I few weeks ago I had the opportunity to try out Hard Rock Cafe’s new food and drink menu at the Mall of America. The only thing I can say is, wow. Hubby, I, and fellow bloggers were treated to an 8 course dinner. Yes, eight courses! Talk about trying nearly everything on the menu…I think I’m still full (and a bit tipsy as everything on the menu also has an alcoholic beverage that pairs with it)!
Our dinner started out with appetizers–Spinach Artichoke Dip, Tupelo Chicken Tenders, and Balsamic Tomato Bruschetta along with Magical Mystery Mojitos (so refreshing!). While the dip was good, hubby liked the chicken tenders and I liked the bruschetta. There was definitely something different about this bruschetta than most that I’ve had.
Next came an Air Mexico starter with three signature mini margaritas and a personal portion of chips and salsa. Cucumber margarita was my favorite, mango was Hubby’s favorite.
Grilled Chicken Arugula Salad started our main meal. Lemon balsamic vinaigrette dressing?–I ate the whole thing (minus the oranges). I believe the Red Berry Press paired with this. It is pressed at your table and comes in a small pitcher for sharing! So good you can’t even taste the vodka in it. Don’t know why I didn’t get photos of these.
This is where things got serious. I would have been perfectly happy ending my meal with this plate but there was more food to come! This is the Hickory Smoked Barbecue Combo. Hubby and I asked to take our left-overs home and we fought over who got to eat them for lunch the next day. Tender ribs, BBQ chicken and Pulled Pork so good! I will add that the coleslaw has a slight citrus flavor and there were no left-overs of that! Oh gosh, now I’m starting to get confused. What drink went with this? The beer maybe? Yeah, it had to be the beer. I’m not a beer fan so I can’t comment much on that.
Are you full yet? I was too but who can resist burgers? The Original Legendary Burger, Veggie Leggie, and Hickory BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger to be exact. These may have been the sample size for us but they were not lacking in flavor! I loved the onion ring on the Legandary Burger and though I’m not a fan of Veggie burgers, I was impressed with the Veggie Leggie. I would definitely order a full sized Veggie Leggie if I wasn’t feeling like eating meat one day.
What goes with burgers? Shakes of course! We got to try the Twist & Shout Shake. Did someone say Guinness and bacon? Yes please! Um yeah, I may have been full but that shake needed to be finished!
By now I’m bursting at the seams but dessert was calling my name…Fresh Apple Cobbler, Oreo Cheesecake, and a Hot Fudge Brownie. For once I couldn’t finish my dessert. All three were amazing and I would have finished them had it not been for all the food before them.
What comes after dessert? Coffee of course. The Salted Caramel Cafe includes Tia Maria and Baileys and is topped with caramel popcorn. The perfect way to top off a large meal. I can’t have caffeine so they happily made it decaf for me.
I met Chef Russell Booth, the Executive Chef at Hard Rock International! He comes up with new menu items.
I know I talked a lot about adult food and beverages but Hard Rock Cafe is also great for kids. My girls loved their kids menu when we visited a few months ago. Did you know that kids eat free on Toddler Tuesdays at the Mall of America location? Yup! Bonus!
My family likes the Hard Rock Cafe (Mall of America) so much, that Hubby is thinking of hosting his 40th birthday party there! The food and atmosphere are perfect. I’ll let you know how that goes.
