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  • 0

    My husband and I love food and we love t o eat out. We went to eat here, thinking to get burgers, but we saw the boneless chicken wings and ordered the appetizer. The tray is HUGE and delectable. One of the best boneless chicken wings I've had.

    However, chicken wings is not what this restaurant is all about. It's the chilli. Since it was our first time there, they gave us a tray with all the types of chilli for us to try. As a latina, I love beans, and beans with ground beef... but... I have to say, that chilli, is the worst! chilli I've EVER had in my life. It tasted like cardboard. Fortunately, the chicken wings were enough to keep us satisfied but, stay away from the chilli!

    I'm not a chef and my chilli is way better...

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  • 0

    I just crushed a plate of nachos with the terlingua chili and their signature root beer. Wow. I am stuffed. More importantly the chili rocks. If it is your first time, tell them. The will bring you a chili taster so you can get your order right. The put chili on everything (tater tots, fritos and salads). Bring your appetite.

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  • 0

    Hard Times is great for what it is, and the Chili Mac is awesome.  I'm a Five-Way kind of guy.  All of the food I've had here is great Bar Food, but that's just what it is.  There is a great beer selection and the pool tables in the back add a nice ambiance.  Service has always been stellar, but the lack of light in the dining area tend to make the place feel like a cave.  The bathrooms are a bit dingy, but I LOVE it for what it is and will always make time to stop in here when visiting.

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  • 0

    As an aficionado of new, different and exciting foods, I am blessed to be in a profession where I get to travel all around the world.  It gives me the opportunity try new foods, visit different kitchens and meet different culinary personalities.  Fortunately, this was one of the best "whole in the wall" restaurants I have ever been in!!!

    This was my first time in the DC Metro area and after we figured out how to use the Metro subway, we decided to get off the subway because we needed a beer and to use the bathroom.  It was divine intervention that we got off where we did.  We walked in and it looked like any local bar anywhere in the U.S.  Only a handful of tables, small bar, and the place was so small you have to go outside to change your mind.  But for some reason, there was a huge line to get in at three in the afternoon.  We just went to the bar and ordered a couple of Yuenglings (we don't get this glorious beer in Colorado).  That's when we met the beautiful and character filled "Princess".  Princess was not only the bartender, she was the quality control food all food leaving the kitchen.  Working 100mph was only interrupted with quipy comments to all her patrons.
    She explained that this particular bar is the flagship bar for several other bars in the area.  She brought us some chili samples and a plate of hot wings.  The character of the place and the employees was enough for me to write this review.  Until I tasted the wings...  

    Without knowing me, you cannot understand that when I say, "These are one of the top 3 hot wings I have ever tasted" how significant that is for me.  Not only do the wings have unique flavor, as they are actually cooked on an open grill (versus deep fried or baked), the rub they put on the wings was so good it made me want to max out all my credit cards (which no matter how much I begged, they wouldn't give me the recipe).

    If you come to DC metro area, it is a moral imperative that you stop by Hard Times Café in Old Town and have a Yuengling with some wings.  If you don't you have no idea how much you will regret it!

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  • 0

    A few years ago I had Hard Times for the first time on a whim. They had chili and it's in the DC area, it was a frigid day, and when I discovered frito pie, four types of chili, burgers, and beer, I was in heaven as I watched the snow fall outside the window.

    Since then I've come back to Hard Times hoping to relive my 5-star experience, and it has been an utter failure. I'm ready to give up.

    You can recognize Hard Times becuase they have an oldish truck with a fake horse in the bed and a giant American Flag with 13 stars. It doesn't make any sense to me--maybe there is a reason. The ridiculousness of it is cool.

    The restaurant serves everythign chili. There are four types of chili and I don't like any of them. Texas is the best, but they are all gross and taste like they came out of a can. The vegan one is probably second best. The burgers are fine, nothing special but not horrible. The other sandwiches are meh. Their fries are greasy.

    But the biggest problem is the salt. This is a place that people go to die, there is so much salt. I got two spaghetti dinners last night for me and my wife and we had to throw them directly into the trash because the salty chili was so nasty.

    I agree with everything this place has designed: it's a chili-based restaurant with lots of chli related dishes like chlii-mac (spaghetti), frito pie, and chili burgers. I love the idea of each of these foods. But you can't run a chili restaurant if your chili sucks.

    I would suggest redesigning the chili, getting higher quality meats, and reducing the menu. Increase your burger prices and reduce the price of hot dogs ($7.50???!!). I know nobody will care about my suggestions, but I'm still kinda hopeful that I can rekindle that first visit I had to Hard Times Cafe so many years ago when it seemed less commercial, less salty, and more about the food.

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  • 0

    I've always loved their chili but this past weekend I realized that their chili was taking up valuable stomach real estate better reserved for their wings.  Their Original Texas Grilled Wings are simply the best wings I've ever had.  These wings are what has compelled me to create a yelp profile and post a review.  Crispy with a nice but not over powering kick.  My out of town guests were impressed with the casual atmosphere, wings, chili, and friendly waitress.

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  • 0

    Not impressed with the food at all.  The burger done medium came to the table raw in the center.  Politely asked for it to be cooked some more and it was brought back the same.  It was raw, as in could  reshape the patty raw.  The chili has nice flavor, but the meat has a weird texture - like it has cornmeal in it. Our check had an 18% tip automatically added on.  I don't begrudge the waitress the tip, but hope she doest have to share it with the cook who makes her look bad.

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  • 0

    Love this place.  Try to get here at least with every visit back.  This visit, i had the family in tow.  Everyone liked what they had (frito pie, various chilis) and the service was pretty good.  One star off for being too hot.  We were upstairs, so it was a bit warm upstairs.

    My fave:  Texas 5-way, medium.

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  • 0

    Awesome chili! Honestly the other food isn't very good at all but it has the best chili you will ever eat. Try the sampler of chili before you order as each one is really unique. Goes great with the cornbread it comes with. Make sure you try the fresh super crunchy onion rings as well. If you aren't a chili fan, pretty much just stick to the Santa fe salad which is really yummy, but after over 15 years of eating there it's still the only other thing I would ever order.

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  • 0

    Went on a Tuesday night around 5:30 with a few friends from work. Apparently a group of 7 was a little too much for them to wrap their heads around so we had to wait outside while they figured out how to accommodate us. We ended up squashing into a booth and one person sat on a chair on the end.
    We split some chili cheese fries which were fabulous. I went on to have the chili tots, which were also good. Everyone else enjoyed their meals too. I know at least two people got the chili mac.
    The service was great - I had to get going early to get to an appointment and the server ran my check quickly. She didn't seem annoyed at all - especially with the large group.
    The chili was good, the service was good - so why four stars? I guess it just wasn't knock my socks off kind of food. It's bar food, which can be good but I am looking for more at this point.

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  • 0

    Place is an over rated dump. Table was filthy, soda had "something" floating in it, burger had wax paper on it from frozen pattie. Service poor.  Maybe the food here seems better after you have a few drinks in you?  I wouldn't bother.

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  • 0

    I recently attended a social event and the food was catered by HTC thus I did not eat at the restaurant. If you like oily food and have a preference for clogged arteries,  their chili is for you.  It was swimming in grease and much to my horror I was supposed to top it with their inferior plastic-tasting "cheese."  Me thinks not!  Just thinking about it grosses me out.  Even their menu admits that the chili is cooked and served in it's own juices.  I also tasted their cornbread and I wish I could say it tasted like it came straight from a box. Because at least those can taste ok.  Theirs had a gritty-texture, I was afraid it would file down the enamel on my teeth, and it had a most unappetizing taste which I liken to what I think dirt probably tastes like.  I think there were wings but after my short-lived experience with the chili and cornbread, I stayed far away from the food the rest of my time at the event.

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  • 0

    Way out of the box for the family, but how can one turn down chili. Hard Times boasts about their chili and when one does that it better be good. Learned a lot about true chili and what it should be.

    In short, I ordered the burger with cheese toped with chili. The burger was perfectly cooked, hard task to accomplish. Chili was sparse, had hoped to have  bit more but why complain.

    Staff was great, very friendly and helpful.

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  • 0

    Great service. Chili was delicious.

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  • 0

    I had the chili of course. It is the specialty. I had mine over cornbread and it was awesome. Enjoyed the sports bar atmosphere upstairs as well.

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  • 0

    00I00

    No, that's not some weird computer code, but a numeric representation of me sitting between four ample women at the back counter. I saw the empty stool and wasn't sure if I'd fit in the narrow space, but I held my breath and somehow squeezed in. Talk about Hard Times!

    I was first surprised they even serve alcohol, so I ordered a Shiner Bock draft while looking over the greasy, laminated menu. I was obviously leaning toward one of their chili concoctions I've read so much about. Honestly, I'm not usually a big chili fan, but felt I had to at least give it a go while I was here.

    To keep it interesting, I decided on the 3-Way Cincinnati Chili Mac, a sweeter chili served over a plate of spaghetti and covered in cheese. Well, they certainly don't skimp on the portion sizes, which for the price is unbelievably affordable. The service is a little rough, but all the guys working behind the counter and in the kitchen seem nonstop busy.

    By the time I was finished eating what I could of the monster plate, the counter looked more like: 00000.

    Note: Make sure you get a look at the fake, life-size horse tied up in the back of the classic pickup truck parked out front. I have no idea why it's there, but it's a unique photo op that garners plenty of head scratches.

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  • 0

    Made a pilgrimage to this restaurant during a visit to the DC area.  While I enjoy their chili mixes at home, there's nothing like visiting the restaurant.

    The place was a lot smaller than I remembered it, and less tacky, but the chili is just as good as ever.  I tried the sampler again before ordering, but stuck with my Cincinnati 3 Way.  The Terlingua always comes in a very close second, with Texas third and Vegetarian fourth - but that's only because I can't stand onions.

    The corn bread was better than I remembered it.  Everything else has been covered in my previous review.  Not to blow another merchant's horn in this review, but the 3/4 mile walk to the Ben & Jerry's (I think it's on Union St) works off enough of your meal to enjoy the treat, and the 3/4 mile walk back makes you feel better about eating ice cream.

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  • 0

    On a recent trip to DC, we stayed in Alexandria, VA, right there along King Street. On the first night, we stopped in, and split a chili burger. The burger was fine, service was ok.  

    Second chance:  We thought we'd try it one more time before we finished our vacation, and go back for what they are known for, their chili. They have 4 flavors, which are:  Texas (traditional), Cincinnati (sweeter with a tomato base and a touch of cinnamon), Terlingua Red (spicier), and Vegetarian. I ordered the Texas (the traditional). I was expecting a regular chili, beef, broth, etc., you know what I mean. I was NOT expecting what was presented before me:  GREASE!!  My spoon could swim in the grease! I tried to fill the top with saltine crackers, to absorb the grease, but that didn't really help. I had two small bites, and my stomach just couldn't handle it. My husband tried the wings (from the happy hour menu), and he said they were extremely salty.

    So, bad experience, bad food, service ok.  Try one of the other many wonderful restaurants in Alexandria, you can do much better! Sorry Hard Times, we had a hard time swallowing your chili.

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  • 0

    HARD TIMES is, by now, a well established NoVa emporium that has carved out its own special niche:  well prepared chili (4 formulations) -- and please don't stray from that strength when you consider their menu. As someone who has frequented this local chain since its first location opened in Alexandria in the 1980s, I have a love/hate thing with them and their funky menu, mixed service, and special offering.

    Yep, they can definitely do chili. And to their credit, they offer an adorable little  "chili sampler" that lets you try their 4 chili recipes for free. (If it's not offered, then do ask for it -- even if you know what you want. It's always fun to taste the 4 formulas again.)

    And as if that weren't enough fun for free, they also bring warm cornbread and butter for you to play with before the main event.

    BUT if you stray from their strong point (chili), you're in dangerous territory... Their salads are lackluster, whether topped with salmon or chicken or even chili.  They do interesting things with chili (the chili salad -- literally chili spooned atop a tossed salad -- is one of my faves) but the method of preparing their food varies by location.  I've had chili salads with big, tri-cornered torilla chips; other times, I've had cute little crispy corn chip slivers.  I've also encountered drainage problems:  chili salads with water at the bottom.  Ick.

    Their onion rings are delightfully greasy, but not off the charts.  Sometimes I get them just because they are, in a way, really special; the crispy, floury crust is light and special, but the bottom line is GREASY.  Then again, don't show me diet onion rings!

    The Alexandria location is charming, in its way, and I have to admit I'm partial since my hubby and I had our first date there (in 1988!!!!)  We go back when we can for old times' sake, and I always enjoy the funky layout and juke box there.

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  • 0

    While I failed to make it up to Ben's Chili Bowl in my recent trip to DC - we scored on another chili place - Hard Times Cafe!  Nestled in the Old Town section of Alexandria, this place has everything a chili-lover such as myself could want.  Small, cozy, divey-looking restaurant?  Check.  A chili-sampler to help you decide what you want to order?  Check.  Awesome chili cheese dogs?  Big check.  I ordered the hard times chili dog with the terlingua red chili.

    Positives:
    -Awesome chili, all 4 kinds are very unique
    -Free cornbread appetizers
    -Tap root beer!
    -Great service

    Negatives:
    -Small restaurant
    -Lack of parking in the area

    This place was fantastic, and completely made up for the fact we didn't get to Ben's Chili Bowl.  Next DC trip - we're going to both!

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  • 0

    I strolled in here hoping to have some cider and read a friend's novel. This place wasn't on my radar, but with an open seat at the bar, I'm in!

    This is the kind of bar my mom would like: western movie genre stuff on the walls, some bikers here and there, a clear view of the kitchen where you can see monster sized potatoes being prepared. Absolutely, she'd love this place. Not necessarily my thing.

    I ordered fish and chips. Who knows, maybe this will be good. It wasn't. The fish crumbled apart. Fries? Eh. Not their fault I don't like it, though. Cole slaw was pretty good, though.

    The dish itself left MUCH to be desired.

    I was drowning out the world to my headphones, but I know two of their guys came to check up on me and left once they realized I didn't want to be bothered. Nice gents, they were really friendly with the other patrons. I wanted to read - I hope that didn't bother them. I'd rather take up a space at the bar than a booth.

    I regularly saw families (with children) come in and they were smiling and laughing.

    Something caught my eye. I hadn't seen something like this in about...14 years. I was a teenager the last time I had my hands on one of these...

    Root beer on tap. If you have never had root beer from the tap, you are missing something special here, friend.

    Now maybe it was my brain telling me it was superior, maybe not. Point is, it tasted great. I fully understand that Hard Times is better known for chili than fish and chips. Again, not their fault I didn't like it.

    However, the people were nice, the root beer was fantastic. I'll come back here, if only for the root beer!

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  • 0

    My office is in the area and anytime I go to Alexandria I always stop by for the chili sampler and wings.  They make some good wings.

    We ordered about 200 of them for a superbowl party and every last one was gone.  Try the wings......

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  • 0

    My wife and I stopped in for a quick bite to eat after purchasing a vehicle. There was a small mishap with our meal but the manager was quick to take care of the problem. In life there are always problems... It's how we deal with them. I'll advise anyone looking for a great meal at a great price, along with outstanding service to stop in here when possible.

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  • 0

    How do you want your chili? What other food would you like us to dump said chili on?

    Free chili taster!

    It seemed like everyone there visited often, so that brought a nice feel to the place.The service was good, the place was clean and most tables remained occupied. I ordered the wings and the chili and cheese dumped upon some spaghetti. Both dishes were OK. Doubt I'd go back.

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  • 0

    Good chili and chili mac. One of my favorite places to eat in old town.

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  • 0

    We walked in here because its a cold night in Alexandria. We wanted some soup due to the temperature and came across this joint. The waitress was really friendly and brought us a sample of all four chili styles since it was our first time. She recommended the vegetarian chili which my wife ordered over the tater tots. It was absolutely amazing. I ordered the frito pie with the Texas and third chili option on it. They allow you to split between two kinds and I ate the entire bowl. They also give you free corn bread with your chili. We will def be back at this place to try more of their options. I love this place!

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  • 0

    Everytime anyone suggested coming to this place, I cringed. It's not bad, it's just not my favorite. I'm not a huge chili fan, and I'm pescatarian, so there's not much for me to eat here.

    The one time I had a great time here was when we were upstairs in an open space with a larger table. I didn't feel cramped like I did downstairs.

    But, if you like chili, and like older established places, this is a great place. I mean, my friends LOVE it. It's just not for me.

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  • 0

    Complete dive in old towne. Rude bartender, but she's supposed to be so its cool, and good chili. Their Cincinnati chili isn't quite up to our standards, but it was very good. Their onion rings and chili sampler were awesome. They do have 4 distinct different styles of chili.

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  • 0

    Great Chile, probably the best in Alexandria. Ted's claims they have it with their Bison chile but although their burgers are good, their chile is crap. This place gave you 4 different kinds to taste and was on point with their service and food. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it if you are a serious chile fan!

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  • 0

    Chili. What else is there to say? If you enjoy chili then you will most likely enjoy Hard Times, if you do not enjoy chili then the menu will shrink considerably for you.

    I strongly suggest  you request the chili taster. They will bring out small samples of four different chilis so that you can get an understanding of what you are about to order.

    The place is pretty tiny so you feel kind of cramped when you walk in, but each table has plenty of room and once you sit down you don't lack for space. Additionally, the booths have hooks for coats and hats.

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  • 0

    Decent place. Had a chili dog and my dining companion had the cornbread with chili on top. The 4 different kinds of chili are all subtly different, but surprisingly enough, the vegetarian one probably takes the cake for tastiest. Service was decent. This is not really a place that you take someone to impress a date, but instead go somewhere to have some texas styled food. Each entrée is about $10.

    Food Quality/Taste =  3 Stars
    Portion Size Given Price = 3
    Price = 3 Stars
    Service = 3 Stars
    Experience with Staff = 3 Stars
    Decor = 3 Stars

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  • 0

    This is the best chili place I have been to.  I have been coming here for a number of years and it does not change.  The flavors are fantastic and the was you can "build" you chili the way you want it, with/without beans, noodles and other items gives you a perfect meal each time!

    It's a chili place not a five star restaurant so set your expectations properly.  If you are in the mood for chili then don't miss this place!

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  • 0

    When my wife works late and asks me if I'm willing to pick her up at the King St Metro station so she doesn't have to worry about catching a bus, my answer is always an unreserved "yes" for two reasons.  One, she's my wife and I love her dearly and would drive, or even walk, to the ends of the earth to make her happy.  Two, it usually means she'll agree readily that, since it's so late and all, that we should probably just pop in to Hard Times Cafe (HTC) for dinner on the way home.

    We always--always--get an order of HTC's grilled wings.  They are the best in town.  Perfectly cooked and sauced, they are addictive.  Sometimes they show up lukewarm when the joint is really busy (that's my only real complaint about the place--lukewarm food during busy times), but the server gets that fixed quickly.  We're also big fans of the chili nachos (Texas dry or the chips will get too soggy).  

    My wife prefers the Terlingua Red when it comes to ordering one of HTC's chili dinners, but I'm a sucker for Texas chili (wet) in the Chili Bubba (two hunks of corn bread smothered in chili, onions, and cheese with sourcream on top; I love it with fresh jalapenos added to the lineup).

    The service is solid, the prices are completely reasonable ($6.99 for any burger on the menu all day every Monday), and the food is really good.  The beer prices are competitive for Old Town, as well.

    I've read a couple of reviews complaining about the Texas chili being inauthentic and/or too greasy.  Two points in support of HTC's Texas chili being awesome:

    1) The original chili devised by intrepid vaqueros was dried beef compressed with spices and formed into bricks so it would keep on the trail and not take up a lot of space.  Boil the brick, eat the resulting stew.  No tomatoes, no nothing to get in the way of the great flavor of beef and spices.  HTC's recipe seems a spot-on piece of history in this case (with ground beef instead of jerky, obvs).

    2) The menu (and the servers) say that the Texas chili is cooked in its own juice.  In the meat world, juice=fat.  You can order the Texas chili "dry" and the kitchen will strain and press most of the fat out of the meat.  If you do that, though, the corn bread in the Chili Bubba can't soak up all of the delicious, meaty, spicey goodness.

    Edited to add: Debra is a great server.  My wife and I now request to sit in her section whenever she's working.  We've never had a problem with lukewarm food when she's taking care of us, so I'll probably bump my review up to 5 in a couple of visits if that track record keeps up.

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  • 0

    My boyfriend and I went in here for a late afternoon snack. We ordered the nachos and when we were asked what kind of chili, we were flummoxed. We found out that you can customize your nachos to have a specific type of chili! What's more, if you can't just pick one, you can do a combo of two chilis! How cool.

    The waitress got us a little chili taster of their 4 types of chilis so we could decide. We thought this was awesome! After much debate, we decided on the Cincinnati and the Terlingua Red. All the chilis were excellent though.

    We soon got served a HUGE plate of nachos. We thought it was too much but we managed to finish most of it. Since we caught them at their happy hour, it was $2 off nachos!

    Great chili and excellent service at the Hard Times Cafe. Our waitress was so sweet!

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  • 0

    This is not how Texans do chili.. I loved how friendly the staff was, but they were the best part of the restaurant..

    Tried the sampler and the vegetarian chili was the best, while the Texas chili wouldn't be fit to be served on a bowling ally hot dog.. UH and that gross cheap preshredded cheese was everywhere..

    We should have tried something other than the chili; dont make the same mistake I did..

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  • 0

    My bf, who is from Alexandria, has been raving about this place since we first met. He even makes chili at home and dumps it on a pile of spaghetti. I never understood. Especially because I love saucy spaghetti.

    During our trip to the east coast, we managed to stop in for some food. We ordered the fried pickles, Texas spaghetti (half portion) and the Cincinnati spaghetti. The pickles were by far the best fried pickles i have ever had in my life. The fry the pickle spear rather than the chips. OMG. So good. My Texas chili was okay. It was a bit odd tasting (coming from someone who doesn't really eat chili). The meat was finely ground and no sauce. The Cincinnati chili was better. Sweat tasting and saucy.

    I also have to point out that the homemade cornbread is amazing. I ate up every bit of it. A must try when in the DC area.

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  • 0

    This is my favorite.  Best chili around.  Best wings in town (IMO).  I even love the Hard Times Lager.  Every time my parents come to town to visit, my mom rolls my eyes as soon as my dad starts saying, "Let's go get some of that chili."  Every time!  

    I used to live in Clarendon, where they have the huge Hard Times, but the original Alexandria location is awesome too.  Tucked in a storefront on King Street, the spot isn't huge or wide, but there's plenty of seating.  They even have some sidewalk tables.  Put your name in, pull up a stool at the bar, order yourself a draft and get some fried pickles, chili cheese fries, nachos, or any of the other good stuff on the menu.

    Seriously, good burger, chili dogs, wings, chili, everything.

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  • 0

    Love! Love! Love!

    Best chilli-tots in DC. I really like that you can choose to mix and match your chilli e.g. have one half vegetarian/one half Cincinnati. I loved their cornbread too. The prices are really good for what you get - very good value. The only thing I can fault is that their seats are not the most comfortable in the world... but that's not enough of a minus for me to take a star off. Overall, I've found this place to be very consistent.

    Cosy atmosphere and the service has always been good when I've visited.

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  • 0

    When all the leaves are brown and the sky is grey, chili can warm the cockles of one's heart. I headed to Hard Time's Cafe on an overcast and unusually cold April day after my innards developed icicles.

    I'm fully aware that Hard Times has survived the "hard times" of various economic hardships seen over the years. Restaurants come and go along King Street and somehow this cafe has endured.

    It's been nearly 15 years since my last visit. Guess the cockles of my heart were warmed with whiskey rather than chili.

    The food was an overall 3-star experience. The vegetarian chili and the french fries severed their purpose. The cockles of my heart were warmed and the empty belly of this boy was filled appropriately.

    The service was enthusiastic complete with genuine smile, quality check, recommendations and prompt beverage refills. No complaints in this area.

    So why 3-stars, eh?

    Why do we go out to eat?

    Convenience? Sure. But we also go to a restaurant in search of a product we can't get at home. Trader Joe's has a decent canned chili, when comparing my vegetarian chili from Hard Time's, and it's several dollars cheaper. The location hasn't aged gracefully. At bare minimum, a streamline renovation could help give this little buckaroo a much needed cosmetic boost. Although the lights are dim, the visible signs of aging suggest that this place isn't going to hold up forever.

    Verdict: A-ok and good enough...for now. Like, the Alamo, this restaurant will need to put up the good fight if it plans to stay in the game.

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  • 0

    It's a rare chili/burger joint where you can take (and feed) a vegetarian, but Hard Times is one, which gets big points in my book.  Their vegetarian chili is tasty (the peanuts give it a nice crunch and flavour) and my veggie boyfriend has been going there for years to get it as chili mac.  It is a monsterous plate too -- he normally eats a lot and even he took about half of it home last time.

    Our trip was my first experience so I had to try the free chili sampler.  The Texas style was my least favourite, though I really wanted to like it.  The taste itself was good, just way way too oily for me.  The Terlingua chili was decent as well and I really liked the cinnamon touch to the Cincinnati.  When I make chili I like it spicy with big chunks of meat, but I actually think I'd get the Cincinanti here next time.

    We started with jalapeno poppers (the mild ones, filled with cream cheese) and fried pickles.  The poppers were okay, nothing special, but the pickles were really good.  The batter they use on both is the same, I think, though it looks like they add even more dill when they use it on the pickles.  (DIll! YUM!!)  Oh, and cornbread, of course, which was nothing special, but at least not super dry.  After all the chili tasting, I actually wound up getting a black and bleu burger.  

    It should be said in advance that one of my pet peeves is being asked how I want my burger cooked (medium rare) and getting it  medium well instead.  I understand a lot of places use frozen patties and just cook them til they're hot.  Fine.  Then don't *ASK* me how I want it, just bring me the burger.  But here!  Here I actually got a medium rare burger!  Obviously handshaped, nice and juicy, with just enough bacon and bleu cheese.  (Another thing I've had to get used to is places loading on the bacon and bleu to hide the fact that they're using crap meat.  Not here.  Here they understand the  toppings should be a highlight, not the star of the dish.)  The giant serving of fries I got were tasty too -- bet they'd be awesome under some chili!

    Service was good, prices were very reasonable.  We'll be back!

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