Atlanta, GA
A classic property in the popular International Blvd. District, the Atlanta Hard Rock is fairly typical of the chain for layout, food, service, and interest... but the high energy atmosphere here makes it a key property in the South (especially for those not able to make it to Myrtle Beach!). The restaurant totally dominates the lame Planet Hollywood directly across the street, and I even saw a PH employee taking his break here (his name badge was still on!) which just about says it all.

Atlantic City, NJ
Maybe I am jaded after having been to Vegas, but I don't "get" Atlantic City. Even with the overrun of Donald Trump properties, there just doesn't seem to be any "class" (or tackiness!) that makes Vegas such an alien experience. Even so, this is a darn fine Hard Rock Cafe that sits within the huge Trump Taj Mahal complex... actually adding some class to the area! In the end, I found the boardwalk to be a fun excursion from New York, just different than I expected.

Baltimore, MD
A really nifty Hard Rock located right on the waterfront. The building itself is very imposing, because it gives the appearance that the HRC occupies the entire factory (known as the "Power Plant")! One of the cooler features of the property is the guitar-shaped bar that has a Caddy floating over it (which is so over-used anymore that it is almost a Hard Rock staple!). The outdoor eating area is very nice, with a great view of the waterfront.

Boston, MA
Located at the fringes of the funky Copley Square area, this Hard Rock was fairly typical for the chain, and really doesn't strive to be unique or exciting (though, to be fair, when it opened in 1989 there were only 16 other properties to compete with!). When I ate there, the staff was totally swamped by the "Tall Ships" coming to town, but strived to provide good service despite it all. If you happen to be in Boston, the "Massachusetts Institute of Rock" is worth a stop, but not really a destination all it's own like other properties in the chain.

Cleveland, OH
I don't dread trips to Cleveland like I once did now that they have a great Hard Rock Cafe! The property is incredibly cool, easy to access, has a great staff, and is the perfect alternative to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame... and twice as interesting. The energy is not as high as most of the others I've been to, but I'd still stop here over the Hall of Fame any day. A rare mall property that still manages to be unique despite the pedestrian location.

Destin, FL
Yargh. Another crappy mall location. You'd have thought that Hard Rock would have learned their lesson with their previous mall failure at Ft. Lauderdale's Sawgrass Mills cafe. They're not special, not interesting, and reduce the uniqueness of the Hard Rock brand. This is the type of thing that killed Planet Hollywood. They did attempt to make up for the boring architecture (look... a big room!) by cramming in whole lot of memorabilia inside, but this one is nothing special. Even worse, the horrible traffic and limited roadway access to the Destin area make it a long and frustrating trip for not much payoff. Read more about my visit at Blogography 2005.

Detroit, MI
Detroit is attempting to revitalize their downtown area, and is working hard to attract popular stores and restaurants in order to draw in the crowds. The Hard Rock seems a perfect fit, especially given the Motown influence on rock music. The cafe itself is kind of boring on the outside, but is nicely appointed on the inside... featuring a good assortment of memorabilia from the city's world-famous musical talent. The cafe was fairly busy when I had lunch there, so I can only hope this means Detroit's urban renaissance is a success. Read more about my visit at Blogography 2005.

Foxwoods, CT
This is a beautifully appointed cafe set in the middle of the huge Foxwoods Casino Resort in Connecticut (about 45 minutes from Hartford). The focus of the property is clearly the exposed vaulted ceiling, which runs the length of the cafe, allowing natural light to enter the building. There's not many surprises otherwise, except for an odd decision to take up valuable memorabilia space with giant album cover replicas. Sadly, the elderly demographic of the resort meant that the cafe was mostly empty, even during lunch rush (while the buffet lines were a mile long at other restaurants). I hope the cafe attracts enough business to stay open. Read more about my visit at — Blogography 2005.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL
CLOSED! Ugh. Not only is this property not in Ft. Lauderdale (it's in the city of "Sunrise") it isn't anywhere near Lauderdale's most famous attraction- THE BEACH (it's in the gigantic Sawgrass Mills Mall, which is as far from the beach as you can get without entering the swamp!). Maybe I'm cranky because I chose to visit during one heck of a tropical storm but, for the most part, this was a big disappointment. Like Miami, this is a property that is in desperate need of relocation... these cookie-cutter mall cafes have got to stop, as they are killing the eclectic appeal of the entire chain. As an upside, they do serve a pretty good milkshake!

Gatlinburg, TN
This was a surprise. When I first learned that there was a property on the outskirts of the Great Smokey Mountains National Park in a small city called "Gatlinburg," I wondered just what could be so special about the area that the place deserved a Hard Rock! Well, as it turns out, this is a totally awesome location, where the city itself is a destination attraction. Dozens of wedding chapels (including one at the Hard Rock!) and a Disney-like layout of this exciting and beautiful place, makes Gatlinburg worth a visit... with or without a HRC! The service was exceptional, the atmosphere ragin', and the staff one of the best I've encountered outside of Asia. Highest recommendation. (Interesting to note that this is the only Hard Rock so far I have not seen in daylight... only at night!).

Hollywood, FL
Working on it!

Hollywood, FL
Working on it!

Indianapolis, IN
It's a great restaurant with a cozy "Cheers" like atmosphere, and anybody in town shouldn't miss a visit to this friendly place... but COME ON! Indianapolis?!? How in the heck does a city like Indianapolis get a Hard Rock before Seattle? Oh well, both times I've been here the food was above Hard Rock's already impressive standards, and comes highly recommended if you find yourself in Hoosier territory.

Key West, FL
This is one of my favorite Hard Rocks simply because it is one of the most unique I have ever seen. A two-story Victorian-style house was converted into a cozy restaurant. The unique layout (which affords excellent views of the Rock memorabilia) seems to have been built around the existing house framework, preserving the original structure. The result is a bit cramped, but inspired. The merch shop is not located in the restaurant itself (it's in a separate stand just outside), which is really cool... people buying souvenirs don't interfere with the operation of this small restaurant.

Louisville, KY
The Hard Rock Cafe Louisville is located in the new "Fourth Street Live" complex downtown, within walking distance of the famous Seelbach Hotel. All things considered, it's not a bad property at all. It's got a fairly ordinary exterior, but the inside is quite nice. Beautiful stone accents, a spacious and flowing layout, plenty of memorabelia... everything a Hard Rock should be. As if that weren't enough, the staff was exceedingly friendly and kind. After having dinner, you can walk to the high-class bowling alley across the street! Read more about my visit at — Blogography 2004.

Miami, FL
I find this property to be a completely missed opportunity given the obvious Art Deco influences that Miami has to offer... the restaurant doesn't "seem" Miami at all. The location (near downtown Miami in the Bayside Marketplace) is also wasted. They should scrap this location and start over in South Beach (but take the cool Eddie VanHalen guitar bar with them!). Quite a disappointment for me overall, because Miami is a fantastic place to visit and deserves a cafe as unique and interesting as the city itself.

Myrtle Beach, SC
One of the more interesting destinations rewards you with my favorite Hard Rock of the entire chain, and one of the coolest restaurants ever! This pyramid-shaped marvel is as entertaining inside as out, and features a cool Egyptian theme. The food and service is top-notch, but it is the architecture alone that places this property at the top of the heap. A must-see if there ever was one, and well worth the long drive to get here (oh yeah... Myrtle Beach is pretty nice too!).

New York, NY
This is one of the earlier Hard Rock Cafe built, and is showing its age... unfortunately, not in a good way. It seems more run-down than "classic," and lacks the "fresh" atmosphere that one expects from the chain (seeming very much the tourist attraction it is). To make matters worse, the food here was the worst of any HRC I've been to (it's called a chocolate milkshake... not chocolate milk, people!). Even so, it is worth a visit... both from a historical perspective and because any time in the Big Apple is time well spent! UPDATE: With my last visit, the HRC NY has underwent a much-needed remodel... but it seems more effort was placed on the merch shop than the restaurant itself! All would be forgiven if they could just make a decent thick and frosty shake for those hot New York summers.

Niagara Falls, NY
It seems odd that there are two cafes within walking distance of each other, but that's just a byproduct of the Great Unification that brought the Canada cafes into the "official" Hard Rock family. Apparently, both cafes are holding their own, but if forced to choose between them I would take the Stateside property based on location alone. Unlike the parking fiasco in Canada, this Hard Rock is directly across the street from Niagara Falls State Park parking lot. You can see the wonders of Niagara Park all morning and then retire for a great lunch at the Hard Rock.

Orlando, FL
Located at the Universal Studios lot, the Hard Rock Orlando does not suffer from its vicinity to the park. The largest of all the chain, this restaurant still maintains a varied dining room and intimate atmosphere... no easy trick! My table was located on the upper level, with a perfect view of the huge stained glass tribute to Elvis. If you visit Universal Florida, eating here is a no-brainer. NOTE: The outside of the building was labeled "Kingdom of Rock" which is a not-so-subtle jab at the "Magic Kingdom" of Disney World just down the road!

Orlando, FL
CLOSED! The Hard Rock Vault is a museum with personal guided tour far removed from the Orlando Hard Rock Cafe. This is kind of a bizarre idea for an attraction, considering that they charge $15 to see stuff that would ordinarily be free to view at any cafe. I suppose that they justify it by showing "the best of the best" in memorabilia, but I remain unimpressed. Apparently, so does everybody else, because I was the only person to show up for the two hours I was there. The good news is that there was nobody else on my tour. The bad news is that there is no way this can last so long as they charge money. They should have the tour be free, and get their money from merch sales. More — Blogography 2004.

Orlando, FL 2
An amazing testament to excess, the largest Hard Rock in the chain was closed so that an even bigger property could be built down the street! The new Hard Rock Orlando is a mammoth dual-level restaurant with two kitchens, multiple bars, and a Hard Rock LIVE venue attached (which looks like the Roman Colosseum, but is actually more like an intimate nightclub- not an open arena at all). The HRC Orlando gives free "back-stage" tours on request, so us ordinary mortals have the opportunity to see where the gods of rock dare to tread. Highly recommended.

Philadelphia, PA
Trips to Philly always seemed like a waste of time because there was no Hard Rock Cafe there! Finally, that was rectified, and there's reason to love the "city of brotherly love." The location is great... right next to the convention center, and the property itself is very nicely done. I didn't have time to eat here, but I can tell you that the City T-Shirt is one of the cooler designs I've seen!

Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh proved to be a pleasant surprise... a nice city with a good Hard Rock property to boot! The interior has a great mix of interesting architecture and funky memorabilia (Cool!... What's the "Sun God" from Studio 54 doing here?). The only problem was the service, which was not up to Hard Rock standards (and surprising, given the rather large staff working here)... I saw two tables walk out after waiting far too long for service (and was pretty close to leaving myself). Perhaps the fact that the cafe is still fairly new had something to do with it, but it was a shame to have an otherwise perfect visit end up lacking because of poor service (not what you expect from a HRC). The exterior at least attempts to be interesting (unlike many of the newer cafes) which was a nice surprise.

Tampa, FL
Working on it!

Washington, DC
Since this is a destination every American should try and visit in their lifetime, I made the trek once after a business trip to New York. I was glad I did! This is a great property that, along with all the other wonderful things to see and do here, makes a trips to the Nation's capitol a worthwhile event! The location is a bit odd (directly across the street from the FBI!) but is within walking distance of the White House. The relatively boring exterior is more than made up for with the cool memorabilia collection inside.