come here all the time sorry i never reviewed it sooner. Such a great place to chill out amazing drink specials and plenty of pool tables this place is the best
Hannah B.
Bad service, we never got our appetizer and when we got the salads we ordered they were totally gross with floppy lettuce, way too many chips and cheese, and some rotten looking tomatoes. Just don't order a salad, the drink specials looked okay though.
Molly T.
I cannot even believe what I am about to write. Stopped by here today to have a work lunch and I have literally never encountered more atrocious service in my entire life. Drinks took 30 mins to be refilled, the guy at the bar literally made eye contact with me and just sat down to text, and seemed pissed off when we had to flag him down. I'm not going to speak on the food much since it was just OK and that is not the point of my review. The real kicker is this: our check looked a bit strange in terms of the total amount, so the man I was with decided to ask our server about the price of a particular item. My boss is a very nice man and NEVER raises his voice to anybody, even if they deserve it. So, with this in mind, I would LOVE to hear an explanation as to why our server then decided to yell at him and puff his chest out and get closer as if he were about to physically attack my 60 year old boss. The whole ordeal scared me into a minor panic attack, and I refuse to return to this place. Small upside- manager is kind and understanding, and handled the situation immediately after I called to explain.
Anna V.
We eat regularly there . We went to hard times in Fairfax. The food was cold including the onion rings and boneless wings. The ribs were also cold.the service was really good. The food is warm every time we come to here. The manager always walks around to check on each table and see if that table needs anything. They also asked how the food is. The onion rings came at. First but were still cold.
Timothy L.
Great wings. Fried and then grilled. Very good flavor. Just not a fan of their chili. A bit too greasy for me. Dive place but open late and lots of seating.
K M.
The odor of stale cigarette smoke should have been the red flag when we walked in the door. The food was mediocre at best ... nothing I can't make at home. Was never offered the chili sampler, so we had to figure out the different types ourself. The table was dirty. The entire place (tables, walls, floors, bathrooms) need a good cleaning and deodorizing. Very disappointing. Won't be back ... not even for carryout. Considering all the caual dining competition in the area, you'd think they'd up their game.
Sean S.
Been coming here for years! Shots are healthy! On occasion they might be a little skimped but hey it happens.
Jim E.
Had not been here is several years. Amazed to see that everything was basically the same; OK, the prices are up a little, but, not much. They still provide samples of the four kinds of chili. Had the usual Chili Mac which is chili with spaghetti and other topics of your choice (i.e., cheese, onions, beans). Still was a large enough dish for the meal. Still have multiple beers on tap. Sort of a dive that could stand to be modernized, but, it still has its appeal.
Calvin H.
We came here on a Friday night at 7:00, and I immediately got a bad feeling upon walking in because this place smells like an ashtray. There was no host and we waited for several minutes at the front before someone finally showed up. We asked if we could sit outside and were told to "sit anywhere" and they'd be right with us. We picked the only table that had a menu standing in the middle (it also happened to be the least grimy table) and waited perhaps 15 more minutes. Finally a man arrived and informed us that he was "saving that table," so we moved to the one next to it. He proceeded to light up a huge cigar and cover the whole patio in its stench like some kind of area-denial weapon. 15 minutes on, and no one came to take the order of either ourselves or cigar man. We packed up and drove 25 minutes to the Hard Times in Alexandria, which has great service, a cozy setting, and is smoke free. Unless you consider dirty tables, no service, and secondhand smoke to be "atmosphere" or "charm," avoid this restaurant. It's worth it to drive to the Alexandria Hard Times, which we've been to many times and love.
Evan R.
Don't go to this so called sports bar to watch sports, because if you ask to watch a football game they will laugh at you. If you ask to talk to a manager they will then ask if you would like an application for the job. Worst bar ever and they know it. The death of an era.
Going to start with three stars for this place cause I'm not sure which way I'll go; I'll update it next time I visit. I like dive bars and was told this place fits the bill. Decided to stop by on a bike ride. Took a good bit for the bartender(ess) to show up and had a single drink. Sat outside and was OK but it is on one of the busiest streets in Fairfax. Beer was standard. I'll update after try two.
Nicole H.
This was my second time ordering Hard Times Cafe via Uber Eats. The first time it was wonderful. This time, not so much. I ordered a buffalo chicken wrap (no tomatoes) with tater tots. My husband got the chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries. The wrap had tomatoes, which I could have gotten over. However, there were no tater tots, just regular fries. They didn't even bother to cut the wrap in half, and my husbands sweet potato fries were very undercooked. I understand that restaurants may make a mistake on an order every now and again. However, there was very little about this order that was right. We will not be back.
Carly W.
I believe I contracted food poisoning from eating at Hard Times this past Friday night - I ordered the vegetarian chili, and even though it didn't taste that great, I ate the whole bowl because I was hungry. A couple of hours later I started having terrible symptoms. I still haven't fully recovered, and that was over two days ago.
Amarilis Vasquez de Velasco
I love this place! The uncomplicated menu is great. Comfort food, prices and friendly service. Love their specials, Wednesdays are a must in HTC Fairfax with their half-price Chicken Wings! Old Bay seasoning specially! Their burgers are always right too. Cheap prices, great food, great service!
Chris Araya
Always a great place to visit. Happy hour specials are great, Thursdays are cheap drinks, plenty of pool tables, and indoor smoking. It's mostly a Redskins/dc sports team bar. Great place to go if you are a local fan or if you want to watch sports games with friends. Servers are attractive and attentive.
come here all the time sorry i never reviewed it sooner. Such a great place to chill out amazing drink specials and plenty of pool tables this place is the best
Bad service, we never got our appetizer and when we got the salads we ordered they were totally gross with floppy lettuce, way too many chips and cheese, and some rotten looking tomatoes. Just don't order a salad, the drink specials looked okay though.
I cannot even believe what I am about to write. Stopped by here today to have a work lunch and I have literally never encountered more atrocious service in my entire life. Drinks took 30 mins to be refilled, the guy at the bar literally made eye contact with me and just sat down to text, and seemed pissed off when we had to flag him down. I'm not going to speak on the food much since it was just OK and that is not the point of my review. The real kicker is this: our check looked a bit strange in terms of the total amount, so the man I was with decided to ask our server about the price of a particular item. My boss is a very nice man and NEVER raises his voice to anybody, even if they deserve it. So, with this in mind, I would LOVE to hear an explanation as to why our server then decided to yell at him and puff his chest out and get closer as if he were about to physically attack my 60 year old boss. The whole ordeal scared me into a minor panic attack, and I refuse to return to this place. Small upside- manager is kind and understanding, and handled the situation immediately after I called to explain.
We eat regularly there . We went to hard times in Fairfax. The food was cold including the onion rings and boneless wings. The ribs were also cold.the service was really good. The food is warm every time we come to here. The manager always walks around to check on each table and see if that table needs anything. They also asked how the food is. The onion rings came at. First but were still cold.
Great wings. Fried and then grilled. Very good flavor. Just not a fan of their chili. A bit too greasy for me. Dive place but open late and lots of seating.
The odor of stale cigarette smoke should have been the red flag when we walked in the door. The food was mediocre at best ... nothing I can't make at home. Was never offered the chili sampler, so we had to figure out the different types ourself. The table was dirty. The entire place (tables, walls, floors, bathrooms) need a good cleaning and deodorizing. Very disappointing. Won't be back ... not even for carryout. Considering all the caual dining competition in the area, you'd think they'd up their game.
Been coming here for years! Shots are healthy! On occasion they might be a little skimped but hey it happens.
Had not been here is several years. Amazed to see that everything was basically the same; OK, the prices are up a little, but, not much. They still provide samples of the four kinds of chili. Had the usual Chili Mac which is chili with spaghetti and other topics of your choice (i.e., cheese, onions, beans). Still was a large enough dish for the meal. Still have multiple beers on tap. Sort of a dive that could stand to be modernized, but, it still has its appeal.
We came here on a Friday night at 7:00, and I immediately got a bad feeling upon walking in because this place smells like an ashtray. There was no host and we waited for several minutes at the front before someone finally showed up. We asked if we could sit outside and were told to "sit anywhere" and they'd be right with us. We picked the only table that had a menu standing in the middle (it also happened to be the least grimy table) and waited perhaps 15 more minutes. Finally a man arrived and informed us that he was "saving that table," so we moved to the one next to it. He proceeded to light up a huge cigar and cover the whole patio in its stench like some kind of area-denial weapon. 15 minutes on, and no one came to take the order of either ourselves or cigar man. We packed up and drove 25 minutes to the Hard Times in Alexandria, which has great service, a cozy setting, and is smoke free. Unless you consider dirty tables, no service, and secondhand smoke to be "atmosphere" or "charm," avoid this restaurant. It's worth it to drive to the Alexandria Hard Times, which we've been to many times and love.
Don't go to this so called sports bar to watch sports, because if you ask to watch a football game they will laugh at you. If you ask to talk to a manager they will then ask if you would like an application for the job. Worst bar ever and they know it. The death of an era.
Restaurantji Recommends
Going to start with three stars for this place cause I'm not sure which way I'll go; I'll update it next time I visit. I like dive bars and was told this place fits the bill. Decided to stop by on a bike ride. Took a good bit for the bartender(ess) to show up and had a single drink. Sat outside and was OK but it is on one of the busiest streets in Fairfax. Beer was standard. I'll update after try two.
This was my second time ordering Hard Times Cafe via Uber Eats. The first time it was wonderful. This time, not so much. I ordered a buffalo chicken wrap (no tomatoes) with tater tots. My husband got the chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries. The wrap had tomatoes, which I could have gotten over. However, there were no tater tots, just regular fries. They didn't even bother to cut the wrap in half, and my husbands sweet potato fries were very undercooked. I understand that restaurants may make a mistake on an order every now and again. However, there was very little about this order that was right. We will not be back.
I believe I contracted food poisoning from eating at Hard Times this past Friday night - I ordered the vegetarian chili, and even though it didn't taste that great, I ate the whole bowl because I was hungry. A couple of hours later I started having terrible symptoms. I still haven't fully recovered, and that was over two days ago.
I love this place! The uncomplicated menu is great. Comfort food, prices and friendly service. Love their specials, Wednesdays are a must in HTC Fairfax with their half-price Chicken Wings! Old Bay seasoning specially! Their burgers are always right too. Cheap prices, great food, great service!
Always a great place to visit. Happy hour specials are great, Thursdays are cheap drinks, plenty of pool tables, and indoor smoking. It's mostly a Redskins/dc sports team bar. Great place to go if you are a local fan or if you want to watch sports games with friends. Servers are attractive and attentive.