It's uncommon to find good barbecue at a place with several locations, a place so big, and a place with so many menu options. But Hard Eight nailed it. The brisket was fall apart tender and had good flavor. The ribs had a nice rub, the jalapeño sausage was just the right heat. The jalapeño chicken poppers were excellent, the chicken just had such good smoke on it. The line moved quick. It's not S tier for TX BBQ, but it's a 4.5/5. I guess I'll give Dallas a break on this one and round up. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Coppell, Texas

I was really disappointed with my experience at Hard Eight BBQ. For the price, I expected much better quality. The meat was tough, lacked flavor, and overall just wasn't very enjoyable. What made it worse was how expensive the meal was for what we received. I don't mind paying good money for good barbecue, but the quality has to match the price. Unfortunately, this time it didn't. I left feeling like I paid premium BBQ prices for a meal that was nowhere near premium quality. read more

Good solid bbq spot. If you are visiting Texas and need to get some good authentic bbq hard 8 won't fail you. This is not the best bbq in Texas or in Dallas but it's good. I have taken several out of town folks to hard 8 and all have had a good experience Meat is tender and cooked to near perfection The sides are 9/10 Service is solid and quick and attentive Place gives you a good southern vibe where you can watch the pit and have a good time read more

Texas barbecue is all slightly overhyped in my opinion, and I've definitely had better. But the experience at Hard Eight is enjoyable. It was fun to watch them and pick meats directly off the smokers. Prices are high, which is just the way it is with meat pricing. There's lots of big picnic table seats and fun western decor. Service is good too. I'm a sides person, so I liked the jalapeno creamed corn and the free beans the best! Those beans are spicy and unique. The spicy barbecue sauce is way too thin for me. There are pros and cons, but overall I'm glad we tried it. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Sides! - Barbeque Near Me - Coppell, Texas

Texas BBQ! Plenty of parking and open on Sunday. Full Texas BBQ experience with the grill and smokers outside where you place your order. Pulled Pork, Brisket, and Jalapeño wrapped shrimp is what I ordered. Baked potato and drink on the side. Regular BBQ sauce is very good and I really enjoyed the pulled pork. Brisket was a bit fatty and the shrimp could have been cooked a little more. Texas size portions! Great service and fun atmosphere. read more

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Oh, you could smell the smoky barbecue as soon as you pull into the parking lot there was a line that moved pretty quick considering it was lunchtime. They had everything you can think of and more for a barbecue place. My eyes spied a 10 oz ribeye steak with a side for 24 bucks. That was my pic. I needed the protein. I got my steak, medium rare and I got a sweet potato as my side. It was perfect. Totally delicious and melt in your mouth. I will be back for the steak for sure. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - 10 oz rib eye with side for $24 - Barbeque Near Me - Coppell, Texas

I was thrilled we stumbled across this place. As someone who's not a Dallas local and was in town for a work conference, getting away from the convention scene with five coworkers led us to one of the best meals of the trip. There were six of us, and we picked everything from the smoker we could see. The barbecue was everything you hope Texas BBQ will be--beautifully smoked, incredibly tasty. The meat was tender with just and every bite reminded us why Texas has earned its legendary reputation. I know claiming one barbecue joint is better than the rest of Texas is a bold statement, but after this meal, I'm willing to make it. Texas may set the gold standard for barbecue, and this place somehow manages to rise above it. If I'm back in Dallas, this will be one of my first stops. BB read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Meat!! - Barbeque Near Me - Coppell, Texas

I really wanted to like this place. We read great reviews about Hard Eight BBQ. I think I got too hyped to have great BBQ. Honestly, it was mediocre at best. The ribs had decent enough flavor and were tender. Why the harsh review then? Any BBQ joint that doesn't remove the membrane from their ribs automatically loses a star from me. It's mind numbingly simple to remove the membrane from a rack of ribs. It drives me mad when a place is too lazy to do something so simple. Our brisket was mainly gristle unfortunately. The sides were "meh." My favorite thing was the fried okra. It's pretty hard to mess up fried okra. There really isn't much service involved here. Tell the guy at the pit what you want and he shovels it onto your tray. Then move down the line to pick what sides you want off the buffet bar. The inside of the restaurant is decorated well and has a nice smokehouse feel to it. There was lots of seating inside. I would like to try out one of their other locations in the future. Maybe we just went at a bad time? read more

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I came out to Dallas for the first time as part of a work trip for my new employer. Before my flight home, several coworkers suggested I go to Hard Eight, and I'm glad I did! I've never had BBQ this tasty, and it's on another level compared to the places I've gone to back home. I told the gentleman cooking that this was my first time, and he gave me tips on getting smaller portions so I could try more offerings. I'm glad I did because I wanted to focus on the meat! As I worked my way down the line, everyone was helpful with asking if I wanted bread, what deserts were worth trying, and closing the transaction. The workers who clean off the tables are also amazing. I was able to practice my Spanish with them. Thank you Hard Eight BBQ for making me feel welcome. I'll definitely come by again when I'm in town! read more

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We came here for the first time. The setup is somewhere between a buffet and a regular restaurant. You walk in, choose your meats, they plate them for you, then you go through and pick your sides, pay for everything, grab your tray and find a spot to sit. Very cool experience overall. The meat was divine. Brisket was incredible. Sausage was so juicy and good. Pulled pork was a little dry for me personally but I don't like adding sauces to my meat, so that's on me. My husband loved his pulled pork sandwich. Only thing I would say is the buns could be higher quality, they didn't match the level of the meat. Corn was great. Sides were great. Sauces were great. Service was very quick. Inside was decently loud but we moved to the covered patio area, half outside but sheltered, and it was much quieter out there. We took our time and really enjoyed it. Would absolutely come back. That meat was divine. P.S. My ratings are based on whether I believe I could make a better or healthier version at home. If food/drinks/service impress me, I'll be happy to come back. If not, the stars reflect that. read more

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The only Texas bbq I've had so can't really compare. Got some of everything though: lean brisket, some ribs and spicy sausage. It was busy, got in and out very fast though! Nice atmosphere and cool how you can watch them cook it! read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Lean brisket, spicy sausage, ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Coppell, Texas

My first time back to hard eight after several years and they still impress every time. Service is fast and friendly and the food is fantastic. Everything was amazing. This was my first time getting the ribs and they were amazing. Perfect chew, great rub, and plenty of meat on the bone. Wish I came to DFW more often to enjoy this amazing BBQ read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Brisket, jalapeno sausage, ribs, potato salad, beans - Barbeque Near Me - Coppell, Texas

I've been here a number of times over the years while trying other BBQ places around town. Hard Eight BBQ hasn't changed much over the years but add a couple items here and there. Whether you're on your way to the airport or wandering around for food, this is a BBQ lovers restaurant! Service is top notch and the restaurant still has the same vibe as the yesteryears! This place has withstood the test of time and looking forward to future trips! read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Coppell, Texas

Great late night option near DFW for BBQ. One of the only BBQ places in North Texas that has a bar (most others are BYOB). Came in here with a friend who was a cheer coach from California who was looking for a place she could walk into with 28 families - Hard Eight fit the bill! read more

We were at Grapevine Mills food court and nothing looked interesting. Since this place was not far, we decided to try. They have two different lines for dining in and taking out. We decided to take out since we weren't done at the mall yet. Food came out promptly, although I think ordering for dine in would probably have been faster since there were many takeout orders. We learned that you can order online for pickup as we saw several people come grab their online order. Note to self: order online first next time. We got the turkey, brisket, brisket sandwich, and sweet potato side. I was a little disappointed that there were only 3 sides: baked potato, baked sweet potato, and corn on the cob. Sides at bbq joints are usually a highlight for me, but oh well. Upon taking the first bite of turkey, I could smell a very fragrant Smokey flavor. MmmmMmm. The turkey was also very moist and pairs really well with the non spicy bbq sauce. The brisket was so tender you can literally break it with a spoon. Delicious. The side bark was a lot saltier than the interior, but both were very delicious. Brisket sandwich was good as well. Except it was a chopped brisket sandwich and not great for 7 year olds. There were chopped brisket everywhere on the floor after our meal. The baked sweet potato side was what surprised me the most because it was literally one entire baked sweet potato! I was expecting something more like candied yams and that's why I was so surprised Nevertheless, the baked sweet potato was very enjoyable as well. It came with a side of brown sugar but honestly the natural sweetness and flavor of the sweet potato really shone through. No need for any added sugar. Overall we enjoyed our meal very much and would love to come back to try some of their other items! read more

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This is the first restaurant I dined at when I arrived in Dallas on Saturday. I am a solo traveler and I had the brisket sandwich, jalapeño street corn, macaroni and cheese and the peach cobbler. The restaurant wasn't what I expected. The food was served cafeteria style and the seating reminded me of my high school lunchroom. I did not mind the setup; it was just unexpected. The first stop was at the pit master to choose the meat and I made sure to tell him it was my first visit. I got a juicy chopped brisket there. The next stop was where I chose my bread (I again mentioned that it was my first visit) and the person there recommended that I get the jalapeño bun and it was really good. It was not too spicy and added a nice flavor to the sandwich. He also suggested the street corn and the macaroni and cheese and I enjoyed those as well. I had a sprite fountain drink which did not taste that great so I got the sweet tea for my refill and that was really good. All the food was really good and there was plenty for me to take back to the hotel. I liked the fact that they had to-go containers and bags readily available so I didn't have to go back to the register to ask. I didn't try the peach cobbler until a couple days later but it was really good as well. I would definitely dine here if I am in Texas again and I highly recommend this restaurant. Everyone I spoke to was really nice and helpful throughout my visit. There were people walking around and checking on everyone and one disposed of my tray/trash while I was getting a refill and another brought the to-go container and bag to me since I did not see the spot where they were situated. It was a great start to my visit. read more

My friend and I came on a weekday in the evening. No line no wait which was awsome! The food was ok, I was not pleased but the customer service was good. I ordered the Mac & cheese, Jalapeños street corn, sweet potato fries, chicken and ribs. read more

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My first time in Texas for BBQ. It was, IMHO, very good! The brisket was moist not dry, the pulled pork was really good as well. I must say that I think the jalapeño sausage stole the show! It was so tasty! Not overly spicy but for me everything in the sausage was balanced and great tasting, which really surprised me! The free beans were very tasty too. Very savory! The pit master was great! He was very friendly and entertaining, making my first time at doing Texas BBQ an enjoyable experience. Your clothes will get that smoky smell but I think it will make you want to go back! I certainly do! But being from Hawaii it may be a while before I get back there. read more

A Farewell Letter from the Smoked Meats For three days I lived not with barbecue... but inside it. Time lost meaning. Calendars were replaced with ribs. My bloodstream ran brisket. My pores whispered, hickory. After what historians will one day call The Thirty-Minute Purification Shower, armed with soap, essential oils, and the desperate hope of a man who smells like a food truck, I finally defeated the aroma. The steam rose. The scent fled. Victory was mine. But as I staggered toward the bed--barefoot, exhausted, spiritually tender--I began to reflect. Had I gone too far? Had I chosen the smoker when I should have chosen salad? Was this what the cardiologist warned me about when he said, "Maybe take a day off from meat"? I could feel it... my arteries, whispering softly, padding themselves like couches made of butter. My heart beat bravely, but with the caution of a man jogging uphill while holding a tray of burnt ends. And yet--strangely--I am not upset. I exist now in a rare and sacred emotional state: Happy Fullness Meets Existential Regret. A warm, smoky limbo where joy and misery shake hands and say, "Worth it." So if this is my last night--if I do not wake from this meat-induced slumber--know this: I regret nothing. Tell my story. Scatter my ashes near a smoker. Tell the others I loved them... but not as much as I loved that last plate. Five stars!!! read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Where dreams come from. - Barbeque Near Me - Coppell, Texas

I'm from California and there are so many places here that advertise "Texas BBQ", I lived in TX for some time, they never sell real BBQ. When we saw this place, I saw the smoke stacks and all the wood I knew it was a winner. I was right. I tried the brisket, sausage, chicken bombs, and smoked turkey and they were all amazing. Next time I'm in the area this will be my go to. read more

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This place is incapable of missing when it comes to damn good barbecue. Get as much as you want, since it's by the pound. Everything is full of flavor, juicy, and leaves you full. read more

When I'm in Texas Hard Eight is a must! You walk through the smoker area first selecting your meat of choice. You order by the pound. Sausage, turkey, ribs and more. I get a quarter pound of brisket and it's a good portion! You walk inside and it's side time-- fries, onion rings, slaw, jalapeño sweet corn, pinto beans and so much more. Be sure to save room for dessert! read more

Hard Eight BBQ - 1/2 Sliced Brisket Sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Coppell, Texas

Meat sweats are real, but there is also this thing called 2nd Rendering, where when you eat particularly fatty meats and sweat out the excess. The only cure is sweet tea and desserts. At this point in my trip, a week in, I'd had 3lbs of Brisket, 3 racks of ribs, 1 of beef, 8 sausage links, 1 lb of turkey and a pound if pulled pork at 4 different BBQ spots. I was particularly burned out from driving hours upon hours to get these meals and I was starting to get fatigued. What was great about Hard 8 was the variety, many places didn't have the sides selection or desserts selection or the ambiance and consistency. Hard 8 has multiple locations (this one walking distance for me, albeit a long walk), which is perfect to perhaps walk off at least 1 of the items I ate here. Decor is standard bigger TX BBQ spot, not quite TB's, but certainly not their 1st rodeo seeing they have 4 other locations. They have elements of Salt Lick, but also Texas Roadhouse. Service was good, but I imagine me wearing a Montana Knife Company hat served me better than wearing a San Diego Padres hat. Brisket was a little leaky from not long enough hold time, tender, a hair dry. Ribs were bite thru, light bark, good flavor. I went with a 16oz ribeye rare which was great, just salt, light smoke and good char. Beef ribs were large dino's with a heavy smoke ring. Smoked bologna was best eaten with the stuffed potato as on it's own it's a little to nostaligc/struggle meal-ish. They do quite a bit of catering which is good to know as their website is intuitive. Order your meat from the pit, get your own silverwear, sides are sold a la carte, free beans and condiments. My favorite thing here was the desserts and sides. Fried Okra were crispy, potato salad was a little dry. Mac & cheese was surprisingly not as rich as I'd expected, which made it more enjoyable. Jalapeno sweet corn was more esquites than Tex-Mex-BBQ ish imo. Get the baked potato salad over the regular, creamier and more balanced. Fresh fruit was a nice touch to help cleanse. Split a gallon of sweet tea and load your yeti for the ride home. I'm surprised pickles and bread were extra and their BBQ sauce could have been more complex, somewhere between a glaze and sauce in consistency. Chocolate pecan pie was deccadent. Peach cobbler was amazing, eventhough I like a crumble better. WHiskey buttermilk mixed with the banana pudding was something that a local gal taught me. It's world class consistent with scalable experience and flavor that is solid in every category, glad I don't have to drive hours and can merely walk to get this level of BBQ. read more

Weq ordered a full rack of ribs, sliced brisket, fries, corns Juan was great and he asked us how did we like the food. Overall the experience was great. read more

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I'm honestly embarrassed... I haven't been to H8 in years but I had family in town and they wanted to really try true Texas BBQ. I was like - yeah Hard Eight will be great. I was so wrong. The food was flavorless and barely tasted like bbq. My cousin's ribs were so dry and chewy it was hard to watch him try to eat them. My chopped brisket tasted like pot roast that had been in the slow cooker too long. The sides weren't much better. Who knows how long the okra had been sitting there before they gave it to me. There are other bbq places that do your okra made to order so it's fresh and crispy. I was so embarrassed that I was introducing Texas bbq to them and we went here. It was awful. read more

Steaks are good but a word of warning. I ordered medium rare. The steaks come on a searing hot cast-iron plate so the steaks will continue to cook. By time I got my steak. It was more medium well than medium rare. I order my steaks rare now and it's still too well done for my liking by time it sits and cooks on the searing hot plate. Other than that, the food is great and very tasty. I just wish I could actually get a rare or medium rare steak. The small steaks are now 10 oz not 8 oz. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Menu - Barbeque Near Me - Coppell, Texas

There are no words to describe this BBQ. The brisket was melt in your mouth delicious. The pulled pork was juicy and made to perfection. The side options are perfect for BBQ including hot Mac and cheese, because you can't have brisket without Mac and cheese. 100/10 would recommend this BBQ joint to anyone and everyone.. read more

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Killer food...great service...kitschy TX barn style atmosphere. The BBQ in this place is exceptionally consistent and flavorful. The service is open pit/cafeteria style. Everyone you come in contact with is friendly and easy to understand and communicate with. The dining area is large and open and the sound is "live"...so, be aware that it can get loud and hard to hold a table conversation because of this fact. Overall...if you're in the area and this is what you're looking for - it is worth the stop. read more

Wow! Wow! Wow! When you first walk in you right away enter into the line where the grills and smokers are located. You order and pay by the pound. We ordered brisket pulled pork, sausage and stuffed peppers. Once you've picked your meat selection, you go into the restaurant and it's cafeteria style which I thought was so cool! You can pick up salads, side and desserts. There was plenty of seating and BEST OF ALL free beans! Yup! They have a pot to grab a bowl and they were delicious!! Can't wait to come back read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Pulled pork, brisket, stuffed peppers, sausage and toast - Barbeque Near Me - Coppell, Texas

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I went here twice in one weekend while visiting Dallas. Once with my friend and another time with coworkers. First I got the brisket, regular potato salad, sweet corn, cheesecake, and a Diet Coke (I know, oink oink piggy amirite ). But yeah it was really frickin good like what am I supposed to say. The second time I got a half chicken, twice baked potato salad, Mac and cheese, sweet potato fries, cheesecake, and a ranch water. (Holy moo could he order any more food) and yeah I was stuffed and satisfied. Only complain is they didn't use topo Chico for the ranch water but a piggy eats whatever slop the farmer pours in the troph. Thanks hard eight. I'll be back. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Diet Coke, Chicken Half, twice baked potato salad, Macaroni and Cheese, Cheesecake - Barbeque Near Me - Coppell, Texas

Trip to Dallas with my husband on his business trip. Ty he host held dinner here. I was so excited to try here very in Dallas Texas food! Everybody has to stand in line for order and tell the staff what you want. It was very long line to order but felt like standing in line for Disney attraction! lol!! I already enjoyed even before got meal. It was hot and felt real BBQ area with smoke. I followed our host and ordered little bit and little bit each meat. They scaled your meal weight and passed the receipt then took it to cashier. Well, their brisket is the winnah!!!! Tender and flavorful, even I'm not so much brisket meat person, that's the best! Also sirloin was good!! Tender and tasty. Their frozen margarita and frozen whiskey & coke are also very fresh and nice. If there is a chance to back to Dallas, I'd like to back here again! read more

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I'm on a mission to try all the BBQ spots in Texas, or at least it feels that way. Today's stop was a DFW institution with a few locations around town. It was good, but honestly, not as good as another DFW chain I love, Hutchins. This place had solid BBQ, but fewer sides and noticeably higher prices. The beef rib was my favorite, and the corn was also really good. We went at an odd time in the late afternoon, so all the hot sides were pre-packaged, which was a little disappointing. On the plus side, don't forget about the free beans over by the condiments. They do have a few made-to-order sides like fried okra, which we tried and enjoyed. My only real complaint is that the ordering system felt a bit confusing, even though they post instructions by the front door. read more

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Solid spot for lunch. The Brisket is good the poppers could have been a bit larger. What makes this place great besides the food is the staff. They all are super friendly and professional. Plenty of parking in the lot. I took a star off because the Ribeye fell short on tenderness and taste. read more

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Brisket, spicy sausage, twice baked potato and peach cobbler were great! Lots of comfortable seating and attentive staff, loved the covered outdoor seating especially read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Coppell, Texas

Yummy bbq. We got the brisket.One of the better locations. Staff was really good at cleaning g tables.

First of all the service was beyond outstanding, I ordered a steak for example, I didn't know it came with onions, I'm allergic to onions, manager immediately got me a new steak apologized they were very, very good and the steak was cooked. Perfect. The staff is all friendly kept asking if we needed anything, the atmosphere is really Texas barbecue, we live in Tucson, Arizona and will we be back every time we go through DFW airport. The beans are outstanding, the corn potatoes. Everything about this establishment rates of five star rating. This is real barbecue, smoked, on and in real offset barbecue cookers amazing read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Inside the building, - Barbeque Near Me - Coppell, Texas

Great BBQ. Close to DFW airport. Food is on the smokers as you go through the line. You pick whatever you want and it's served from the smoker. Once inside you select sides. Brisket was great. Sausage and ribs were good. Bacon wrapped shrimp was good. Great place for groups. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Dining room - Barbeque Near Me - Coppell, Texas

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It was ok but not the off the hook Texas bbq I was looking for. I will try terri black next time.

The Hard Eight BBQ is legit Texas barbecue massive Fortions great taste atmosphere is off the charts did I say massive portions had a good price? Service was good and healthy. They even got a gift shot. Can't wait to come back and have more. read more

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PLEASEEE COME HERE. wow the food was sooo freaking good. the hospitality was amazing, wow. we aren't from Texas, so we were so surprised that each worker was soo genuinely kind to us. We forgot their names but the two employees who served us our meat were so nice and helpful. Everything was flavorful. THE SWEET TEA WAS GOD SENT. oh i love texas sweet tea but theirs was amazing. Ambiance is lovely. They had dim-ish lighting and nice seating. High and low seating available. Very kind staff. read more

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