Tender's Smokehouse is the real deal. The brisket is perfectly smoked with a great bark and beautiful smoke ring, and the ribs literally fall off the bone. Make sure to grab the jalapeño cheddar sausage and a side of their mac and cheese--you won't regret it. The staff is incredibly friendly, the service is fast, and the casual, family-friendly atmosphere makes it the perfect weekend spot. If you're looking for legit, high-quality Texas BBQ, this place delivers every single time. read more

Our friend loved this place and took us here. This one is located in downtown Celina, and the restaurant was packed so we had to take to-go. We ordered a lot but the food came out relatively quick. We got some Brisket, Turkey Breast, Original and Jalapeño Sausages, with the sides being Fries, Fried Okra, and Mac N Cheese. The brisket was the star of the show, it was so tender, juicy, and falling apart. The Jalapeño sausage was also good, it was better than just the regular sausage. However, all the sides were okay, they weren't that good compared to other smokehouses. The mac n cheese was alright, you need to put on so much BBQ sauce to make it taste better. All of this costed $200+, so pretty average price since we had a big group. Personally, I had better BBQ elsewhere so I would not come back. read more

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Had an absolutely outstanding with customer service with Brody today! We rated his service 10/10! Super kind, entertaining, and overall great experience! We've been coming to Tenders for years and this the best customer service we've had! read more

The girls working the register were friendly and accommodating. They answered all our questions promptly and thoroughly and were able to quickly find us a table. Food is generally ordered at the front and the sodas you get yourself at the fountain. Someone will deliver you a delicious tray of what you ordered when you get yourself situated at a table. Loved the meal itself and the sweet seasoning sprinkled over the pulled pork. Potato salad was perfect also. The seating area definitely isn't as big as other Tenders locations but there's still enough room for larger parties of up to 6. Additionally, I felt like the dining area could be spruced up a little more with brighter decor or lighting to brighten up the place, it did seem fairly dim like I was in a basement bar. But, I do understand that they're trying to go for a more rugged southern look. Overall, still loved the experience. Staff are active and on the floor making sure you have everything you need. Will definitely come back! read more

Tender Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Celina, Texas

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Been about 5 years since I visited the ORIGINAL TENDER in Celina, TX. That year was a great start for the Tender BBQ Smokehouse brand! I find the original location only made small changes, but still the same charm and authenticity. A new Tender location is now over in Whitesboro, TX, so I will be on the road to check it out. Today, I got Moist Brisket slices and on the side, a cup of Tender BBQ Sauce. The young lass attending the order counter was very warm & welcoming, and helpful with placing my order. Owner / manager is here, and checked that I had what I wanted. Great customer relations! Delicious as always, Tender forever! read more

Tender Smokehouse - Slices of tenderly smoked beef Brisket, toast, pickles, and Tender BBQ Sauce. YUM! - Barbeque Near Me - Celina, Texas

I found the bbq here to be extremely mediocre. Sides were okay. Very overpriced for the quality in my opinion, Hutchins is still my favorite and their dessert is complimentary, read more

The FOOD is a 5 star of 1-5. But the customer service has dwindled. Rather badly. 2 Star of 5 stars. When Keith isn't on shift - NO ONE checks our table. None. Last trip (last week) was the very same. Today, I am the only person here to dine - no one else is here but no one has checked my table. Every employee is standing around the window talking. No one else exists. Sad. Very sad customer service. But the food is excellent! read more

Kind service and amazing food. What's not to love?? Try the sliced brisket, as that's what really matters in TX BBQ, and there doing it right!! read more

Tender Smokehouse - Beautiful spot! - Barbeque Near Me - Celina, Texas

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Great outside patio in the square. Small inside. TV's in the back. Brisket was good just sloppy on the presentation. Looked like chopped. Sausage was ok not much smoke. Ribs not Smokey. Good prices. read more

This place was amazing! Food was outstanding. Brisket was tender & moist. The portions were huge. Service was friendly and fast. I believe the manager even checked on us a couple times. The inside was comfortable and had a down home feel. We will definitely go back! read more

Tender Smokehouse - Grand Slam sandwich, my hubs couldn't even eat all of it - and that's really saying something! - Barbeque Near Me - Celina, Texas

Everything Barbecue! Every selection is a winner . If you're looking for pitmaster perfection, the journey ends here. The square in Celina is a throwback to the early 1900's . Love the town and love this restaurant. You will too . read more

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Ever since moving to North Dallas we have been fans of Hutchins and to be honest, at times afraid to try another BBQ joint since our last visit to Hard 8. Well we decided to bite the bullet and give Tenders a try. And we are glad we did. The brisket was good and not as salty as others, perfectly cooked. The jalapeño sausage and ribs were tasty, turkey was moist and just the way my son likes it. And the winner was the pulled pork, that was just divine, especially with their homemade bbq sauce. Sides were okay, Mac n cheese could have done with a little more seasoning. And the only positive of Hutchins compared to Tenders is you can mix sides onto an individual serving. Service was as good as expected. Not sure if I like the fact that they serve you your food instead of seeing it sliced in front of you. The other downside was that even though we were sitting indoors there were a lot of flies around, not sure if that is only the case on Celina where we ate. All in all very good, will definitely be back as Hutchins has become rather expensive and very salty at times but still one of my favorites. Oh and Hutchins desserts are better I have to say. read more

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We LOVE Tender Smokehouse!! Oh my gosh!!! It's the best BBQ we've ever had! Love the little town read more

Consistently great tasting food and efficient operation. What I really appreciate is that sides are the portion you'd give yourself at home. I don't know what it is about nearly all other BBQ places that charge a lot of money for sides in a tiny plastic cup the size of a ranch dressing on the side. Tender is an honest place serving honest food. read more

Update since my first review last year. We still love this place, my husband even goes out of his way in the morning to get one of their breakfast tacos with brisket on some mornings. The meats are flavorful, moist, and absolutely delicious. We always share a platter of brisket, ribs, jalapeño sausage, and smoked turkey. The smoked turkey and ribs are still my favorite, they're definitely consistent with their quality of meats. Turkey is so easily overcooked and dry at some places but at Tender, their turkey is always moist and perfectly smoked. The ribs are dry rubbed, which I like, so I can dip into my favorite sauce. Their sides are really good too. I love their pineapple slaw and their beans. There is normally a line on the weekends that can get pretty long during peak hours. But the line moves pretty fast. Seating is first come first served so make sure you have someone keeping an eye out for an open table while another gets in line to order. There's an outdoor patio area and an inside area as well. The vibe is really casual and there's some outdoor games you can play as well. We love coming here and thankfully it's close to us too! read more

Tasty bbq--very tender and cordial staff. Everything was spot-on. Highly recommend due to the wonderful atmosphere, great service and delicious food. read more

We have been here a few times and always decent food. Owners are great as well. Small hometown feel. A bit noisy at times. But the food is good. Have yet to have a bad meal here. The Frisco one isn't anywhere close to the quality. Just a fancy building. read more

Tender Smokehouse - Brisket and Mac n Cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Celina, Texas

It was our first visit and the manager(?) opened the door so we could come and and chatted for a few minutes. Ordered at the counter was easy. We found the drink machines and seated ourselves. The food arrived fairly quickly. Everyone enjoyed their meals and almost everyone needed a take-home box. We did not feel rushed and when the place began to fill up we left. The manager came and chatted a few minutes as we left. The building looks nice from the outside, has cornhole and picnic tables, and the inside is well done. read more

Monthly Family lunch found us at Tender Smokehouse in August this year. My family has been making it's way through some really great restaurants in the North Texas area and this one was a winner for us. With 8 of us we got a selection of much of the menu and shared little tastes of everything. I had a huge baked potato with brisket which was super yummy. I ended up taking most of it home. My granddaughters had fun with the door fixtures. The food and service was great and we all had a great time. read more

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Very good food but also pretty pricy for a smokehouse though. I enjoyed the experience.

Amazing barbecue sauce, killer breakfast tacos, and brisket that hits every time. Whatever you order, you can't go wrong. Love this spot for barbecue and always keep their sauce stocked year-round. read more

Sometimes it's hit or miss for the brisket. It can be dry if you order the lean. But most of the meats we have had here are pretty good and tender. The sides are not bad, although I wish they had a better coleslaw or maybe a broccoli salad. We have found that the ribs are pretty amazing. read more

Always great food. Staff is friendly but the food is always consistent and speaks for itself.

We love tenders!!!!!!!!! We've tried so many bbq places in Texas and this is one of our tops. The beef rib, the pork ribs, the baked beans, the banana, pudding, the brisket, I could go on !!! The owner Dante is awesome too! We've taken a couple of his brisket and pork classes, you get to eat and watch him cook. It's a really good time. The staff is always very nice and respectful, just all-around really solid place read more

Tender Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Celina, Texas

Excellant food the staff is awesome. One of my favorite restaurants. Ambience is great.

I don't like BBQ. It's just not my thing. I think I over did it in college having it at every event in West TX. I ordered dinner here for a family I was bringing dinner to and went ahead and just got dinner for my family too. I figured I could suck it up and eat BBQ for one night. I ordered the jalapeño sausage, lean brisket (there's two options), pulled pork and Turkey. For sides we got the Mac and cheese and potato salad. The jalapeño sausage was fantastic! It had a good kick to it! I don't like brisket but theirs was actually pretty good. So I can imagine someone who likes brisket would love it! The Turkey was lean but a little dry. Still very flavorful. The pulled pork was very good. Not much fat to it (thank god bc that ruins it for me). The BBQ sauce was the best part. It had a nice spicy kick to it. I'd put that stuff on everything it was so good! I definitely recommend grabbing food from here. I was incredibly impressed with them! I'll for sure be going back! read more

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Looking for some amazing BBQ? This place in Celina is a hidden gem! It's family-owned and operated. I got the El Hefe, a stacked sandwich with a rib, brisket, pulled chicken, baked beans, and sausage - the kitchen sink in a sandwich. I ate about half and took the rest home. The rib fell off the bone. I highly recommend giving it a try. We also had some banana pudding, which reminded my son of his grandma's pudding. It was really good too. Go give it a try. It's pretty affordable for BBQ - my giant sandwich was just $15. #texasbbq #tendersmokehouse read more

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The perfect place for a nice evening. Sit outside and listen to country tunes while you enjoy amazing food. Service is always respectful. We love it here! I could eat just pickles and be happy. read more

Tender Smokehouse - Brisket sandwich, 1/4 of brisket, potato salad, mac and cheese, dallas blonde tap beer. ALL DELICIOUS - Barbeque Near Me - Celina, Texas

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I have been coming here since they have opened and by far the Brisket is one of my top two.

Had dinner here with family. We ordered one pound of brisket and meat sweet potato brisket all the way. Sides we got Mac n cheese, cole slaw. The brisket is so sooooo tender and delicious. Their potato salad and other sides taste great! Serving staff are helpful. The place was busy on an early dinner time, we waited for 20 minutes to get an outdoor table. They opened a branch in Frisco, too. Will be glad to try their Frisco smoke house next time. read more

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For some reason our food was very cold. Also ordered the brisket sandwich not pictured. Had great reviews that's why we came. But just disappointed that they served us cold food. I am sure it would of been more appetizing if it was warm. Staff was friendly. read more

Tender Smokehouse - 1/4 lb - Barbeque Near Me - Celina, Texas

Great service and great burnt ends! The lean brisket is one of the best in North Texas!! The breakfast tacos are very tasty. read more

I love Tender's ribs! And their sides... especially the beans and potato salad have a great homemade taste. Service is always great. read more

The barbecue is second to none and the baked beans are my favorite! Love this place....

Came in on a recent Saturday to finally try out the famous bbq I've heard so much about. My husband and I ordered brisket sandwiches, potato salad and he also had a few ribs and baked beans. We both dove in thinking we were about to enjoy some phenomenal bbq. Sadly, we were very underwhelmed. Didn't even come close to Ten50 BBQ in Richardson-still the best in our book! read more

Tender's Smokehouse is a local gem. If you are looking for great BBQ without breaking the budget, look no further. My favorites is the stuffed sweet potato with Brisket and all the toppings, the burnt ends & the ribs. But don't sleep on the breakfast tacos. ;-) The staff is always nice and your food comes out pretty quick. If you get a chance, ask to sit in the smoke room. read more

Tender Smokehouse has been on my list to try for a while now. Rated one of Yelp's Top 100 Places to Eat in US and located in a small town of Celina, TX. I'm always in TX and I happened to be in the neighborhood. You can smell the bbq as you walk through the door. They were open for dine-in and there was no wait on a Saturday evening. I ordered the beef rib special which is limited in quantities (be sure to call ahead to check) and a 1/4 pound of jalapeno cheddar sausage. The beef rib is gigantic and extremely tender as well. The meat slides right off the bone and is well seasoned. I must warn you should have a big appetite before attempting to finish this in one sitting. I ended up taking mine home for another meal. In case you're wondering if I finished the leftover the answer is yes. The jalapeno sausage is also delicious and definitely recommended. Each order comes with a slice of bread and pickles. The BBQ sauce is the bomb! Make sure you get a lot of that on your ribs... I did not order any sides because I knew I wouldn't finish it. I did try a little of the mac and cheese. The manager dropped by to say hello and checked in to make sure everything was good. We had a nice conversation and he brought out a sample of the brisket for me to try because he knew I was from California and wanted to make sure I tasted one of their most popular meats before flying home. I was stuffed! I can definitely see why this place is so popular. Celina is a small town but don't let that deceive you. Their customer service is top notch and I experienced the exceptional hospitality here. I highly recommend giving this place a try the next time you're in the area. read more

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Located in downtown Celina, this is a great place for us to go since it is pretty close to our home. Atmosphere - 4/5 - Not a large seating area, but has several outdoor tables that fit several people. Staff - 5/5 - Super friendly. If you are new, they can provide good suggestions on what to order. Food - 4.5/5 - Several great items to try. Ordered several of the following: - Brisket - 5/5 - Really, really tender. Must get this. - Jalapeno Sausage 4.5/5 - It is spicy, but not too spicy. I definitely recommend this as well. - Ribs - 4/5 - The ribs were pretty good, but not as tender as I expected. Overall, still really good ribs, but I prefer the brisket for sure. - Veggies - 4/5 - The pineapple slaw and mac and cheese were pretty good as well. Overall, this is a great spot up north to grab barbeque. I will be coming back here again. read more

Tender Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Celina, Texas

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Some of the best Texas BBQ you can get in the Dallas area. The staff is always amazing and it's a great place to bring your kids. They have outdoor activities that allow you to relax and enjoy a wonderful meal and keep the kids happy. Try the potato with brisket, but you may want to share it with someone because it's HUGE! read more

The ultimate fall off the bone, tender ribs. Tasty sides especially the potato salad and banana pudding. Your won't be disappointed, a must visit for excellent BBQ. I GUARANTEE. read more

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