I do want to begin by saying that if I was in the US, I would not seek out or choose to eat at a Hard Rock Cafe. There aren't a lot of chain restaurants that really appeal to me or leave me satisfied after. Butttt....when you're halfway around the world and just want some american food and veggies, this was a good option.
We were seated quickly, as there was no wait. Our waitress was ok, but not super attentive. I went multiple times with an empty glass and had to keep asking for more water. Though I don't feel like this is uncommon at all in the area, I just don't know if europeans don't care if their glass is empty or the standards for service just aren't the same. Tipping is different there, so maybe that has an impact.
What I did like is they local source some of their ingredients. The rolls are made by a local bakery chain and I think it said the beef was local as well. I ordered a burger and it was surprisingly good. I don't know if it is because I hadn't had one in quite some time or that I was comparing it to the other menu items in Austria that I'd been experiencing all week but it satisfied! You really need to emphasize if you want a rare burger over there too. I ordered rare and the waitress actually said, "So I will put i medium to medium-rare.". I reiterated that I want rare - like still bleeding. The burger was a good size too - 8 oz.
I ordered veggies as a side just because I was wanting some veggies and they had been hard to come by. I think they were just frozen veggies - broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, carrots - nothing great.
I had the fries that came with the burger. They were ok. My husband upgraded his fries to the parmesan and they were essentially the same as mine with some parmesan cheese and additional spices on top. They didn't even really stick, so I don't know if I feel they were worth the upgrade as the toppings fell off into the dish. I think they came with an upgraded dipping sauce - he didn't even use it.
For the cost, which was reasonable, it hit the spot. If I were back home, I don't think I would have been able to eat all of it but since I was starving and jonesing for the food, I polished it off, no problem! read more