Hard Eight BBQ

Bro lunch with one of my son in laws. The jalapeño sausage was off the hook good. The pork ribs were on point as well. “Hard eight famous fries” lived up to their name. Just perfect in my opinion.

We sat at the bar and had some Dos Equis on draft. Most refreshing.

Many thanks to our server Holly. Such a helpful and pleasant young lady.

Now this......... wow! Brisket was delicious, moist, and tender! I would definitely come back! The spicy sausage is actually spicy, so be careful they have a good kick. I highly recommend this joint! The whole experience was great! It is a little warm in the outer room with fans but if you want your food to stay warm this is the best option. Inside you will be in the fresh A/C but your food will get cold so eat it fast.... up to you... again come check them out! Macaroni and cheese was really good and creamy!

Best steak I've had in Texas!!!!!! Cooked perfectly. Flavorful. Tender. Just the way it should be. Pit master even waited for me to cut into it to make sure it was right. My smile told him we were good! Well done bro. Seriously

When you walk in, you pass by the smokers and then up to the first station where you select your meat.
All of the meats available are on a smoker opened up for you to see and select. They are sliced here as well.
Each meat is priced by weight.
I went for the 3 meat with brisket, pork ribs, and jajapeno sausage with fries. My wife and our grandson chose the half chicken.

The next stage is inside. You can select complimentary slice bread, onions, pickled jalapenos, and pickles. You also get to select fries or fried onions, which are extra.
You can also select some side dishes (also extra) as you approach the cashier.

Beans and BBQ Sauces (regular and spicy are available at a small bar in the eating area.

Our visit was just after noon.
The feel of the place is hometown BBQ. The light BBQ smoke as you walk in, the super friendly staff at every station. Seating is communal and private (booths). The communal seating has no backing, but most are comfy. There is seating that is higher off the floor, but I found it uncomfortable. I'm 6 feet tall and found my feet dangling.
There is vintage signing and smiling staff everywhere you look.

I cannot emphasize enough how friendly the staff was. Huge smiles and super helpful.

The entire establishment was super clean and presented very well. Lighting was more than adequate. If there is anything negative I have to say about this restaurant is the paper towels which are readily available at every table. I kept tearing them when I tried to get one. You have to be patient when tearing them.

The beans
As far as I was concerned, the pinto beans were the superstar of the meal. I loved them. Sllices of sausage, pork, and whole jalapenos were floating in the pot. Good stuff.
I was wishing for some cornbread.

The BBQ sauces.
Regular and Spicy.
The spicy was thin, lighter in color didn't seem to be very spicy.
The regular was a little spicy, darker in color and thicker. The regular was my favorite.

The meal.
My wife and grandson said they loved the half chicken. It was juicy and tender. They also had a side salad, potato salad, and mac and cheese.

The fries were hot and fresh. They were not the best I've ever had, but they were pretty doggone good.

The jalapeno sausage was flavorful and lightly spicy. It had a light snap to it.
The brisket was very tender, and on this visit, the brisket was juicy, flavorful, and tender. The BBQ sauce still works very well with the brisket.

The pork ribs were much more tender and juicy on this visit. The BBQ sauce complimented instead of rescued the ribs.

I am happy to say I am able to add the fifth star. This visit was hitting on all cylinders.
As with the last visit, we loved the people and the feel of the place. I highly recommend it.

Good food, an interesting vibe with staff who are friendly and helpful. A bit pricey but it offers a memorable environment: it’s really fun to walk past the large metal ovens where the meat cooks, then stop to place your order for the meat. The rest of the food options (potato salad etc) and drinks are through a door and laid out on your right in cafeteria style.

Note: they offer free beans by the drink dispenser but I found them to be very bland. So, recommend tasting before giving yourself a helping.

The eating area has tall ceilings giving it a spacious feeling. The music is upbeat - so not a place for a quiet meal w conversation. Great place to hang out with a group.

So why didn’t I give it 5 stars? It’s the seating. You can choose between tall bar stools (why do people want to look like kids?!) or short stools that are cemented into the floor next to tables that are also cemented to the floor. While I understand that makes cleaning the floor easier, I didn’t like the fact that I couldn’t adjust how far I was from the table. Obviously, however, if you are taking the food out or you don’t mind the seating, then this is a 5 star place.

Note: I was there for a late lunch but I believe in the evenings it is likely a lively place.