As you enter the restaurant you are in a line, that I heard sometimes wraps around the block. It winds up and back a couple of rows. When it's your turn, you decide what meat you'd like. They slice it and put it on a plate. I ordered some brisket, a slice of turkey, and a rib. It is weighed and a sticker is put on your tray. You walk inside and can choose cold sides. Then there's a warmer where I chose Mac and cheese. Also as I walked in I was asked if I wanted fries or onion rings. I chose the rings and was given a number to keep on my tray so they could bring them out to me when they were ready. Then you pay. They also serve soda and alcoholic beverages but you get them at the bar. There is a place to get bbq sauce mild or spicy and if you're eating g in you can get pinto beans as well Everything we ate was delicious. Would definitely return, so many other items to try!! read more

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Every six months I get to try another Dallas BBQ joint, Hard Eight made the cut, and did not disappoint. Legitimate Texas BBQ. A lot of reviews have described the process - it's as they say. Four stars only as compared to other Dallas BBQ joints - five star anywhere outside of Texas. Ribs and Jalapeño Sausage were perfect - great spice in the sausage. Brisket was ok - might have been my serving but not much flavor though I really didn't get any bark on my plate. I'd order it again - I'm just saying. If you're making the BBQ rounds and find yourself near Roanoke then Hard Eight should be on the list. read more

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OMG, this place is legit! I arrived at 5 PM on a Monday and it was already beginning to get busy. The process is that you get in line and then when you get up to the Carver order your meats, as much or as little as you want; after you're done ordering they weigh the meat - prices are per pound (currently $26/lb). Then head inside to collect your sides, of which there are many. Then complete your purchase with the cashier at the end of the line. Tonight I tried a little of everything: the brisket - full of smoky flavor and super tender, yet it tended to crumble rather than being able to slice it; the pulled pork - juicy and tender; the jalapeño cheddar sausage - full of flavor and zip, IMO the star of the show; the turkey - dust-dry and flavorless. This one was a disappointment, however, when he was assembly my order I noticed that the Carver did locate a butt end in which he sliced the rest of the meat from. I'm sure the fresh off the smoker, huge breast that just got put down on the warmer would've been just fine in juicy flavor. They should have found some other use for that dry butt end of turkey instead of serving it to me because I took only one bite and threw the rest away. For sides, I had the jalapeño sweet corn casserole (outstanding!). Coleslaw (fresh) and complimentary pinto beans. These beans were excellent and they are cooked with what I'm assuming are the leftover scraps of meat; what a flavorful side item and they are free! I love their regular sauce, didn't care for the flavor their spicy sauce. Sauces are available on a warmer which further adds to the flavor. I did get a piece of whiskey pie to -go. Their pie slices are small, which was fortunate, in this case, because I didn't find it to be very good. Overall, fantastic food, young servers and staff were respectful and helpful. Nice air-conditioned, indoor dining as well as outdoor dining tables. read more

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A couple of my Texas friends while visiting them took me to their favorite barbecue hang out. It was called hard eight barbecue pit. I had never heard of it so I thought yeah let's give it a try. When we arrived in old Roanoke square, deemed the restaurant spot of Texas. I discovered there's open air seating along with indoor. I was greeted promptly and they explained how it all works. Your meat selection is paid for by the pound. Anything you want from brisket, ribs, sirloin and sausage plus tons of sides. I ordered the brisket, rib and a thin slice of smoked sirloin. The ambiance is classic Texas Pit BBQ. The smokers are on sight and smokin' . The brisket had nice smoke ring and marbling. The ribs were smoked well but the rib had too much fat and bone fragments. The sirloin was a little too chewy but tasty. Lesson learned for a steak go to a steakhouse and brisket go to Hard 8 BBQ. The sauces were very flavorful (regular spicy and pepper.) The fried okra was a huge portion and perfect. I recommend the twice baked potato as well. I will go back for sure to give the ribs another shot. read more

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I came in planning on straight barbecue, but then I saw the ribeye special and had to try it out. It isn't even listed on their website. For less than 20 bucks I got a magnificently grilled ribeye, covered in amazing onions and the side of my choice. It's a good spot at lunch, short lines and very relaxed inside. All of the workers were very helpful. Certainly one of the great steak deals in town. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - The almost unbelievable ribeye special - Barbeque Near Me - Roanoke, Texas

This our first time visiting Texas and this is some good BBQ. We got both the Jalapeño and Regular Sausage, brisket and pulled pork and everything was so delicious. The smoke flavor is present without being overpowering. The sausage had a wonderful snap and flavor. The staff were so kind and knowledgeable. Since it was our first time they went over the menu and gave some samples. The atmosphere was rustic and welcoming. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Roanoke, Texas

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Hard Eight BBQ is a solid spot and definitely worth checking out. The atmosphere is great and you can tell they take pride in what they do. The food was good overall, with nice quality meats and a good variety of options. That said, I personally felt like it could've used just a bit more flavor to really stand out. Not bad by any means, just missing that extra kick that takes it to the next level. Service was okay, everything ran smoothly, just not the warmest or most engaging experience. Overall, still a good place to grab BBQ, and I'd come back again. read more

What a neat concept to get in line and order your food. The place was really busy. When we were in line, there were no patrons seated at the covered patio area. Everyone was inside the main dining hall. There is plenty of seating on both sides. You can see the cooks bbq-ing the ribeyes with onions and jalapenos while you're in line. When you get to the front of the line, you can pick whatever meats you want and they weigh it by the pound. They have a fantastic variety of sides and desserts. One of my favorites was the complimentary beef stew that comes in a huge pot next to the condiments. The banana pudding and mud pies are also fantastic since they taste homemade. If you order the ribeye, there's a wait and a server will bring it out to you. It comes on a sizzling cast iron plate with grilled onions, jalapenos, and a lot of butter. The only thing that could be better was the steak and seating. The steak was good and tender, but also on the saltier side. If you're sitting at a table with the barstools anchored in place, it is pretty high for a short person like myself, and my feet couldn't touch the ground...haha. Also, the seat I was on was very narrow so it wasn't the most comfortable to sit on top of not being able to touch the ground...but hey, I get they're short people problems. Overall, amazing bbq spot and would return again. read more

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Sorry no pics because we ordered from Doordash and devoured everything in about 30 minutes flat lol! It was that delicious Hard Eight BBQ sauce is Fire We ordered one of everything all delicious Sausage was my favorite and Bread pudding hard to pick the best. Highly Recommended from our Lyft driver visiting Texas. read more

It was our first time at this location, and everything was excellent. The staff were warm, welcoming, and friendly. The steak was wonderful, along with the ribs and other BBQ dishes. The atmosphere was very festive and cozy, making the experience even more enjoyable. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Roanoke, Texas

All I can say is that the food makes you feel like you are in BBQ heaven. The smokey flavorful flavors mixed with all the seasonings makes your tastebuds explode. Service is top notch and they come around checking to see if you are in need of anything while enjoying your meal. read more

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I don't know why this place doesn't have 5 stars! I went here with my family who were visiting and it was absolutely INCREDIBLE. Well worth the price! I love how fast we got our food and the sides were just as good as meat itself. The service was quick and very helpful for first time goers. The tables were nice and big, spacious enough for big groups. HIGHLY recommend and we will definitely be going back. read more

This place is wicked good. Brisket, ribs and sausage as well as sides all amazing. This is a walk thru and order, service was awesome. Atmosphere is what you expect for a bbq spot. Relaxed and comfortable. You might have to wait a little but worth it. read more

This is a go do for me. I had the brisket and ribs. My daughter had the turkey. The brisket and turkey were great, but the ribs were nothing great. I expected the ribs to be more tender. Great atmosphere, especially with a family read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Tirkey - Barbeque Near Me - Roanoke, Texas

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After prob a few months of wanting bbq, finally looked online for a place to go (it's not the cheapest of meals lol). I ordered the 1/2 pound of brisket, 1/4 pound of both sausage (jalapeno and regular). Let's start with the main food and the reason to go to a bbq place in the first place. The brisket is very tender and falling apart with a very good sweet and smoky flavour to it. The sausage both tasted nearly the same, but one is spicier (of course) and tastes very good as well. I can't contest to my wife's (stuffed sweet potato with pulled pork), or my child's (stuffed baked potato with pulled pork) since I tried neither, but it was a to go order and traveled 30 minutes to get back home and everything maintained their warmth and everything, because it was packaged very well. For the sides I tried to pinto beans and jalapeno corn. Imo a little pricey for how small the containers are ($3.50), but both were really good. My child also said the onion rings were thick and tasted good as well. Finally the peach cobbler that I got for dessert. It was nice and warm and it wasn't overly bready (some places it's nearly all crust and a hint of peach, or the crust isn't seasoned at all, neither is the case here). Now while the food withstood the taste test on their own, I do have a couple of complaints which is why I removed a star. 1) wife ordered regular bbq sauce while me and my child got the hot and spicy bbq sauce. No sauce was in the bags, at all which was very disappointing since I def like bbq sauce to add a little extra flavour and heat (since I was excited they had a spicier one lol). And 2) it wasn't easy to find the area to pick up the food from at that time of the day and took waiting in line until was close enough to the employees to ask them, which the guy was nice enough to lead me right to where I need to go. Not their fault, but just a warning about the parking there... It's a nightmare finding a place to park on a Friday night, so beware and if have the option to drive a smaller car, I would def recommend it, since it's in downtown Roanoke (I drove my F-150 vs. my Honda Fit and def regretted that choice) read more

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One of our favorite places to have BBQ! When you order it's like being at a donut shop of bar b q! Yes I'll take a little of that and a little of that we say pointing at the meat choices! The sirloin is my favorite. Always seasoned well and medium- medium rare (this time a little more in the rare side but still good). I love you can help yourself to beans and this time was not so Spicy which is perfect for me. The employees are always friendly and one lady went above and beyond coming over and taking any trash and trays and getting to go containers. Wish I knew her name. Great casual place for family gathering too. read more

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Very interesting restaurant. We walked in and they explained how the restaurant works. You order the meat you want by the weight. the grills/smokers are right there where you order. You are actually still outside under a roof. They give you the meat you order on a tray. You go inside and get the side dishes, bread, drinks, etc. You stop and get your drinks and some free beans. It's a unique concept but it works. I liked it. I had a pulled pork sandwich. The best was good but there was server big pieces of fat mixed in. Their bbq choices were both spicier than I like. They need a sweeter choice. The French fries were good. I tasted my husband's rib order. It was great. He said his chopped brisket was great as well. Next time I'll get the brisket. read more

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When in Texas, you gotta do barbecue! And barbecue I did. Hard Eight has got to be one of the best barbecue places in North Texas. Now you gotta understand - when you come to this place you will smell like barbecue no matter how hard you try to avoid it. Essentially, you are walking into a covered - but open air - room of nothing but smokers, and I ain't talking about cigarette smoke - it's serious barbecue smokers! And believe me, the smoke and smell is all around you. You come up to the pitmaster-you see all the freshly barbecued and smoked meats in front of you and you order by the pound. I got myself a half pound of turkey and a half pound of chopped brisket. Holy moly! What an amazing amount of meat. I slathered a little bit of barbecue sauce on it, ate it with a piece of bread and a good dose of Shiner beer, and finished it off with a potato salad side and a terrific chocolate pecan pie. If you ever find yourself in Dallas Fort Worth? Stop by this place just for fun and then you'll come back for the flavor and taste and experience. It ain't fancy but boy is it good! read more

Great fresh grilled steak with grilled jalapeño and onions...delicious. Quick fast service...all the beans you can eat for free with your dinner...baked potato was very good! read more

I did not have a 27$ meal. My baker with chopped beef was very very small but good. The 3 ribs taste as if they were leftover from yesterday. There was no flavor and the ends were crunchy. I've been coming here for years and never experienced this. I'll stay keeping the baker with chopped beef and will leave the other meats to someone else. Disappointed. Service was good atleast. Ambiance was peaceful as usual. read more

I've been to Hard Eight many times and have neglected doing a review. This is my go to BBQ spot in the DFW area thus far. Excellent overall BBQ with great smoke flavor. I went with ribs and brisket this time. The ribs were fall off the bone, moist and perfect smoke. The brisket was also perfectly moist and smoky. I've had their chicken, sausage links, beef ribs as well. They were all very good. The sides are ok. Sauce is on the side and you can apply as you want. Their spicy and original sauces are both very good. They do offer a military discount. Overall the staff has always been nice and professional. This is worth the time. It is a little pricey if buying for a family. read more

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Hard Eight has become our go to spot for when we are craving barbecue. I've eaten both at the store and ordered take-out quite a few times. I would rate their brisket 5 out of 5. It's definitely the best I've had in the area. Their turkey can sometimes be a little dry but their barbecue sauces make up for that. They offer all the fixings and potatoes as well. Inside has a really laid back sport ls bar vibe and they have plenty of outdoor seating. The employees are friendly and the service is fast. read more

No better BBQ in the area. Plus great staff. We even ordered catering to bring back to Colorado.

Hard Eight BBQ offers a unique dining experience. Similar to the 'pay by weight' yogurt places, here, generally, you will pay by the weight of your meat. Originally, I was going to give a four star review due to the price point. However, the meat and onion rings tasted so good, I changed my mind to a five star review. As an example, my meal was about $35 as seen in my pictures (4 ribs, half a sausage link, and onion rings). The onion rings had a unique seasoned batter that tasted great. The ribs were tender and well prepared. Server was good and a hostess was very helpful for a newcomer to understand the purchase process. Parking was limited so plan to arrive a bit early if planning near a lunch or dinner rush. Temperatures are depending on where you sit due to large windows. read more

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Hard 8 BBQ is *almost* perfect, and definitely THE BEST BBQ this Midwesterner has ever consumed! Service was friendly, as is the vast majority of the Fort Worth area. My father in law let me try his order: pulled pork and sirloin. The pulled pork was legit mind blowing - best I've ever had! And the sirloin just was heavenly. I wish I ordered both of those! Instead, I had the chicken, While it was amazingly fall off the bone tender (never had that with BBQ chicken before!) the flavor was lacking, especially compared to everyone else's order at the table. The regular potato salad was the best I have every has as well! Mustard-based, there was an interesting herb in it - tarragon? Fruit cup was solid, with every bite looking and tasting fresh. We ended the meal with the TX Whiskey Buttermilk Pie. ORDER THIS OR YOU WILL REGRET IT! Wow, so good! I thought about much of the meal the next day, and almost convinced my husband to go here again before we flew out. With several locations across the metro area, dine at Hard 8 and be happy. :) read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Tender Chicken and yumalicious Whiskey Buttermilk pie! - Barbeque Near Me - Roanoke, Texas

It's been a while since I've eaten here but we stopped in for drinks today and it looked and smelled incredible. They had frozen whiskey and cokes and frozen margaritas. My friend got the frozen marg and enjoyed it! read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Frozen margarita - Barbeque Near Me - Roanoke, Texas

This place was in a really cool part of the town called Roanoke. There was plenty of street parking and a lot across the street which made parking a breeze. When you walk up to this place you are hit with the delicious smell of the pit. On the perimeter of the building is the guy grilling up your ribeyes for you. When you walk into the building you have the pit with all the meat you can dream of. I had the brisket the smoked sirloin and a chicken popper. The meat was absolutely amazing and all the add on for free were great. Tons of seating and everyone was so nice. 10/10 read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Roanoke, Texas

Open pit with all the meats! Um, yes please :). Super-friendly service. Cafeteria-style for sides .... Including 4 different chilled desserts and various warm cobblers. Texas-and-proud ambience....loved every minute of it! 90s country is the music of choice which can't be beat! read more

This is one of the best barbecue places that you can visit in Texas with an amazing grill where you buy all of your meats by the pound, and I have never left disappointed read more

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For BBQ, this is one of my favorite local brands. First time at this location, and it is much smaller than others that I frequent. Is it the best all around, it's got some great flavor, tho my main draw isn't just the flavor, but that I can get the meat by the pound, and not by the plate. The steaks are thin, if you get one, ask them to deliver it on a cold plate, otherwise it comes on a fajita cast iron grill and continues to cook as it sits on it. Ambience is southern fare. Lots of picnic style tables with bolted down stools to sit at. This is the case at every location I've visited. Worth a trip to check it out. Walking in greets you with the smokers and holding grill for the cooked meats, they cut what you want and place it on an old school lunch tray. Get as much or as little as you please, pay only for what you get. Great concept. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Roanoke, Texas

Hands down best beef ribs! I think they only serve on the weekends but it is a must try. Also had the 8 oz ribeye which was a good size and full of flavor. The onions adds another added flavor which worked really well well. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Beef Ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Roanoke, Texas

We have been scouring Dallas and Fort Worth for a great BBQ spot....and we finally struck gold. The brisket is just beautiful here. Throw in some jalapeno sausages, sauce, toppings, and sour dough buns? Stunning. Pair all that with potato salad & creamed corn? Game changer. Finally, the cobbler selection made my heart melt. Peach, apple, and cherry were the favorites by far. Blueberry was a miss for us. Side note - Our shrimp skewers were a bit overcooked. They came out hard, and we probably wouldn't try those again. Chicken skewers were better, but don't compete with the brisket. Overall - We went 5 times in the same month. They are CONSISTENTLY good. See you guys soon! read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Roanoke, Texas

Some of the best BBQ I've had in a while. Went on Father's Day and still received fast and amazing service. Loved the self serve beans. Will definitely be back! read more

Love the place in Stephenville but this one is lacking. Brought family in from Washington after bragging about Texas BBQ. Not busy at all at 2:00 pm so ordered brisket, ribs, and sides. Paid and sat down but my first bite was warm. A little colder in the middle of the fatty side of the brisket. My Cousin took a bite as the pit guy walked up and said his brisket was cold. The pit guy tried to tell us since we were sitting under a fan, it cooled off in the two minutes it took to pay. I asked if that was true, why was the meat cold on the inside and not the surface. He offered to take it back and warm it up but not sure if he would microwave it or what. We ate it and I saw a sign that said any problems report it to the Manager, which I did. The guy seemed uninterested in what I had to say even though I told him we didn't want our money back or other consideration. Sides were good, service of the counter people and the bus girl was outstanding. In the end, if I'm paying over $200 for a lunch for four people. It should be piping hot. I will not go back to this Location. read more

Solid brisket here. Stick with the brisket and potato and thank me later. I will definitely be back, probably to try the beef ribs.

Fantastic place, love taking my out of state family and friends here. Best place to show off authentic Texas bbq food!!! Don't forget to order banana pudding with the meat. Love the jalapeño spicy sausage, brisket, ribs, steak, corn, baked potato, bread, and all the onion, pickle and bbq sauce side dishes. They also have free bean and sausage soup. Yum! Service is also super friendly and the vibes are great here. Nice country feel still. read more

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It's not often that the ambience or environmental experience, and the actual dining and food in your mouth experience go hand-in-hand. However, that happened here. The open pit style barbecue and the relaxed bench/family style seating really work well together. The brisket is really fantastic. The flavor and spices are just right, although they can be a tad on the salty side, depending on your particular taste. The great thing is you can order on the fly dry or wet (fatty) brisket. Just point and say I want that to the meat cutter. The ribs are tender and seasoned well. They do need sauce, however, end of the several times eating here, every once a while, got some ribs that were a little bit on the dry side. So be prepared to get not so moist ribs. You can also get a good old fashion ribeye steak if you want. The great thing is that it's cooked on an open charcoal grill, so it has that nice smoky taste to it like you made it in your backyard. For sides, the sweet cream corn, and the fried okra are fantastic. For dessert. The little mini pies are tasty as well. Especially the cherry and apple pie turnover thingies. When you get to the end of the line to check out, if you want a beer, make sure to let them know there, the selection is limited, but there are some local choices, so not bad. The stuffed jalapeño poppers are a must. Have the chicken, and it's tasty. I have not had the shrimp but heard it's very good. Regarding the barbecue sauce, both are good depending on what your taste is. If you like good, old-fashioned, barbecue sauce, and get the regular. The flavor profile is sweet and smoky and thick. The spicy barbecue sauce is spicy, on my scale probably a five out of 10. However, there is a slight tang to it, and a slight aftertaste, that some people may not enjoy. So before you get cups of it, I would suggest tasting it first. One word of warning, remember that your eyes are always bigger than your stomach. Pretty much guaranteed that you'll pick out more things than you can eat. And remember when you're done picking your meat out, you aren't finished. You'll go through the door and then pick up your sides and desserts. Remember, most people probably don't walk out of Hard Eight, they roll out read more

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Cannot say enough good things about the steak and more importantly the grill chef, his name is Collin and wow can he make a flavor full melt in your mouth steak. I'm very picky and hard to please, really takes a lot to get me to go to a BBQ spot, this place blew me away!! I will def be back. My husbands brisket was excellent with alot of flavor as well. Excellent place. Must try it!! read more

Hard Eight BBQ - 8 oz steak - Barbeque Near Me - Roanoke, Texas

Great food! We were sent here by one of the locals and it was great food. I had the turkey, with Mac and cheese. The wife had ribs with some onion rings. The only thing missing was cornbread.... They could have had it and I missed it. Would definitely recommend this place if you're in the area. read more

This past experience I noticed their posted allergy notice at the entrance. Super helpful to know since I have a dairy and soy intolerance, I can still enjoy some of my fave things! Yay!! Anyway, Hard Eight never fails. Of all the bbq places we've tried H8 has the better brisket. It has a great flavor that doesn't rely on a sauce. The smoke is good and it is moist. The ham is tasty as well. The jalapeño sourdough buns are the bomb, I always opt for them. My husband loves the okra. Thanks for being amazing each and every time! read more

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