| Address | 4738 Cherry Hill Road, College Park, MD 20740 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Mon-Thur, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m., Fri-Sat, 11:30 a.m.-12 a.m., Sun, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. |
| Phone | (301) 474-8880 |
| Fax | (301) 424-7116 |
| Website | http://www.hardtimes.com |
In the 30-year history of Hard Times, this College Park location has fallen by the wayside. Food quality is considerably lower than that of the Alexandria location. While service was good, the fruit flies that were constantly pestering us made it difficult to accept any of the food as "fresh" or "well-cooked."
I'm more familiar with the Clarendon outpost of this chili house, and I generally get better service at that one. This server was kind of a spaz. (He was flummoxed by the 5-way-chili concept, for example, and he kept forgetting my drink order.)
The place takes itself seriously, with an informational card that begins "It is generally accepted by chili historians..." It serves four styles of chili--including my favorite, Cincinnati style. The spices are complex in this and the vegetarian chili (I haven't tried the other two, Texas-oriented varieties). Veggie burgers are tasty here too--especially topped with veggie chili and cheese and with a spritz of chili vinegar on the accompanying fries. The beer list is ambitious. The Western decor isn't quite as garish as the junk-shop themes at other chains, and there's a real solidarity of purpose here--even the jukebox plays a fine selection of Western swing. Try to go at an off-peak time for better service--it's worth it for a good bowl of red.
