Just because Hard Rock is a worldwide chain doesn’t mean the food quality is not stellar!
The Hard Rock Cafe is a brand that is known worldwide for awesome shirts, memorabilia, and of course food! The Hard Rock Cafe in Orlando is located on the water here at the Universal Orlando Resort at CityWalk and is proudly the largest Hard Rock in the world. For some, Hard Rock has a negative emotion of frozen and low quality food. I went to Hard Rock Cafe Orlando to check out the food, speak to the chef and tell you my opinion of one of the largest restaurants in Orlando!
Hard Rock Orlando has a huge variety of food, drinks, artifacts and merchandise to help you enjoy your time in Orlando. I have done a previous review on some of the other things that HRO has to offer but this one is focused on just the food options!
I started out my food tour with some of the amazing drinks that Hard Rock Orlando has to offer. I sampled a variety of drinks from a hurricane (which is a HR signature drink), a mule drink which featured whisky, and a mojito. All the drinks were strong, refreshing, and of course could come in a signature Hard Rock cup to take home with you.
Once we settled in with a few drinks, the food started to roll out of the kitchen!
We started out with the jumbo combo appetizer. The appetizer plate showcased some of their most popular appetizers: Signature Wings, Onion Rings, Tupelo Chicken Tenders, Southwest Spring Rolls with Parmesan flatbread and bruschetta. When ordering this appetizer, make sure you bring your extended family so you will have help eating this massive amount of food!
We then tried the Twisted Mac and Cheese, which is a classic with a kick! The Mac and Cheese features Cavatappi macaroni tossed in a three-cheese sauce with roasted red peppers, topped with Parmesan parsley bread crumbs and grilled chicken breast. This dish was full of flavor and again large enough to share with a loved one!
We then tried the Margherita Flatbread. This crispy flatbread comes with sliced roma tomatoes, basil and herb sauce, roasted garlic, romano and mozzarella cheeses, fresh basil and a drizzle of garlic aioli. If you think this is just a flat bread then you are highly mistaken. I am not normally a fan of flatbread but this one was great and packed full of flavor.
Looking for a burger? Right now they are featuring one of the BEST burgers that I have ever had! The burger comes with Guinness Beer Cheese and a Jameson bacon jam on top! This burger was juicy, packed full of flavor and made me wanting more!
For the meat fans out there, Hard Rock Orlando smokes their own meats so I had to try some of it for myself! I tried the Hickory-Smoked BBQ Combo which is served with smoked chicken, pulled pork and St. Louis smoked ribs. This platter comes with fries, coleslaw and cowboy beans and is enough to serve the entire state of Tennessee!
Steak lovers? We have you covered as well! We also ordered the Cowboy Ribeye Steak! This USDA choice 28-day aged 16-oz bone-in rib eye steak has been grilled to perfection and topped with maître d’ butter. The steak is served with Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and seasonal veggies! This steak is for the ultimate steak lover and packs not only flavor but also a great amount of sides to tame your hunger!
Desserts? OH DO THEY HAVE THOSE AS WELL! We sampled a large variety of desserts including the Oreo Cheesecake, Hot Fudge Brownie, Chocolate Molten Cake and Homestyle Apple Cobbler! All of these desserts are large enough to share with the family and have something to satisfy the sweet tooth in your life! My personal favorites were the warm apple cobbler and the molten chocolate cake!
Overall, forget what you THINK you know about the food at Hard Rock Orlando! After speaking to the chef and tasting the food I can attest that the food is high quality, made mostly from scratch in the kitchen and there is a ton of great food for even the pickiest eater in the family! Next time you are at Universal Orlando, make sure you stop in at Hard Rock Orlando for an amazing drink and some killer food!
Jason Mayhew
My name is Jason Mayhew, and I am the owner of OFF On The Go. When not traveling with the website, I own my own marketing and PR company, J Mayhew Marketing. I have the best job where I get to travel the world and showcase the most amazing and unique experiences!
