We just moved here , my hubby is a bbq fanatic and we heard so many great things about this place so we had to try it! I know everyone has their opinions on bbq . We got the brisket , ribs , loaded baked potato, beans & mac n cheese . I really enjoyed the ribs it was really good. But everything else was just ok! The brisket on the baked potato was very very dry , the brisket itself lacked some flavor , mac n cheese we didn't understand the un melted cheese sprinkled on top , beans was good just really watery . I was a bit disappointed because I wanted this to be the spot ! Staff was super friendly, bbq sauce was good too. Atmosphere definitely TX , cute little spot , family friendly. read more

Amazing food! I especially love the breakfast! Biscuits and burnt ends are to die for. And surprisingly some of the best pancakes around! It's a must! read more

Went to the downtown Celina location. Food was great and good atmosphere too! I highly recommend!

Great tasty TX bbq. Love their Mac and cheese and of course brisket. Yummy! Service is always friendly too.

Top shelf BBQ. The is the real deal. Service is great. Celina is lucky to have this place right downtown.

Dickeys quality. Average quality. Service was not great. Went once, not going back. Brisket really had no smoked flavor. Really spongey. Had to fight to eat it. read more

Excellent smoked turkey!!! It is definitely worth the drive if you like good BBQ! I can't wait until they open the location in Frisco. The turkey salad was so fresh and delicious. The turkey was juicy and so flavorful. I loved the BBQ ranch dressing, too. The brisket was moist and tender, as was the pulled pork. The sausage was the best I've ever had. It has a crunch when you bite into it with a burst of flavor. The Mac and cheese needed a bit of salt but was tasty. The cole slaw was good but different than any I've had. I loved the sweetness from the pineapple. We will definitely be back!! read more

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Several of my friends went to Tender in Celina and loved this place. The barbecue is so tender and delicious. The secret is out . It's always lively and packed. If I am needing side to my cookout at home , I can't resist a big order of their beans . I have never tasted any to even compare . The owner gave us a back house tour of the smoke pits and told us about their once a month pit lesson class . My husband and his friends plan to schedule for this . The owners don't mind giving away their secrets to being a pit master ! So tonight , we visited their soft opening of of their new Tender Smokehouse in Frisco - behind Hooters on Preston . Their large draft beer bar will be open in 3 weeks so that will only add to the absolute perfection of a great barbecue joint . Co owner Torii Hunter ( yes, of baseball fame ) personally waited on us and brought over a giAnt beef rib for us to try . I have never had a more moist slab of meat ! Wow! Torii and his wife were doting hosts and the whole staff is hand trained by them to go the extra mile to assure your needs are met . Super people ! Have the other owner tell you the story of how they came by their specially forged pits . That guy has a passion for cooking that deserves to be show cased on his own tv show . He has a passion for food and it's freshness and quality that inspires you to go fire up your own pit, but of course why would you ? You have this super pit joint ;) read more

Tender Smokehouse - Torii Hunter proud to show off the ribs! - Barbeque Near Me - Celina, Texas

I take my company here all the time for VIP Lunches. The best!! SHIELD AI THANKS YOU!! read more

Food is terrific. Texas style barbecue tender and delicious. When I am in Celia TX is ALWAYS go to Tenders. Decent beer selection. It's impossible to explain how really good the food is. Texas road house ambiance. Try the brisket and Mac and cheese. If you are within 100 miles, go there. read more

When you visit the great state of Texas you must have some Bbq. Love the Ambiance and food here.

When I compare great food places, I sometimes like to make sure I'm making a fair comparison. I find Snows, Franklin's, and Heim to be in a super elite category, and I'm often disappointed when I try to compare most places to that category. That said this isn't in that category. What this is... is just delicious, killer BBQ! I've been a here a few times, and really like it. It's located easily downtown, and I never have problems finding parking. I've had the ribs, pulled pork, brisket, and the sausage is my favorite! There was a nice fat smoke ring on the brisket, and I couldn't find any "fake" smoke extract anywhere... which is always a blessing. The pork was a little dry... and the ribs had tons of brown sugar for a sweet feel. I like the spicy kick in the sauce, and the pineapple slaw is not to be missed!! This is a very solid BBQ joint, and you won't leave disappointed! 4 STARS read more

Read about this great barbeque place in the Dallas Morning News Guide and had to try it myself. I ordered my all time favs, brisket and jalepeno sausage. The brisket was ok but the sausage seemed equal to store bought. Neither tasted smokey to me but was ok. The beans were awesome and I could eat those by themselves. All-in-all I probably won't go back because it's not close. read more

Tender Smokehouse - Jalepeno sausage, brisket, beans, pineapple coleslaw and lemonade pudding. - Barbeque Near Me - Celina, Texas

Let's just say...you need to get to Tender as quick as you can. Went today for lunch and we lucked out and there was no line! We ordered a half rack of ribs, 1/4 lb of turkey and a loaded baked potato with chopped brisket. The meat fell right off the rib bone, the peppery crust was amazing. The turkey was moist and their sauce was spicy, Smokey and hint of sweet. I ate my whole entire potato-Which was loaded with a giant handful of brisket. I normally can't eat all of my food in one sitting and usually have leftovers. No sir, not today...that potato was demolished. Every person who worked their seemed genuinely happy to be there...they were all friendly, cleared our trays, delivered extra jalapeños and checked on us throughout our dining experience. I look forward to going back and hopefully have room to try their banana pudding next time. read more

Tender Smokehouse - Chopped brisket potato - Barbeque Near Me - Celina, Texas

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The best ribs EVER! Baked potatoes are huge and so good, splitting with a friend make a nice meal.

Best damn barbecue restaurant in North Texas hands down we love this place we eat here like I don't know three times a month if not longer more than that not the end of the day when you live all the way in gunner and you don't have much to choose from to have a place like this can't beat it!!! read more

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The pulled pork was exceptional! The brisket was super dry, way overcooked. The Mac n Cheese was REALLY bland. The potato salad was good, but missing something...not much flavor. The sauce is good and zingy zesty! read more

We ate lunch here on 4/13/21 and 4/14/21. A local Celina resident and a visiting friend. This place was exceptional on all-accounts: - excellent service - super friendly and informative staff - clean, clean, clean facility - indoor and outdoor seating - food brought out with little waiting and hot - OUTSTANDING FOOD AND BBQ - quite literally.... The best... BBQ baked beans I have ever had - and in these hard times....just super friendly staff 5 stars... all the way!! I'm go-in back every chance I get. read more

Heard about Tender Smokehouse while watching the news one day so we had to try it out.. we drove from Fort Worth on a Saturday evening and was not surprise that there was a long line because of the publicity they have received. Since the line was long we decided to order something to go.. the pork ribs were tender and fall off the bone. Really juicy and flavorful. Jalapeño cheddar sausage were tasty as well. Bake potato was large enough to share. My favorite items were definitely the sides we ordered. Baked beans had a slight sweet flavor to them which I really enjoyed. The pineapple slaw was different and delicious.. both sides are a must have. Overall worth the drive for some good bbq. read more

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This is the BEST BBQ spot in the Collin county area. I like this place better the location in Frisco. The ribs are sooooooo tender! The beans with the bbq meat in it is so tasty. The frito pie dish is awesome as well. It is just enough and all of it is filling. The rub on the ribs really set the flavor off. I am not sure if the bbq is cooked with a different method or not, whatever it is this place is worth the long drive along the windy country roads. read more

Excellent Brisket! Cool location. Owner stopped by our table to check on us! Definitely recommend! read more

We accidentally found this place it's quaint and cute little downtown. Can we say darn good barbecue. It's so good. They have dinosaur size beef ribs, on the weekends, happily we stumbled in here on a Thursday. The pineapple slaw was delicious, beans extraordinary and great pickles. The pork ribs were also great. Definitely will be making our way back here sooner than later. read more

Tender Smokehouse - Can we say a little rib. - Barbeque Near Me - Celina, Texas

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Ordered the El Jefe ($11) sandwich. Comes with all four meats, bbq beans on Texas toast on a platter. I ordered the potato salad individual on the side. Hugh portions and outstanding BBQ! 30 minutes wait for seating so we went through 10 minute " take out" line and ate at the park a block away. read more

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Love this place, when it comes to Texas BBQ this place is an unbeatable bargain. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful. read more

Yep, this one's a winner!! We tried their brisket and were very pleased. Then the ribs which were even better. Q aficionados will not be disappointed here. Everything is made in house including their secret rub (5 ingredients) & sauce. All sides we tried were to die for. They even offer smoked wagyu brisket on Friday & Saturday. We're returning for this! The banana pudding is not to be missed! read more

Tender Smokehouse - Smoky the Pig - Barbeque Near Me - Celina, Texas

First of all I wish I could give more than 5 Stars!!! I am a BBQ junkie. I love smoking bbq and I enjoy searching for the best rated BBQ joints everywhere I go. All I have to say is this place is over the top AMAZING BBQ. Usually you can find one or two items that taste great at most BBQ places, but Tender was firing on all cylinders. I'm not kidding this place has all around the best brisket, sausage, pulled pork, ribs, bread, beans, and potato salad I have had. I was waiting for something to be mediocre, but couldn't find anything wrong with this place. Besides the TOP QUALITY food management and staff were awesome. Super friendly and welcoming restaurant. Management stopped by the table multiple times to see how everything was going and genuinely cared. Wish I could give this place 10 Stars! When relatives and friends come in town this is my new spot to take them for Texas BBQ. read more

Tender Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Celina, Texas

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I cannot stress how delicious this place is!!! Every time our family or friends visit us we try to bring them here. I do not want to list everything that is great because I don't want to list the entire menu. But just pick something you will love it. I've had the brisket, ribs, and sausage. Sides are so amazing especially the ranch beans, Mac and cheese and potato salad. Banana pudding is also very Good!! Just come and. Enjoy some delicious BBQ! read more

I love this place! Tender is my go-to for fantastic barbecue. Everything about it is right up my alley. read more

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If you are ever in the area you need to stop in. Even if you're not it's worth the drive. We drove nearly an hour. My husband has known Dante since kindergarten so we went when we saw it on TV. The food is awesome. Be sure to get there early because it gets busy. We had pork ribs and the loaded potato. The ribs are so tender they fall off the bone. The sauce is very good. The beans are bowl licking good. The potato was huge and full to the top. I wish we could have tried more but we got full Only negative is he needs a bigger place, this one was full up. I think he said a bigger one is coming. Go get some you wont be sorry. read more

Tender Smokehouse - We ate the rest! - Barbeque Near Me - Celina, Texas

Best area BBQ, friendly and knowledgeable staff - food is fantastic and restaurant is clean. Comfortable atmosphere, not rushed. Highly recommend! read more

I read not long ago that Tender Smokehouse was ranked #2 on Yelp's top 100 places to eat at in 2019 and this place didn't disappoint! The place was packed around 3pm on a Saturday but it was totally worth the 1 hour wait to get our food and be seated. I'd definitely recommend their El Jefe for those who haven't been here before. It's basically a sandwich that contains a sampler of their meat. For $11, they were very generous with the portions which were their beef brisket, sausage and ribs. Their house BBQ was excellent too! We also got their Mac and Cheese and loaded baked potato which were both very tasty. I also have to commend the customer service here. Even though the place was packed with a long line of folks, the people working here were very friendly and even offered drinks while waiting in line. I would definitely recommend bringing your out of state family or friends out here to try some Texas BBQ. read more

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Fantastic restaurant has a cool atmosphere with a fun patio with games to play. It's a bit confusing when you arrive but you wait in line to get a table and once a table opens you order. Or you can go in and grab carry out. The food was def worth the 35 min wait on Saturday at lunch. We tried everything and our absolute favorites hands down was the wagyu brisket which they only have on FRI and SAT and the best was the prime bone in beef rib which they only make 8 on FRI and 8 SAT. The banana pudding was a great finisher and I really like the beer selection of local brews and the individual bottle of house bbq sauce they give you. No doubt come on FRI or Sat and make the trip to Celina which has a fun downtown feel and get their brisket and beef rib. I'll be waiting for their frisco location to open and will def be one of the first customers!!! read more

Eaten at Tenders in Celina & Frisco. Had the pleasure of taking the bbq brisket class from One of the owners. Great experience & the food is always top notch. read more

Tender Smokehouse - BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Celina, Texas

BBQ in Texas - doesn't get any better - and near the top of the pack has to be Tender Smokehouse - I've been to the Celina and Frisco locations - love it! The prices are just a little better than some of the other BBQ places around and the food is just as good. I'm a huge fan of the El Jefe - brisket, sausage, beans and a rib on top - it's a serious sandwich! Looking for a treat - try Tender Smokehouse! Great food and great people. read more

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I've had a lot of great barbecue in Texas and I'm excited to say Tender has now been added to my list of tasty barbecue joints. Located in downtown Celina, the place itself isn't terribly large but has a decent area for outdoor dining and live music on the weekends, and also allows your furry four legged animals to dine with you. We came on a Saturday evening and were able to find seating outside on the patio. There was live music that we got to enjoy listening to during our meal, which was an added plus. My husband and I ordered a pound of tender brisket, half a pound of the jalapeno sausage, and a half slab of the spare ribs with a side of their mac and cheese, pineapple slaw, and potato salad. The brisket was super tender and juicy and literally melts in your mouth. The jalapeno sausage was also so good and had the perfect amount of heat with each bite. The ribs were also very tasty and the meat was super tender. The pineapple slaw was refreshing and different than any other slaw I've had. The sweet flavors from the pineapple was a great way to cleanse the palate between each meaty bite. The mac and cheese and potato salad was also tasty, but they were nothing super special. I tried my friends beans and it was surprisingly really good. I'm not a huge fan of beans but this had chunks of meat and a sweet flavor to it. I would definitely order the beans next time. We had a ton of food leftover to take back home. Overall, this place has solid barbecue and the quaint location of this restaurant makes it fun to visit. After eating here, I can see where they got the name 'Tender' for their restaurant. Definitely pay this place a visit if you're up for some good barbecue! read more

Mmm... delicious. Really good bbq, however, Hutchins bbq has it beat. The one thing better than Hutchins were the ribs. Wish I could do 4.5 stars.... The sides were good. The Mac and cheese is really good. Potato salad was okay, like a mix between tater salad and mashed. I had the el jefe which was good. Sausage exterior is quite a bit tougher than Hutchins. The jalap sausage was really good besides the skin. Hutchins jalap sausage is GREAT though. When I come back it will be rack of ribs time!!! read more

Tender Smokehouse - Stuffed tater. - Barbeque Near Me - Celina, Texas

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A great local family vibe with stuff for all ages. They have an open outdoor and indoor seating with a small corn hole area, a ring toss and jenga blocks outside! There is beer on tap and bottle wit Tupps, Community and Dallas Blonde on tap! For the tea tottlers there is tea or a full selection of Dublin sodas in the bottle! Service was fast and the guys bring it right out! I had the beef rib, aka Dino rib! It was perfectly seasoned fatty meat that fell right off the bone! You get a choice of fatty or lean brisket and the slaw has a little pineapple without being too much mayonnaisie! We saw this on Tictok and remembered going once before, they were great then and didn't disappoint the second time around! read more

Everything was superb and delicious! To the moist brisket, jalapeño sausage and full rack ribs!!! Will definitely going back! read more

Tender Smokehouse - I give it 5star everything was delicious! The brisket to the jalapeño sausage, full rack ribs! We left full and with leftovers! - Barbeque Near Me - Celina, Texas

Great brisket and sausage. Loaded sweet potato with brisket is awesome. Banana pudding is great for dessert. Great atmosphere and great service as well. The manager always refills my drink gratis. Love it! read more

Finger licking good food at Tender Smokehouse with really nice staff in Selina Texas! read more

Tender Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Celina, Texas