5 stars for the weekend brunch. Omelette, waffle & pancakes. The omelette maker was the friendliest. The table's & benches are wobbly so be careful. The brunch sides are not that great. Still 5 stars. Cost $25 per person for brunch Buffett all you can eat. read more

Hard Times Cafe - American Near Me - Springfield, Virginia

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Sorry not sorry. I'm a chili snob and there wasn't one of their chilis that tasted decent. I ordered the chili 5 way and it was less than appetizing. The waitress offered something else way too late. She never came back to offer drinks even and I think the place could use a deep cleaning. read more

Hard Times Cafe - I'm guessing the managers/owners did not like my review since he had the cajones to tell me if I couldn't afford to go out to eat! - American Near Me - Springfield, Virginia

The food is excellent, superb service, very chill ambiance! And then if u like beer, sports and pool u got a monster pool hall in the back! I love this place, we bring our two kids here a lot, very family friendly in the main dining room:)) the chili recipe goes back to the 1890's! Gotta check it out:)) read more

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In the mood for chili, cornbread and Fritos for Sunday brunch. Surprisingly, good DMV weather today. Hard Times is a great local staple for these items. The food is always solid and the service is attentive and authentic, especially today. Not geared to be that Michelin experience, but it is good amd reliable diner food that brings me here! Chili portions are big, too! read more

Hard Times Cafe - For some reason, I am in the mood for chili, with Fritos and corn bread ‍ - American Near Me - Springfield, Virginia

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Food is ok. Service isn't bad, bought a round of drinks for everyone and the bartenders were attentive enough. The place has an upstairs area that can handle a lot of people, maybe 50 people so if you've a really large party this isn't a bad choice. But don't expect stellar food. read more

Really yummy chili, great on the chili salad. Tasty chix wings and on tap root beer. Attentive service.

A solid dive inside, the food is great if you know what you're doing. We have ordered take out from the bar many times- get the Texas and the red then mix up on your spaghetti- thank us later. The hot sauce is a must, I buy it for the house sometimes. The Mac and cheese bites and bacon treat fries are a great addition to your chili Mac. They also pack take out to a T, with all the elements necessary. read more

I want to make this very clear. THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME HERE AT THIS ESTABLISHMENT. Now that we got that out of the way. Here is my review for this ONE particular individual that works here at Hard Time Cafe. If I could leave 0 stars, I would. Only reason I am writing a review is because of the horrible experience here tonight for my birthday celebration. I'm celebrating my dirty 30 this year and decided to play some billiards with my family. If you check my profile, I literally have no other reviews other than this one. I usually don't care to write reviews. But this place needed to hear it because of the horrible encounter with the bartender/server Jean. All was well and good until I decided I wanted some food. So my girlfriend approached the bar and tried to order food. After some time, Jean approached my girlfriend and ask how can he help. My girlfriend then said we wanted to order food. But this guy Jean responded by shaking his head "no" but saying "yes". My girlfriend was confused and tried to clarify what was going on. His response was "Now you know how it feels. Isn't that what you women do? Give us mixed signals?" So my girlfriend just left and came back to our pool table. She then explained to me what happened and I told her to just let it go, I'll get another bartender to help us. I don't want to cause any troubles. He then had the nerve to approach us at the pool table like he was superior and did not do anything wrong. Little does he know, I've worked in the industry as a server, bartender, AGM, GM, and bar manager for years now and I've worked for multiple corporate chains. Talking to people and dealing with all kinds of different people is a valuable life skill. Now here is my encounter with him. When he approached our table and asked us if we were ready to order food I told him "yes, I know what I want." So I told him I wanted a Texas chili. He then responded with the most ugliest and rude response saying "how do you want it?" Now in my experience of dining out and ordering chili, I never had anyone ask me how I want my chili. I am being completely honest I was confused when he asked me that in such a rude way. Like I said in the beginning of this review, I never been here before. And like I told him, I did not read the menu. I just saw chili and wanted a bowl of chili. So I asked him, "what do you mean how do I want it?" Because I was genuinely confused. His response made me feel like he was talking to a child or someone he can easily pick on and get away with being so rude. "Jean, This is specifically for you to read, because I know management will show you this review or I would hope they do show you this review. Either way, If you don't like your job or people, get a different line of work." I give kindness to everyone in this line of work no matter how bad I feel or how bad of a day I'm having. After showing me he had no interest or care of serving us. He then began to explain in the most rude way possible that I could do a bowl of chili, chili over rice, or Mac and cheese. Moral of the story, his customer service, or just the way he decided to treat us tonight was not welcoming or satisfying. I myself still decided to tell him and even reaching my hand out first for a hand shake like a real gentleman in the most polite and kind way possible without getting too angry at him, that instead of being a rude and disrespectful, he could've easily guided me through his menu kindly and we would've continued having a good night shooting pool. After I said what I said, I calmly walked out the establishment peacefully. Ohh and another thing to mention, after dealing with all of that mess with Jean. A lady bartender who was trying to help us afterwards said "I'm sorry, just imagine we have been dealing with him for over a year now." If one staff is saying that about another one of their staff to a guest, that says a lot. This guy Jean should not be working in this line of work or at Hard Times Cafe. This establishment would do ten times better without Jean employed there. Customer service means a lot to people sometimes... read more

This is what I would call a dive. It has a couple of sections: a front bar and restaurant and a back room filled with pool tables. The place was quiet at lunch but had a lot of people dining. Our group ordered jalapeño poppers to start: oozing with filling, temperature was hot but it wasn't spicy hot. The Cincinnati chili (a constant favorite) was flavorful, the chicken wings (on special that day) were plump and perfectly cooked, the chili dog (also a favorite) was brimming with toppings and served with French fries. The people who helped us were all very attentive. If you are craving no-fuss, good bar type food-- I recommend HTC! read more

We've all heard that old adage, "you can't go home again.".  Well, as it applies to a once family favorite, it unfortunately rings true.  I don't know what happened to Hard Times.  Maybe we just hit it on a bad day but the dishes we ordered we really not good when they used to be hearty and delicious.  The onion rings were so greasy that I don't even think they were drained between oil and bowl.  At least the dipping sauce was still tasty, but, I don't understand why they didn't at least try and rest them on a paper towel or something before serving them up.  We had the Texan, Terlingua and Cincinnati chilis and were disappointed in all three.  When did the meat get so tiny that it is more like grain?   It used to be so comforting and now it was so runny.  Unfortunately, I think the chili of our memory will have to just remain there and we won't chance going back again only to be let down. read more

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This was definitely a strange place and that was putting it mildly. So we usually go to Bob and Edith, but my husband saw the sign about a breakfast buffet so we figured why not try something new. So when you walk in, you're basically smell smoke, which is of course offputting. We found out later that apparently they still allow smoking in the back where the pool table is, which is really weird. Nevertheless, they were just opening for the breakfast so I think we caught the server off guard. I mean, we were really just trying to get some information at first and she seemed confused about why we were asking questions which again strange. So anyway we sat down and got some coffees. I wasn't much of a fan. The coffee tasted watered down. Because it's a buffet we really didn't get much service so we went up and had omelettes and got the other buffet food. The lady working the omelettes was very nice and accommodating. However, the server again was strange. When it was time to pay, she gave me a ticket where there was a QR code so I scanned it and paid. Then she came back saying she would give me the bill and I said you already gave me the bill. And I said I paid it on the QR code. So she said she doesn't know how that works and said she doesn't know why people do it. So I said well it's convenient and yeah, I paid that way. So I don't know I mean, we are very unlikely to go back. The food was pretty underwhelming and it was an odd set of interactions at best. I think this place definitely needs better management and training. I honestly can't remember a recent experience where the customer service was so poor. read more

went here on a whim and it was actually a pretty solid place! grabbed a drink, had some wings and played some pool and was pleasantly surprised. definitely worth a visit if that's your kinda thing. read more

Apparently Hard time a has fallen on hard times...Today's visit was lackluster. Our server was great but the kitchen was having difficulties. What I mean is normally fried food is very simple throw it in the fryer wait for it to cook. Everything was cooked and a bit dark versus the normal golden brown(hard to tell cause I took it on and iPhone 13 with enhanced dark mode) . So it looks very golden brown. Why are their old grease like stains on my plate? That means the fryer oil is old and hasn't been changed. The table ordered wings naked no sauce and the Texas bbq. I didn't get a chance to try one but we had a mix of partially cooked and under seasoned wings. The loaded fries were loaded but lacked salt.my coworker had to add salt and even that she said was inedible. My other coworker tried to eat her loaded fries and pile was so glued together and congealed she couldn't even lift it on her fork. Overall...I think there is a reason I have avoided hard times for food...I don't know if it's this location or if it's pandemic effects but dirty grease on plates after frying food is no go for me. Lou's if the food has been sitting there because they can't find the tickets shows a lack of organization in the kitchen. This was shared by food runners who drop food at the table. But the steak tips looked pretty good and another coworker enjoyed it. So perhaps if your looking for lack of flavor and dirty bar food it's your place. At least the pool tables are nice. read more

Hard Times Cafe - Corn Dog Nuggets & Fried Pickles - American Near Me - Springfield, Virginia

Chix Alamo, all day long! I've been coming here for years, that damn spaghetti hits the spot every time.

Good food, well priced drinks, and courteous service. Didn't get a chance to play pool but the tables looked good and will definitely return for a game or two. read more

Been a while. I forgot how dang good the chili is. I had the chili bubba and I'm happily stuffed.

Came here with my boyfriend to watch a basketball game on tv and hopefully get some comfort food. Upon entering there is a dining area in the front, once you walk to the back you enter the bar type scene. There were pool tables, tvs displayed on the walls, and many drinks! My boyfriend had gotten a drink and I was still deciding on what to eat. As I was on my phone, a bald man with a red shirt walked up to me and rudely asked for my ID. I didn't realize what he was saying at first due to the loud music blasting. He then proceeds to say "What? Don't have an ID?" in a rude way. I have no problem showing someone my ID, however, I do not appreciate how he treated me as a customer. There are nicer ways of asking someone for their ID. After providing proof that I was 21, I lost my appetite. I did not feel like giving money to a place that treats their customers that way. Overall, did not have a good time there. I hope they can fix their staff and teach them how to create better environments for their customers. read more

My husband and I have popped by this Hard Times location a few times over the years for chili mac, wings, and their weekend breakfast buffet, and went there this evening to try their dinner entrees for the first time because they have daily specials, and customers can get $3 each entree on Saturdays. My husband got their sirloin tips (+ sides of onion rings and cilantro rice), and I got their fish and chips (+ cilantro rice), and we were both pleasantly surprised by how large, delicious, and fresh their entrees are. The sirloin tips are so tender and have a delicious char. The cod and French fries were very fresh (definitely not from frozen)! Overall, great prices for much better than expected food! Their service has always been great - the waitstaff has always been so friendly and hospitable. Their breakfast buffet is delicious and hard to beat for $14.99! read more

Hard Times Cafe - Sirloin tips with sides of onion rings and cilantro rice - American Near Me - Springfield, Virginia

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Chili cheese fries with Cincinnati chili was great, but the service is what lowered the rating. Sitting in the front bar took five minutes before anybody was willing to take our order. When asking if the repair on tap was alcoholic, the bartender did not know. Ordering it anyway it came to our place is very flat. When you get something on draft do you expect it to have a wonderful foamy head this did not, it hardly had any bubbles at all. We also ordered a cider on tap and the bar we were at was "tapped out", so the bartender went into the back bar and poured and glass from there. The front of the restaurant was not busy at all and looking into the back bar it wasn't too busy there either. This was on a Sunday at 2 PM. The hard times and College park has better food is much better service and is laid out in a more friendly way. read more

Hard Times Cafe - The bar area here is nowhere near the level of College Park's bar. - American Near Me - Springfield, Virginia

Now, if you are a smoker, this place is actually a five star spot, for it is one of the last smoking bars in the area. And when I say smoking, I'm talking about full on chimney action, so that was it for me. It really is a shame, because the bar and pool table looked very cool. Now, someone might say that by law Hard Times has to have smoke-eaters, but from what I could see, those puppies were ineffective at best. Of course, I tried to go to their non-smoking side, but that side feels more like a takeout spot than a bar. It really is a shame, because I love the chili at the Hard Times in OldTown, Alexandria, and I'm certain that this location is just as good. However, the whole smoking thing is a no go for me. Now I'm not getting all Karen here: I think it is that people who smoke have a smokey oasis to call home....it's just not for me. read more

This is a place that I have always loved. I loved hearing the great commercials on the radio. how hey touted that they were on the Washingtonian Cheap Eats list for years. Then with changes in businesses, the radio adds stopped, they closed some locations, but Hard Times Cafe is still around. When I was sitting here waiting for my food, i was looking online for info on the restaurant and read that both brothers who started the chain passed away. Fred, the last of the two brothers passing away last year. Stepping into the Springfield location. This is my first time at this location I was surprise how they did social distancing with tables. For tables that guests cant sit at, they decorate them with themes for a holiday, Being Easter, they had great Easter decorations on every other table. I thought this was just an amazing touch that you would not expect from a national chain. This type if care comes from family own and run businesses. I ordered a beer that came out quick and very cold and great. They gave me a piece of corn bread with 2 packs of butter and omg I forgot how great the cornbread is. I would have to say, this is the BEST cornbread I think i have ever eaten. I ordered a 4 way Texas style. It was close to the end of the day for the restaurant and was a little worried, some places keep things like chili on too high a heat and it overcooks and tastes burned. But here. The taste was making no I could not wait to eat more. I read online that the Texas chili was from a family recipe from the 1890's I believe. This chili recipe is 130 years old and its awesome. The staff was friendly and helpful and happy that I was there and yes its been a while since I have been there, but I will be there again very soon. And to close. Why why why is this place not on the Washingtonian cheap eats list anymore? $11 for a 4 way, spaghetti, chili cheese and onion is a great price. The spaghetti was also cooked great and unlike many restaurants, the spaghetti did not come on a plate swimming in water. If you have never been. Give this place a try. If you have not been in a while.. Give this place another go. Its worth it all the way. read more

Hard Times Cafe - Beer, 4 way - Texas style, corn bread. YUM! - American Near Me - Springfield, Virginia

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First of all I want to start off by saying the bartender John AKA asshole was phenomenal I love the way he interact with us I love the way he made his drink and John I'm coming back to see you again read more

This is one small chain that I've been a fan of for a long time. The staff is always welcoming, and genuinely happy to have your business. The chili is consistently great, and remains fantastic across all of their locations. This one is convenient for me to go to after work, and has an attached pool hall. The tables are separated by having every other one roped off to avoid social distancing problems, but the food still comes out quick and hot, and with a mask-hidden smile. I'm glad that Hard Times has been able to survive these different modern times, and look forward to my next bowl of chili Mac 4-way. read more

Get carry out here fairly often. The food is always consistent and generally pretty good. The grilled wings are a favorite. My only complaint is that they seem to have to be reminded on the chili sides all the time. Check before leaving. read more

Wanna see my hard "times"? Didn't think so. Talk about a juxtaposition. The hard times that exists over in Alexandria is one of my favorite places to eat. No cigarette smoke and delicious Terlingua red chili mac. This place on the other hand was a very different experience. The servers told me to go into the bar to order. The bar people told me it was closed for a private party and to go back to the servers. Eventually the restaurant section actually served me. After that they were friendly enough but the food wasn't nearly as good as the stuff in Alexandria and the worst part was that the entire time we were sitting in clouds of smoke. There isn't really much separation between the bar and dining area so the smoke is everywhere. We smelled like it for quite a while. I won't be going back here again. read more

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We called for carryout Our order was correct and on time. Always great service and yummy chili.

Overall **** In my opinion it makes no sense to come here and expect anything more than what it is. You won't bring a first date, your in-laws or your boss here but you will sneak out with your buds to just eat simple in a no frills atmosphere. Setting **** This is a dive that embraces being a dive. It is located in a corner of a strip mall and is fairly garish and run down but it was comfortable and generally clean. There is lots of wood booths, neon beer signs, random memorabilia hanging on the walls that leave little doubt what type of place this is. At 7:00 on a Saturday night it wasn't overly busy with maybe a third of the tables filled, there is a "bar" that seats about 15 people. The "bar" is more like a seat in the kitchen as the cooks are actually on the other side of the rail. The guy working the register pulled double duty as our bartender. It looked like they do a tremendous take out business based on the number of orders they were packing up. There is a pool hall that is sort of attached to the restaurant but you have to walk through another door to get there. Service **** If you keep in mind you are not here to be fawned upon then you will be fine. The service is more abrupt and rushed but friendly and our bartender had no issue offering up opinions and suggestions. Food **** Again I could nitpick that the food itself should have been hotter and the pasta more el Dente but we are talking about chili here. My table mate ordered the Cincinnati Chili over pasta which was good but he claimed it's better in Cincinnati itself so we may have to book a trip to really compare. I myself couldn't believe I was out at essentially a chili restaurant so I asked the bartender what his favorite was and his suggestion of the Terlingua Red Chili over Tater Tots was absolutely addicting. As mentioned earlier, everything could have been served at a higher temperature but I didn't care as I made a pig of myself eating a huge bowl of the stuff. Value ***** There are very few places I can visit where I walk out having a beer, feeling stuffed, satisfied and wanting more for $15 a person. read more

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I love a good chili dog! It's not that hard to grill or boil a hot dog and add cheese and chili. On our last visit to this location, my expectations were shaken. Yup, I don't know if I'll ever eat a chili dog from here again. We sampled their chili selection. I loved the Cincinnati chili and that's what I selected for my beef hotdog. Upon receiving my food, I was crushed. Literally, my bun was soggy and crushed. Since the hotdog appeared to be grilled, I'm not sure why my bun was wet and soggy. The cheese was barely present and the chili non-existent. I had to ask for some extra chili. Also, the fries appeared to have been re-cooked. They were hard and very burnt. On a good note, our server was fantastic. He checked on us frequently. He provided me with extra chili. He was great! The food was disappointing. read more

Ordered my carry-out for 7:00 and somehow they thought it was for 8:00 instead?... had to wait ten minutes when I got there for them to prepare my order. When I finally got my food, something was MISSING and I had to wait ANOTHER ten minutes for them to make it. Also, part of my order contained the Mac and cheese "wedges." As with most of their items on the online menu, it shows a photo of the food you're buying. They looked good so I ordered them. Don't let the pictures fool you though. They will come out looking like small tater-tots (see photo.) When I called to speak to the manager about the "wedges" he said, "those are the size our supplier gives us." He refused to refund my money when they are the ones FALSE ADVERTISING! Staff is brain dead and management is useless. The wings are okay, but you're better off just going to Wingstop if you want less of a headache. The Hard Times cafe in Fairfax closed down years ago and hopefully this one is next. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY HERE! read more

Hard Times Cafe - American Near Me - Springfield, Virginia

First, this place needs an app or at least to be able to order thru their web site, so no issues having the person taking the order being able to understand. After struggling to get my curbside order in, finalizing my order with two sodas the gentleman taking my order finally said my English is not so good and put me on hold. Another gentleman picked up and wasn't much better, so I hung up and walked in to place my order. I try to avoid going inside during the pandemic. Based on his accent the gentleman taking my order inside was the person I just got off the phone with. Again there was a struggle trying to communicate my order to him. He struggled looking for what to push on the ordering system. Maybe he was new. ‍ I waited outside while my order was being prepared to avoid being inside around staff and others entering to dine in and pickup. Came back 10 minutes later when he said my order would be ready. I saw they were just getting the sliders and boneless wings packaged up. I saw them dish out that chili in the Togo containers noting, not being surprised when I saw them dish out my mixed Terlingua Red and Vegetarian chili but just putting in the Terlingua Red as well as putting the toppings on when I asked for them on the side. I prefer them on the side especially for a Togo order but also because with toppings on top you get less chili. At this point I said why even bother to let them know and just accept what your getting with the thought this would probably be the last time I order from here. I was handed the order and thanked him and left. Got to my car to eat with my son. My chili and my son's chili was cold and limited amount because of the added toppings. How on earth can chili be cold. Was it left over from last night and not warmed yet. My son's only had cheese and was filled at least an inch below the top. My boneless wings were room temp and dried out. His sliders were not done medium as ordered, more like well done and charred. My biggest regret is that I didn't continue to learn Spanish after middle and high school. And the best thing of the meal was the Diet Coke. read more

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Chili was the only thing that was good here. The fries were awful, super greasy. Burger and fish sandwich just meh. Took forever to get our food (Thursday night) and just as long to finally get our check. Ridiculous. Definitely not returning. read more

I am a fan of the Hard Times Cafe brand in general but for several reasons this location is not at that level. The first time we visited this location we had such a bad experience we stayed away for a really long time. Recently I was in the area for events that wrapped up near lunch time and as a result have stopped by with folks for lunch and am happy to report the food was better than my first experience, although not as good as the Fairfax or Clarendon locations. While we were there I thought I smelled smoke but figured it must have been another guest when they entered. But now I am not sure that was the reason I was smelling it, and here is why. My other issue with this location is the layout, especially if you need to find the restroom. The restrooms are in the back. To get to them you need to go through the pool table area. Here is the kicker, the pool table bar area is separated by doors and is a smoking area. When I had to walk through it I began thinking it was their primary attention point. It had better lighting and its own bar with two bartenders. It was lunchtime and the smoke was noticeable so I can only imagine what it gets like on a weekend night. I do know it makes my visiting this location again, especially in the evening, much less likely. My conclusion, this location is catering to different clients than myself but the eats are pretty good if you are in the mood for chili/burger type food -- just don't have too much to drink if can't stand smoke or better yet visit Fairfax or Clarendon. read more

Hard Times Cafe - Salad? Yes! - American Near Me - Springfield, Virginia

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Hard Times is an old favorite but has not been doing so well lately. Wings tonight were bland and came with hot, cooked carrot sticks (really, who does that?). Even the ranch was warm, so it seems like everything just got stuck in a microwave. Portions were okay and I liked that you could order just flats, but I wouldn't get them again. Stick with the chili. read more

I've been coming to Hard Times for years and today was just deplorable. I ordered a pound of wings and a side of fries, but I have never seen wings so ridiculously small. I respectfully complained to my wonderful waitress and only after I paid did she tell me that she spoke to the manager and she was informed that due to the football season there is a shortage of wings. Wasn't the super bowl just a few weeks ago. Either way, I left six wings on my plate because they were so ridiculously tiny. The waitress took my wings through them in trash and never asked why I couldn't finish these sparrow legs. No discount was offered and although management knew they had a patron who was satisfied with their meal, management failed to speak or offer a discount to the patron. Hard Times, I get we are in COVID, but you could careless about you dedicated clientele. We are done! read more

If there's one thing I have to get used to living in DC, it's that dining in strip malls is completely normal, should be expected, and most are pretty darn cool. As soon as I walked into this place, it looked like your typical diner/grill. We just missed the brunch buffet which wasn't a problem, because I already knew I was getting a burger. I ordered a margarita (there were about 6 flavors to choose from) and asked for the ladies room. The server casually mentioned it was in the back through the double doors and to the right. Great! So I walk through the double doors and walk into a massive pool hall! It was like a hidden oasis. Had I known this room existed, I would've immediately sat back there and played until my food arrived. I'll save that for next time. I ordered the Whiskey River BBQ Bacon burger. It was a pretty solid burger. It tasted like it was cooked over an open grill and was very juicy, and the bacon was nice and crisp. I also had no idea their specialty was chili. I'm definitly going to have to go back to the Cincinnati. They're famous for putting chili on spaghetti. read more

1. Ambiance: This place is massive. I have never been to a bar that's so enormous. There are three sections to this colossal establishment. The first section consists of dining tables and booths for those that prefer to dine and spend quality time mingling. There is a bar on the right side of the restaurant. The second section of this restaurant is a huge space with pool tables, bar, tables, and high tops. There are also TVs so you can watch sports as well. Then the third section of the restaurant goes upstairs with additional pool tables. This is a very chill bar with a lot of room to move around. 2. Food: I had ordered blue moon, boneless wings (old bay), and bone-in wings (old bay). I thought the food was decent for bar food. The seasoning was good and it was cooked well. 3. Service: Allyson helped the entire table and she was on top of it. I can see that it was a lot of people to keep track since our table had around 9 people. Furthermore, it was getting a little busy towards the end of the night and she was running upstairs to the pool tables and around our area to keep up. She did an amazing job. 4. Costs: The blue moon was $7.25, boneless wings were $7.99 for 8 pieces, and bone-in wings were $10.49. I thought it was pricey for the small portion of the food provided. However, the tradeoff is that the costs probably covered the overhead expense for the establishment since it's massive. 5. Overall Experience: I had a great time at this bar and really appreciate the great service provided. I definitely will be back to try other items on the menu. Side Notes: N/A read more

Getting my standard order of Terlingua 4-way. Along with that having the jalapeño poppers. This is your standard theme restaurant with pool tables. Service was kind of slow but there were not a lot of customers. Rating should be 3.5 stars. read more

I LOVED Hardtimes! LOVED THEM. I haven't been back in years but this will be my last! It's a shame Bob and Edith's dinner's booth was too small to accommodate my niece's car seat otherwise we could have dined there. I am writing my review as I sit here counting the seconds until my sister finishes so I can leave this horrid place. First, the hostess didn't even acknowledge us when we entered. What happened to the cheerful welcomes? It's probably because she's too busy facing the cooks instead of the door. I've been watching her for an hour, she just keeps facing the pool hall door. In fact, all of the females working in the front area keep sitting at the to go bar area facing the bar instead of the customers. The one with the hat is on her phone. Our waiter has barely been to our table. He came by once to make his service better by offering us napkins, which we declined, because if he had bothered to look at our table, we had A LOT. I had ordered milk for my son, but he never received it. I had to ask the food runner for it after my wings came out just to be informed that y'all were out of milk. That's fine. But why wouldn't he waiter have told me 15 minutes ago? I got juice instead and the waiter came out 10 minutes later to see if I had gotten any milk. This would be 30 minutes into the meal. At one point I tried to get his attention when he came back from the pool hall, I was unsuccessful because he was also on his phone while walking. All our fried food was over cooked. The rest were fine. How do you mess up noodles and sauce anyways? See my pictures of the hostesses paying attention, especially when customers come in. They don't even turn around. read more

Hard Times Cafe - American Near Me - Springfield, Virginia

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Chili and chili Mac we're on point, as always. We got the Texas tenders also. Unfortunately we each took a bite and didn't eat anymore of them. They tasted like they were cooked in really dirty old grease. read more

Wow, I cannot believe this location(Springfield Va) is still open. My husband and I used to really love the one in Arlington, it have moved closer to this one, which is ALWAYS a disappointment . When you walk in it REEKS of cigarette smoke. (They allow smoking in the billiard area, which is only separated from the dining room by swinging double doors) We ordered dinner last night to pick up (as we know how it smells in there) and even though there was only 1 table occupied and was otherwise completely empty, the staff acted burdened by our existence. Thankfully I checked our bag, as half of our order was missing (we have a family of 4 so it was only 4 meals) and they were annoyed that I had pointed this out, giving a throw away apology. When we got the food home, there were still mistakes in the order (like we got a chili dog instead of a coney dog, etc) the chili was incredibly dry and clumpy. The cornbread was also dry. We'll never be back. So sad, we used to really love Hard Times. read more