Cozumel, Mexico
Oddly enough, the front of the Cozumel cafe says "THIS IS IT... THE SMALLEST HARD ROCK IN THE WORLD" which seems strange because the building is quite large. But, sure enough, once you step inside the merch shop and climb the narrow stairway to the actual cafe on the second floor, you realize that the cafe occupies just a very small part of the structure. It's definitely smaller than Kona (the previous smallest cafe I've been to), but I question whether it is smaller than Saipan is (or Aspen was). Anyway, the interior is a site to behold, because they cram an awful lot into such a small space (even a tiny stage with a complete drum kit and space for a live band!). The highlight of the cafe should be the giant undersea mural covering most of the ceiling, but it's not. The jaw-dropping feature that makes this cafe stand out is the memorabilia, which is e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e! Unlike some of the newer lame cafe wannabes, Cozumel holds true to tradition and packs an astounding array of memorabilia into every available space. I dare say that it has five times the amount of stuff that the now-closed Belfast cafe had, even though it's a third of the size! The exterior is pretty sweet as well, with a nifty mosaic and Mayan-style accents.

St. Thomas, VI
The Hard Rock St. Thomas is a traditional-looking property with a great staff and interesting layout that includes outside patio dining. When I arrived, it was raining very hard, but by the time I was done with lunch, the sky had already cleared and the sun was out. This type of severe weather change must be nothing new to this cafe, because the exterior looks like it has been repeatedly beaten with hurricanes... the logo on the front awning is in terrible shape, with the "d" and "R" nearly completely ripped off the sign. The interior fares much better, with a cool bar that's fashioned like a giant Eddie VanHalen signature guitar. Anyway, this is my first experience with the Hard Rock's "new" menu, featuring pizza(!) and some interesting sandwich additions. I decided to try the "Mediterranean Really Big Sandwich" which sounded yummy all piled up on focaccia bread. Unfortunately, the kitchen was still working on the new recipes, and the focaccia ended up being so hard that I nearly broke my tooth trying to bite into it. The manager apologized and generously refunded the cost of the sandwich, but the experience did taint an otherwise excellent visit for me. Hopefully that's all straightened out now, because St. Thomas is absolutely worth a visit.

Tijuana, Mexico
After dozens of trips to San Diego with no time to skip across the border, I finally managed to make a run into Mexico! "The Border of Rock and Roll" is a fairly decent property with a great location near the end of the busy "Av. Revolucion." T-Shirts and souvenirs are a major business here, while the restaurant sits mostly empty (even during the lunch hour when I was there). In any event, the staff in the Merch Shop was very helpful and friendly... it's amazing they can keep the kind of enthusiasm and energy they have given the flood of customers that pass through the doors each day. HELPFUL HINT: Do NOT drive into Mexico if you are just wanting to visit Tijuana... it is far, far easier to park at the border and take a shuttle bus (or even walk) than to try and navigate the crowded streets of the city. Also, rental insurance is VOID when you cross the border! I tried driving it, and ended up crossing right back over (after an hour of trying to get out of the city!) because having a car is a hindrance rather