We visit Hard Rock to taste the finalist of their burgers of the world competition
On a wet July day in London, I’m heading back to where it all started for Hard Rock Cafe, London, 53 years ago; the first Hard Rock opened in a former Rolls Royce showroom in Hyde Park, Mayfair, London.
The history of Hard Rock Cafe dates back to 1971, when the first Hard Rock Cafe opened in London. Founded by Americans Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton, the cafe’s theme revolved around rock music, and it quickly became the in-place for music lovers and musicians.
Even in the early days, the cafe’s decor featured rock memorabilia, such as instruments and costumes, and the walls were adorned with items from iconic musicians.
Over the years, Hard Rock Cafe evolved into a worldwide chain, with locations in major cities around the globe. In addition to its restaurants, the brand expanded into hotels and casinos, and I had the pleasure of losing money at the Las Vegas casino a few years ago.
Today, Hard Rock Cafe continues to be a beloved destination for music enthusiasts, offering a unique combination of dining, entertainment, and rock music memorabilia.
There are over 180 Hard Rocks in over 50 countries and 31 Hard Rocks in the US, also home to the largest restaurant based in Orlando, Florida.
Part of the success of Hard Rock for me is no matter where you are in the world, it could be eating Pasta in Rome or Tapas in Seville, sometimes only a burger will do and if there’s a Hard Rock in the city, thats where you go. The other thing I like is that although when entering a new Hard Rock, there’s a familiarity about it, they also have enough of a difference to be unique.
Apart from having a great lunch, I’m visiting to taste a couple of the five finalists of the Hard Rock World Burger Tour. Each Hard Rock restaurant worldwide creates a burger of its own, and eventually, these are whittled down to the five best burgers.
The accolade will appear on Hard Rock menus worldwide for a limited period, maybe even permanently. So this is a big deal. Can you imagine the bragging rights for the five finalists?
So, the stage was set as we entered Hard Rock Hyde Park. As I previously mentioned, the UK’s summer sun had deserted us, but that could not dampen our spirits as we took our seats in a packed restaurant
Sadly, Hyde Park and the Piccadilly Hard Rocks did not make the final five. So we ran our impartial eye and taste buds over the finalists—well, two of the finalists. As I’m no Adam Richman of Man Vs Food fame, and neither is my wife, who joined me for lunch, we decided we would choose one each from the five so we could taste and view the burger in all its glory.
I will list the full ingredients of the three burgers we did not taste at the end of the article, so you can make your choice.
The famous five are from the following locations.
Bucharest Romania, Pittsburgh USA, Bengaluru India, Gramado, Brazil, Kathmandu Nepal.
As you would imagine, this was no easy choice, and after much deliberation and the obligatory Hard Rock cocktail, we decided.
For me, it was the Bucharest Burger: a 7-oz steakburger, Garlic horseradish Aioli, Marinated Camembert Cheese, Tomato, Smoked Shoestring Onions, Frisee Lettuce, and Red Wine Cranberry Jam.
I was swayed to go for this beauty by inclusion of the shoestring onions and the camembert cheese.
Leigh chose the Kathmandu Burger: two smashed and stacked patties, Sweet chilli Mayo, Provolone cheese, caramelised onions, Avocado, and Tomato Zucchini slaw.
For Leigh, it was the inclusion of the avacado & zucchini slaw that caught her attention and made up her mind.
Both burgers are served with Hard Rock fries. I’m sure we are not alone but as a couple eating out we do always taste each others dishes, which meant we got to taste both burgers.
However, as we know, it is not just about looks; taste plays a bigger part. We both loved the shoestring onions and camembert. The red wine cranberry jam was a surprise as it gave a sour and sweet notes.
The Kathmandu burger over-delivered in taste. The avocado, zucchini slaw, cheese, and mayo were fresh additions, and I preferred the two smashed patties to one bigger burger.
Overall, we both agreed that, in our humble opinions, the Kathmandu burger edged it for us, but it was a close-run thing. Both burgers were quickly despatched and thoroughly enjoyed.
Let me know if I have tempted you to take a taste test; it is good fun. Please let me know your choice.
The ingredients in the other burgers are listed below to tickle your taste buds. Before I go check out my review of the best burgers in Mayfair, you will not be surprised that Hard Rock makes the list with the famous Legendary Burger.
So here you go, the final three burgers making up the five finalists,
Pittsburgh Burger: Two smashed and stacked burger patties, legendary sauce, smoked bacon, Pickles, beer cheese sauce, Whiskey bacon jam, American cheese, and French fries.
Bengaluru Burger, 7oz steak burger, American cheese, sweet and spicy pickled mayo, black bean corn salsa, roasted Jalapeno, guacamole and shredded lettuce
Gramado Burger, 7oz steak burger, garlic Aiolli, crispy Mozzarella cheese fritter and Whiskey bacon jam.
Hard Rock Cafe, Old Park Lane, London W1K 1QZ
