Hard Rock Cafe — Restaurant in Venice

Hard Rock Cafe needs no introduction, and its franchises are spread all over the world. There's one in Venice, and I couldn't help but notice the contrast it creates with its surroundings. Rock 'n' roll is, of course, far younger than anything in this historic city.

The food, unfortunately, was as mediocre as it gets. The Buffalo wings, despite being a quintessentially American dish served at an American franchise, didn’t quite match what you’d expect in the U.S. To be brutally honest, they were just spicy wings with no discernible taste of the tangy hot Buffalo sauce. At least they didn’t have the overpowering, stinky flavor I encountered at the Cologne, Germany branch. The spicy shrimp dish didn’t fare much better either but it was best of the bunch. But the biggest letdown was the margarita cocktail—it was far too sweet, with no trace of lime flavor (If you tasted margaritas even at any mid rangey casual dining chain restaurant in U.S. such as T.G.I Fridays, Chili's, Applebee's or Outback you would know the difference). I found it rather unacceptable that they served a lemon slice instead of a lime slice with the glass! The glass was not a margarita glass either. Considering it’s frequently visited by Americans, it’s surprising that no one bothers with those small details. The current rating might be biased, possibly reflecting the fact that proper neighborhood grill-type American establishments are practically nonexistent in Europe, so you end up settling for what’s available.

Finally, while rock memorabilia is a key part of the Hard Rock Cafe’s concept, I couldn’t help but wonder—what does Katy Perry’s Moschino dress have to do with rock 'n' roll? Italian-Americans (Sambora, Bratta, De Martini, DeGarmo, Satriani, Vai and nowadays Bonamassa) produced some of the best rock guitarists on the planet, and it shouldn't be too hard to find something more significant than...

Thank you Fady at the Rock Shop for the assertiveness, you were really friendly and helpful. Okay the Bengali and philipino chefs should answer this, even if it is medium rare, at least the butter on the top should melt if the stake is Hot, what I received was utterly cold and had to request d server to change it. I'm glad she did (sorry the name on the bill says Ximena). Guys I spent 55 euros, the least I deserve is hot food. I'm not taking a dig on the chefs nationality here but professionalism comes with discipline and that's lacking. See photos for the proof, first photo is when I got the food and second one is 15 minutes down but the butter is as is. Also, since when we decided to put brocoli as a bunch and not flowerettes with d stake? Also, when I asked for sauce, I'm served with Worcestershire sauce, like really? This proves the chefs have fake degree. Was very disappointed at this. Finally my order was changed to Salmon, which was great but came with a lime that had no juice. Guys, I'm a Hard Core HR fan please get your act together, realise that irrespective of your nationality, you carry the responsibility of an...

As American as it can be, from the decor to the service to the food. It has a great location, with large windows looking out into the streets and large TVs for watching sports. Downstairs has a shop (with tax return) selling HRC merchandise while upstairs has spacious seating. Restroom is downstairs, which is clean and spacious but nothing luxurious. Staff is super friendly and very helpful, drinks are refilled without asking, and plates are cleared off in a timely manner. Everything was great, except the price. At $12 for a lemonade and almost $5 for a side of guacamole, the prices are quite steep, even for Venice standard. I almost want to take off a star just for the unreasonably high prices. It also makes it much less likely for us to return unless we're really dying for the food here. We had a Cobb salad, a classic burger with fries, and nachos with guacamole, plus a cocktail and 2 sodas. All said, everything tastes great and we had a really good time. Also, they do a 15% military discount, which helps.

If you're craving good American food and budget isn't an issue, then this place is definitely...