Hard Eight BBQ — Restaurant in The Colony

Disastrous Experience at Hard 8

My recent visit to Hard 8 was nothing short of a culinary catastrophe, leaving me thoroughly disappointed and frustrated. Despite the busy atmosphere, especially due to the Cowboys game, my experience was marred by several glaring issues:

Missing Brisket - The first and most glaring issue was the absence of brisket from my order, even though I had meticulously checked my order. This omission left me bewildered and unsatisfied, as the brisket is often the star of the show at a barbecue joint like Hard 8. A busy day is no excuse for such a fundamental mistake, and it cast a shadow over the entire dining experience.

Inaccurate Food Weight - I had specifically requested half a pound of everything I ordered, but when the food was served, it was evident that the weights were nowhere near accurate. To confirm my suspicion, I even weighed the portions myself, and they fell far short of the promised half-pound servings. This blatant discrepancy left me feeling cheated and shortchanged, as I expected a fair portion for the price I paid.

Fatty Cuts of Meat - Another significant disappointment was the quality of the cuts of meat I received. It seemed like a majority of the meat was excessively fatty, which not only compromised the flavor but also made the dining experience unpleasant. Fatty cuts may be expected occasionally, but when they dominate the plate, it's a clear indication of poor meat selection and preparation.

Overall, my visit to Hard 8 was a terrible experience that left a sour taste in my mouth – both figuratively and literally. The missing brisket, inaccurate food weights, and fatty cuts of meat collectively marred what could have been a satisfying barbecue meal. It's disheartening to see such a renowned establishment falter so significantly in delivering on its promises, and I left with a sense of regret for choosing Hard 8 on that particular day. I sincerely hope that these issues are addressed promptly to ensure that other diners do not have to endure a similarly...

The set up is confusing if this is your first time there. We saw several confused people as well and even a couple coming in the restaurant from the exit door not knowing what was going on. You walk in and you see the grill and bbq first. You walk in line and order either steak or other bbq food by weight. My husband ordered steak and my niece and I ordered the brisket sandwich. It's important to mention that I felt like I had to order super fast and didn't get a chance to really see the whole menu as we had people lining up behind us and the Staff at the bqq wanted to take our order asap. We also got several sides of corn in the cob, sweet potato, and fries. Then you pay. To out surprise it ended up being expensive. It was over $70 for a meal for 3. My husband also tipped $10 on the screen as he felt rushed. Honestly, you do everything yourself so I don't think there's the need to tip so much. You literally serve yourself, fix your own sandwich, pay in line, grab your drinks, pick your own seating and clean after yourself...so yeah, I did not like that he tipped over $10... anyways. The sitting was very uncomfortable. I can see this place being a cool place to come have bbq and beer with friends, but it was very uncomfortable for a family. We had our 3 year old toddler and the sitting is bench stile with wood stools without backs. The stools are fixed to the ground and made of wood with no cushion. Yes they offer high chairs and they even have a few chairs to grab but you can't really fit them around the table as the bar stools are fixed to the ground. My toddler had to sit on the stool and almost fell twice. It was very uncomfortable and it is meant to have you eat and then leave asap. The steak was very thin and lacked flavor, my brisket sandwich was very oily, the corn was not that good either. I ended up throwing away half my sanwhich and my side of sweet potato. We won't be...

I tried Hard Eight BBQ in The Colony, Texas for lunch today.

This was my first time to try this restaurant, I have seen it a couple times when in the area but never when it was convenient to stop in. First impression was that it is set up well to provide great and consistent service.

Upon entry you are greeted by an open warmer with all of the meat options that are able to be seen and ordered. Beyond the meat area breads, sides and condiments are in a serve yourself line prior to paying what you have on your tray. A centrally located drink station is beyond the cashier for convenience for first drink and refills.

I had no pre planned meal and ordered what looked like I might like the most based on what I could easily see thinking that I would have leftovers if it was good enough.

-Brisket: I selected half lean and half moist. The moist has more smoke flavor than the lean, both had a similar consistency with the lean being a little dryer. Both required sauce due to the lack of flavor. My portion had very little bark and a smoke ring was not found.

-Pork ribs: I had a mix from the middle and end of a rack. Again the bark was not there, the outer crust was the consistency of jerky and was very thin. The middle was cooked well but without bark sauce was needed.

-I skipped the sides and opted for sliced jalapeño, pickles and onion. These helped between bites to clean and reset.

The prime location close to Grandscape will keep new customers flowing into this restaurant, I am content with this being my one visit as I make my rounds comparing BBQ options in Texas. #bbq #texasbbq #hardeightbbq #smokedbrisket...