I was curious to see what Hard Rock Cafe is doing in Houston! The foodie in me was confused how this place is even surviving in Houston town of gastro-pubs etc. So I walk in here on a Friday evening to a relatively empty restaurant and order some food and an appetizer cum drinks called "air Mexico". I love trying new things and this one caught my eye. It was pico de galo with tortilla chips along with three cute mini flavored margherita. And you can choose the flavors, I got the mango, pomegranate, watermelon. They were strong and amazing! This was followed by the hearty burgers, I got the pulled chicken in BBQ sauce called the "The Texan" that came with a side of french fries, cole slaw and baked beans. My friend got a "local sand which" that was also amazing. Ambience was awesome with the songs etc. Someone was having their Birthday party. The food was top notch, service was alright and ambience was superb. Reason why service wasn't great was coz the cocktails didn't have the prices written on it on the menu. When we asked our waiter the price for "air Mexico" he said about $12 so we went ahead and ordered it. When the bill arrived it costed us $15. we weren't amused. The waiter defended saying he never said it was exactly $12 but around it and that no one ever asks for the price usually so they don't bother finding out either. I found this rather ignorant and presumptuous. Besides that everything else was great.
(4)
Lori W.
I was unable to look around and go in as the place was closed due to prom. The high school bought a night at the Hard Rock for prom. (Wish my prom was like that years ago) Since I was driving through I was very upset to find that they closed the gift shop..I asked to speak to the manager as they would not let me in. The gentleman came out and I explained my situation and that Im not going to be in town the next day, he asked me what I needed. I told him Im here for pins. He asked me if I had a credit card, I replied yes. He asked me which pins. I told him which ones and to grab any of last years. All in all I did get the ones I wanted plus some guitar picks...(it was suppose to be a guitar pick pin not picks) Thank you to the manager for going out of his way....(love one, love all) I do think they need to keep the gift shop opened during special events like this for the people passing through visiting...as we have no other way of knowing.
(5)
Jay A.
Our server was rude. The food is cheap frozen dinner quality. Happy hour on drinks on applies if you sit at the bar. I went here excepting an experience to remember. . But all I left was a bad taste in my mouth.
(1)
Ronnie T.
Love coming to Hard Rock!! Happy hour is awesome! And the bartenders here are pretty much the best! Make sure to always ask for Sally, Jesus or Josue! They will always give you the best service!! The staff is always so friendly and very helpful! The music is good and just an all around chill atmosphere! Make sure to give it a try!
(5)
Lindsay S.
Food was the same as any Hard Rock (I like the kids healthy option of chicken and broccoli) but the service was really slow and there was only ONE other table "in use" outside - it was a table that was not cleared, full of dirty plates, when we got there and remained that way (dirty and uncleared full of dishes) the whole time we ate. It just annoyed me that it was never cleared. I also don't like sitting outside when the tables don't feel like they are ever washed. Ours was very dusty.
(2)
Rebecca W.
"Great restaurant for a rockin' good time". I think this is the first time I can ever recall dining at a Hard Rock Cafe. It has always been too much of a "touristy" restaurant for me to dine at, but given that we were hungry and did not feel like walking a lot in the cold, rainy weather, this was the best alternative. Given that we were not sure what was open on New Year's Day, we were so happy to see the lights on here! I was very impressed... it was clean, spacious and the staff was super friendly! The hostess very pleasant and immediately seated us in one of their oversized booths... plenty of room for our family of 3. Our server, was very enthusiastic and was happy to be of service... nothing starts a meal off better at a restaurant than having a server with a positive attitude. We ordered the "Original Legendary Burger" and the "The Texan Smokehouse Sandwich" and were extremely impressed! The plates were huge, so we had just enough that my 5-year old daughter did not have to order anything from the kids menu. The burger was huge and the meat was juicy. The sandwich was a tad bit too spicy for my daughter (she does not like spicy at all), but I loved it, especially the crispy onion strings - those are my weakness! Of course, we could not leave without having New Year's Day dessert... it was a toss-up between the Chocolate Molten Cake or the Fresh Apple Cobbler. It was very difficult to decide, so we used used a pack of sugar to flip for it! The winner was... The Fresh Apple Cobbler. It had a crunchy topping, warm apple chunks/slices and a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with caramel. If you are in the mood of fruity, oooey-goooey deliciousness, you will love this dessert!
(4)
Leah O.
So much potential and a great location and good service, but sadly, the menu falls short. I think they need a major overhaul of the menu. There was nothing special. I recommend adding a lunch menu and specialities unique to each location. How about daily or seasonal specials? We were there on a Tuesday at noon with a major trade conference in town and it was nearly empty. This used to be such a fun treat 20 years ago.
(2)
Cameron H.
Only got a drink, so I don't have much to comment on. The staff was nice and polite, and the bartender got to us quickly. Drinks are priced right and have nice pours. Can't complain.
(3)
Sonia T.
Honestly, I didn't even know this place still existed. Hard Rock is still around, I asked my yelpie friend, Victor. Yes, he said, and their drinks are STRONG! Sounds like a winner for me, we needed a quickie spot before Chelsea Handler, and stopped off at HR before the show, since it is located right next door. I liked that they had an additional bar outside, and had a couple of patio tables since the weather was so nice. The drink was HELLA strong. I ordered a vodka tonic, and I think the guy thought I said vodka rocks. One was all I needed, I didn't try the food, but it looked pretty basic, burgers, and bar food. The people watching was incredible, lots and lots of suburbs people with blue eye shadow and really short dresses that look like Herve Leger but they aren't. Honestly, better people watching than the rodeo. Come here for a really stiff drink before a show.
(4)
Timothy E.
The atmosphere was as expected. The waitress was great. My daughter liked her veggie sandwich. My wife's BBQ sandwich had an overpowering chicken flavor even with the BBQ sauce. She is concerned. My pulled pork was served at room temperature. I would not recommend this location except for the atmosphere and possibly drinks.
Unless you still collect Hard Rock shot glasses or t-shirts, move on to Houston's many better options. Unfortunately, my boss DOES still collect Hard Rock shot glasses so he dragged me and another work-mate along for a mediocre meal. Boss Man had BBQ, I had the Blackened Chicken Pasta and my work mate had a burger. The BBQ was generic, my pasta dish was flavorless and slightly above room temperature, the burger looked fine but nothing above ordinary. The ambiance is still fascinating to me, I must admit, and the only thing that brings the place up to 2 stars.. Prince's tambourine, Chris Robinson's itty bitty pants, a guitar of Jimi Hendrix are among the many items on display.
(2)
Denise D.
Called ahead for priority seating. Still waited over an hour for a table. Took 20 minutes for non-alcoholic drinks to arrive. Took about 10 more minutes for server to take our order. After a lengthy wait for food - 2 entrees took another 10 minutes, one was wrong. When that one was taken back for correction, it came out wrong AGAIN. They comped our entire bill but only after I walked out for the poor service. Inattentive server. I know they are a huge chain and can afford a comp, but they should still work to provide good service. I won't ever go there again. Thanks for trying to make it right - but it was too little, too late.
(1)
Mariah D.
After my best-12-year-old-friend's recital in the Wortham, I walked over with her cheering section of 9 to have dinner on a Friday night. There was no wait for our large party, and we were seated in a round corner booth. The service was nothing short of spectacular. Our waiter whose name I cannot recall, was awesome. He was older and had a beard/goatee and a Hard Rock edge to him. We ordered a large sampler appetizer platter to split amongst the table. Before our waiter brought out our entrees he was asking to remove the platter. There was one onion ring left, and I grabbed it so it didn't go to waste. As I grabbed it from the platter, the onion ring fell squarely in my water glass. It was funny, but I was also kinda sad about my clumsiness. Our waiter noticed this, and he brought out a little plate with 2 onion rings on it! As well as a brand new glass of water! How THOUGHTFUL. My entree came out a little later than everyone else's and that was the only hitch in the service all night. Our waiter even changed the music to Journey by our party's request. The adults all ordered drinks and everyone seemed to enjoy their food, which is typical chain restaurant American fare. Overall, HRC is fun for people of all ages, and the energetic waiter just made our experience that much better.
(4)
Iren O.
The restaurant was almost empty. We got a table fast. The waiter was a women. I think it must been her worst day ever. She didn't give us a smile, she sight when she delivered the food , she rolled her eyes when she left our table ... She destroyed our hole dinner with her way to act. We have complained to the manager...
(1)
Larry N.
Got to restaurant, 30 minute wait. 3/4 tables were unoccupied. Wait because not enough staff on duty. Sat at bar. When table was ready, they refused to transfer bar tab to table. With a $17 regular hamburger on the menu, I expected a little more. Would give 1/2 star if available.
(1)
Dani D.
I'm only giving 3 stars because I didn't have a whole lot to base a higher rating on. I went to HR for the "Sing for Your Supper" night yesterday. I didn't even know we had one in Houston. I took the train because I was coming from work and it wasn't too much of a walk - a couple of blocks in really nice weather. The website said the event was from 5pm-7pm and that you could get any entree from the menu, or an entree from the NEW menu (I'm still unclear about that part). The staff was friendly when they greeted at the door and were encouraging us to make fools of ourselves, or, sign up to sing. I stood at the bar on one side for about 5 minutes being ignored by the bartender. This wasn't because the bar was so busy...it was just that one bartender kind of ignored me or maybe I was invisible in that 5 minute period, but he kept looking my way without ever saying a word or asking me anything. When I walked around to a different side with a different bartender, I was able to order my drink immediately. The restaurant was PACKED with high school kids in (what looked like) prom attire. Apparently they had rented out the majority of the restaurant for some special event. They even had their own band and lots of parents/teachers/others, which also meant that there wasn't any seating for the rest of us. Listening to the kids perform songs like Paint It Black and Sweet Home Alabama made it alright because they were really ROCKING - especially the band. Then things got tricky. When the kids left, the band left, which means that those of us who were going to sing didn't have any back-up music. The solution - que the song you want to perform on your cell phone and they'll plug it in to the sound system for you. After you performed your song, you got a card for a burger - NOT AN ENTREE! The card says "Present this card and receive a complimentary Hard Rock Legendary burger. Must be presented at the time of purchase. Not valid with any other offers. One person per visit. Valid only at participating location listed below. Valid from 4/17/14 to 6/30/14" What if you didn't want a burger? What if you performed well after you ate (which a lot of people did)? So maybe the event should have been advertised as "Sing for whatever meal we want to give you." Don't get me wrong, even with the setbacks, it was fun and wildly entertaining. I had 2 draft beers, at nearly $6/each - a little pricey for draft beer, but whatever. I'll definitely go back at some point so I can redeem my voucher and then I can write a review about the food.
(3)
Rachel G.
Feeling nostalgic for several experiences at various Hard Rock Cafes across the country as a kid, I was excited to introduce two of my friends to the franchise who had never been. The atmosphere was what you would expect for any Hard Rock, covered in memorabilia of various musical acts. The location near several other restaurants and music venues is great, and it is not too far a walk from the METRO rail. The service was average. I ordered the twisted mac & cheese. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything to call home about either. Though I enjoyed my meal, I thought it was extremely overpriced for a small portion size. Definitely not a bad experience, but I would definitely opt to go somewhere more authentic in the future.
(3)
Traci C.
The night we ate here they were short staffed unfortunately it was not handled very well. The food was ok to good. The service was just ok, our server had excuses but not very good service. I would like to mention the 2 hostesses because they were working hard and really seemed to care. I'm not sure we would come back here and the main reason was the manager. The whole time we were there he seemed apathetic to what was going on. If the manager acts that way how can I expect much better from the staff.
(3)
Gregg G.
If you are visiting or a resident of Houston, don't miss this great weekend hot spot. The food is spectacular and the scenery is outstanding. DONT DRINK & DRIVE though ! Park the car and call Allstar.
(4)
H T.
Mediocre food. Ok service. Not much here. It was nothing special, but looked better than the other places around. Wasn't completely disappointed, but nowhere near impressed.
(1)
Jessica B.
This hard rock was kind of a bummer. I collect a glass and hat from every hard rock I can go to...here the store was tiny and the restaurant wasn't very clean. Our food was cold and the table behind us had been given the wrong undercooked order. I love the hard rock but Houston is not one I would return to.
(2)
ChelleBelle V.
What a disappointment last night. Brought some friends new to the area after watching a hysterical comedy play at Alley theatre hoping to end the night with a quick bite and good drinks as they had never been to a Hard Rock Cafe. Let's start with the fact that we stood up front for about 5 minutes with many employees passing us by but no one offering to seat us. I had to ask a girl who finally showed up behind the T-shirt counter if we needed to seat ourselves and she asked me if anyone had even greeted us yet. I kindly said "no" thats why Im asking if we seat ourselves. On a good note, once we were seated our server took our order and brought out drinks quickly. Our appetizers showed up just as quick but then our server just disappeared and other servers kept passing us by. After about 20 mins our server finally re-surfaced an asked if we wanted refills. Um, what do you think??!! The jumbo appetizer combo was pretty standard with onion rings, chicken tenders, buffalo wings, potato skins and egg rolls but it was served hot which was the other positive and it tasted good :) Sad to bring newbies who left saying "been there done that and don't care to do it again :(". It was also mentioned THIS Hard Rock was NOT worth the wait. I have been here a few times but don't think I'll be back. Oh, stay away from dirty bathrooms too!! GROSS
(1)
charles L.
Avg food, my ribs were lukewarm, long wait for the food to arrive, a bit overpriced but oh well it's "hard rock cafe" so i guess they have the right to jack up the price? Would be nice if they can hire a more "diverse" staff, and train their employee to be more helpful, friendly and put a simple smile on their face.
(3)
Shannon M.
We went here for a quick bite to eat with the family on a recent trip to Houston, TX. We were not highly impressed with the service that we received. The food was overpriced and were rather small portions. The alcoholic beverage that I ordered was not very good at all. I was disappointed with this Hard Rock Cafe location. I would recommend other HRC locations but probably not this location.
(2)
Anthony L.
I had their local beer saint arnord beer. It tasted like a Budweiser. Not impress. The actual restaurant is big but it was fairly empty.
(2)
Tommy C.
I'm from Baton Rouge so I don't get many chances to visit the Houston location to savor one of what my son calls "the best cheeseburger in the world," an assessment I can hardly dispute. This time we made the trip for a Jimmy Buffett concert, so a "cheeseburger in paradise" seemed in order. Always, we've had excellent, friendly and truly hospitable servers and great food and today was no different--outstanding service!! A huge music fan, the vast collection of music memorabilia is lagniappe and I always see something I've missed in previous visits. We will always have a meal at Hard Rock any time when in Houston.
(5)
Jeremy L.
Walked over for lunch from Houston Court building during break from jury duty. Nice walk. Place is nice, first visit to HRC since it left Kirby drive, more than a decade ago. Staff was nice, not too busy at Noon. Got a beer and burger. Decided on SOB burger, fresh Pico, guac, and sauteed onions. The onions could have been sauteed a little longer, but still alright. Added bacon, which I did not need. Burger is good size, maybe half pound (or at least it feels that much), half would have been more than I need, I finished 3/4 of it. Great taste. Fries were nothing special, but good. Got a site of the vinegar-based BBQ sauce. If I am in downtown, I would try again.
(3)
Joseph K.
As HRC goes, this one is average. My server was very friendly, and the food was reliably good. But the lack of reasonable parking was very frustrating, I suppose if one is staying in the area this would be less of an issue. No validation for parking either, boooo. The memorabilia on display was also only so so. No real gems, a disappointment considering this is one of the older HRCs. On balance, will likely not be back.
(3)
Darrin W.
Walked in around 12:30. Sat at the bar w a couple of work colleagues. We were from out of town and needed a break from the heat. Bar tender was great. Drinks were good and decent nachos. As not being from the area and needing to get back to our hotel to hit the airport I asked the hostess on the way out where the best place to catch a cab was? Her response was "you got a phone don't cha"? Not sure I heard her right I asked again. She then responded with didn't you hear me? Completely blew my mind. We walked outside and looked around but couldn't find a cab so we hoofed it 8 blocks back to the hotel while we dodged a lightning storm and took cover on the side of a building for :30 min hoping not to get hit! Thanks for the big Texas hospitality.
(2)
Anthony B.
Went there for lunch, service was quick and CJ our waiter was great. Ordered nachos and burger both were good.
Beer was cold BUT they have got a significant drain issue here! Smells like someone pooped their pants up in here. Pretty powerful stench right when ya walk in the door. Slapped me in the face. It was enough that I wasn't about to eat anything here. Was perfectly happy with my bottled beer though!
(2)
Lizzie H.
Great food! We went for drinks before a show. Their Keepers drinks are a must! The combination appetizer plate has a good mix of everything. The waiter and bartender were extremely friendly and everything came out fast.
(4)
Anjelica T.
Dear reviewers reading, I went here the other day for lunch with my loved one. I was excited since I been to the ones in Cali and I wanted to see this one as we walked in that's when the problem starts, now I read a lot of reviews before I go places and the reviews on here were pretty decent so I didn't expect amazing great service, and I did not get any while here, so I walk in and there are these two ladies just standing around joking around something and just talking to each other and they look at my dear and I like we walked into the wrong place. I looked at them and waited to see if they were going to greet me or stay how many are eating? but nothing they just stared at us and went on with there conversation. So I stepped in and asked "am I in the right place? this is the restaurant right?" and they looked at me like I verbally abused them or something and just nodded. So I was like okay what now? and then they seemed to get mad and take some menus and tell me to come this way. We get seated and there are the waiters sitting with customers just chit chatting away about guitars and no one comes up until a man sees us with menus and asked if we had gotten drinks? I told him we did not and he leaves to get something and another man walks up and asks if we got drinks yet? I was so confused as they do not communicate so I told him no this other man was going somewhere and so we wait till finally a man comes and asks what we like to drink. We get them after the man goes over to a table of guys and sits with them and chats away about owning a guitar and being in a band. It's nice that the waiters want to be friendly but they are over doing it by sitting down and not doing there jobs. So we wait again for food and we did not get any refills while the table next to us with all these guys were getting all the service from the waiter sitting with them at there table again chit chatting about guitars and music. Then another couple walks in and they get seated quickly and get attended to right away and they get there food before ours! and we came in first it was all over the place in this Hard Rock Cafe. Definitely did not like.
(1)
Carol H.
Worst service I have experienced possibly ever. Comically bad. The place was empty but it still took ten minutes to get seated. The woman at the front desk apparently isn't authorized to seat anyone without a supervisor being present. The lemonade we ordered had to be prepared by a bartender, who apparently wasn't in residence. Another 10 minutes. Apparently no one drinks coffee there either as it was another 10 minutes to brew a pot. Server took the order, completely screwed it up, then told me it would cost an extra $4 to actually get what I originally ordered. Then I open the burger and discover that too is wrong - they gave me a bacon cheeseburger instead of the plain hamburger I ordered. The server ignores me when I try to flag him down to tell him he's messed up both the orders, so I ask for the manager. The manager finally shows up makes it clear he doesn't care one bit, and that was that. We got up and walked out, wrote this review, and will never return.
(1)
Carrie S.
I was in Houston for work, and staying downtown. Unfortunately, most places in downtown Houston close by 5 or 6:00. But, my friend and I were able to make our way to Hard Rock for dinner and drinks. It was great! Not huge inside, but the service was excellent! The bar tender was very cool and fun. The food was good, and I definitely recommend the white sangria!
(4)
Chris D.
Food was good but very slow. Took over 30 minutes to get service. The idea of a place in the theatre district is to get something to eat before a show. So you have a timeline. I will not be going back
(1)
Monica L.
Decided to eat here before a show at the bayou music center. The wait was about 30 min. Which I did not mind until we were seated an I realized they had many empty tables so I guess they were understaffed . Our order took another 30 min to get our meal. The food was good and our server was pleasant and quick to refill our water. We made our show in time , just wish since they had the open tables we would have been seated sooner as they have no seating area for waiting customers.
(3)
Sebastien S.
Rock on
(4)
John C.
Had a great time on New Years Eve at the Houston Standup at the Hard Rock comedy show. Steve Hofstetter was a great comedian and an excellent MC to usher in the new year!
(4)
David R.
Walked in at 10 pm to a half empty restaurant. We were then told there was a 20 min wait while there was no one in line. The indifference of the staff was overwhelming. After being ignored by the waitstaff for another 10 mins we walked out without ordering. We walked two minutes to blue fish grill and were seated immediately and treated very well. Won't make that mistake again.
(1)
Lily H.
Hate to dis the Hard Rock, but this one's in trouble. I've dined at numerous HRC across America and this one needs a new attitude. FRI night an no wait at 7PM - what does that say? I think the food was prepared ahead of time because it arrived in less than 10 mins from the time it was ordered looking like it sat in the heat window. It was just too fast to be that wilted. no frosty mug, sorta cold beer. The overall feel of the dining room was NOT fresh and crisp either. the service was great, at the front door, especially great at the table, but not the food. Granted there are some HRC legends, but I expected the menu to be as NEW and exciting as Hollywood, and it's just the same old pub-grub. It was also sad to see the memorbilia in disrepair. very disappointing. won't be back.
(2)
Daniel L.
This is one of the most unique places downtown because it isn't overly trendy. You can be dressed casual, order an American light beer not some sixteen syllable import, and eat a big juicy burger with friends. This is not a date place. "Hey baby, wanna go to the Hard Rock Cafe?" is not something said often I have to assume. But that's why I like HRC so much. You don't bring clients here, you come here to get away from all that jazz. You don't bring a serious date because you will get judged really badly, find yourself dumped, and you are going to need to pay for a new subscription at eHarmony. If you have a hot date go somewhere a little more flashy. The service has always been good for me. The last time I was in here I had less than an hour (by the time we got seated) before we had to be at Jones Hall. I told the waiter and instead of rolling his eyes at my expectation of special treatment, he was on top of everything. He refilled sodas and I still don't know how he knew, but he brought me a new ketchup just as the last drop was coming out of the bottle on our table. We were in Jones Hall ten minutes earlier than I thought was humanly possible. That waiter got a huge tip. I always get the burger here. I am not very original. The quality is always good. At chain restaurants it is usually hit or miss on vegetable quality and quantity on burgers - but it's always right here. They probably do an assembly line deal based on how busy it is, but at least they do a quality control check before presenting you with your big juicy burger. They are also open to special requests and "bartering" if you get one of the specialty burgers - and at least in my crowd's experience, you are not going to pay extra for your weird requests. You come to HRC to look at the trinkets they have displayed. And because they play good music in the restaurant. None of that Beethoven while you eat here. Until a Fuddrucker's opens up downtown this is my burger joint
(3)
Vic C.
Buschetta was delicious - some of the best I've ever had. Martini was delicious as well. Greeters not as clueless as the last time I was here. For what it is, it's A-OK.
(3)
Todd R.
Food was o.k., I particularly enjoyed the craisins in the salad. But the atmosphere was horrendous and loud. And they weren't even playing hard rock on their entertainment systems, it was all poppy.
(2)
Kimberly L.
The server was okay. Food was terrible. Even though I was super hungry, I couldn't finish the burger because it just didn't taste the same after it got cold (in 5 minutes). BLeh...
(2)
Monica A.
Staff appeared drunk...it was almost closing time and no one wanted to go the extra mile to bring our food to the patio..sad that customer service has become the custmer serving themselves..its everywhere including here
(3)
Paula M.
I visit the Downtown Houston Hard Rock on a regular basis. I work just down the street and it's one of my favorite places to eat. The food is "fair" but I don't expect a perfect meal. I go in there, they play the videos I want to see ALL THE TIME and I know basically everyone there. All in all, the food is fair, the location is awesome but I enjoy the music, videos and the waitstaff.
(5)
Ben H.
Had an awesome burger next to Dimebag Darrel's guitair. Service was quick and never let my glass get empty, which was impressive because they were extremely busy. The rock & roll memorabilia is, as always at a Hard Rock, awesome.
(4)
Leo C.
We went in on a Saturday night around 6 PM while downtown for another event. We were seated quickly and our server immediately came over. The menu is the exact same as the rest of the chain. Service was excellent, food came out really fast, and drinks were refilled numerous times without asking. However, my wife's salad and my pulled pork sandwich were both marginal. Salad didn't have much in the way of the promised goat cheese or spicy pecans. My pulled pork sandwich had flavor but it seems like someone got impatient with the pork and slapped it on the sandwich too soon.
(2)
Ben Y.
I wanted to watch the Texans game and they only had it on at their bar. The servers are extremely friendly and it's a great environment. What might alarm you is if you happen to be there while someone in the restaurant is celebrating their birthday. One server screams literally as loud as I've ever heard anyone scream that it is the persons birthday, and they encourage everyone in the restaurant to sing. That part was actually fun. I got the chicken mac n cheese meal and it actually wasn't great. I got their brownie dessert though which was unbelievable.
(4)
Bullibrat P.
Stopped in with a group of 10, 6 adults and 4 kids. Service was pretty decent considering my group was already in a fairly bad mood and I'm pretty sure the waitress could tell. Only complaint from me was that it didn't come all at once but instead had a few minutes inbetween groups of two or three entrees. But it all arrived hot and very tasty. Also, the waitress asked if my father-in-law was a Veteran and gave him a discount on lunch. Nice friendly touch that went a long way in improving his mood on a hot day.
(4)
Jessica F.
The bartender was cool, and the nachos were cheesy!!
(4)
Donna A.
This was a great place to wait for my kids to get out of a concert at. We were able to take our time and enjoy our food. While they did not have a designated gluten free menu, the manager was very knowledgable and helpful. I ate there with no problem at all. They even had gluten free hamburger buns.
(4)
Robert A.
I went here with some co-workers frrom Buenos Aries who were visting the states. I like this place because the appetizers, are not too expensive and they have a wide selection of them. I like the location of the HRC being right across the street for the Aquarium in downtown Houston, and also being in the Theatre District. It a quick place to grab a drink. The meals there are really nothing special though unless you are starving! Atmosphere: "I like it here.....I am not talking too loud am I!" Chill and Relaxing if you are not talking and away from the talking crowds. Noise Level: "Can't these people be quiet!" Loud. Sometimes it can be hard to have a conversation with the people you are with. Attentiveness: "Just sit at the bar!" Our waitress was attentive with our first round of drinks. She was pretty busy and did come back to offer a second round. We had to ask her to come over. Price: "How the hell did my bill turn out this much!" The prices are little high for the food, but I think that is because of the location of the HRC. Overall: I give 3 stars because the attentiveness of the waitress, location of the HRC, and selection of drinks. Thanks, Robert Altmiller
(3)
Jay D.
Some of the Bar Tenders are very rude. I don't need your sarcasm thats why you got a 0 for tip! Just saying. Make our drinks. Smile and go do something jerk.
(1)
Kent D.
The visit to Hard Rock (heck the visit to Houston in general) started out poorly, mostly because of my navigational skills, the inability to find downtown parking post-lunch-rush, and heading into downtown Houston with an empty and grumbling stomach. We finally get parking nearby (pay the $4 for a couple hours parking) and walk into the HRC, which is maybe 1/3 full...and get told it'll be a 20 minute wait. We stand there scowling and grumbling to ourselves, and the hostess seats us in less than 5 minutes. Put in our order, wait, wait, get a drink refill, wait...and the food's out in about 30 minutes, except for the wife's appetizer platter, which was dropped on the way to the table (it was actually just the sauce, which was hot and kinda burned the waitress, so we feel bad about that.) So, we eat...and the food's really good. I had the Texan pulled pork sandwich (the smaller 6 oz portion, which was still huge, I can't imagine what the 10 oz portion would be like) with battered jalapenos and onion straws, with a side of decent onion rings. The appetizer platter (wings, chicken strips, potato skins, onion rings, southwestern spring rolls, etc.), split between wife and daughter, was too much food for both of them, so I helped them out. And other daughter's honey mustard grilled chicken sandwich was great too (I had a bite or two, just to be thorough in my review). Waitress and manager both checked back with us, kept our drinks filled, chatted with us when we were perusing the merchandise counter (had to get a Houston pin). The early failings of Houston and their ground transportation system was remedied by a nice visit at the HRC. Probably won't visit Houston again soon, but if we do, at least I'll know how to get to the Hard Rock next time.
(4)
Nate M.
We hit up the Hard Rock Cafe last week after a show at the Verizon Wireless Theater and I'm quite glad we did for two reasons: 1) I was so hungry that I was hallucinating and being a total child about it 2) it gave us an opportunity to relax a bit and let the all-star gala parking nightmare SNAFU clear out before we headed home. I've been to HRC's in the past and while they have cool memorabilia on the walls, the food is sort of like Applebee's at three times the price but the drinks are always strong. We were a little afraid that this place would be sort of dressy/pretentious like most of the downtown fare tends to be, but it was quite relaxed, down to earth and quick as we had hoped. Our server was likely real busy due to the crowd that showed up at 11:45pm, but he also totally forgot that we were there twice, and I'm not speculating, he actually told us that. I didn't lose too much sleep though because one of the times he forgot was while we were trying to pay...I would have been much more upset if we were waiting for the food. Paying 20 dollars for fajitas from a place that is known mostly for guitars and t-shirts is steep...but if you stick to the burgers and appetizers, this place can be a fun stop before/after a show. Part of the low rating is due to the inherent lack of safety being downtown so late. We were accosted by a scary dude that sort of looked like George Clinton who was eating cotton candy and holding a handful of pocket knives and cigarettes. I wish I was making that up, but I'm not. We sort of sat back inside for a bit hoping he'd leave but ended up making a dash for the garage to my car. It's not their fault, but be mindful of where you're at if you choose to eat here late.
(3)
Carolen M.
Actually this was my second experience at a Hard Rock Cafe. The first being in SF. This was actually a pleasant experience. The Hard Rock Cafe in Houston is situated in Downtown Houston in the Theater District. We were first going to go to the Sake Bar, but it seemed that they had an event going on. Loud techno music was coming from the Mosaic. The Bayou Place seemed to be a happening place (the area which all these restaurants were located). Well we had to settle for Hard Rock, but I guess I chose the right thing or I was just starving! Entree ~ Grilled Buffalo Chicken Sandwich ~ Grilled chicken breast, marinated in famous classic wing sauce made with Frank's RedHot topped with blue cheese crumbles and served on a tasted, dusted bun with slivered celery and blue cheese dressing. Served with lettuce, tomato, sweet red onion, and seasoned fries. The hot sauce, marinated chicken and the blue cheese crumbles really made this dish. It was so delicious that I was done in half the time that my friends finished their meals. Well I actually inhale my food and clean my plate so yeah...I'm a little garbage disposal. The fries didn't feel like it had any seasoning at all, but that didn't damper my love for this sandwich. Dessert ~ Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch ~ This sounded interesting: Layers of chewy chocolate brownie, sandwiched with white chocolate-peanut butter crunch, buttery caramel and creamy chocolate filling stacked with mounds of milk chocolate and honey roasted peanuts. Served with vanilla ice cream. It was a slice of snicker cake, but better. It's a bit sweet for my tooth, but the ice cream was a good complement to it. Our server was a little on the wacky side, but really fun. He brought our check and he was like "Here's the booze check and the non-booze check." Also as the Gnarls Barkley video came across the tv screens he pointed out the best part of the video and was laughing hilariously. The videos they showed were great too! A mix of old rock, 80's, 90's and today's music. It was nice, but the music drowned most of our conversation during dinner. But I think our service and the food I had redeemed Hard Rock Cafe's bad image in my head. It's a bit on the pricey side though, but there's enough food for two people...I just am a fatty this week so I ate a ton.
(3)
Jeremy C.
I had the Red, White and Blue Burger and it was excellent. My wife had the Chicken BBQ Sandwich and it was mediocre. Overall, cool theme and good food. Price is a bit steep, but not absurd.
(4)
Michelle S.
It's the Hard Rock Cafe Houston. Mostly what I like about this place is the bar and the fact that it's a pretty close location to Theater District. So if your seeing a show you can pay a little less for a drink than you would at the venue. I must admit that the memorabilia is pretty interesting and makes nice eye candy. Every once in a while a local band plays on the small stage and can be fun. Staff has been pretty friendly.
(3)
FromTexas P.
They tried to place us near a very boisterous birthday celebration. Uh, no, we said we're not sitting there when we can't hear each other talk. Seemed like an "effort" to move us to a different table. Could see it in her face, which means we're already off to a "great" start. The food was Edible to Poor, depending on who you ask, and what they ate. Honestly would have preferred the golden arches to what we were served, but simply none in walking distance that late. Seemed to me like they were trying hard not to make an effort here. When making requests of the wait staff, we had items slammed down on the table for our troubles. When problems elevated, seemed a bit clueless in my opinion, and not capable of resolving. (We were to the point where we said in surrender to the obvious, why even bother TRYING any more.) It was to the point we couldn't get out of there fast enough! And...never another dollar to be spent in HRC in ANY city. The positive: The gift shop guy was likeable and courteous. Too bad we bought souvenirs BEFORE we ate while waiting the considerable time before being seated, and not after!!!!
(1)
Steve I.
Fantastic standup comedy on the weekends in the lounge. Kyle Grooms from Chappelle's Show is coming August 16th!
(5)
April M.
Ok so it's taken me awhile to write this review only because I forgot to do so until I saw it pop up on yelp. My husband and I were downtown one night and decided to stop in just for a couple of drinks so we sat at the bar. There were 3 bartenders working so you would think that we would be noticed and be served right? Wrong! Each time a bartender had to fill drinks for other customers they did it right in front of our seats so they saw us sitting there. One said "hey". We sat and waited for him to ask us what we wanted. He kept coming around to fill glasses and nothing. We said that we needed help. He said "ok". Still nothing. Another bartender came and asked if we have been helped and we said no. He filled a drink and took it back to the customer. They kept coming around and still nothing! We kept looking at each other like what's going on?? Even the customers next to us were looking at us like they felt bad for us. We got up to leave after 15 or 20 mins of basically being ignored and slowly walked out thinking that they might say oh sorry we forgot about you guys! Nope still nothing so we left. It was the most awkward experience I've ever had in a restaurant in my life. I won't say the service was bad since we were never served! It was just horrible. Never ever going back
(1)
Jabreal A.
This was my first time at Hard Rock Cafe. Beautiful decorations. Great waitress, but the food took some time to get to us. Other people sat down after us and got there food before us. Right when we were about to complain our food came out. And it was amazing. ^_^
(4)
Shana W.
Hard Rock Cafe Houston proves that everything is bigger and better in Texas! Packed with memorabilia like a tambourine from Prince, Gwen Stefani's black feather boa, a blue jacket from Elvis Presley, Elton John's Statue of Liberty costume, and a guitar played by Bob Dylan in 1963 there is no shortage of great items from Rock and Roll's Who's Who. There are so many things to look at, you'll find yourself wandering between the tables to check out all of these Houston exclusives. While you're roaming this shiny, hip, monument to Rock nestled in the Theatre District, you'll also notice the great food set before each patron. There is a little something for everyone here - from simple fare to plates for the more discerning tastes. The variety here is pure Hard Rock and great to get your night downtown started. With such an amazing location, you can finish up dinner and just walk off those delightful onion rings on your way to one of the amazing shows at the theatres nearby. I would recommend the Hard Rock Cafe Houston to anyone looking to get a little schooling in music history and a great meal.
(4)
Jeff B.
I don't normally eat at HRC since I think the prices are way too high for the quality of food, but I ran across an online coupon for a $4 Legendary Burger at HRC and a group of us went for work. I had the Mushroom Swiss Burger and it was pretty darn good. Not really worth $13.95, but definitely worth the $4.00 I paid. I would rate it more like an $8 burger since it was a 10 ounce burger. Our service was great, but we were first in at lunch.
(3)
Laura W.
This restaurant is alright, if and when I come here, it's for the decor and drinks. The menu is not that great. I can never seem to figure out what I want to order because nothing is that appetizing on their menu. If the menu was redone, it would be a much more fun restaurant.
(3)
Scott O.
Went to the Hard Rock Cafe before the AFI concert Saturday night next door at the Verizon Wireless Theater. Had the Red White and Blue burger which was pretty good. Service was still alright, not great but not horrible. It was a $13 burger though, so it was a little expensive. Still a pretty decent and fun place to eat.
(3)
Eric B.
I have always liked the decor and theme of the Hard Rock. Lot's of interesting things to look at and people to observe. However, whatever Hard Rock I'm been whether it's been Singapore or Las Vegas, the food and service are just OK. No compaints, but no raves either. Nice Theatre District location.
(3)
Greg D.
This is one of the better things in downtown Houston. I've been here twice, only eaten once as I could not get a table the second time. (ZZ Top was there which is why I was there so there were like 8000 people in line). The food is okay and goes well with beer. The displays are great (they even have some of ZZ Top's items on display which is suiting since they are a Houston based band. This is a fun place to eat and even has some outdoor seating for nice weather days. If you are waiting for a concert (like we were waiting for Greenday) this is a great place to stake a table, eat and have some beer before the show. In fact I think that's probably why they opened right here at this location.
(3)
Cory O.
I was tempted to give this place just 2 stars, but I realized that it wouldn't be quite fair since my grumpiness was founded upon my husband's lack of planning rather than the restaurants fault. Let me explain. We'd planned to see Golden Compass for quite some time and we'd never been to the Alamo Drafthouse. That being said, our plan was to get lunch and go straight afterwards. While leaving the sushi place, he looked on the map and decided that the Drafthouse was too far and we'd just go to the Angelika instead. So we drive down there with only the little Google map on our iPhone to guide us--a recipe for disaster. When we get there, we realize that there's a run that has half of downtown blocked off. After traversing through the streets for about 45 minutes (which included two pit stops for a man with the smallest bladder known to mankind), we finally found the place and parked--$6 no less that we were supposed to get back once we went to the theater. Lo and behold, the theater isn't actually showing the Golden Compass and none of the other movies captures our fancy. I was not pleased. So we decide to walk over to Hard Rock and grab a beer and get our parking validated. We sat at the bar and watched old episodes of Cops (the Houston edition) and listened to music that was. . .eclectic. It ranged from Blondie to Styxx to Daughtry. The beer was incredibly overpriced as was our food (potato skins are always delicious though). The bartender was nice, though not interactive at all. My Bass was not properly set up and it ended up being much darker than it was supposed to be--a big pet peeve of mine. If you can't get all the levels right, just stick to bottled beer. By the end of it, our tab came out pretty high for a quick stop just to get parking validated--which they don't do. We ended up driving back to our shady movie theater by our house and hoped not to get mugged after a long day of craziness.
(3)
Bill J.
This place is freakin' packed!! We had gone to this location since we were in town. It was downtown lose to everything. The plan was to have desert and a beer or 2, but this place was slammed packed. I'm not sure if it's like this all the time, but it's definitely a HOT spot. The staff was friendly and very helpful. We would go back again.
(3)
Refugio G.
I went here just to get a beer and see what memorabilia they had. The beer was nice and cold, the bartender was a pretty cool cat with plenty of rock and roll stories to tell. Memorabilia was awesome. Too much to list, but it was a stand out compared to some of the others that I have visited. I will take away one star because they had no Houston specific stuff, in the way of shot glasses, etc. I didn't want the Houston HRC shirt, I was more interested in the specialty shot glasses. Ho well, next time next time!!
(4)
Alden C.
Nothing wrong with this Hard Rock Cafe really just that is seems to be in kind of a stale downtown. Yes I am sorry Houston seems a bit boring in its downtown sector and in other parts. My visit to the town was just fine and pretty fun but Houston has really funky zoning laws for businesses because a group of shops might be really out of the way and in a residential neighborhood that passersby do not know about. You have to stay in town for a while to really find the places you may want to go to. Thankfully this Hard Rock is downtown however boring I may have found downtown to be where it can be found fairly easily for tourists. Either the company knew these crazy zoning laws that opens the restaurants knew this or the city knew better than to locate the restaurant in some neighborhood no one would be able to find. Same cool merchandise you come to find at the other locations. As my friend who once was in Houston said it had no character, I think I agree with him so best sneak into the Hard Rock early and get out early so you are not in a big traffic jam when you try to escape the city and its oppressive humidity.
(3)
Lloyd B.
Went here on a Sat afternoon for a few drinks and appetizers. Service was really good but expensive and that area of downtown was really dead which made for kind of a downer experience.
(3)
Michelle R.
visited this location tonight and from the start got bad service. I ordered diet coke, waitress said is diet Pepsi ok, I said no, don't like Pepsi what else do you have diet, her response was just water. When asked about tea, oh yeah we have that would you like sweet or unsweetened. If I asked for diet soda I would hope that she could have figured unsweetened. I ordered a junior burger med well and when I got it it was still very pink, sent it back and the manager (Rick, no last name was given by him or the bartender I asked later, he doesn't know his last name....BS), brought out a very burnt burger, I sent it back, when I got the next burger it was a regular size and very under cooked again, sent it back, when it was returned it was burnt again. At this point I was frustrated and hungry. He offered something else and I ordered nachos (assuming I was getting the nachos from the appetizer menu), that was not what I got, I got plain cheese nachos with the sour cream. This experience caused he great heartache because hunger, frustration with the service I was getting was not a good combination. I hope that in the future when you have this much issues that there is more communication with the customer and put the customer back into customer service.
(1)
Rohman R.
Service is lacking, overpriced and the atmosphere is non-existent. Personally, I don't see why this chain is popular? In my opinion, there is nothing special about it. The drink and the food is average at best while being overpriced. Some wall art is cool, but it feels too generic.
(2)
Michelle R.
visited this location tonight and from the start got bad service. I ordered diet coke, waitress said is diet Pepsi ok, I said no, don't like Pepsi what else do you have diet, her response was just water. When asked about tea, oh yeah we have that would you like sweet or unsweetened. If I asked for diet soda I would hope that she could have figured unsweetened. I ordered a junior burger med well and when I got it it was still very pink, sent it back and the manager (Rick, no last name was given by him or the bartender I asked later, he doesn't know his last name....BS), brought out a very burnt burger, I sent it back, when I got the next burger it was a regular size and very under cooked again, sent it back, when it was returned it was burnt again. At this point I was frustrated and hungry. He offered something else and I ordered nachos (assuming I was getting the nachos from the appetizer menu), that was not what I got, I got plain cheese nachos with the sour cream. This experience caused he great heartache because hunger, frustration with the service I was getting was not a good combination. I hope that in the future when you have this much issues that there is more communication with the customer and put the customer back into customer service.
(1)
Rohman R.
Service is lacking, overpriced and the atmosphere is non-existent. Personally, I don't see why this chain is popular? In my opinion, there is nothing special about it. The drink and the food is average at best while being overpriced. Some wall art is cool, but it feels too generic.
(2)
Robert N.
Okay, so you should only come here if you are a tourist and want a tshirt. The wait staff is pretty gnarly, but the food selection is maybe 15 items, including appetizers, the drinks are from very strong to ? is there any alcohol in this. Not something I would highly recommend to anyone.
(2)
Jennifer S.
Downtown has died down a lot lately, at least in the evening hours, but that didn't stop us from making a random stop for a late night snack at Hard Rock Cafe. Your parking options are either along the street, garage or valet. Since it was dead, we easily found a spot along the street. We were greeted by the store clerk, he didn't know where the hostess/waitress was, but he made us feel welcomed by offering his favorite seat in the restaurant by a beautiful picture of Jimi Hendrix. Apparently, he sat us in a closed section per the waitress, but they didn't make us move. The decor was nice, clean and entertaining. There are flat screen tvs playing rock videos and a bar area in the front of the restaurant. The waitress promptly took our drink order while we scanned the menu. We ordered the jumbo combo and a hamburger with mashed potatoes. The jumbo combo included potato skins, spring rolls (southwestern), chicken wings, onion rings & chicken tenders. It was basically a slight upgrade of a combo platter of bar food, so nothing spectacular. The mashed potatoes were pretty good and the HRC burger was decent. Overall, our appetites were satisfied and enjoyed our experience at Hard Rock Cafe.
(3)
LAWJISTIK -.
Hard Rock is pretty much name alone in Houston, atmosphere is great....(personally I liked it better when it was on Kirby St. with the car on the pole but that's just me) foods good but overpriced.
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Garage, Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Touristy Noise Level : Loud Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Coat Check : No Smoking : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Drive-Thru : No Caters : No
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Brian M.
3 stars for the décor, music, and memorabilia. 2 stars for the food... The food wasn't that great, especially for the price. I got the Hickory BBQ Bacon Burger. There are much better places to get burgers in Houston for less than $15.
(3)Cherry A.
I was curious to see what Hard Rock Cafe is doing in Houston! The foodie in me was confused how this place is even surviving in Houston town of gastro-pubs etc. So I walk in here on a Friday evening to a relatively empty restaurant and order some food and an appetizer cum drinks called "air Mexico". I love trying new things and this one caught my eye. It was pico de galo with tortilla chips along with three cute mini flavored margherita. And you can choose the flavors, I got the mango, pomegranate, watermelon. They were strong and amazing! This was followed by the hearty burgers, I got the pulled chicken in BBQ sauce called the "The Texan" that came with a side of french fries, cole slaw and baked beans. My friend got a "local sand which" that was also amazing. Ambience was awesome with the songs etc. Someone was having their Birthday party. The food was top notch, service was alright and ambience was superb. Reason why service wasn't great was coz the cocktails didn't have the prices written on it on the menu. When we asked our waiter the price for "air Mexico" he said about $12 so we went ahead and ordered it. When the bill arrived it costed us $15. we weren't amused. The waiter defended saying he never said it was exactly $12 but around it and that no one ever asks for the price usually so they don't bother finding out either. I found this rather ignorant and presumptuous. Besides that everything else was great.
(4)Lori W.
I was unable to look around and go in as the place was closed due to prom. The high school bought a night at the Hard Rock for prom. (Wish my prom was like that years ago) Since I was driving through I was very upset to find that they closed the gift shop..I asked to speak to the manager as they would not let me in. The gentleman came out and I explained my situation and that Im not going to be in town the next day, he asked me what I needed. I told him Im here for pins. He asked me if I had a credit card, I replied yes. He asked me which pins. I told him which ones and to grab any of last years. All in all I did get the ones I wanted plus some guitar picks...(it was suppose to be a guitar pick pin not picks) Thank you to the manager for going out of his way....(love one, love all) I do think they need to keep the gift shop opened during special events like this for the people passing through visiting...as we have no other way of knowing.
(5)Jay A.
Our server was rude. The food is cheap frozen dinner quality. Happy hour on drinks on applies if you sit at the bar. I went here excepting an experience to remember. . But all I left was a bad taste in my mouth.
(1)Ronnie T.
Love coming to Hard Rock!! Happy hour is awesome! And the bartenders here are pretty much the best! Make sure to always ask for Sally, Jesus or Josue! They will always give you the best service!! The staff is always so friendly and very helpful! The music is good and just an all around chill atmosphere! Make sure to give it a try!
(5)Lindsay S.
Food was the same as any Hard Rock (I like the kids healthy option of chicken and broccoli) but the service was really slow and there was only ONE other table "in use" outside - it was a table that was not cleared, full of dirty plates, when we got there and remained that way (dirty and uncleared full of dishes) the whole time we ate. It just annoyed me that it was never cleared. I also don't like sitting outside when the tables don't feel like they are ever washed. Ours was very dusty.
(2)Rebecca W.
"Great restaurant for a rockin' good time". I think this is the first time I can ever recall dining at a Hard Rock Cafe. It has always been too much of a "touristy" restaurant for me to dine at, but given that we were hungry and did not feel like walking a lot in the cold, rainy weather, this was the best alternative. Given that we were not sure what was open on New Year's Day, we were so happy to see the lights on here! I was very impressed... it was clean, spacious and the staff was super friendly! The hostess very pleasant and immediately seated us in one of their oversized booths... plenty of room for our family of 3. Our server, was very enthusiastic and was happy to be of service... nothing starts a meal off better at a restaurant than having a server with a positive attitude. We ordered the "Original Legendary Burger" and the "The Texan Smokehouse Sandwich" and were extremely impressed! The plates were huge, so we had just enough that my 5-year old daughter did not have to order anything from the kids menu. The burger was huge and the meat was juicy. The sandwich was a tad bit too spicy for my daughter (she does not like spicy at all), but I loved it, especially the crispy onion strings - those are my weakness! Of course, we could not leave without having New Year's Day dessert... it was a toss-up between the Chocolate Molten Cake or the Fresh Apple Cobbler. It was very difficult to decide, so we used used a pack of sugar to flip for it! The winner was... The Fresh Apple Cobbler. It had a crunchy topping, warm apple chunks/slices and a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with caramel. If you are in the mood of fruity, oooey-goooey deliciousness, you will love this dessert!
(4)Leah O.
So much potential and a great location and good service, but sadly, the menu falls short. I think they need a major overhaul of the menu. There was nothing special. I recommend adding a lunch menu and specialities unique to each location. How about daily or seasonal specials? We were there on a Tuesday at noon with a major trade conference in town and it was nearly empty. This used to be such a fun treat 20 years ago.
(2)Cameron H.
Only got a drink, so I don't have much to comment on. The staff was nice and polite, and the bartender got to us quickly. Drinks are priced right and have nice pours. Can't complain.
(3)Sonia T.
Honestly, I didn't even know this place still existed. Hard Rock is still around, I asked my yelpie friend, Victor. Yes, he said, and their drinks are STRONG! Sounds like a winner for me, we needed a quickie spot before Chelsea Handler, and stopped off at HR before the show, since it is located right next door. I liked that they had an additional bar outside, and had a couple of patio tables since the weather was so nice. The drink was HELLA strong. I ordered a vodka tonic, and I think the guy thought I said vodka rocks. One was all I needed, I didn't try the food, but it looked pretty basic, burgers, and bar food. The people watching was incredible, lots and lots of suburbs people with blue eye shadow and really short dresses that look like Herve Leger but they aren't. Honestly, better people watching than the rodeo. Come here for a really stiff drink before a show.
(4)Timothy E.
The atmosphere was as expected. The waitress was great. My daughter liked her veggie sandwich. My wife's BBQ sandwich had an overpowering chicken flavor even with the BBQ sauce. She is concerned. My pulled pork was served at room temperature. I would not recommend this location except for the atmosphere and possibly drinks.
(2)Bobby G.
Jan 2015 Visit. "Anachronism: Out of place and/or out of time." As you read this review, please know I'm a guy in my mid/late 30s who lives in Houston... I came here while waiting for a movie at the adjacent Sundance Cinemas. I was so sad to see what's become of this place. Perhaps the corporate folks at Hard Rock will benefit from my humble opinion. I was alive when Hard Rock Café was "cool." Houston's restaurant is the perfect example of why Hard Rock is anachronistic in culture and business model. Today it seems like it's in its death throes -- and example of the dangers of resting on your laurels. The Houston Hard Rock Cafe is best described as a stale-aired, windowless tomb: a tribute to a time-passed and a generation who long ago grew out of "the Hard Rock" concept. The rebellious children of the 1970s and 1980s (me) who made the Hard Rock what is, have all grown up and have families now. Even those who still live in their mom's basement, rocking out to Pantera in their black concert t-shirts have moved upstairs. The only "rebellion" left in the core of their aging customers and wait staff is when they drop the kids off at school and turn up White Snake on their stock minivan sound systems, driving five mph over the speed limit back to their suburban enclave. Sounds harsh, but that's the core of the problem with this place. Going here left with the same uncomfortable feeling I would get if I accidentally stood on someone's burial plot without knowing it. You know that sort of gut feeling? This place is absolutely screaming for a physical remodel. It's in a decaying plaza adjacent to the "Bayou Place" theater. The employees are nice and bar tender good, but in these colder months a few were wearing gray, Hard Rock Cafe sweatshirt hoodies. Somehow, places comparable to Hard Rock -- like Jimmy Buffet's "Margaritaville" still have it. This is significant because Jimmy Buffet peaked in the 1980s... Margaritaville's food is reasonably priced and skews expensive, but because the atmosphere is updated, airy and alive, I don't mind paying the premium. Margaritaville is everything Hard Rock is not. They've somehow managed to ride the breaking wave of time and today -- in 2015 -- it feels just as new as the smiling face of my toddler. The lifeblood of any cultural movement (which is what "Hard Rock" capitalized on) is youth, energy and *relevance* ... and there is none left here. You must stay topical to survive. While it's nice to see Ringo's suit hanging behind glass, it's still not enough to seduce me into being okay with paying $18 for a burger. This is why you don't see people running around with those "Hard Rock [insert city] t-shirts anymore... Planet Hollywood -- which was the movie-star version of Hard Rock -- went bankrupt twice in the 1990s and finally shut down, cutting their losses. How Hard Rock is even still alive is beyond me. Finally, a personal pet peeve about this place: There was a huge Rockets NBA game on and they wouldn't put it on the TV... instead, we were subjected to their crappy, 80s VHS-tape music videos all evening. If Hard Rock wasn't owned by a huge, international group, this joint would have closed down in 1997, like Planet Hollywood. Never again.
(1)Rob K.
Unless you still collect Hard Rock shot glasses or t-shirts, move on to Houston's many better options. Unfortunately, my boss DOES still collect Hard Rock shot glasses so he dragged me and another work-mate along for a mediocre meal. Boss Man had BBQ, I had the Blackened Chicken Pasta and my work mate had a burger. The BBQ was generic, my pasta dish was flavorless and slightly above room temperature, the burger looked fine but nothing above ordinary. The ambiance is still fascinating to me, I must admit, and the only thing that brings the place up to 2 stars.. Prince's tambourine, Chris Robinson's itty bitty pants, a guitar of Jimi Hendrix are among the many items on display.
(2)Denise D.
Called ahead for priority seating. Still waited over an hour for a table. Took 20 minutes for non-alcoholic drinks to arrive. Took about 10 more minutes for server to take our order. After a lengthy wait for food - 2 entrees took another 10 minutes, one was wrong. When that one was taken back for correction, it came out wrong AGAIN. They comped our entire bill but only after I walked out for the poor service. Inattentive server. I know they are a huge chain and can afford a comp, but they should still work to provide good service. I won't ever go there again. Thanks for trying to make it right - but it was too little, too late.
(1)Mariah D.
After my best-12-year-old-friend's recital in the Wortham, I walked over with her cheering section of 9 to have dinner on a Friday night. There was no wait for our large party, and we were seated in a round corner booth. The service was nothing short of spectacular. Our waiter whose name I cannot recall, was awesome. He was older and had a beard/goatee and a Hard Rock edge to him. We ordered a large sampler appetizer platter to split amongst the table. Before our waiter brought out our entrees he was asking to remove the platter. There was one onion ring left, and I grabbed it so it didn't go to waste. As I grabbed it from the platter, the onion ring fell squarely in my water glass. It was funny, but I was also kinda sad about my clumsiness. Our waiter noticed this, and he brought out a little plate with 2 onion rings on it! As well as a brand new glass of water! How THOUGHTFUL. My entree came out a little later than everyone else's and that was the only hitch in the service all night. Our waiter even changed the music to Journey by our party's request. The adults all ordered drinks and everyone seemed to enjoy their food, which is typical chain restaurant American fare. Overall, HRC is fun for people of all ages, and the energetic waiter just made our experience that much better.
(4)Iren O.
The restaurant was almost empty. We got a table fast. The waiter was a women. I think it must been her worst day ever. She didn't give us a smile, she sight when she delivered the food , she rolled her eyes when she left our table ... She destroyed our hole dinner with her way to act. We have complained to the manager...
(1)Larry N.
Got to restaurant, 30 minute wait. 3/4 tables were unoccupied. Wait because not enough staff on duty. Sat at bar. When table was ready, they refused to transfer bar tab to table. With a $17 regular hamburger on the menu, I expected a little more. Would give 1/2 star if available.
(1)Dani D.
I'm only giving 3 stars because I didn't have a whole lot to base a higher rating on. I went to HR for the "Sing for Your Supper" night yesterday. I didn't even know we had one in Houston. I took the train because I was coming from work and it wasn't too much of a walk - a couple of blocks in really nice weather. The website said the event was from 5pm-7pm and that you could get any entree from the menu, or an entree from the NEW menu (I'm still unclear about that part). The staff was friendly when they greeted at the door and were encouraging us to make fools of ourselves, or, sign up to sing. I stood at the bar on one side for about 5 minutes being ignored by the bartender. This wasn't because the bar was so busy...it was just that one bartender kind of ignored me or maybe I was invisible in that 5 minute period, but he kept looking my way without ever saying a word or asking me anything. When I walked around to a different side with a different bartender, I was able to order my drink immediately. The restaurant was PACKED with high school kids in (what looked like) prom attire. Apparently they had rented out the majority of the restaurant for some special event. They even had their own band and lots of parents/teachers/others, which also meant that there wasn't any seating for the rest of us. Listening to the kids perform songs like Paint It Black and Sweet Home Alabama made it alright because they were really ROCKING - especially the band. Then things got tricky. When the kids left, the band left, which means that those of us who were going to sing didn't have any back-up music. The solution - que the song you want to perform on your cell phone and they'll plug it in to the sound system for you. After you performed your song, you got a card for a burger - NOT AN ENTREE! The card says "Present this card and receive a complimentary Hard Rock Legendary burger. Must be presented at the time of purchase. Not valid with any other offers. One person per visit. Valid only at participating location listed below. Valid from 4/17/14 to 6/30/14" What if you didn't want a burger? What if you performed well after you ate (which a lot of people did)? So maybe the event should have been advertised as "Sing for whatever meal we want to give you." Don't get me wrong, even with the setbacks, it was fun and wildly entertaining. I had 2 draft beers, at nearly $6/each - a little pricey for draft beer, but whatever. I'll definitely go back at some point so I can redeem my voucher and then I can write a review about the food.
(3)Rachel G.
Feeling nostalgic for several experiences at various Hard Rock Cafes across the country as a kid, I was excited to introduce two of my friends to the franchise who had never been. The atmosphere was what you would expect for any Hard Rock, covered in memorabilia of various musical acts. The location near several other restaurants and music venues is great, and it is not too far a walk from the METRO rail. The service was average. I ordered the twisted mac & cheese. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything to call home about either. Though I enjoyed my meal, I thought it was extremely overpriced for a small portion size. Definitely not a bad experience, but I would definitely opt to go somewhere more authentic in the future.
(3)Traci C.
The night we ate here they were short staffed unfortunately it was not handled very well. The food was ok to good. The service was just ok, our server had excuses but not very good service. I would like to mention the 2 hostesses because they were working hard and really seemed to care. I'm not sure we would come back here and the main reason was the manager. The whole time we were there he seemed apathetic to what was going on. If the manager acts that way how can I expect much better from the staff.
(3)Gregg G.
If you are visiting or a resident of Houston, don't miss this great weekend hot spot. The food is spectacular and the scenery is outstanding. DONT DRINK & DRIVE though ! Park the car and call Allstar.
(4)H T.
Mediocre food. Ok service. Not much here. It was nothing special, but looked better than the other places around. Wasn't completely disappointed, but nowhere near impressed.
(1)Jessica B.
This hard rock was kind of a bummer. I collect a glass and hat from every hard rock I can go to...here the store was tiny and the restaurant wasn't very clean. Our food was cold and the table behind us had been given the wrong undercooked order. I love the hard rock but Houston is not one I would return to.
(2)ChelleBelle V.
What a disappointment last night. Brought some friends new to the area after watching a hysterical comedy play at Alley theatre hoping to end the night with a quick bite and good drinks as they had never been to a Hard Rock Cafe. Let's start with the fact that we stood up front for about 5 minutes with many employees passing us by but no one offering to seat us. I had to ask a girl who finally showed up behind the T-shirt counter if we needed to seat ourselves and she asked me if anyone had even greeted us yet. I kindly said "no" thats why Im asking if we seat ourselves. On a good note, once we were seated our server took our order and brought out drinks quickly. Our appetizers showed up just as quick but then our server just disappeared and other servers kept passing us by. After about 20 mins our server finally re-surfaced an asked if we wanted refills. Um, what do you think??!! The jumbo appetizer combo was pretty standard with onion rings, chicken tenders, buffalo wings, potato skins and egg rolls but it was served hot which was the other positive and it tasted good :) Sad to bring newbies who left saying "been there done that and don't care to do it again :(". It was also mentioned THIS Hard Rock was NOT worth the wait. I have been here a few times but don't think I'll be back. Oh, stay away from dirty bathrooms too!! GROSS
(1)charles L.
Avg food, my ribs were lukewarm, long wait for the food to arrive, a bit overpriced but oh well it's "hard rock cafe" so i guess they have the right to jack up the price? Would be nice if they can hire a more "diverse" staff, and train their employee to be more helpful, friendly and put a simple smile on their face.
(3)Shannon M.
We went here for a quick bite to eat with the family on a recent trip to Houston, TX. We were not highly impressed with the service that we received. The food was overpriced and were rather small portions. The alcoholic beverage that I ordered was not very good at all. I was disappointed with this Hard Rock Cafe location. I would recommend other HRC locations but probably not this location.
(2)Anthony L.
I had their local beer saint arnord beer. It tasted like a Budweiser. Not impress. The actual restaurant is big but it was fairly empty.
(2)Tommy C.
I'm from Baton Rouge so I don't get many chances to visit the Houston location to savor one of what my son calls "the best cheeseburger in the world," an assessment I can hardly dispute. This time we made the trip for a Jimmy Buffett concert, so a "cheeseburger in paradise" seemed in order. Always, we've had excellent, friendly and truly hospitable servers and great food and today was no different--outstanding service!! A huge music fan, the vast collection of music memorabilia is lagniappe and I always see something I've missed in previous visits. We will always have a meal at Hard Rock any time when in Houston.
(5)Jeremy L.
Walked over for lunch from Houston Court building during break from jury duty. Nice walk. Place is nice, first visit to HRC since it left Kirby drive, more than a decade ago. Staff was nice, not too busy at Noon. Got a beer and burger. Decided on SOB burger, fresh Pico, guac, and sauteed onions. The onions could have been sauteed a little longer, but still alright. Added bacon, which I did not need. Burger is good size, maybe half pound (or at least it feels that much), half would have been more than I need, I finished 3/4 of it. Great taste. Fries were nothing special, but good. Got a site of the vinegar-based BBQ sauce. If I am in downtown, I would try again.
(3)Joseph K.
As HRC goes, this one is average. My server was very friendly, and the food was reliably good. But the lack of reasonable parking was very frustrating, I suppose if one is staying in the area this would be less of an issue. No validation for parking either, boooo. The memorabilia on display was also only so so. No real gems, a disappointment considering this is one of the older HRCs. On balance, will likely not be back.
(3)Darrin W.
Walked in around 12:30. Sat at the bar w a couple of work colleagues. We were from out of town and needed a break from the heat. Bar tender was great. Drinks were good and decent nachos. As not being from the area and needing to get back to our hotel to hit the airport I asked the hostess on the way out where the best place to catch a cab was? Her response was "you got a phone don't cha"? Not sure I heard her right I asked again. She then responded with didn't you hear me? Completely blew my mind. We walked outside and looked around but couldn't find a cab so we hoofed it 8 blocks back to the hotel while we dodged a lightning storm and took cover on the side of a building for :30 min hoping not to get hit! Thanks for the big Texas hospitality.
(2)Anthony B.
Went there for lunch, service was quick and CJ our waiter was great. Ordered nachos and burger both were good.
(4)Tara K.
Had to wait 30 minutes for our table, which was no big deal except when we noticed several empty tables around the place. Finally when we were sat, my fiancé and I both ordered beers and they were lukewarm and not very tasty. His glass of water remained empty for more than 10 minutes as our waiter kept walking by, until finally another waiter stopped to ask my fiancé if he wanted more water. I ordered a cheeseburger and it was just okay...the cheddar cheese was cold and I do NOT like cold cheese. It came with fries and they gave me maybe 8 on my plate. Probably will never go back to this hard rock.
(2)Kenny C.
Beer was cold BUT they have got a significant drain issue here! Smells like someone pooped their pants up in here. Pretty powerful stench right when ya walk in the door. Slapped me in the face. It was enough that I wasn't about to eat anything here. Was perfectly happy with my bottled beer though!
(2)Lizzie H.
Great food! We went for drinks before a show. Their Keepers drinks are a must! The combination appetizer plate has a good mix of everything. The waiter and bartender were extremely friendly and everything came out fast.
(4)Anjelica T.
Dear reviewers reading, I went here the other day for lunch with my loved one. I was excited since I been to the ones in Cali and I wanted to see this one as we walked in that's when the problem starts, now I read a lot of reviews before I go places and the reviews on here were pretty decent so I didn't expect amazing great service, and I did not get any while here, so I walk in and there are these two ladies just standing around joking around something and just talking to each other and they look at my dear and I like we walked into the wrong place. I looked at them and waited to see if they were going to greet me or stay how many are eating? but nothing they just stared at us and went on with there conversation. So I stepped in and asked "am I in the right place? this is the restaurant right?" and they looked at me like I verbally abused them or something and just nodded. So I was like okay what now? and then they seemed to get mad and take some menus and tell me to come this way. We get seated and there are the waiters sitting with customers just chit chatting away about guitars and no one comes up until a man sees us with menus and asked if we had gotten drinks? I told him we did not and he leaves to get something and another man walks up and asks if we got drinks yet? I was so confused as they do not communicate so I told him no this other man was going somewhere and so we wait till finally a man comes and asks what we like to drink. We get them after the man goes over to a table of guys and sits with them and chats away about owning a guitar and being in a band. It's nice that the waiters want to be friendly but they are over doing it by sitting down and not doing there jobs. So we wait again for food and we did not get any refills while the table next to us with all these guys were getting all the service from the waiter sitting with them at there table again chit chatting about guitars and music. Then another couple walks in and they get seated quickly and get attended to right away and they get there food before ours! and we came in first it was all over the place in this Hard Rock Cafe. Definitely did not like.
(1)Carol H.
Worst service I have experienced possibly ever. Comically bad. The place was empty but it still took ten minutes to get seated. The woman at the front desk apparently isn't authorized to seat anyone without a supervisor being present. The lemonade we ordered had to be prepared by a bartender, who apparently wasn't in residence. Another 10 minutes. Apparently no one drinks coffee there either as it was another 10 minutes to brew a pot. Server took the order, completely screwed it up, then told me it would cost an extra $4 to actually get what I originally ordered. Then I open the burger and discover that too is wrong - they gave me a bacon cheeseburger instead of the plain hamburger I ordered. The server ignores me when I try to flag him down to tell him he's messed up both the orders, so I ask for the manager. The manager finally shows up makes it clear he doesn't care one bit, and that was that. We got up and walked out, wrote this review, and will never return.
(1)Carrie S.
I was in Houston for work, and staying downtown. Unfortunately, most places in downtown Houston close by 5 or 6:00. But, my friend and I were able to make our way to Hard Rock for dinner and drinks. It was great! Not huge inside, but the service was excellent! The bar tender was very cool and fun. The food was good, and I definitely recommend the white sangria!
(4)Chris D.
Food was good but very slow. Took over 30 minutes to get service. The idea of a place in the theatre district is to get something to eat before a show. So you have a timeline. I will not be going back
(1)Monica L.
Decided to eat here before a show at the bayou music center. The wait was about 30 min. Which I did not mind until we were seated an I realized they had many empty tables so I guess they were understaffed . Our order took another 30 min to get our meal. The food was good and our server was pleasant and quick to refill our water. We made our show in time , just wish since they had the open tables we would have been seated sooner as they have no seating area for waiting customers.
(3)Sebastien S.
Rock on
(4)John C.
Had a great time on New Years Eve at the Houston Standup at the Hard Rock comedy show. Steve Hofstetter was a great comedian and an excellent MC to usher in the new year!
(4)David R.
Walked in at 10 pm to a half empty restaurant. We were then told there was a 20 min wait while there was no one in line. The indifference of the staff was overwhelming. After being ignored by the waitstaff for another 10 mins we walked out without ordering. We walked two minutes to blue fish grill and were seated immediately and treated very well. Won't make that mistake again.
(1)Lily H.
Hate to dis the Hard Rock, but this one's in trouble. I've dined at numerous HRC across America and this one needs a new attitude. FRI night an no wait at 7PM - what does that say? I think the food was prepared ahead of time because it arrived in less than 10 mins from the time it was ordered looking like it sat in the heat window. It was just too fast to be that wilted. no frosty mug, sorta cold beer. The overall feel of the dining room was NOT fresh and crisp either. the service was great, at the front door, especially great at the table, but not the food. Granted there are some HRC legends, but I expected the menu to be as NEW and exciting as Hollywood, and it's just the same old pub-grub. It was also sad to see the memorbilia in disrepair. very disappointing. won't be back.
(2)Daniel L.
This is one of the most unique places downtown because it isn't overly trendy. You can be dressed casual, order an American light beer not some sixteen syllable import, and eat a big juicy burger with friends. This is not a date place. "Hey baby, wanna go to the Hard Rock Cafe?" is not something said often I have to assume. But that's why I like HRC so much. You don't bring clients here, you come here to get away from all that jazz. You don't bring a serious date because you will get judged really badly, find yourself dumped, and you are going to need to pay for a new subscription at eHarmony. If you have a hot date go somewhere a little more flashy. The service has always been good for me. The last time I was in here I had less than an hour (by the time we got seated) before we had to be at Jones Hall. I told the waiter and instead of rolling his eyes at my expectation of special treatment, he was on top of everything. He refilled sodas and I still don't know how he knew, but he brought me a new ketchup just as the last drop was coming out of the bottle on our table. We were in Jones Hall ten minutes earlier than I thought was humanly possible. That waiter got a huge tip. I always get the burger here. I am not very original. The quality is always good. At chain restaurants it is usually hit or miss on vegetable quality and quantity on burgers - but it's always right here. They probably do an assembly line deal based on how busy it is, but at least they do a quality control check before presenting you with your big juicy burger. They are also open to special requests and "bartering" if you get one of the specialty burgers - and at least in my crowd's experience, you are not going to pay extra for your weird requests. You come to HRC to look at the trinkets they have displayed. And because they play good music in the restaurant. None of that Beethoven while you eat here. Until a Fuddrucker's opens up downtown this is my burger joint
(3)Vic C.
Buschetta was delicious - some of the best I've ever had. Martini was delicious as well. Greeters not as clueless as the last time I was here. For what it is, it's A-OK.
(3)Todd R.
Food was o.k., I particularly enjoyed the craisins in the salad. But the atmosphere was horrendous and loud. And they weren't even playing hard rock on their entertainment systems, it was all poppy.
(2)Kimberly L.
The server was okay. Food was terrible. Even though I was super hungry, I couldn't finish the burger because it just didn't taste the same after it got cold (in 5 minutes). BLeh...
(2)Monica A.
Staff appeared drunk...it was almost closing time and no one wanted to go the extra mile to bring our food to the patio..sad that customer service has become the custmer serving themselves..its everywhere including here
(3)Paula M.
I visit the Downtown Houston Hard Rock on a regular basis. I work just down the street and it's one of my favorite places to eat. The food is "fair" but I don't expect a perfect meal. I go in there, they play the videos I want to see ALL THE TIME and I know basically everyone there. All in all, the food is fair, the location is awesome but I enjoy the music, videos and the waitstaff.
(5)Ben H.
Had an awesome burger next to Dimebag Darrel's guitair. Service was quick and never let my glass get empty, which was impressive because they were extremely busy. The rock & roll memorabilia is, as always at a Hard Rock, awesome.
(4)Leo C.
We went in on a Saturday night around 6 PM while downtown for another event. We were seated quickly and our server immediately came over. The menu is the exact same as the rest of the chain. Service was excellent, food came out really fast, and drinks were refilled numerous times without asking. However, my wife's salad and my pulled pork sandwich were both marginal. Salad didn't have much in the way of the promised goat cheese or spicy pecans. My pulled pork sandwich had flavor but it seems like someone got impatient with the pork and slapped it on the sandwich too soon.
(2)Ben Y.
I wanted to watch the Texans game and they only had it on at their bar. The servers are extremely friendly and it's a great environment. What might alarm you is if you happen to be there while someone in the restaurant is celebrating their birthday. One server screams literally as loud as I've ever heard anyone scream that it is the persons birthday, and they encourage everyone in the restaurant to sing. That part was actually fun. I got the chicken mac n cheese meal and it actually wasn't great. I got their brownie dessert though which was unbelievable.
(4)Bullibrat P.
Stopped in with a group of 10, 6 adults and 4 kids. Service was pretty decent considering my group was already in a fairly bad mood and I'm pretty sure the waitress could tell. Only complaint from me was that it didn't come all at once but instead had a few minutes inbetween groups of two or three entrees. But it all arrived hot and very tasty. Also, the waitress asked if my father-in-law was a Veteran and gave him a discount on lunch. Nice friendly touch that went a long way in improving his mood on a hot day.
(4)Jessica F.
The bartender was cool, and the nachos were cheesy!!
(4)Donna A.
This was a great place to wait for my kids to get out of a concert at. We were able to take our time and enjoy our food. While they did not have a designated gluten free menu, the manager was very knowledgable and helpful. I ate there with no problem at all. They even had gluten free hamburger buns.
(4)Robert A.
I went here with some co-workers frrom Buenos Aries who were visting the states. I like this place because the appetizers, are not too expensive and they have a wide selection of them. I like the location of the HRC being right across the street for the Aquarium in downtown Houston, and also being in the Theatre District. It a quick place to grab a drink. The meals there are really nothing special though unless you are starving! Atmosphere: "I like it here.....I am not talking too loud am I!" Chill and Relaxing if you are not talking and away from the talking crowds. Noise Level: "Can't these people be quiet!" Loud. Sometimes it can be hard to have a conversation with the people you are with. Attentiveness: "Just sit at the bar!" Our waitress was attentive with our first round of drinks. She was pretty busy and did come back to offer a second round. We had to ask her to come over. Price: "How the hell did my bill turn out this much!" The prices are little high for the food, but I think that is because of the location of the HRC. Overall: I give 3 stars because the attentiveness of the waitress, location of the HRC, and selection of drinks. Thanks, Robert Altmiller
(3)Jay D.
Some of the Bar Tenders are very rude. I don't need your sarcasm thats why you got a 0 for tip! Just saying. Make our drinks. Smile and go do something jerk.
(1)Kent D.
The visit to Hard Rock (heck the visit to Houston in general) started out poorly, mostly because of my navigational skills, the inability to find downtown parking post-lunch-rush, and heading into downtown Houston with an empty and grumbling stomach. We finally get parking nearby (pay the $4 for a couple hours parking) and walk into the HRC, which is maybe 1/3 full...and get told it'll be a 20 minute wait. We stand there scowling and grumbling to ourselves, and the hostess seats us in less than 5 minutes. Put in our order, wait, wait, get a drink refill, wait...and the food's out in about 30 minutes, except for the wife's appetizer platter, which was dropped on the way to the table (it was actually just the sauce, which was hot and kinda burned the waitress, so we feel bad about that.) So, we eat...and the food's really good. I had the Texan pulled pork sandwich (the smaller 6 oz portion, which was still huge, I can't imagine what the 10 oz portion would be like) with battered jalapenos and onion straws, with a side of decent onion rings. The appetizer platter (wings, chicken strips, potato skins, onion rings, southwestern spring rolls, etc.), split between wife and daughter, was too much food for both of them, so I helped them out. And other daughter's honey mustard grilled chicken sandwich was great too (I had a bite or two, just to be thorough in my review). Waitress and manager both checked back with us, kept our drinks filled, chatted with us when we were perusing the merchandise counter (had to get a Houston pin). The early failings of Houston and their ground transportation system was remedied by a nice visit at the HRC. Probably won't visit Houston again soon, but if we do, at least I'll know how to get to the Hard Rock next time.
(4)Nate M.
We hit up the Hard Rock Cafe last week after a show at the Verizon Wireless Theater and I'm quite glad we did for two reasons: 1) I was so hungry that I was hallucinating and being a total child about it 2) it gave us an opportunity to relax a bit and let the all-star gala parking nightmare SNAFU clear out before we headed home. I've been to HRC's in the past and while they have cool memorabilia on the walls, the food is sort of like Applebee's at three times the price but the drinks are always strong. We were a little afraid that this place would be sort of dressy/pretentious like most of the downtown fare tends to be, but it was quite relaxed, down to earth and quick as we had hoped. Our server was likely real busy due to the crowd that showed up at 11:45pm, but he also totally forgot that we were there twice, and I'm not speculating, he actually told us that. I didn't lose too much sleep though because one of the times he forgot was while we were trying to pay...I would have been much more upset if we were waiting for the food. Paying 20 dollars for fajitas from a place that is known mostly for guitars and t-shirts is steep...but if you stick to the burgers and appetizers, this place can be a fun stop before/after a show. Part of the low rating is due to the inherent lack of safety being downtown so late. We were accosted by a scary dude that sort of looked like George Clinton who was eating cotton candy and holding a handful of pocket knives and cigarettes. I wish I was making that up, but I'm not. We sort of sat back inside for a bit hoping he'd leave but ended up making a dash for the garage to my car. It's not their fault, but be mindful of where you're at if you choose to eat here late.
(3)Carolen M.
Actually this was my second experience at a Hard Rock Cafe. The first being in SF. This was actually a pleasant experience. The Hard Rock Cafe in Houston is situated in Downtown Houston in the Theater District. We were first going to go to the Sake Bar, but it seemed that they had an event going on. Loud techno music was coming from the Mosaic. The Bayou Place seemed to be a happening place (the area which all these restaurants were located). Well we had to settle for Hard Rock, but I guess I chose the right thing or I was just starving! Entree ~ Grilled Buffalo Chicken Sandwich ~ Grilled chicken breast, marinated in famous classic wing sauce made with Frank's RedHot topped with blue cheese crumbles and served on a tasted, dusted bun with slivered celery and blue cheese dressing. Served with lettuce, tomato, sweet red onion, and seasoned fries. The hot sauce, marinated chicken and the blue cheese crumbles really made this dish. It was so delicious that I was done in half the time that my friends finished their meals. Well I actually inhale my food and clean my plate so yeah...I'm a little garbage disposal. The fries didn't feel like it had any seasoning at all, but that didn't damper my love for this sandwich. Dessert ~ Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch ~ This sounded interesting: Layers of chewy chocolate brownie, sandwiched with white chocolate-peanut butter crunch, buttery caramel and creamy chocolate filling stacked with mounds of milk chocolate and honey roasted peanuts. Served with vanilla ice cream. It was a slice of snicker cake, but better. It's a bit sweet for my tooth, but the ice cream was a good complement to it. Our server was a little on the wacky side, but really fun. He brought our check and he was like "Here's the booze check and the non-booze check." Also as the Gnarls Barkley video came across the tv screens he pointed out the best part of the video and was laughing hilariously. The videos they showed were great too! A mix of old rock, 80's, 90's and today's music. It was nice, but the music drowned most of our conversation during dinner. But I think our service and the food I had redeemed Hard Rock Cafe's bad image in my head. It's a bit on the pricey side though, but there's enough food for two people...I just am a fatty this week so I ate a ton.
(3)Jeremy C.
I had the Red, White and Blue Burger and it was excellent. My wife had the Chicken BBQ Sandwich and it was mediocre. Overall, cool theme and good food. Price is a bit steep, but not absurd.
(4)Michelle S.
It's the Hard Rock Cafe Houston. Mostly what I like about this place is the bar and the fact that it's a pretty close location to Theater District. So if your seeing a show you can pay a little less for a drink than you would at the venue. I must admit that the memorabilia is pretty interesting and makes nice eye candy. Every once in a while a local band plays on the small stage and can be fun. Staff has been pretty friendly.
(3)FromTexas P.
They tried to place us near a very boisterous birthday celebration. Uh, no, we said we're not sitting there when we can't hear each other talk. Seemed like an "effort" to move us to a different table. Could see it in her face, which means we're already off to a "great" start. The food was Edible to Poor, depending on who you ask, and what they ate. Honestly would have preferred the golden arches to what we were served, but simply none in walking distance that late. Seemed to me like they were trying hard not to make an effort here. When making requests of the wait staff, we had items slammed down on the table for our troubles. When problems elevated, seemed a bit clueless in my opinion, and not capable of resolving. (We were to the point where we said in surrender to the obvious, why even bother TRYING any more.) It was to the point we couldn't get out of there fast enough! And...never another dollar to be spent in HRC in ANY city. The positive: The gift shop guy was likeable and courteous. Too bad we bought souvenirs BEFORE we ate while waiting the considerable time before being seated, and not after!!!!
(1)Steve I.
Fantastic standup comedy on the weekends in the lounge. Kyle Grooms from Chappelle's Show is coming August 16th!
(5)April M.
Ok so it's taken me awhile to write this review only because I forgot to do so until I saw it pop up on yelp. My husband and I were downtown one night and decided to stop in just for a couple of drinks so we sat at the bar. There were 3 bartenders working so you would think that we would be noticed and be served right? Wrong! Each time a bartender had to fill drinks for other customers they did it right in front of our seats so they saw us sitting there. One said "hey". We sat and waited for him to ask us what we wanted. He kept coming around to fill glasses and nothing. We said that we needed help. He said "ok". Still nothing. Another bartender came and asked if we have been helped and we said no. He filled a drink and took it back to the customer. They kept coming around and still nothing! We kept looking at each other like what's going on?? Even the customers next to us were looking at us like they felt bad for us. We got up to leave after 15 or 20 mins of basically being ignored and slowly walked out thinking that they might say oh sorry we forgot about you guys! Nope still nothing so we left. It was the most awkward experience I've ever had in a restaurant in my life. I won't say the service was bad since we were never served! It was just horrible. Never ever going back
(1)Jabreal A.
This was my first time at Hard Rock Cafe. Beautiful decorations. Great waitress, but the food took some time to get to us. Other people sat down after us and got there food before us. Right when we were about to complain our food came out. And it was amazing. ^_^
(4)Shana W.
Hard Rock Cafe Houston proves that everything is bigger and better in Texas! Packed with memorabilia like a tambourine from Prince, Gwen Stefani's black feather boa, a blue jacket from Elvis Presley, Elton John's Statue of Liberty costume, and a guitar played by Bob Dylan in 1963 there is no shortage of great items from Rock and Roll's Who's Who. There are so many things to look at, you'll find yourself wandering between the tables to check out all of these Houston exclusives. While you're roaming this shiny, hip, monument to Rock nestled in the Theatre District, you'll also notice the great food set before each patron. There is a little something for everyone here - from simple fare to plates for the more discerning tastes. The variety here is pure Hard Rock and great to get your night downtown started. With such an amazing location, you can finish up dinner and just walk off those delightful onion rings on your way to one of the amazing shows at the theatres nearby. I would recommend the Hard Rock Cafe Houston to anyone looking to get a little schooling in music history and a great meal.
(4)Jeff B.
I don't normally eat at HRC since I think the prices are way too high for the quality of food, but I ran across an online coupon for a $4 Legendary Burger at HRC and a group of us went for work. I had the Mushroom Swiss Burger and it was pretty darn good. Not really worth $13.95, but definitely worth the $4.00 I paid. I would rate it more like an $8 burger since it was a 10 ounce burger. Our service was great, but we were first in at lunch.
(3)Laura W.
This restaurant is alright, if and when I come here, it's for the decor and drinks. The menu is not that great. I can never seem to figure out what I want to order because nothing is that appetizing on their menu. If the menu was redone, it would be a much more fun restaurant.
(3)Scott O.
Went to the Hard Rock Cafe before the AFI concert Saturday night next door at the Verizon Wireless Theater. Had the Red White and Blue burger which was pretty good. Service was still alright, not great but not horrible. It was a $13 burger though, so it was a little expensive. Still a pretty decent and fun place to eat.
(3)Eric B.
I have always liked the decor and theme of the Hard Rock. Lot's of interesting things to look at and people to observe. However, whatever Hard Rock I'm been whether it's been Singapore or Las Vegas, the food and service are just OK. No compaints, but no raves either. Nice Theatre District location.
(3)Greg D.
This is one of the better things in downtown Houston. I've been here twice, only eaten once as I could not get a table the second time. (ZZ Top was there which is why I was there so there were like 8000 people in line). The food is okay and goes well with beer. The displays are great (they even have some of ZZ Top's items on display which is suiting since they are a Houston based band. This is a fun place to eat and even has some outdoor seating for nice weather days. If you are waiting for a concert (like we were waiting for Greenday) this is a great place to stake a table, eat and have some beer before the show. In fact I think that's probably why they opened right here at this location.
(3)Cory O.
I was tempted to give this place just 2 stars, but I realized that it wouldn't be quite fair since my grumpiness was founded upon my husband's lack of planning rather than the restaurants fault. Let me explain. We'd planned to see Golden Compass for quite some time and we'd never been to the Alamo Drafthouse. That being said, our plan was to get lunch and go straight afterwards. While leaving the sushi place, he looked on the map and decided that the Drafthouse was too far and we'd just go to the Angelika instead. So we drive down there with only the little Google map on our iPhone to guide us--a recipe for disaster. When we get there, we realize that there's a run that has half of downtown blocked off. After traversing through the streets for about 45 minutes (which included two pit stops for a man with the smallest bladder known to mankind), we finally found the place and parked--$6 no less that we were supposed to get back once we went to the theater. Lo and behold, the theater isn't actually showing the Golden Compass and none of the other movies captures our fancy. I was not pleased. So we decide to walk over to Hard Rock and grab a beer and get our parking validated. We sat at the bar and watched old episodes of Cops (the Houston edition) and listened to music that was. . .eclectic. It ranged from Blondie to Styxx to Daughtry. The beer was incredibly overpriced as was our food (potato skins are always delicious though). The bartender was nice, though not interactive at all. My Bass was not properly set up and it ended up being much darker than it was supposed to be--a big pet peeve of mine. If you can't get all the levels right, just stick to bottled beer. By the end of it, our tab came out pretty high for a quick stop just to get parking validated--which they don't do. We ended up driving back to our shady movie theater by our house and hoped not to get mugged after a long day of craziness.
(3)Bill J.
This place is freakin' packed!! We had gone to this location since we were in town. It was downtown lose to everything. The plan was to have desert and a beer or 2, but this place was slammed packed. I'm not sure if it's like this all the time, but it's definitely a HOT spot. The staff was friendly and very helpful. We would go back again.
(3)Refugio G.
I went here just to get a beer and see what memorabilia they had. The beer was nice and cold, the bartender was a pretty cool cat with plenty of rock and roll stories to tell. Memorabilia was awesome. Too much to list, but it was a stand out compared to some of the others that I have visited. I will take away one star because they had no Houston specific stuff, in the way of shot glasses, etc. I didn't want the Houston HRC shirt, I was more interested in the specialty shot glasses. Ho well, next time next time!!
(4)Alden C.
Nothing wrong with this Hard Rock Cafe really just that is seems to be in kind of a stale downtown. Yes I am sorry Houston seems a bit boring in its downtown sector and in other parts. My visit to the town was just fine and pretty fun but Houston has really funky zoning laws for businesses because a group of shops might be really out of the way and in a residential neighborhood that passersby do not know about. You have to stay in town for a while to really find the places you may want to go to. Thankfully this Hard Rock is downtown however boring I may have found downtown to be where it can be found fairly easily for tourists. Either the company knew these crazy zoning laws that opens the restaurants knew this or the city knew better than to locate the restaurant in some neighborhood no one would be able to find. Same cool merchandise you come to find at the other locations. As my friend who once was in Houston said it had no character, I think I agree with him so best sneak into the Hard Rock early and get out early so you are not in a big traffic jam when you try to escape the city and its oppressive humidity.
(3)Lloyd B.
Went here on a Sat afternoon for a few drinks and appetizers. Service was really good but expensive and that area of downtown was really dead which made for kind of a downer experience.
(3)Michelle R.
visited this location tonight and from the start got bad service. I ordered diet coke, waitress said is diet Pepsi ok, I said no, don't like Pepsi what else do you have diet, her response was just water. When asked about tea, oh yeah we have that would you like sweet or unsweetened. If I asked for diet soda I would hope that she could have figured unsweetened. I ordered a junior burger med well and when I got it it was still very pink, sent it back and the manager (Rick, no last name was given by him or the bartender I asked later, he doesn't know his last name....BS), brought out a very burnt burger, I sent it back, when I got the next burger it was a regular size and very under cooked again, sent it back, when it was returned it was burnt again. At this point I was frustrated and hungry. He offered something else and I ordered nachos (assuming I was getting the nachos from the appetizer menu), that was not what I got, I got plain cheese nachos with the sour cream. This experience caused he great heartache because hunger, frustration with the service I was getting was not a good combination. I hope that in the future when you have this much issues that there is more communication with the customer and put the customer back into customer service.
(1)Rohman R.
Service is lacking, overpriced and the atmosphere is non-existent. Personally, I don't see why this chain is popular? In my opinion, there is nothing special about it. The drink and the food is average at best while being overpriced. Some wall art is cool, but it feels too generic.
(2)Michelle R.
visited this location tonight and from the start got bad service. I ordered diet coke, waitress said is diet Pepsi ok, I said no, don't like Pepsi what else do you have diet, her response was just water. When asked about tea, oh yeah we have that would you like sweet or unsweetened. If I asked for diet soda I would hope that she could have figured unsweetened. I ordered a junior burger med well and when I got it it was still very pink, sent it back and the manager (Rick, no last name was given by him or the bartender I asked later, he doesn't know his last name....BS), brought out a very burnt burger, I sent it back, when I got the next burger it was a regular size and very under cooked again, sent it back, when it was returned it was burnt again. At this point I was frustrated and hungry. He offered something else and I ordered nachos (assuming I was getting the nachos from the appetizer menu), that was not what I got, I got plain cheese nachos with the sour cream. This experience caused he great heartache because hunger, frustration with the service I was getting was not a good combination. I hope that in the future when you have this much issues that there is more communication with the customer and put the customer back into customer service.
(1)Rohman R.
Service is lacking, overpriced and the atmosphere is non-existent. Personally, I don't see why this chain is popular? In my opinion, there is nothing special about it. The drink and the food is average at best while being overpriced. Some wall art is cool, but it feels too generic.
(2)Robert N.
Okay, so you should only come here if you are a tourist and want a tshirt. The wait staff is pretty gnarly, but the food selection is maybe 15 items, including appetizers, the drinks are from very strong to ? is there any alcohol in this. Not something I would highly recommend to anyone.
(2)Jennifer S.
Downtown has died down a lot lately, at least in the evening hours, but that didn't stop us from making a random stop for a late night snack at Hard Rock Cafe. Your parking options are either along the street, garage or valet. Since it was dead, we easily found a spot along the street. We were greeted by the store clerk, he didn't know where the hostess/waitress was, but he made us feel welcomed by offering his favorite seat in the restaurant by a beautiful picture of Jimi Hendrix. Apparently, he sat us in a closed section per the waitress, but they didn't make us move. The decor was nice, clean and entertaining. There are flat screen tvs playing rock videos and a bar area in the front of the restaurant. The waitress promptly took our drink order while we scanned the menu. We ordered the jumbo combo and a hamburger with mashed potatoes. The jumbo combo included potato skins, spring rolls (southwestern), chicken wings, onion rings & chicken tenders. It was basically a slight upgrade of a combo platter of bar food, so nothing spectacular. The mashed potatoes were pretty good and the HRC burger was decent. Overall, our appetites were satisfied and enjoyed our experience at Hard Rock Cafe.
(3)LAWJISTIK -.
Hard Rock is pretty much name alone in Houston, atmosphere is great....(personally I liked it better when it was on Kirby St. with the car on the pole but that's just me) foods good but overpriced.
(3)