The Hard Rock Café Beirut… I really don’t understand why I love this place so much.
As I already mentioned in my previous review, the Hard Rock Café is my favorite international diner in Beirut. I love its identity: the ambiance, the warmth, the decoration, the welcoming and the signature dishes they have. There is something about this place that makes it so special, its that familiar feeling. It's unique and not copied like some other diners who just bring in American concepts and make it their own... they feel the same like the ones we see in American movies.
I have gotten used to ordering the same thing every time I visit the Hard Rock Café, their fulfilling nachos followed by one of their signature burger. That day I decided to change and was planning to try something new. But as soon as I opened the large menu, I felt like ordering the same thing all over again, my hunger buds were calling me not to change my habits. To start with I chose two appetizers, the Hard Rock Nachos (Fresh corn tortilla chips piled high with mixes cheese and seasoned pinto beans. Served with sour cream, chopped green onions, pico de gallo, jalapenos and a side of fresh Hard Rock grilled salsa and the Potato Skins, large potato shells, fried golden brown, filled with mixed cheese, crisp smoked turkey bacon, green onions and parsley with a side of sour cream for dipping. “Mmmmm” Delicious. So crunchy, so tasty and so fresh. The same taste I remember year after year and enjoy as much. The feeling takes me back a long way. I love that in their food and over all feel.
As a main course, and I think it is one of the tastiest dishes they have on the menu, I ordered the Hickory, smoked pulled, lamb sandwich: Believe me, it’s a to die for plate. You have to like lamb to start with as for the rest, every bite tells a story. A fresh tender and juicy smoked lamb hand pulled pieces served in a mountain like shape inside a burger bun all mixed with the hickory special Bar-B-Que red and juicy sauce with fries on the side. In this dish, every single ingredient is special: the sauce, the lamb, the fries, the buttered bun and the side beans. I really urge you to try it.
While the waiter got us a pitcher of Diet Pepsi, my friend ordered the mushroom and swiss burger, that we unfortunately didn’t like much. The overall taste is too dry. Some sauce should be added to the mushroom and maybe making the cheese melt between the mushroom slices. I prefer the mushroom burger prepared with a watery Swiss sauce like the one Burger King or Hardees has –taking into consideration the difference in quality- with smaller mushroom pieces, all mixed together creating the juicy taste of the burger without having to add anything additional like ketchup or mustard. The thick meat is appealing but misses that 'yummy' part.
Dessert? Impossible. Not a single thing can even enter my mouth anymore. We ate a lot. What I like about this place, is that the portions are big so you have to enjoy every bite again and again. The Hard Rock Café, the history, the art pieces, the shop, the Harley Davidson signature bike, the guitars, the drinks, the desserts, the plates, the decoration… what else can make you dream while enjoying a nice meal. PS: Please give us the choice to choose between Pepsi and Coke.
