It’s here! We can eat and drink inside again after a long spell of sitting in our coats, drinking in the rain. I have been so excited and the last week has been a whirlwind of seeing friends and catching up, after the craziest 18 months of my life. One of the first places we headed was Hard Rock Cafe, who are celebrating in style with their Festival 2021: Born to summer menu.
Every festival should include cocktails in plastic glasses. Now, this might not always be the case as we did dine outside but still. The authenticity was there. There are some great specials on the menu with prices starting at £4.75, which is ridiculously reasonable. The Fresh Agave Margarita is delicious and the addition of agave nectar adds a natural sweetness. We also tried the Blueberry Cosmo Cocktail with vodka, elderflower liqueur, blueberries and lemon, topped with soda. A lovely fruity concoction yet still with a kick from that vodka.
The food options are perfect for sharing, you can enjoy 2 for £15, 3 for £20 or 4 for £25. We went for 4 because there were too many good looking dishes to choose from. First up was the Lobster Roll; seasoned lobster claw is bound in a light yet creamy lemon mayonnaise before being loaded into a warm bun with parsley and celery. There is lots of lobster and just enough dressing to bind it, making it much lighter than other lobster rolls I have had in the past. The side of seasoned fries is also welcomed.
Then we shared a Nacho Dog; a beef hot dog topped with crisp cheddar and jack cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo and jalapeños. I’d never think guac on a hot dog would work but this proves that it absolutely does, and those sweet pickled onions are delicious.
Onto the carbs and they are definitely the star of this festival. Mac and Cheese Fries are the creation from the gods, let me tell you. Those lovely seasoned fries are topped with Hard Rock’s signature four cheese Twisted mac and cheese, diced jalapeños, bacon and green onions, before being drizzled with buffalo sauce. For any fries that haven’t come into contact with that incredible cheesy delight, there’s a side of the best ranch sauce I’ve tasted. I’ll be asking for a side of ranch no matter what I order in the future.
Last, but definitely not least we tried the BBQ Pineapple Quesadilla. A vegetarian option but certainly not a dish that misses meat; grilled pineapple with cheddar and jack cheese, spicy slaw, picked onions and house BBQ sauce. It’s all toasted in tortilla so that cheese melts beautifully. The sweetness from the pineapple, the heat from the slaw and the slight sour notes from the pickled onions just works so well together. I rarely order a vegetarian dish over a meat dish but this totally swayed me.
If these dishes don’t float your boat, there is a selection of sliders and wings to choose from too so there should be something to suit anyone. The menu is available until 1st June, so there’s plenty of time to grab some delicious dishes and catch up with friends now we are allowed to. The best opening to summer, I can’t wait to see what the rest of 2021 has in store for us.
You can book online on the Hard Rock Cafe website.
