Now that bars are open and it’s the heart of football season, I will try to hit different spots around town to catch some cold beverages, grab a bite to eat and watch the games.
I don’t get to downtown Henderson often, but I was meeting a friend on that side of town, so we decided to check out Hardway 8, located at 46 S. Water St. Hardway 8 is a Sports Bar that pays tribute to the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels. In 1977 UNLV made it to the Final Four and the team was nicknamed “The Hardway 8.” The bar itself at Hardway 8 is actually built from old bleachers from the glory days of UNLV basketball which is really kind of cool.
The bar has an open floor plan with TV’s throughout. So no matter where you are sitting you can watch the game. Hardway 8 has a nice selection of craft beers to choose from when you decide it’s time for a cold one.
We made our visit for Monday Night Football which is pretty much a weekly ritual for me to watch the game somewhere while having some game time grub. On this visit I started with an appetizer with the 8 Way Deep Fried Mozzarella. This was outstanding as it comes out sitting on a plate of marinara sauce and is cut into sections tableside. I will go back just for this appetizer.
Now it was time to pick my main course and Hardway 8 has a lot of options to choose from on their menu. I had it narrowed down to two choices — Chicken Wings or the Fried Bologna Sandwich. As I kid, I loved Fried Bologna, so I was really looking at ordering it. But it’s Monday Night Football and I almost always have to try the wings when I’m at a new place for the first time.
I ordered the wings crispy as I always do, and my only complaint was the wings could have been done a little more. The sauce was good though, so other than them not being as crispy as I like, they were good. I definitely will have to try the Fried Bologna next time. My buddy ordered the Hendertucky Hot Chicken Sandwich served on Texas Toast and comes with fries for $12.
If you’re the downtown Henderson area, Hardway 8 is a good option to meet up with friends and just chill while watching games. I give Hardway 8 a rating of 3.5 Forks.