Well hello again... It has been a hot minute since I have written a post here on Oh So T! If you follow my Instagram you will know I have addressed the hiatus, in so far as I possibly can at the moment, and that I had taken a step back from all things blog related for a little while to focus on me. However, she is back with a bang and its a goodun!
Last Friday, we headed to Hard Rock Cafe in the centre of Manchester to join them for their Hard Rock Festival 2020. This year the festival scene has dramatically changed and none of us have been able to attend our favourite events or get our favourite festival foods! However, Hard Rock Cafe is here to save the day with an incredible food and cocktail menu guaranteed to make you forget all about the C word!
First up we got to try out the cocktail menu, which is pretty damn extensive! I chose a Blueberry Cosmo and my friend opted for the Dark & Stormy (pictured above). The Blueberry Cosmo is a beautiful blend of vodka, elderflower liquer, blueberry, lemon and sparkling soda - a very refreshing and delicious cocktail to start your evening. By contrast, the dark and stormy is a wonderful blend of rum, fresh squeezed lime, agave nectar and fever-tree ginger beer - a firm favourite that we have decided to make ourselves at our next cocktail evening. We liked the dark and stormy so much we ordered two more.
Now we get to move onto my absolute favourite part of the Hard Rock Festival 2020 - THE FOOD!
The Let's get twisted Mac & Cheese fries are Hard Rock's crispy seasoned fries topped with their legendary Mac & Cheese with blue cheese crumble, dice jalapeños, bacon and drizzled with the classic buffalo sauce and green onions. When I say this was an absolute delight of a dish, it really was and is one I sneakily hope they keep on the menu (please?!?!).
Next on our culinary delights were the Honey Soy Wings - I will admit I was sceptical about these but my friend insisted they were good and oh my gosh they really were. The wings were served with a ranch dressing, but truthfully I don't think it was needed. The wings themselves were so flavoursome and the perfect blend of honey and chilli that I didn't feel it needed anything extra. Definitely a dish to look out for at any future eateries we go to.
The Nacho Dog was next for us and boy was it a winner. An all beef dog griddled with crisp cheddar and Jack cheese, topped with guacamole, pico de gallo and jalapeños. Yes, it really was as incredible as that picture and tasted divine. The blend of flavours don't seem like they should work but it is a wonderful tangle of flavours that create an unbelievably delicious dog that will have you thinking you are at your fave festival.
If you enjoy Hard Rock's burgers (yes we all know how incredible the Legendary burger is!!) then you will love their mini buffalo-style sliders. Two grass-fed mini burgers with melted American cheese, crispy onion ring, classic buffalo sauce and blue cheese dressing on a toasted brioche bun. A blend of incredible flavours created a foodgasm like no other.
You cannot have a festival themed menu without a taco of some description. Grilled chicken breast, cheddar and Jack cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo, smoky chipotle aioli and finished with cilantro - absolutely incredible if not slightly messy, but that really is part of the fun!
The Tacos were so good they warranted a second photograph before demolishing this dish in its entirety. I cannot describe how good this was and honestly, no other Taco will compare and I may need to retire my Taco hat until these are put back on the menu again.
Finally on our tour of the Hard Rock Cafe festival menu is the Chips & Guacamole. A massive serving of delicious nacho style chips with guacamole and tomato and red onion salsa - Absolutely delicious and certainly one to share due to the huge serving sizes.
In terms of how Hard Rock Cafe is handling Covid-19 their service on this point is impeccable. They have a dedicated cleaning team on rota 24/7 constantly cleaning the tables, communal areas and bathrooms. When you attend you are greeted by a member of staff on the door who asks you to sanitise your hands and takes your temperature. The member of staff also opens both doors for you to avoid you having to come into contact with the door handles after sanitising your hands, a precaution I have not seen any other venue take. All members of staff have masks on constantly during your time there and the tables are distanced away from other diners ensuring your safety at all times. I certainly felt the safest I have in a long time.
Even in these uncertain times Hard Rock's customer service is still as impeccable as ever. Leroy our server was so attentive during our visit and an absolute gem. We even got a tour of all the memorabilia from Rik the restaurant manager which was a really lovely touch and made our trip so personal. We loved the service, food and definitely cannot wait to go back!
The menu is running until 25th September 2020, which means you have 9 days left to book your table and try the menu - I definitely recommend doing so ASAP as this menu is so popular and you don't want to miss out. The cocktails range from £5.25 to £9.50 each, the most expensive being 4 cookies and cream cake shots at £9.50. The food menu allows you to chose 2 plates for £15, 3 plates for £20 or 4 plates for £25. The portion sizes are perfect for sharing so why not gather a group of 6 friends and head to your nearest Hard Rock cafe to try the menu out. You can book your table here!
I hope this post hasn't made you too hungry, I know it has made me absolutely ravenous and I cannot wait to hear all about your visit and what you thought of the menu! So many of you dropped me messages on Instagram last Friday so please let me know what you thought when you attend!
Until Next Time
T
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