Tender Smokehouse

The girls working the register were friendly and accommodating. They answered all our questions promptly and thoroughly and were able to quickly find us a table. Food is generally ordered at the front and the sodas you get yourself at the fountain. Someone will deliver you a delicious tray of what you ordered when you get yourself situated at a table. Loved the meal itself and the sweet seasoning sprinkled over the pulled pork. Potato salad was perfect also. The seating area definitely isn't as big as other Tenders locations but there's still enough room for larger parties of up to 6. Additionally, I felt like the dining area could be spruced up a little more with brighter decor or lighting to brighten up the place, it did seem fairly dim like I was in a basement bar. But, I do understand that they're trying to go for a more rugged southern look. Overall, still loved the experience. Staff are active and on the floor making sure you have everything you need. Will definitely come back!

We LOVE Tender Smokehouse!!Oh my gosh!!! It's the best BBQ we've ever had! Love the little town

Consistently great tasting food and efficient operation. What I really appreciate is that sides are the portion you'd give yourself at home. I don't know what it is about nearly all other BBQ places that charge a lot of money for sides in a tiny plastic cup the size of a ranch dressing on the side. Tender is an honest place serving honest food.

Ever since moving to North Dallas we have been fans of Hutchins and to be honest, at times afraid to try another BBQ joint since our last visit to Hard 8. Well we decided to bite the bullet and give Tenders a try. And we are glad we did. The brisket was good and not as salty as others, perfectly cooked. The jalapeño sausage and ribs were tasty, turkey was moist and just the way my son likes it. And the winner was the pulled pork, that was just divine, especially with their homemade bbq sauce. Sides were okay, Mac n cheese could have done with a little more seasoning. And the only positive of Hutchins compared to Tenders is you can mix sides onto an individual serving. Service was as good as expected. Not sure if I like the fact that they serve you your food instead of seeing it sliced in front of you. The other downside was that even though we were sitting indoors there were a lot of flies around, not sure if that is only the case on Celina where we ate. All in all very good, will definitely be back as Hutchins has become rather expensive and very salty at times but still one of my favorites. Oh and Hutchins desserts are better I have to say.

Update since my first review last year. We still love this place, my husband even goes out of his way in the morning to get one of their breakfast tacos with brisket on some mornings. The meats are flavorful, moist, and absolutely delicious. We always share a platter of brisket, ribs, jalapeño sausage, and smoked turkey. The smoked turkey and ribs are still my favorite, they're definitely consistent with their quality of meats. Turkey is so easily overcooked and dry at some places but at Tender, their turkey is always moist and perfectly smoked. The ribs are dry rubbed, which I like, so I can dip into my favorite sauce.Their sides are really good too. I love their pineapple slaw and their beans. There is normally a line on the weekends that can get pretty long during peak hours. But the line moves pretty fast. Seating is first come first served so make sure you have someone keeping an eye out for an open table while another gets in line to order. There's an outdoor patio area and an inside area as well. The vibe is really casual and there's some outdoor games you can play as well. We love coming here and thankfully it's close to us too!

Everything Barbecue!Every selection is a winner .If you're looking for pitmaster perfection, the journey ends here.The square in Celina is a throwback to the early 1900's .Love the town and love this restaurant.You will too .

I have been coming here since they have opened and by far the Brisket is one of my top two.

Monthly Family lunch found us at Tender Smokehouse in August this year. My family has been making it's way through some really great restaurants in the North Texas area and this one was a winner for us. With 8 of us we got a selection of much of the menu and shared little tastes of everything. I had a huge baked potato with brisket which was super yummy. I ended up taking most of it home. My granddaughters had fun with the door fixtures. The food and service was great and we all had a great time.

Some of the best Texas bbq out there. We've been coming here for years, and moved to a house in Downtown Celina. Now that we are moved in, we went from our house on a 15 minute walk to Tender. When we walked in, we were instantly greeted by the kind cashiers, who took our order. You order at the counter here, and you pay for it before eating. It wasn't too busy. I got a combo plate with the brisket and bbq ribs, with a baked potato and baked beans on the side, I also got a water with my meal, and got a smaller cup, which none of the lids could find, which was pretty unfortunate. When the meal came out, it took less than 5 minutes after ordering. The brisket I got chopped and moist, and turned out great as usual. I finally tried the bbq ribs for the first time after eating the brisket, years after I first had this restaurant . The ribs are the fall off the bone type and melt in your mouth. Both the brisket and bbq ribs were to die for. The baked potato turned out great, and was loaded, and the baked beans were great as well. If wanting to visit Celina, you should definitely try this place. Other places you should check out during your visit are The Forge 1912, Mangiamo Italian, Hey Sugar, Toasted Walnut, and Lucy's. Out of all Celina restaurants, Tender is the best one to eat at, it is spectacular and totally worth the price!

Happened to be in town on Saturday 2/8/25 and needed somewhere for lunch. Knee-jerk decision that paid off big time! Wonderful staff who were polite, engaging and super helpful! The location and atmosphere were very nice and the BBQ was excellent. Everything was super fresh and we hardly had to wait for our food to come out! I especially liked the jalapeño sausage, brisket, and the sauce. If we are ever nearby this or any of their other locations we'll be sure to stop in!