This makes me pretty sure that the new “Legendary” line of burgers that they’ve just launched is a reaction to the substantial popularity of the London burger pop-up scene that seems to typically attract “generation Y” customers, and I popped along last week to investigate..
The Legendary burger line-up is pretty impressive. There are three special burgers only served at each Hard Rock Cafe in the UK which are worth looking at just for the entertainment value. The Edinburgh venue contains Haggis as you might expect, Manchester has a lamb-based burger(why?) and London’s Legendary burger contains fish and chips – just kidding! It actually contains horseradish and parsnips – yes, seriously. The other options on the menu include five other types of burger as well as a vegetarian option and the ‘classic’ Hard Rock Cafe burger.
Local delicacies aside I opted for the Hickory BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger on my visit, which included some rather stunning looking melted cheddar, bacon and barbecue sauce. Just from the name “Legendary” alone you can tell these burgers are going to be big, and they are – most of these beef patties are 10oz and includes salad for the burger and a side of skin-on chips.
As an aside I would like have a little bit of discussion about chips here briefly. Chips are boring, they’re plain, simple things but there seems to be a trend lately to reinvent the chip. Some places will do polenta chips, or semolina covered chips, some will add rosemary and garlic to their chips but I’ve never seen that to be anything more than a gimmick. There is nothing wrong with a simple chip in my opinion, and Hard Rock Cafe do an excellent job.
The burger I tried was excellent too although personally I would have gone for a stronger smoked bacon – despite that I can definitely see it being a winner. I was surprised to find that it wasn’t as huge as I had initially imagined, although those with a small appetite might well find it too much. I was very tempted by the other options, including the S.O.B Burger (which is said to have some real heat to it) and I’m looking forward to The Big Cheese, with a choice of 3 cheeses, if I get another chance.
Compared to the burgers that you’ll find amongst the offerings from London’s hip pop-up scene, some of which are of astounding quality and value, Hard Rock Cafe doesn’t really have the edge – their offering is also rather expensive at £15 per burger (including chips). However, if you put them up against the other celebrity-themed restaurants in town they win hands down. To my mind none of the larger restaurants in London are on the same level – the only one that comes close is Maxwells in Covent Garden. I would still give Hard Rock Cafe the edge though, because of their music-centric atmosphere.