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Hard Rock Cafe
To Start ...
Every time we have visited the Hard Rock Cafe London we have always had a great time as the atmosphere is lively and the food is good. It is always busy, and the day we visited was no exception. Our children were very excited to join us, and enjoyed the buzz and party vibe as we entered the restaurant. There were a number of other families around us also enjoying time out together.
As some readers may already know, it started with an Eric Clapton guitar … Back in the seventies, Clapton liked to eat at this quirky American diner in London called the Hard Rock Cafe. The place was this funky old building that used to be a Rolls Royce dealership, and it was run by a couple of young, enterprising and music-loving Americans – Isaac Togrett and Peter Morton. Clapton became friends with the proprietors and asked them to save him a regular table, put up a brass plaque or something – and one of the proprietors said "Why don't we put up your guitar?" They all had a chuckle, and he handed over the guitar, and they mounted it on the wall. No one thought much more about it until a week later, when another guitar arrived (a Gibson Les Paul, by the way). With it was a note from Pete Townshend of The Who which read: "Mine's as good as his. Love, Pete." The young proprietors put it on the wall. After that, the guitars never stopped coming. Today there are more than 70,000 guitars, drums, pianos, harmonicas, microphones, shirts, pants, scarves, shoes, handwritten lyrics, cars, bikes, a bus and assorted rock memorabilia - by far, the largest, most valuable such collection in the world - on the walls of over 190 Hard Rock Cafes, Hotels and Casinos in 61 countries around the world.
With this history in mind, you would hope that the quality of the food matches the reputation of the venue, and luckily it does! The menu is extensive, with a wide range of choices, but again the friendly waiting staff are on hand to give useful advice. The starters include Nachos, Hickory Smoked Chicken Wings and Potato Skins. We started with the Jumbo Combo (£20.95) – perfect for a family of four, providing a good sample of the other starters on offer. It includes Signature Wings, Onion Wings, Tupelo Chicken Tenders, Southwest Spring rolls and bruschetta. This large platter was served with three delicious sauces – honey mustard, hickory barbecue and blue cheese dressing, for mixing and matching, offering a perfect accompaniment. We really enjoyed the spicy kick of the Signature Wings.
Main Courses
There is a mouth-watering selection of Entrees, including Steaks, Fajitas, Grilled Salmon and Beer Battered Fish & Chips – from £14.75. There is also a list of Smokehouse, Salads and Sandwich options. The burgers are priced from £15.25 (with a variety of toppings available at extra cost), and the Veggie Leggie is £16.25. The Original Legendary Burger is excellent for burger lovers (count me in on this one!), and was successfully cleaned up by our youngest son. I chose the St. Paddy’s Burger (available for a limited to time to celebrate St Patrick’s Day). Made with the Hard Rock signature burger patty, it was topped with Jameson bacon jam and succulent Guinness cheese sauce. What better way for me to celebrate this Irish national holiday; it was delicious, succulent and sweetened by the bacon jam, I would definitely have this one again! Priced at £16.25 it was served on a toasted bun with lettuce, tomato and Hard Rock fries.
Options from the Smokehouse menu are all smoked in-house. Our eldest son (a permanently hungry 15-year old) chose the Hickory-Smoked Barbecue Combo (priced at £16.75), which offered Bar-B-Que Ribs and Smoked Pulled Pork. This boy loves his meat, and unsurprisingly his meal was heartily enjoyed, proven by the empty plate! The Pulled Pork was a real hit due to its succulence and the accompanying sauce. My wife selected one of their Famous Fajitas (Grilled Shrimp, priced £18.95). Served with pico de gallo, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, fresh guacamole, sour cream and warm tortillas, she thoroughly enjoyed her choice. She was kind enough to let me sample one of the large, succulent Shrimps, as she knows the way to a man’s heart! Grilled to perfection, I would have been happy to sample a few more … There is also an extensive Kids menu and a whole menu dedicated to Gluten Free options.
Wine, Dessert & Music!
The wine selection offers plenty of choice, and we enjoyed a few glasses of sauvignon blanc (£9.95 for a large glass). The large bar also caters for a fantastic range of beverages. The boys washed down their meals with some delicious alcohol-free cocktails, recommended by our waiter.
I knew we would have to same some room for dessert - we had promised the kids after all! The dessert list offers a fabulous selection, and we sampled the Homemade Apple Cobbler (£7.75) and the Cheesecake made with Oreo cookie piece (£8.25) – which I must say are two of the best, and most substantial desserts, I have ever enjoyed. This was comfort food at its best ... homemade, sweet and delicious. The portions, again, were huge, and I would be curious to see if one person can eat the Cheesecake on their own! Next time, we’ll give the Hot Fudge Brownie a go, as I endured food envy as I kept seeing the gloriously full dishes walking past!
As you enjoy your meal there is always something to entertain you from the music videos or dancing waiters, to the the memorabilia that surrounds you. The music is loud, and there are many tracks you will find yourself rocking along to. We enjoyed a broad range of classic rock hits, including tracks from Katy Perry, Prince and Queen, just some of the ones I can remember. Radio Ga Ga had the whole restaurant clapping in time with the video. You will find yourself tapping your feet to most of these familiar tracks, and it is impossible not to be distracted by the amazing collection of rock and pop pieces that are displayed all around the restaurant and between the tables.
The service throughout was very good, and seems to work as a well oiled machine. Staff are cheerful, pleasant and helpful with menu choices, and cater very well to the kids.
In Conclusion ...
Hard Rock Cafe undoubtably houses some of the most fascinating and important pieces of rock and pop history. The Vault, in the basement of the Hard Rock Store over the road, is a must. They seemingly offer tours every 20 minutes or so. It is housed in an old Coutts bank vault (the vault doors and some of the safes are still in place). Whilst the kids hadn't heard of some of the artists whose memorabilia is housed here, they were very interested to learn more. There are some fascinating original lyrics by John Lennon, one of Madonna's bank cards and a guitar used by Slash from Guns N’ Roses. Take your camera.
It is a fun venue, which is more than just a restaurant. If you haven't yet visited, add it to your list – either book before or get there early, as the queues can be long.
Visit www.hardrock.com
