Hard Eight BBQ

We tried Hard Eight BBQ in Coppell tonight. As we pulled up, I was very impressed with the building and the whole concept. The building is huge with a large wrap around porch for outdoor seating.

When you walk up, you are on the covered patio with the huge smokers. At the smoker, you choose the meat or meats you want; sausage, Jalapeno sausage, brisket, 1/2 chicken, ribs, cabrito (yes it is goat), turkey, ribeye, 2" thick pork chop, etc. You can order from 1 slice to "by the pound." Your meat is weighed and then you take it inside. I tried the brisket, both sausages, the ribs and chicken. It was all good, especially the ribs.

Once you walk inside, the homey concept ends. As you proceed down the line, you choose your sides, dessert and condiments. Everything comes in prepackaged bowls with lids and labels. Luby's cafeteria is fancier than that. It would require an extra employee, but it would be much better to have the sides and desserts in large serving pans and dishing it up as you order it (like Luby's). Plastic containers and lids just takes away the ambiance.

They serve a huge pot of complimentary pinto beans. They were a little on the bland side. I also tried the potato salad and the cornbread salad, along with the jalapeno corn. The cornbread salad and the corn were exceptionally good.

I was a little disappointed in the bread and the BBQ sauce. The bread was a bag of Mrs. Baird's sitting on each table and the BBQ sauce was good, but it was in a squirt bottle on the table. It would have been much better served hot in a self serve container.

All that said, I will give it another try. I understand that they have jalapeno sourdough buns for their sandwiches. That's next for me.