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    Tender Smokehouse Little Elm

    4.7 (89 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Tender Smokehouse Little Elm Barbeque Restaurant Photos

    TENDER SMOKEHOUSE LITTLE ELM ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Beef rib
    Julie C.

    Nice people, the restaurant looks good inside, got our food very quickly and this is one of the few places I've eaten outside where the staff not only didn't forget we exist but I'd classify them as very attentive. The jalapeño cheese sausage was great, the moist brisket was good, the Mac and cheese was okay, the beef rib was absolutely not worth the money for the amount of edible meat we got and the dry seasoning on the outside of it... it can definitely go without that. For super nearby, it's great and I'll definitely try other things.

    Cute little note on the To-Go bag
    Dolores K.

    We had been to the location on Preston and tried them at the Little Elm Brew and Que, and it was just so good that we were just thrilled to hear that one was opening down the road. We typically place orders to go. So we haven't eaten in yet. However, I will sit and wait inside for our order, and they've been very nice to me. One time I was offered a drink while I waited. It was very much appreciated. Definitely don't mind sitting inside to wait, as it has a nice, wide open feeling to it. I tend order enough meats to last us a few days, which is probably enough to feed an army because I would rather have too much of their bbq than run out. My SO's favorite: Moist brisket. He absolutely loves it. He'll eat other meats but this is his go-to meat from Tender. My favorites: Pulled pork and pork ribs. They've got pork down PERFECT. The taste, texture, and flavor of that meat is unparalleled. The turkey is also quite good, and we have gotten it several times. However, if there's pork or brisket around, it's usually the last to get finished. The meat is moist and flavorful to where it doesn't need a sauce, but the sauce they provide does add a nice touch without hiding the flavor of the meats. Toast, pickles, and onions are also great accompaniments. I will say the sides are good and have tried the Mac and cheese and potato salad sides. But hate to say it - they get forgotten when the meats are around. Banana pudding is a very good dessert. It's rare to have enough room at the end of the meal, but if you do, I recommend it.

    Beef Rib, Potato Salad, Mac N' Cheese
    Michelle C.

    MUST TRY! Hands down, best BBQ we've tried by far. Had to go 3x within 2 days. I recently visited Little Elm Beach for the first time and heard a radio advertisement for a BBQ place nearby. By the end of the day, I had forgotten the name, but Yelp came to the rescue and showed me Tender Smokehouse BBQ. It immediately clicked, and we decided to give it a try. Conveniently located close to the beach, it was the perfect spot to end our day. The reviews were positive, though a couple of negative reviews had mentioned religious décor, but truthfully, the religious décor was not overbearing nor should it have an impact with this restaurant's ratings. I am not religious like that, but I had found it rather than overbearing. We ordered the Beef Rib, Potato Salad, and Mac N' Cheese. Our food arrived quickly, served by the welcoming and passionate assistant manager, Stacy, who is the most respectful, kind, and easy-going person we have ever met. His hospitality was top-notch! The Beef Rib was massive and fell off the bone, needing no BBQ sauce. Even my friend who dislikes potato salad loved theirs, and the Mac N' Cheese was delicious, even for someone like me who usually doesn't enjoy it. Stacy surprised us with banana pudding, which was the best we have ever had. I personally work at a higher end restaurant who serves expensive, made from scratch, gourmet banana pudding, but Tender Smokehouse's banana pudding surpasses it. Also, I don't usually like sweet pickles, but their pickles are absolutely amazing. Stacy had recommended their breakfast and since our first experience left us so impressed, we returned for breakfast the next day. The buttermilk pancakes and smokehouse potatoes were fantastic, the potatoes were amazing and brought back nostalgic childhood memories. Stacy's thoughtful service continued, bringing us extra potatoes. After breakfast, we went back the beach and guess what we got for dinner? We returned yet again for dinner, trying the Frito Pie with brisket and beans and a loaded baked potato with brisket. Stacy also brought us the best turkey I've ever tasted. The Frito Pie and baked potato were satisfying, though the BBQ sauce was different, being vinegar-based instead of sweet and spicy. Overall, the food is perfectly seasoned and doesn't need additional sauces. Dining here three times in two days speaks volumes about the quality. Along with Stacy's hospitality and customer service, it was truly an incredible experience. Tender Smokehouse BBQ has overtaken Hutchins as my top BBQ spot. Highly recommend for great food, excellent service, and a cozy ambiance!

    Rachel C.

    Delicious smoked turkey and lean brisket! The green beans and mac-and-cheese sides were also tasty! Make sure to grab a bottle of bbq sauce from the self-serve station - it makes everything better! Great casual atmosphere that is perfect for a laidback date night or family meal. Definitely looking forward to my next visit!

    Turkey and BBQ Beans
    Linda N.

    Tender Smokehouse where have you been all my life?! Honestly I was having a pretty crappy day at work but boy oh boy when I stepped into this fine establishment my day turned around! Staff was amazing! Nothing beats some southern hospitality. They have a nice little patio overlooking lake Lewisville which was perfect!! Food was 10/10. Literally everything was amazing. You must try the Turkey and Brisket, highly recommend. The manager, Stacy, came by and was so friendly. He went above and beyond to make sure our first visit was one of a kind. Be sure to ask for him when you visit. Can't wait to come back and try their breakfast tacos.

    Terri B.

    New Restaurant Review: Tenders Little Elm I have a project down the street from the new location of Tenders in Little Elm, and have been eagerly awaiting the opening of it. Well, I have good news, they are finally open! They are doing a little bit of work to the patio outside still but inside is up and ready to rock 'n' roll. I have been to all of the locations of tenders. It's one of my favorite go to for some awesome Texan barbecue, and this location stands up to the hype! I went around 2:30 on a Friday, hadn't eaten all day, so it was definitely ready to eat! I ordered the lean brisket and the smoked turkey. Served with delicious pickles, Texas toast, and delicious BBQ sauce. The brisket was smoky and had a fabulous flavor. The turkey has a nice pepper flavor and was cooked really well. The people are really what makes Temder's stand out at every location. They go out of their way to make sure you understand the menu if it's your first time and check on you multiple times during your meal. One of the managers from the Aubrey location I recognized chatted up with a bit, really top-notch folks. The aesthetics inside are the same, rustic decor of the others, they have tall, built-in booths and tables throughout. Lots of Trophy animals around. If you are in the aLittle Elm area next to all the happening areas, tin man social, Hula hat, and like, be sure to stop by for some awesome BBQ! You won't be disappointed.

    Baked potato with Turkey  - huge and took over half home for another meal. And hubby got the Grand Slam to try a little if everything

    We finally made it by to try Tenders! Did not disappoint. All the meat lived up to the name and very good. My baked potato was huge and the Turkey was perfect. Brought at least half of it home for another meal. Do wish they had some appetizers like stuff jalapeños and maybe a few more veggie sides on their menu to offer.

    Roasted half chicken

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    1 month ago

    Great service. The food was pretty good too. Enjoyed a lunch outside with my 4 kids and they all ate. THe staff was supportive.

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    7 months ago

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    1 year ago

    I had a baked sweet potato with brisket. Meat was moist as I requested. The serving size was nice for the price.

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    1 year ago

    Food and service was wonderful. We had a group of 20 people and we were well taken care of. No one left hungry

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    10 months ago

    The food is consistently great. For bbq that can be hard. Have always had kind and prompt service too! Hope they stick around!

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    10 months ago

    Excellent and attentive service. Clean restaurant. And the BBQ can't be beat! Plus the pancakes are amazingly fluffy and good for breakfast.

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    Service was wonderful. They even gave us a dessert on the house! Food was pretty good too.

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    Birdies Breakfast Club - Fuego Omelette

    Birdies Breakfast Club

    4.6(203 reviews)
    5.6 mi
    $$

    My go to spot. We love Birdie's. A bit on the costly side but really you can split any plate…read morebetween 2-3 people lol. You get great service and delicious food I have never had a bad meal here. The regular staff here are amazing and attentive and go above and beyond for every customer. I will say I try my best to avoid new hires because I have my favs lol but that's just me. Gets SUPER busy for lunch and on weekends it's hectic with a 20-30min wait, so keep that in mind. We love how the decorate every part of the restaurant for holidays and it gives such a cozy vibe. The owner and staff are all amazing and we love them. Kids hot coco is my daughters fav. It's massive lol

    We tried Birdies for the very first time, and really loved the atmosphere, friendly service, and…read morethe food. The restaurant itself felt bright, absolutely precious in design, and the staff were very friendly & helpful. We felt that our breakfast was good. My only note is that the breakfast ham was a little over-salted, and my eggs (ordered over medium) had no apparent seasoning. The omelette was good, and so were the pancakes! Of all the food items, the two items that wowed us were the biscuits & the breakfast potatoes! Both shockingly good. The biscuits were fluffy and soft on the inside & buttery with a subtle crisp on the outside. I'm not sure I've ever had a better biscuit from any brunch/breakfast establishment. We'll absolutely be back again, and will be sure to order more biscuits! Four Stars because it was a mostly wonderful experience, with a few misses with regard to seasoning / flavor in the: omelette, hash browns, eggs, and ham. All were good, but needed either less salt OR added seasoning. I'll definitely be back again to give this spot another try!

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    Eggsellent Cafe - 423 Bomber Burger

    Eggsellent Cafe

    4.1(473 reviews)
    3.4 mi
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    First time at Eggcellent Cafe and it was a really solid way to start a Sunday morning. My wife and…read moreI dined in and I was honestly surprised by how quiet it was. No packed entryway, no feeling rushed, just a relaxed vibe that made it easy to actually enjoy the meal. I ordered the chicken fried steak with pancakes, which is pretty much my benchmark order anywhere that offers it. Portions were generous and everything came out quickly. The pancakes were exactly what you want from a breakfast spot and the chicken fried steak hit that comfort food lane without feeling heavy or sloppy. Where they really shined was the service. Everyone was friendly, attentive, and clearly on top of things. Food came out fast, drinks stayed filled, and it never felt chaotic or disorganized. That kind of consistency goes a long way for me, especially at breakfast spots where timing and flow matter. All that said, it lands firmly at four stars for me. The food was good and the experience was smooth, it just didn't quite cross into that five star, must go out of your way territory. And that's okay. Not everything has to be mind blowing to be worth coming back to. We both left happy and full, which is honestly the goal. I'd definitely return and would recommend it if you're looking for a reliable, low stress breakfast spot in Frisco.

    Oh how things have changed! This place was always our go to brunch place! But the service has gone…read moredownhill. Other reviews here mirror the same. As soon as we stepped in, place was not very busy and hostess wouldn't put our name and my wife had to insist and looked like they did not anticipate mother's day traffic. We were table of 6, it took Atleast 20 mins to get a table even though restaurant was not very busy when we got there. We ordered the food, Santa Fe skillets and veggie skillets with some variations Food was great, but service left us lot to be desired

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    Eggsellent Cafe - Breakfast Burrito

    Breakfast Burrito

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    The Local Open

    The Local Open

    4.6(134 reviews)
    5.5 mi
    Locally owned & operated
    Family-owned & operated

    Burger and fries were good. I must add that service was…read moregood as well as they greeted us nicely with no cell phone seen or being used. Ambiance is good.

    First time here after seeing great reviews for a long time, so expectations were probably higher…read morethan they should've been. My wife and I came in on a Sunday afternoon for a late lunch slash early dinner and overall the experience just left us asking, do we not get it? The vibe is cool and the space itself is nice. We didn't do the golf bays, but they look like the main draw and I can see how that would be fun with the right group. From an atmosphere standpoint, no real complaints. Food is where things fell apart a bit. We both ordered the Local Burger and it was mid at best. The bun completely fell apart and the fries were soggy, which is always disappointing when you're paying for something that's clearly trying to present itself as elevated bar food. It is weird that the menu is so limited. Usually fine with that cause it makes the food that is there much better, but that didn't happen this time. Service didn't help much either. The servers were all in their early 20s and spent a good amount of time texting and loudly talking at the end of the bar. I honestly don't care about that as long as service is still attentive, but that part was missed. Drinks sat empty longer than they should have and it just felt disengaged. Overall, it feels like a place that's trying to be fancier than it actually is. The food doesn't justify the hype and I'm guessing the golf bays are what really make this place worth it. I might come back if a friend wanted to go, but it wouldn't be my pick.

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    The Local Open
    The Local Open
    The Local Open

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    Tender Smokehouse Little Elm - bbq - Updated May 2026

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