Location: 1501 Broadway
Cuisine: American
Items: 1 app, 2 entrees, 1 burger, 1 dessert, 1 cocktail.
Best Dish: The nachos were awesome, the Steak was cooked perfectly but the fried shrimp is the must-have! These seafood marvels are big and juicy, with a light buttery flavor. Despite being deep fried they are also not greasy at all.
Overall: Great atmosphere, great service, and great food. What more can we say?
Everyone knows Times Square is a tourist trap. Despite the jaded New Yorker in me I actually like Times Square; it’s historic, fun and above all else home to some great restaurants. Last week, we visited one of the biggest tourist attractions in all of NYC, Hard Rock Café. Though we have been there a few times over the years for those legendary burgers, we visited this time on official blogger business. Hard Rock Cafe teamed up with some culinary experts and revamped their menu. Some things were eliminated, some things got a makeover and a few new dishes were added. We simply had to drop by to sample the new goodies being offered.
We started with one of their new cocktails. The Red Berry Press is made of clementine vodka with citrus and strawberries served in a French press and presented with 2 glasses of ice for sharing. I love this concept. I’m not usually a fan muddled fruit in my beverages, the small bits get stuck in my teeth and it’s hard to drink with the fear of some random bit of fruit floating in my glass. With the press, I can enjoy the cocktail without any fears and enjoy booze soaked fruit once I’m done. The Red Berry Press was quite refreshing and a good way to start our dining experience.
While enjoying our cocktail we also had a monster of an appetizer. The Nachopalooza is a gigantic plate and it is not exactly new. This is one of the dishes that received a makeover. According to our server Sage, the old method of using a thin layer of melted cheese on the bottom was replaced by a layer of nachos first, then a layer of cheese which is melted then topped with another layer of nachos and another layer of cheese and toppings. Yes, it was as big and tasty as it sounds. To increase the decadence we added a layer of brisket. The barbecue brisket is new to the Café and it is exquisite, very tasty and juicy. When you order this, be advised that the serving size is more than enough for four or five people to happily share, especially if you intend to have entrees.
Next up was our entrees. We went with two new items; the fried shrimp platter and the cowboy ribeye. For the purposes of the review, we fused these two dishes into one by eliminating the fries that came with the shrimp. We made our own surf and turf.
The rib eye can be upgraded with a skewer of grilled shrimp, and we sincerely hope they make fried shrimp an option as well. The fried shrimp is phenomenal. It is rich and buttery, simply delicious. The ribeye came with a side of Yukon gold mashed potatoes and fresh cut green beans. The potatoes were rich and creamy and the green beans perfectly crunchy and light.
The Hard Rock is known for their legendary burgers and the restaurant decided to add to its extensive beef catalog with two new burgers. We chose the “Tango”. This burger comes with 2 patties dripping with sloppy joe and melted cheddar and jack cheeses with a generous helping of blue cheese horseradish mayo, oh my! This is a two-handed burger and of course, we had to have the fries. A burger without fries is like cracker jacks without the prize. The burger is juicy, tender beefy goodness. I was terrified that it would be way too much. It was filling but did not leave us feeling overstuffed. The serving size is just right with just enough of their crispy crunchy fries.
Lastly, we had the brownie sundae. This is one enormous dessert. It is definitely sized for sharing. No matter how big your sweet tooth is, this treat will surely satisfy. The warm brownie is placed in a big glass dish and topped with scoops of creamy vanilla ice cream then topped with copious amounts of whipped cream and nuts then drizzled with warm chocolate syrup and topped with a cherry.
As tourist traps go, the Hard Rock Cafe isn’t a bad place to be. The décor is fun and inviting the staff is bubbly and friendly, even music is great. Whether you are a jaded resident or a wide-eyed tourist you will enjoy the food fun and flavors of the Hard Rock Café. If you’re lucky you’ll end up at a VIP table and have a chance to meet Sage, our favorite rockstar server.
Hard Rock Cafe
1501 Broadway, New York, NY 10036
(212) 343-3355
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[…] our last outing we told you all about one of our favorite tourist traps this time we ventured just a few blocks […]
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