Critic's Review
The Hard Rock Cafe is a tourist stop, and being that I'm not a tourist, I'd never been here to eat before. I lived in NY most of my life and worked in Manhattan, but I never went to the Statue of Liberty. It's a rule that non-tourists just don't do tourist things. I was gathering info on the new Japanese Restaurant opening soon at the Hard Rock, so I decided to break the rules.
I used to go to a club called Visage in NYC's Hells Kitchen, back when I was sneaking into clubs with fake ID, and I'd pass the Hard Rock Cafe on 57th street; back when it was still a new thing. The line was always massive; so much so that I never went in. I've since been to Hard Rock Cafe's in Cancun and Las Vegas. Usually I just got a beer and wings. The one in Cancun used to be a small bar where they sold tee shirts, before they relocated into a big, concrete mall. Cancun isn't what it used to be.
Something that I didn't know is that the entire Seminole Complex is under construction. It's all a big secret apparently, as everything is covered with double black curtains (double in that if you try to look behind them there's another curtain). You'd think that a Casino/resort where people book months in advance would want people to know what's coming WAY in advance. So much for branding.
The Hard Rock Cafe is a pretty place. Something you have to get used to at Hard Rock Hotel is that smoking is allowed. There's a stench as you walk through; people are walking around with cigarettes hanging out of their mouths. It's like a trip back in time. It's the first time in ages that someone asked "Smoking or Non" when I asked for a table. I got a non-smoking of course.
With your menu, you get handouts touting Hard Rock gear. If you've never been to a Hard Rock before; there's usually a separate line to buy tee shirts. I bought a Tee Shirt in Cancan and never wore it once.
It took a while for a server to come my way. I'd seen the menu online; and it's very boring. It's like a sports bar menu with tourist trap prices; $11.50 for a caesar salad. $15 for a burger. I really couldn't decide. Meanwhile, iced tea was served with a boatload of lemon. No scrimping here.
I decided on the Fajitas; I haven't had fajitas in a long time. $19.95 for the combo. $20 is a lot for essentially 3 tacos, but I was being a tourist today.
The first thing you notice is that the music is superb; It's not called the Hard Rock by accident. Duran Duran ("Rio"), Florence + the Machine, Adam Ant, Davie Bowie's "Under Pressure", Ike and Tina. Good stuff one after another.
There's also endless memorabilia; if you're a big music fan you'll be in heaven here. The entire back wall is full of memories which remind you just how good music used to be before the rappers and anthems took over.
To my left; guitars from Robert Cray, and more to my liking, Dave Matthews and Carlos Santana. Sweet.
The fajitas came out; the runner warned me about hot metal, but they weren't sizzling. Probably a good thing, as these dishes tend to overcook if they sizzle for too long.
They didn't scrimp on the offering. The fajitas come in a very touristy paper bag. Lots of guacamole, cheese and sour cream. I wouldn't need to ask for extra.
They used good quality ingredients that were cooked properly. The salsa had too much cilantro; but the Guac was good. I tend not to load up the fajitas with lettuce; I eat the fixings as a salad.
The lack of sizzle kept the stuff from overcooking; sometimes the onions and peppers can be burned by the time you get to them, but not the case here.
I'd describe the service as uneven. Sometimes my server was omnipresent; but when I was ready for my check I had to track her down. The $3.60 iced teas kept coming, so it was fine.
Conclusion
The Hard Rock Cafe is, in no uncertain terms, a tourist stop. It's not a place you go regularly for lunch. They do have light, live music during the week and harder rock on weekends, so it's more of a club in the evening. With most of the hotel lounges shut down for construction, if you're staying at the hotel it's a good choice. It's not cheap, but you'll enjoy looking at the stuff if you're over 30.