Machine Talk about a well-oiled machine! They have it down to a science here. Start in line outside at the pit. Ask for the meat cuts you want then move to the line inside, where you get sides, desserts, drinks, sauces, etc. You pay there as well. The food is freakin amazing! Staff is so nice!! Go Texas!!! read more

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Haven't been to H8 in probably 20 years. The joint has definitely developed a 'patina', shall we say. Still the same Llano-style serving pit line, pay by the lb program. Cooking pits didn't seem to be very active and the incinerator (burns mesquite down to coals) didn't either. Made me wonder if they haven't switched over to covert rotisserie pits like Cooper's. Sure hope not. Anyhow, I got half lb lean brisket and 2 pork ribs. I grew up eating this style of q and this had that same 'fat dripping into the fire' flavor that all Llano-style q has. I used to love it. I mean, really love it. Now, to me, it's just ok. H8 did a very good job executing this style of q, but I believe the direct cooking flavor is inferior to a well run, clean burning offset. The fat sizzle flavor hit me more as an off note than 'Ah yeah, Llano q'. Also, Llano-style q is heavy on the salt. I guess my taste buds have grown up. Also, the H8 sauce is NOT traditional Llano thin ketchup vinegar style dip. On 2nd thought, if the meat was cooked direct over coals, the better option might have been to go for the pulled pork, ala North Carolina style. But, this is Texas, after all. read more

This restaurant was the first recommendation by a local businessman so I decided to check them out. The area where grilling is taking place is huge. I managed to beat the lunch crowd when I arrived and walked right up to the order taker. When I left around 12:30 there was a twenty person line waiting to place their meat order with the grill men. Yep, that's how you do it here. Select your meat and how you want it cooked then proceed inside for sides and fixins. Two large dining areas, one inside and one outside although outside is enclosed except for one open wall. I ordered the 8 oz ribeye dinner and a baked potato. With that I got a choice of bread, beans and a drink all for only $21. Texans are so lucky to be able to eat great steaks at such low prices because it sure isn't that way around the rest of the country. My food was delicious and cooked perfectly. I would eat here once a week if I lived here. read more

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I'm from Pa and always wanted good Texas bbq and this place did it / from waiting in line and they are cooking right in front of you you feel the heat the smell , food was the absolute best barbecue I had in Texas just actually amazing do not skip this place. Only draw is it a little expensive but I'm willing to pay good money for good food and good service and everything was perfect. I can't wait to come back. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Pulled pork ribs, jalapeño sausage, and brisket french fries beans, coleslaw, bread, pudding, all absolutely perfect - Barbeque Near Me - Stephenville, Texas

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We were in town visiting my daughter and everybody was hungry. We wanted to try something different, and my daughter suggested this place. As I had eaten at one of their locations in the DFW area, and liked it very much, I was all in for it. We went on a Saturday after the usual eating times and thought it would not be crowded. I was wrong as this place was packed. However, parking was abundant, and we were able to get a spot near the entrance. Walking into the covered entrance, guests walk by the pits and can see what is cooking. Smoke was in the air, and the scents floating around were enough to make you hungry. I wanted to get a sample of multiple items, so I picked a couple of ribs, a sausage, and a couple of slices of brisket. It seems like the food was ready for us nearly before we got to the end of the ordering line. We went inside to get our sides and pay. In addition to the sides that you can order, beans are near the drink station and are free with every meal. Let me just say that I was unpleasantly surprised with the food taste. There seemed to be a lack of seasoning, no smoke flavor, and the brisket was more like pot roast than brisket. However, the ribs and sausage had some nice flavor. The brisket was an embarrassment to Texas barbecue. Brisket I have had in one of their other locations was really good and was nothing like what I got here. I guess you can chalk that up to the pit master having a bad day. Will I return? I will give them another chance so they can correct my opinion of the brisket. read more

It is never a HARD time to come here. We LOVE LOVE all the food. There is so much to like about this location. Food first! The barbecue and sausage were totally on point this time. My mom loved her bacon, jalapeño wrapped shrimp treat. ;) We also like the beans, coleslaw, and potato salad. Besides the really neat ambience here I totally love the people! The people outside at the grills/smokers are always so friendly, knowledgeable, and willing to help you decide. The people inside work like a well oiled machine. Very friendly also. And they keep the inside of this location so nice and clean. The restrooms are always clean. We will be back! read more

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The pork ribs were very dry and overcooked, the bark was like eating wood splinters! The brisket was dry and had a HUGE fat seam running through it. Neither the brisket or the ribs had very much meat on them. The Mac n Cheese was SOOO cheesy and creamy it was overwhelming. Couldn't even tell there were any noodles in there! The beans were definitely the best thing of any of the food we ate. I was so disappointed!! We drove out of the way to eat at this iconic BBQ joint. Never again. read more

Love it a sure favorite! Always consistently good Always recommend hard eight To all read more

Called in a delivery for the staff at Stephenville Pipe! Adrianna, Caedyn, & Jason are simply amazing. They understand the value of customer service. The food is always next level-stuffed baked potatoes with brisket and sausage was the choice of the day. Outstanding and with all the fixings! Hard Eight is Damn Good, Booyah! David T Sine AKA Coach read more

My husband and I have eaten at many barbecue places all over Texas but this place is the best I've ever had. The sliced brisket, the pinto beans and the fried okra were all delicious, but the brisket was wonderful. We will definitely eat here again when we're traveling from San Antonio to Fort Worth. read more

Used to be good. Now it's not. Last THREE times we went... kept thinking it was an off day.... Nope Just not good anymore. Whatever you did.... You might want to FIX it! read more

Delicious barbecue and great service. It was a little pricey for lunch, but well worth it!!!

The food and service were amazing! I highly recommend this restaurant and location if you're in the area.

Great place to eat out with friends. A little pricey but worth it occasionally. Country casual environment like most Texas BBQs

I recently went to Hard Eight a couple times and the first visit was a strong 5 stars and my second was what I felt was a surprisingly maybe 4 stars meal. I must give them a 5 because the initial visit with a friend who recommended was so awesome, it felt like the Best BBQ I ever had. Everything was so flavorful with the only exception the bacon wrapped chicken being on the dry side. The rest of the meal was so great it was easily ignored. The bacon wrapped shrimp was amazing, yet my next visit the shrimp wasn't quite the same but it was enjoyed. They unfortunately ran out of BBQ chicken the later visit which I was hoping to have. The ribs are delicious and side dishes tasty. If they ask to "dip it in butter" the answer is yes, and not just the corn on the cob. The atmosphere was that of a western BBQ place which is fine but my only gripe are the flies but it wasn't horrible. The employees were helpful and kind so that was a good vibe. Strongly recommended! read more

Excellent barbecue. We had the ribs and turkey. Sides were great and atmosphere was fun.

Hard Eight was a super fun experience. You walk in to the pit area and tell them what you want. They cut it right they and serve it up on a tray. You then go inside to grab any sides or dessert and your drinks. They is plenty of seating inside and out. Fun decorations too. We had the brisket, turkey, two poppers (chicken & shrimp) and a sweet potato. Everything was delicious except for the brisket. We got the end piece which was very hard. After talking to our server, she went and got us a new cut. It was much better but too fatty for my liking. The bbq sauce is very good, I bought two bottles to bring home. I really enjoyed the poppers and wish I would have ordered more of those. read more

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Hard 8 excels at a lot of things if you know the quirks. Get there as close to lunch or dinner to get best cooked & tasting meats. Rolls are amazing & don't skip the chicken, both are stellar. Pay attention when ordering so as not to end up with a football team amount of food. Deserts are great. read more

Very good Texas BBQ, tasty!!! They have many choices and cook the old fashion way, low and slow.

Pretty good. Pricing is little high on meat per pound especially the ribs so skipped those. The smoked chicken and brisket were good. The smoked baloney was a deal. read more

Nice place to eat. Traveling through and gave it a shot. Did the potato w chopped brisket beef. It was good snd moist. Enough to take some home. The guys on the pits were super nice snd guided us since it was our first visit. Decor snd sitting area was clean and fun. read more

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Great ambience! I will start with I didn't have any of the standard BBQ items on this visit. The ribeye was phenomenally cooked! Seasoned perfectly. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - 16 oz Ribeye - Barbeque Near Me - Stephenville, Texas

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Hard Eight never fails to satisfy our taste buds and appetite. Perfect stop after a long day

I stop here every time that I am in Texas every year since 2019 BUT recently, Every Year, since then this place has been getting Worse and Worse within the last 2 years . The meat is cold unless it comes fresh off the grill and when it does, it's dry and has zero flavor. The service is always great. The workers always very welcoming and friendly that has not changed. The ambience around is very clean. The building and seating area is nice and spacious. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - BBQ , corn on the cob, pork ribs , beef sirloin. - Barbeque Near Me - Stephenville, Texas

Traveling through and found this Gem! My husband was in the mood for BBQ so we stopped. I had the sausage and brisket with corn for my side and it was all very good. I am so picky when it comes to BBQ and this was so tasty. You start at the pit and let the pit master know the meat you want and then you go inside to get your sauce, sides, and drinks. All served on butcher paper and your tray. We even ordered the onion rings but couldn't finish them because we were so full from everything else, much to our dismay because they were good too. They passed the one bite test though and the onion didn't all come out on your first bite! We would highly recommend this place. Staff were so nice and food was delicious! read more

Inconsistent on their meats. Maybe good, maybe tough, maybe dry, depends on who is on the pit. Not my first choice, but not my last

Always eat here when going through Stephenville. Driving through I would pick up sliced beef sandwiches and an hour later when I got home we put it together and they were perfect. Have to tell them you will be traveling for a while before you will be able to eat. Eating there is also a treat. Can't say enough good about the Hard 8. read more

Wow! This was really bad Fatty brisket was dry and very tuff. I bought 1 lb it was so bad you can see what I left behind. Worst beans, no flavor and were still hard. Regular Sausage was good. Sorry to say I can't think of a worst BBQ meal. I left so disappointed I waited a few weeks before I made this review. But BBQ gods a few weeks later lead me back to Coopers in Mason Tx ! As bad as hard 8 is Coopers is that good. read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Dry tuff fatty brisket and unflavored Hard 8 Beans - Barbeque Near Me - Stephenville, Texas

First time eating here been to the one in Coppell years ago Had a sliced brisket sandwich for $12.50 it was very good If you eat there you get free beans Beans were very good too read more

Service was great! Food was Absolutely delicious! Definitely need to check this place out if you are in the area.

Prices were super fair, all the BBQ was on point. Brisket, Turkey, Jalapeño sausage, pulled pork shoulder, and pork ribs were all moist, well seasoned & kissed with smoke. Sides of okra, Mac & Cheese, pinto beans, and onion rings were delicious. Banana pudding was super tasty. Highly recommend this place & all the staff were top tier read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Stephenville, Texas

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I heard this was the best BBQ ever, and I do agree. Sometimes for lunch you get leftovers from other BBQ places, and it is obvious. But with this place, you order what you want and they cut it right in front of you as they stand by the BBQ pit. It was a little confusing as to where to enter because you have to pass by the BBQ pit to get into the restaurant. After you get your plate of BBQ, you go to the cashier to order sides (the beans are no extra charge). I just wish I lived a little closer to Stephenville. read more

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First and last time here. The brisket is more like a dry roast. The meat cutter did a terrible job. if you're going to serve roast, provide brown gravy. The beans were bland. The overflow seating was so uncomfortable. No airflow whatsoever. We bought a pound of brisket and maybe ate 1/4 lb between the 3 of us. Way too pricey for what we got!! read more

Went there yesterday, with a friend, for the first time in a few years. We both left extremely disappointment. They were out of many items from chicken poppers to mac n cheese. All the meats were cold and tasted old. The brisket I, and my friend, were cut had twice as much fat than meat. One piece was at least 90% fat. My meal was: 1 pound of meat and 1 small drink, nothing else. Without tip $50! (needless to say I did not tip with the quality of the food and so many things being out) $50 for brisket that is more fat than meat is basically stealing money from your customers since they are not getting much edible food. Stack on top of that the food being cold and so many items being "out", heck even the beans were scraping the bottom of a 5 gallon container and never got refilled. So I got one small cup of watery beans. Wont be going back, this place has gone to the dogs. Maybe that is why when we pulled up there was no one in line and the dining room was 70% empty. read more

I agree with Tony B. DRY fatty brisket. Oh it was awful. Just my opinion but Hard Eight just isn't that great especially compared to other places in Texas. I've been to three of them multiple times. I bought just a pound of brisket, nothing else, I was starving and I didn't finish it. Just wasn't good. Atmosphere is nice and ordering at the grill is always cool, but they need to step it up because more and more great bbq places are popping up. read more

First time here!! Hands down the BEST BBQ I've had in a LOOONNNGGG time. And don't pay any mind to those negative reviews...they just came in on high traffic times. Hubby and I stopping through from a fun weekend getaway to Fredericksburg and decided to hit up H8 on the way home. We got the brisket sandwiches on jalapeño bread with both sauces, pickles onions and jalapeños, annnd jalapeño bacon wrapped shrimp, coleslaw and potato salad. And a big fat Rita on the rocks. All that was just under $25. We both were shocked as we just dropped $60 at Hutchins BBQ in Dallas last month. I'm guessing this place only got a handful of bad reviews due to the busy weekends and heavier traffic days/nights and not for the actual food. Because the food was to die for!! My suggestion is to maybe visit in off times. We went on a Sunday afternoon and it wasn't too packed. We just found out there is a H8 in Dallas looking forward to seeing how it compares to the "flagship". read more

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Love bringing our out-of-state family and friends to Hard Eight! The food is always great and the staff is so friendly. My favorite item is to get a stuffed baked potato with chopped brisket. Everyone we take always gets something different, so it is fun to hear what they say (always great). One suggestion is to be patient when there is a line (which is always there) just enjoy the process, ambiance, and time to decide what you are to get! read more

The meat is all outside so you pick out what meat you want and then head inside. Once inside you get all your sides, sauce, and drink. Beans are complementary and all you can eat and serve yourself. Great food and atmosphere! read more

It's been a few years since I visited, so maybe I had it built up in my mind a bit much, but I just wasn't that impressed. The ribs were dry and didn't have much meat. Brisket was OK, but nothing special. Same with the sausage (hard to mess up sausage). The best part of our meal was my chicken poppers. and my son said his baked potato was really good, but the beans and potato salad was "eh" For almost $50 for two people (no drinks), I'd expect more. I'll take Riscky's or Railhead any day read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Ribs, Sausage, Chicken Poppers, Brisket. - Barbeque Near Me - Stephenville, Texas

Hands down one of the best Texas experiences! Food is flavorful, the restaurant is lively, and you'll leave feeling like a true Texan. We got a chopped brisket sandwich plate and a stuffed brisket potato, as well as one beef rib. The rib will quite literally fall off the bone and melt in your mouth. All of the food was extremely flavorful and the portions were huge. The only thing that I wasn't a fan of was the potato salad and the spicy bbq sauce. Both were pretty underwhelming. The service was fast and friendly, and the restaurant itself was clean and energetic. But all in all this is a must stop for any BBQ lover! read more

Hard Eight BBQ - Pit of prepared meats - Barbeque Near Me - Stephenville, Texas

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