas BBQ dinner before flying back home to LA. Our friends suggested Hard Eight which was a very large restaurant with plenty of seating for individuals, small and large parties. It was sort of "cafeteria" style, where you line up and walk pass the meats to tell them what you want and how much of each. There was a lot of variety and choices ( ribs, Lean or fatty Tri tip, sausages, baked potato, sweet potato) and they give you your order on green trays. Then you walk into the next area where you can order fried okra, onion rings, French fries, and slices of bread to eat with your meats. On your way to the cashier, you can take corn casserole and Mac n cheese from the warm cabinet and you can also get Cole slaw and desserts from the refrigerated section. At the cashier you can place your drink order. We found a table in the side room and enjoyed our Texas BBQ dinner. There were 5 of us and we ordered a little too much so we had leftovers to bring home, which we ate for lunch the next day. Lively place and very authentic. Enjoyed the experience, food and company! read more

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Wow!! Very disappointed. I've heard rave reviews about Hard 8. We are visiting the Dallas area and got it delivered after our flight. The food was really bad. The sandwiches were cold, the buns weren't toasted, and the sides were horrendous. The Mac N' Cheese literally tasted like plastic. The food didn't agree with anyone's stomachs. Never again. A "staple" to this area, tasted more like a failure to this area. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - The Colony, Texas

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I liked the whole walk in smell of the pit albeit in the summertime it would be a problem. However, since this is my first visit,they may reroute folks in line when 100* outside. It's got the Texas BBQ interior one would expect. Service was good the place was busy it appeared. However I found the food to be just alright. My brisket was cold on first taste. The ribs seemed to be seared a little more than my liking. There was one firm layer of overcooked meat on them then tender mush. Meat by the pound$ which is usual. A little surprised they weighed the jalapeño popper- lol. Price was about same as some of my other favorite BBQ restaurants. They did charge for side's whereas some include those as part of the meal. I may give it a 2nd try in future but it will be solo. My wife is a no return. It was too busy to be bad hence the 4 stars. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Lunch of pork ribs, brisket, shrimp popper w/ jalapeño cream corn. - Barbeque Near Me - The Colony, Texas

This place is a true Texas experience. It's the best BBQ around. You walk through alone and pick your meats straight from the smokers. They also offer baked potatoes and sweet potatoes. Further down the line you can choose additional sides and desserts. The ambiance is full TX all the way and the service is always friendly and prompt. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Sausage, brisket, sweet potato and all the fixins. - Barbeque Near Me - The Colony, Texas

Been eying this place and finally made it out. Place is super cute inside and the food was great. read more

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Christmas Eve I went first time. Not the best service. They said let us know so I could have a good experience. "That didn't happen and $67.00 I paid for the displeasure for 6 or 7 slices of brisket 6 or 7 pieces of pork ribs baked potatoes that I asked about to be LOADED! and $13+ worth of potato salad. Worst bar-b-que sauce tasted like straight vinegar very watery. I expected more... I will never buy their food again. With all the people that were there I expected so much more. If the FOOD/SERVICE had been paramount I could except the price. The price was not comparable. I I am not happy and I spent Christmas Eve totally unsatisfied and jipped hungry and angry over waisted money on a day that I should have been truly grateful! NOT! Slacked service, overpriced and nasty food. JUST SAYIN! Inaj read more

It always smells so good here. I was just a little disappointed because my meat was dry. I had the ribs & brisket plate. The meat was bland no seasoning. This was kind of pricy for $34 with no drink. I'm not sure what happen les but the meat use to be really good! I never like the sides. Customer service was good though. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - The Colony, Texas

Fist time visiting Hard Eight, I always drive by seeing lots of people in there. I finally decided to try them. Holy Moley, the BBQ pork ribs tasted super delicious. The texture was soft, smoked to perfection, and seasoned to the sky and back! Yum! I was blown away. The spicy sausage is really spicy. If you can't handle spice, get the original. I enjoyed my spicy sausage so much. The potatoes are baked properly, and the corns are sweet and juicy. The barbecue sauce was 100% Why have I not visited sooner? We never spoke at our table until we were done eating. That's how delicious the food was LOL. I will be back shortly. My new favorite BBQ joint. read more

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Possibly my favorite BBQ place. My son and hubby love it. They picked, and the girls and I were very happy! My carnivore daughter was in heaven. It was Friday night so it was very busy, but we still made it through the line pretty quickly and got a table. Lots of choices!!! Counter service so no tipping required... or you can if you want--they do give the option, and they do clean up the tables, so we left cash on the table for that. Stone fireplace and big wooden picnic tables make up the decor. Kind of along the lines of a Bass Pro feel, which we like. Cozy, earthy, nature-vibe. It's a bit pricey. More than other counter-service places. read more

For the 1st timers or Newbies, there is a sign that explains the process. Recommend getting behind a few ppl and listening on how they order. The food was great, plenty of options at 8p on a weekday. The menu initially looked like you ordered by the lb, but your food is weighed when you order your meats. Your 2nd stop is the sides, you grab and pay at the end. If they are out of a side, they will give you a flag and bring it out to you. The service was great, explained everything and grabbed plates as we finished. The only items I thought were ok, were the sides. Fries sat under a heat lamp, not crunchy, the fried okra was salty and the free beans were bland. The sides are a 3 and the meats a solid 5. Plenty of seating and a rustic feel. The exit was smoky, could not tell if it was a party smoking cigars or smoke from the restaurant. But sucked having to walk through to exit. Will be visiting again in the future. read more

i've been to hard eight MANY times, it's kind of become my family's go-to bbq spot in the area. love how consistent their quality is, definitely a cut above bbq i've tried in other areas in and out of texas. my favorite cuts are the sirloin and (on saturdays) the short rib. great side selection here as well, unlimited bread, and i love that you get free beans when dining in! sometimes the line can get quite long but not always, and it does move reasonably fast since it forks into two separate lines! nice staff as well. overall, great dallas themed decor here with plenty of indoor and outdoor covered seating. i'd call this the hidden gem of texas bbq chains. overall: 9.6/10 taste: 9.7/10 price: 9.5/10 read more

Ordered through DoorDash. I got 1/4 lb beef brisket and 1/4 lb jalapeño sausage, small salad, chicken popper and sweet potato, girlfriend got the cheesecake, Mac and cheese, and pulled pork sandwich. Most of the food was pretty tasty though the cheesecake was just typical frozen stuff and the mac and cheese looked like it came from a factory too. Brisket was very bland unfortunately, it was just a vehicle for sauce and at the price it is, that's a shame. The salad was literally just a handful of lettuce and two grape tomatoes, $3 was highway robbery. I was also disappointed that there was only one piece of chicken in the $3 chicken poppers. J.Ja read more

I've eaten at several Hard Eight locations and they're all the same .. Alright BBQ, their sauce SUCKS, and their beans are BLAH !!! Just saying !!! So minus 2 Stars. read more

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Hard Eight BBQ delivers the kind of barbecue one might expect at a sad corporate team-building lunch--after HR just announced they're cutting health benefits to "streamline operations." The ribs and brisket were entirely absent of seasoning, smoke, or intent. The ribs, soft but soulless, tasted of nothing but warmed protein. The brisket fared no better--lifeless, and somehow both greasy and dry. The only redeeming bite came from the sausage, but let's be clear: this was a trust fund sausage. Well-bred, well-sourced, and coasting entirely on inherited quality. Hard Eight merely didn't ruin it. In short, this wasn't barbecue. It was meat issued by a boardroom. read more

Not amazing but not bad either. The only reason I wouldn't return is the sitting area, they have stools that are too far from the table and too tall that make eating uncomfortable. read more

I ordered the barbecued bologna and there was very little barbecue flavor in it and it was watery meat. Get a higher quality baloney and put it in your smoker longer. I also had the barbecued sirloin which was over the top great. I would've given a five star rating if the bologna had been better. read more

I go to a barbecue restaurant every so often to try to taste what the best barbecue restaurants have to offer. I love Hard Eight especially for the food...and ultimately for the amazing customer service that manager Rafael provides. He is the perfect example of a manager that cares about the expectations of his patrons. Had a slight issue and he immediately insisted on making it optimally what we wanted. Thank you! The restaurant is a bit loud with music, but it's classic bbq restaurant vibes! Love it. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Brisket sausage - Barbeque Near Me - The Colony, Texas

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I've heard from many people this is the place to eat BBQ. Before I wrote this review, I'm going to say I think they had an off day so I'll be back another day to give them another try. I loved the smell of everything when I walked in. I walked through the door and thought, "I'm eating everything". I tried the 1/2 chicken, brisket, turkey, and pulled pork. The pulled pork was my favorite, the chicken was my second favorite. The brisket and turkey I had to drown in BBQ sauce. It was rather dry. My friend assured me it was an off day so I will be back. Everyone was friendly. The gentleman at the grill made recommendations when I told him it was my first time. I enjoyed the ambiance of the place. I say give it a try, I will update my review after my next visit read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - The Colony, Texas

This is real Texas barbecue! Bring your appetite. Casual ambiance with Texas flair. You buy your meat by the pound outside in a covered area and then come inside to pick up the sides, desserts and drinks. Eat on picnic tables inside. I have Celiac Disease. They were very knowledgeable about what I could and could not have. The guys quickly changed out the meat line for me with a new brisket, cutting board and knife. We also got sausage. Both were delicious. The brisket melted in your mouth without being fatty. I also had a baked potato and my boyfriend had their complementary pinto beans. Of note, the pulled pork is not gluten-free because they make it with Shiner beer. The regular barbecue sauce is gluten-free but the spicy sauce is not. We both had food allergies and neither got sick. This is a good place to bring your family from out of town, especially with kids in tow. It's quick and tasty and casual. read more

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OMG! Where to start. The BBQ is always amazing. The line moves a little slow but how can it not when there is so much greatness to decide on. Highly recommend to if you have not been. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - The Colony, Texas

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I have had some great BBQ in the past and this was just okay. The service was good and the inside was clean and nice. read more

Amazing food. The turkey breast was juicy and the sides were great. Margarita well well balanced. Atmosphere was dark but great seating for larger groups. read more

My first Texas bbq experience!the meat was good it wasn't really seasoned but the flavor allowed all the smoked flavors to come through! The beans were definitely a must. So good and savory. The cherry cobbler was so good really good thick filling with a crust that wasn't mushy!!!!! The macaroni in my opinion was my least favorite it was so mushy It was like a ball of mush cheese. The jalapeño cream corn was sweet but it didn't have the salt balance I was expecting. The chicken popper and shrimp popper were so delicious. The service was really good. The inside has a lot of seating very family oriented. I'd come back just for the meat.i loved that they had pickles onions and jalapeños super plus. read more

First time here and it was great! The BBQ meat was very tasty and so were the sides! The service was great and felt they were all very friendly. The 'ONLY' thing I didn't like was their seating. They have long picnic style tables and round attached seats, this made it difficult for a 3-4 year old toddler to sit. Arrive early! We got in at around 5 and when we left the line was out the door! read more

Ordered door dash delivery. $4.50 for cobbler. $4.50 for banana pudding. I know they're gouging prices on that app sometimes but this one takes the cake, or rather the pudding. Like I do enjoy banana pudding. And I totally get that I'm paying for someone else to make it. But this is, a really big rip off. If you're going here and especially if you're getting it to go, skip desert. read more

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We always come here when we have guests who come visit us from out of state and want Texas bbq. It is a fun experience that makes people feel Texas-y, and smell smoky. I like the jalapeño poppers and variety of sides. They have a small bar selection if you prefer, and fresh cold Topo Chico too. I also like the beans but since they are self serve they can't regulate so sometimes you get beans and sometimes you get 'broth' ha! It's a fun time for an occasional experience. read more

This place is ok. Definitely popular, two lines but it moves! Lots of seating, Smokey and typical bbq counter to order from, then sides available as you go down the cafeteria line. Sides were awesome, but the all three meats we got were dry. Turkey, ribs, brisket. DEFINITELY recommend a steak cooked to order but it takes like an additional 15 minutes after you've sat, so everyone else with bbq is done eating. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - The Colony, Texas

I really enjoyed my brisket and pulled pork. The ambience was very western. After ordering at the counter, we enjoyed the all you can eat bbq beans! read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - The Colony, Texas

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I have been going there to go some juicy beef ribs every weekend until now. All I want to say is to take pride in your product and be consistent. If beef ribs overstay in oven from day before, just throw them away. Anybody would be pissed after spending 70 bucks to eat some over-dried hard to chew ribs. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Left over beef ribs - Barbeque Near Me - The Colony, Texas

Brisket, sweet potato, beans, and coleslaw were awesome. Service is great! Ladies walk around collecting trays. read more

Awesome bbq place! Many choices and combinations ( see pic and menu). Great staff. They've got tables, high tables, patio place and section for reservation. Ive been to the coppell location but this one is bigger. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - The Colony, Texas

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... ONLY GET SAUSAGE ... Sadly, not impressed. Great atmosphere and you enter through the BBQ pit area to get your meats - very cool. Great decor... but the food is a different story. Sausage Now that's an awesome smoked sausage!! Excellent flavor, not greasy and perfect seasoning profile. My new favorite!! (10 out of 10) Ribs Slightly on the dryer side and very bland on their own. No dry rub base or seasoning flavor - just smoke flavored and that's it. Average meaty... overall, not impressed. Not made with pride. (3 out of 10) Lean Brisket Very dry any hard to get flavors to come through. Dominant 'just smoked beef' profile, no seasoning and bland. Again, not impressed. (Didn't have a 3rd bite.) Will use it later chopped for a sandwich with another sauce. Only a 1 out of 10. Coleslaw First time to actually taste the cabbage in a coleslaw!!! Finely chopped and very creamy. Howevrr, no seasoning... pepper, paprika, dill, onion, etc. Can't taste carrots either. More like a bland 'cabbage relish'. Potato Salad Nice, decent flavor and enjoyable, but not special. Medium sized chunks of potatoes and very finely chopped everything else. Has a slight dill profile and a bit of heat. More along the lines of a German potato salad (better if warm). Only a 4 out of 10. Sauce Tangy but different... and not in a good way. Very sweet and sour - not much of a Texas BBQ sauce. Seems like some ketchup is in it. Just tasted off somehow. I skipped using it. It was a fun experience except for the food. Had a 45 min drive to get there and worth it for the sausage... but not on a regular basis. Too far just for sausage only. :-( See my Yelp profile page for a BEST IN DALLAS list: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=KbFb7BxxJfHmHG3P-jY1CQ&utm_source=ishare read more

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Wow. Hands down the best BBQ ever. Wow. Side dish of jalapeños corn and beans delicious. Blackberry cobbler and whisky buttermilk pie delicious. Organization of the flow of customers excellent. Dining area spick and span cleaned. Staff very friendly. Ribs and brisket you need to teeth and you need no sauce. Very tender and crazy flavorful. Both bbq sauces are delicious. First visit but not my last when I come back to town. read more

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Extremely dry, tasteless BBQ. It's a shame because the location, scenery, and staff are fantastic. I had brisket and chicken, both were extremely dry and tasteless... just HORRIBLE. (Warning: please eat with a cup of water or you may choke). No smoke or seasoning flavor, it tastes like robbery... the only thing they did right was serve the meat warm. read more