Mel had the luck of the Irish at the Hard Rock Cafe

Although it looks simplistic; the humble burger is not the easiest thing to master. The correct ratios, a solid structure, sound ingredients – they all matter. So when you get a very good one, you remember it.

It happened to me today and I really wasn’t expecting it, nor will I forget it.

You see, I was invited to the Hard Rock Café in Manchester to try their St Patricks Day special and prior to visiting, I merely thought it was a glorified bacon double cheeseburger with an Irish gimmick. Hardly like Ireland is known for world class burgers.

But if you were to break down each of the ingredients in this special it quickly becomes apparent why the clever clogs at Hard Rock came up with it. It’s brilliant.



It was the Guinness cheese sauce that made me stop and start grinning. A pimped up version of Welsh rarebit, it held an immersive rich umami flavour coupled with the beefiness of the stout. Add in some crispy bacon and you’ve found sheer textural delight. And that’s before you even add the burger itself!

As I delved deeper I came across the well seasoned beef patties. Clearly licked by a flame or two, they were hugging thin potato slices - a bit like the topping of a hotpot. This was where things got interesting. Similar to the Big Mac format, the middle carb gave strength to the burger. I’m also quite sure that the potato had an element of garlic to it giving another layer of flavour. Again seasoned very well and with some peppery watercress, this rounded off each bite very nicely.



When it comes to the bun, I'm often left with mixed feelings. I like a brioche bun for it's spring and lightness but dislike the sweet aspects. I was pleasantly surprised by this bun that turned out to be a 'potato bun'. Same texture of a brioche but without the sweetness (yes!). Another benefit to the potato bun was the strength. It didn’t crumble under the rich fillings. I think I’ll be ordering these buns for future use.

Accompanied with some excellent skin on fries, I found the entire lunch a joy to eat and couple all this with efficient friendly staff, a rocky playlist and a busy service; it was perfect.

So I’ll raise a drink to St Patrick this week and reckon I’ll be back before the week is out for another taste of the Irish.

Available until this Sunday (March 19th) if your name is Patrick you can enjoy one on the house this Friday!

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Posted: Monday 13th March 2017
ID: 3462 - 1852