I have been to many Hard Rocks and this one was perfect for Honolulu. Â Wide open to the street and high ceilings. Â Went for dinner and happy hour and there was live band. Â The place is loud and busy, but great atmosphere for families or for a drink at the bar when a game is on. Â The food is typical Hard Rock, so no real surprises with the quality or quantity. Â There are some Hawaiian selections to choose from. Â Worth the trip.
Review Source:How have I never been to the new location before!
Me and my boyfriend were staying in town for the fourth of July and Hard Rock Cafe was literally right next door! Â We ended up going for some pupus and drinks since it was happy hour! Â They offer Kama'aina discount and Military discount as well (pretty sure it was %15 off). Â We shared the appetizer platter, which came with a ton of things: wings, egg rolls, chicken tenders, and a bunch of other stuff I can't remember. Â Our waitress Mia was very nice and friendly and recommended some good happy hour cocktails for me to try!
After we watched the fireworks and met up with some friends for dinner, we all went BACK to Hard Rock Cafe and they still were serving drinks and there was an awesome live band playing called "Streetlight Cadence". They cover alternative bands with a little spin using a cello, violin, and guitar.
Overall, this place definitely made my Fourth of July. Â We are definitely coming back!
Wow, the new location of the Honolulu cafe is damn gorgeous! Â The Rock Shop is on the first level. The staircase up to the open-air restaurant has a super cool wave of guitars that climb up the wall and onto the ceiling. The bar back has an gnarly blue wave design that just plays up the area of Waikiki so well. Didn't eat or drink here, just snooped around!
Review Source:FIrst off, Not all Hard Rocks are the Same.
The Waikiki location is really hopping year round.
We enjoy the HH drink specials and Live Entertainment.
Parking Validation is available but  still $6- .
Better idea is to park at the Royal Hawaiian Center and walk over. Â
Of course get validated at an ABC Store or anywhere else.
I give this two stars because the guitars are awesome.
I've been here a couple times and the food is just ok, and the service is pretty fast, but I don't really like when the servers sit down at your table to take your order... and then they try to stay and chat? I've noticed its only some of the guy servers that do that. Gettin a little too comfortable.. It get's a little weird after a while. Is this part of their server training? Because this has happened multiple times. They always turn the chair backward and straddle it. Plop "Welcome to hard rock," Plop, "Can I get some drinks started for you," Plop, "hey how's your food"... "good, thanks...(awkward silence)... yep".
Like, hey you're going to be the one bringing my food and I love you for that, but I don't know you like thaaat...
went here as the family was craving some burgers on our staycation got there seated right away was quite loud as they were having some of the local teen bands showing off their talents which was quite neat to see. was welcomed with a smile from our waitress and took our drink orders drinks came pretty quick  on to ordering some pupu we asked what she recommended since we had such a hard time determining what we wanted waitress suggested the super sample or something like that since it comes pretty much with little bit of everything. no complaints on the burgers as they were cooked to how we ordered them only downside to the whole experience was it was kinda hard to order your food when any of the bands are playing but hey its called hard rock for a reason.
Review Source:Moved from the old location to a more central one in Waikiki, this HRC is pretty awesome.
the decor (as you can see from pics) is amazing.... the first thing you see when walking up the stairs to the restaurant area (they also have an elevator) is a giant wave of guitars..... so awesome. Â
and this being the Hard Rock Cafe, they have awesome music playing all the time!! Â yes, it is still a little loud, but they.... "if the music is too loud, you're too old" .....
for lunch we chose to eat at the bar b/c there was no wait for sitting there. Â the pluses for this is that the service was very good - the bartender was very attentive and not pushy like some places. Â BUT the down side to eating at the bar is that is smells like a bar..... you know that smell.....
ignoring that - the service was very good, but again, keep in mind, this was lunch - dinner service is probably a lot crazier, especially at the bar....
i ate their Hickory BBQ bacon cheese burger. Â i ordered this well done, and expected one of two scenarios: it would either come out med well, or it would come out burnt and dry.... this is usually what happens when i order burgers well done. Â BUT NOT HERE!! Â this burger came out perfect. Â cooked all the way through, slightly charred on the outside, and moist on the inside. Â also, the pickles they put on the burger were really really tasty for some reason.... on the menu they're called "day pickles".... i'm not sure what this is, but damn was it good.
also tried a bit of their Smokehouse chop salad, and that too was really really good. Â lots of avocado, and a really good refreshing dressing.
the parking in Waikiki is always pretty junk - if you're coming here, you can park in the Bank of Hawaii Building very close by, and with validation, you'll pay $6. Â not too, too bad... but there is better if you're willing to search.
I've been to a number of Hard Rock Cafe's throughout the US, and I think this is one of the best..... Â The Atmosphere is non-stop fun. Â The employees are great.... Â and certainly appear to love their jobs, and treat the people accordingly.... Â the Food is great, I've never had Hawaiian Nachos before.... Â interesting twist on an old recipe... Â the entertainment is great, ...... Â the only down side I can see is the lack of parking.... Â although, when you visit here, rarely do you need transportation other than your
"shoe-barues".... Â but, they do have validated parking (knocks it down to $3) good for 4 hours.
Kona fire rock beer Is a must! Went here for a quick drink during vacation on a sunday night. The atmosphere was of a course a rock theme with some live rock music playing on the center stage. The bartender was friendly and offered several suggestions on what type of beer to settle on. I would go back here for a few drinks and a quick bite any time!
Review Source:Hubby and I ate here while on our vacation to Waikiki. Â It was our first time at a Hard Rock Cafe. Â Staff was very friendly, service was ok and the food came out fast. Â I had a pulled chicken sandwich that was delicious. Â I would eat here again as the food is good. Â The atmosphere was a little loud but it is Hard Rock Cafe and that is there signature trait. Â Lots of goodies in the gift shop.
Review Source:Hard Rock definitely has the coolest vibe. If you LOVE music as much as I LOVE music, then eating at this place is a great!
With music blaring, rock videos airing on the TV and a wall of flying guitars overhead, you simply feel as if you've stepped into a rock concert, complete with food. :)
For a food chain, you'd be pleasantly surprised how Ono their food is. Their veggie burger and fries are filling and their Caesar salad is yummy.
Great place to enjoy a taste of rock n roll in Waikiki.
I had a great experience here after a terrible experience at PF Chang's where I was essentially kicked out (but that is another story). Â It's a chain, and I have been to at least four of five of their other restaurants around the country. Â It's kind of pricey, but you are paying for the experience. Â Like some other reviewers, I enjoyed the "guitar bridge."
My friends and I shared the Jumbo Combo. Â I really liked the onion rings. Â The potato skins were standard fare. Â The eggrolls had a little bit of kick to them, but they were pretty good. Â For dinner, I ordered the Cajun Shrimp and Poached Pear Salad. Â It was about $16, but it was large. Â I added avocado for an extra charge. Â The salad was kind of sweet and tangy at the same time, and very good. Â I wish the pieces of pear were cut a little more thinly, but that's just me being nit-picky (and wishing it tasted like this salad I used to order at a restaurant in Cleveland). Â It happened to be Happy Hour when we went, so I just had a Blue Hawaiian. Â It was about $6 (I think), and it tasted like it's supposed to.
The service was quick. Â Our waitress was very nice. Â Richard downstairs in the gift shop greeted large parties and was very polite.
For a chain, this place is pretty good.
Ok, this is my first time ever at Hard Rock Café. It was quite late when we arrived there. Stopped in here for a snack and drink. The ambiance and loud rock music definitely was a shock to me! haha...since it was so late, I just grabbed a drink while my partner in crime scarfed a burger down since he was hungry from the plane ride and didn't eat anything for dinner yet. Overall, experience was meh! Would I be back? Maybe?!
Review Source:With Check-in on Yelp we received a 15% discount for food and retail so make to check-in.
It was youth band day and a young Hawaiian group was playing...they were good for three 13 year old girls.
I had the Southwest chopped salad and it was excellent and hubby had SOB burger, was good too. My son had the salmon, it was okay. I would stick with burgs and salad at the hard rock.
With the band playing it was a bit loud but that is to be expected. The atmosphere is nice and open for Hawaii. Overall it was a good experience and my kids first Hard Rock Cafe.
Saw that they have smashed potatoes and thought it would be a great sub for the pasta in the chicken for the Grilled Chicken Marsala. Perfectly seasoned potatoes with skin smashed.. Yum. Unfortunately all I had was regular mashed potatoes. When I inquired with the waitress she just said yah that's what they call them. I let her know it is misleading because they aren't smashed, and had I known I would have stuck to the pasta so now I'm left with eating something that is good, just not my preference and still craving smashed potatoes.. They could of at least had skin in the potatoes. Anyway... At least my Strongbow Cider was the best hard cider I've tried!
Review Source:Arrived around 6:45 and was told it was about a 50 min wait. Â With the radio table ready pagers it was nice to be able to browse the stores around this location.
Live music ended at 7p and didn't start again till 9p apparently so we missed out on it. Â The food is a bit pricey but they are huge portions. Â My oldest (12) couldn't finish his burger that he ordered. Â Even the kids meal portions were huge.
Wait staff was friendly and attentive.
This is my first time to Hard Rock Cafe. Â The last time I've been to this restaurant is when they used to be located on Kapiolani Boulevard. Â And I have to admit, I am impressed by this particular location. Â The inside rocks with plenty of seating, and bright interior. Â Given I went during the day, so with the big doors open to the lanai seating area and sun shining in, indoors did seem bright (but not in the annoying bright light I can't even see what I'm doing type).
The employees are really nice. Â I happened to go on a day where there was a battle of the bands and I arrived when the last band was playing. Â There is definitely live music here, but sitting indoors the music was kinda of loud. Â I don't know if the live music is always this super loud (could have been the type of music being played and how close I was sitting to the stage). Â
I tried a chicken chopped salad and it was excellent. Â Probably by far the best salad I had. Â Besides the obvious chicken and lettuce, there was pecans, avocados, tomatoes, and bacon, topped with a vinegrette dressing. Â The dressing was not overpowering at all (i.e. salad drenched in it, therefore making it a soup and not really a salad).
My mom had a turkey burger and was impressed with it. Â This burger came with a side salad with your choice of dressing.
My father was on a burger kick and tried one topped with lettuce, tomoatoe and bacon. Â My dad asked for medium rare and instead got well done. Â My dad didn't send it back but instead just ate the burger. Â This came with a side of fries. Â I tried a bite and thought it was good but my dad was not impressed.
I'll definitely come back again but only if I happen to be in the area as I am not a fan of fighting the tourist crowd in Waikiki to get to this restaurant.
I've been here for dinner a few times and for special hosted events by Hard Rock and I've always had a pleasant experience. The SERVICE is always great and the food always tasty.
For dinner I highly reccomend:
Balsamic Tomato Bruschetta
Fresh diced Roma tomatoes marinated with chopped garlic, fresh basil and aged Balsamic vinegar on olive oil toasted sliced Ciabatta bread. Topped with parsley, grated Romano and shaved Parmesan cheese. And get it WITH avocado - you won't regret it. Comes with 5 slices; great to share.
Famous Fajitas
Choice of grilled chicken, beef or shrimp served with pico de gallo, shredded Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses, fresh guacamole, sour cream, shredded lettuce and hot flour tortillas. You will NOT leave hungry! So much food and so fun to make and eat.
Local Legendary
Special burger made with a big patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pineapple, pickles... with french fries serasoned with furikake. YUM! Definitely try this if you want a burger.
The service is on point, the ambiance is great (it would be even better if you could see the ocean and not Kalakaua Ave though!), great music (live and on the TVs), and the food comes out in a timely manner and is of quality. What else would you want?! :)
We came on Tuesday because a band we knew was playing.
We parked at Fort DeRussy and walked over to the Cafe. I thought they had their own lot? Am I wrong?
This is my first time dining in so I'm excited. I didn't know there was a wait! So we talked to the worker at the front (he had his computer at the back of the jeep out front). Wait was half an hour. They gave us a phone buzzer that'll call us when our table was ready. So we walked around in nearby stores.
We came back and looked at their merchandise. The lemurs they have as musicians are so adorable! Some of the other items were a bit pricey.
When we finally got called we were told to hand the buzzer to the hostess upstairs and we had requested for a table near the stage.
I really like their furniture and the displays really amused me. And the space is huge, with high ceilings. I finally get to see the guitar wave. :D As you can guess I really liked the pink one.
Our waitress was really perky and gave us information about the menu. It was also happy hour! So we got drinks off that menu. I got me a pina colada, though they were asked if I wanted the Lava Flow instead. I really didn't taste the alcohol. Gail got a margarita, I think. I took a sip and it's salty. I had to keep sipping my water.
We kept getting distracted so much that our waitress had to constantly keep coming back to see if we were ready. Gail already had ordered the potato skins. It burned my fingers. I had to use the plates they provided us with. Yeah I was quite impatient.
After a while, I ordered some chicken tenders. We debated about ordering more and thought against it since we figured the skins and tenders were good enough. I liked... the red sauce O_O I don't know what it is D: the mustard sauce wasn't for me.
The music. I really like their selection. The live band, Autumn Complex -- awesome covers ;3 There were some people dancing near the stage once in a while. There isn't much room.
Bathroom's tidy, THOUGH me and another lady couldn't wash our hands! Lol, we couldn't figure out how to turn the faucet on and we had soap all over our hands! We began wiping the soap away when she figured it out. We both started laughing and took turns washing at the same sink.
Took a while for us to get and pay our check. Sometime during our stay our waitress's shift was over and we had a new one.
Kama'aina - 15% off
Yelp check-in - 15% off food and merchandise (it helped when Gail wanted to buy a hat. Any deal is better than none!)
They also have a card; a rewards program.
I went to my friend's bday dinner here last night. I had a lot of fun with my friends eating there and the music was good.
The food was good I loved it but the service was horrible. I ordered my food first, the server never brought a set for me until my food came then I had to ask,. I never got water I had to ask so many times to bring my drink.
Our server seems angry the whole time. May be because we had so many people. I felt bad ordering more drinks but I was super thirsty when I left there we went to get coffee.
The food was good.
The new location is lightyears better than the old previous location, however, the restaurant has fell from grace the past few months.
On a weekend, Hard Rock Cafe is usually rocking hard and the wait staff can get behind pretty quick.
Food:
Mac and Cheese - Excellent! Not as flavorful as the best I've tried in Waikiki, but it can definitely hang with them.
Burgers - The gem of the restaurant in my opinion. It can be amazing at times but I had a few times where it was just okay.
Drinks - Your standard drinks on a Waikiki restaurant. Nothing special.
Service:
They can fall behind easily when it gets busy, but other than that they are friendly and personable.
There are a few things that Hard Rock Cafe can do to make itself better:
Reinvent its menu and bring in some local flair.
Get some air condition pumping on the top floor. It is way too hot when it is busy.
More unique, specialty drinks.
100 Reviews, 1 Day 83/100
January 12, 2013
We came for dinner and the wait was about 10-15 minutes. The wait wasn't too bad but we were starving! Thankfully we were able to sit at the bar and order drinks while we waited.
During the early dinner hour/happy hour, the restaurant had live music. I enjoy live music, so it wasn't so bad for me. Â However, this could be a turn off to people who don't enjoy mainstream music or loud music in general.
The options for dinner were good. Unfortunately I had gotten a stomach bug and did not have a huge appetite for food. Â I only got the mashed potatoes and the side salad. Â The potatoes were real potatoes and tasted good. Â Unfortunately the side salad had a bunch of toppings on it (which was not mentioned on the menu) that I would have rather not have had. Â But overall, it tasted good.
Our server was friendly. Â I can't remember his name but he was an Aussie. Great guy!
Expect Waikiki type prices at this restaurant.
Nice ambiance and it's got a pretty sweet bar. I've been here a few times. The music is great and sometimes they have a live band playing. it's located upstairs across from the Bank of Hawaii in Waikiki. They recently located there a few years ago. It was a good move for them and they seem busier than their last location.
The food is a bit pricey so stick to the burgers and sandwiches. Some of the food is pretty greasy though so if you are looking for a healthy meal this isn't the place to get it unless you get a salad.
Yelp offers 15%off (with check-in) and free gift.
If your Kamaaina they always offer 15% off.
I have always found the Hard Rock Cafe a fun place to go. I never went to the old Waikiki location. However, this one is pretty cool. It is open air when weather permits. I imagine it usually does. The wave of guitars is a pretty cool piece.
The food is good. THe Nachos are huge and unless you have a large group, two people can share these as a meal.
Service was great. We had Nick serving us and he did a fantastic job.
Didn't get a chance to eat here, but did do some shopping. Â Place is kind of dim, but I was able to find my way through to find some great shirts. The guys at this store are really cool. They were friendly & very helpful. Awesome store with excellent customer service, great music & cool merchandise.
Don't forget to use your Yelp check in to save 15% off food & merchandise.
LOVED the decor (tons of pretty guitars!), and the outdoor patio was nice. The food was pretty good (I mean, it is a chain) but what impressed me most was the friendly and attentive staff.
I think we tried everything... the slider (which was pretty huge for a slider... Â it was more like a small burger), fish and chips, spring rolls (those were my favorite), coconut chicken, some kind of beef tartare appetizer (yum). Oh, I missed the kalua pig slider. The spiked frosty lemonade was very refreshing.
Very nice event! :)
Hard Rock Cafe...you are the best Yelp host I have ever experienced. Â Since I've been an Elite Yelper since 2010 (California, Indiana and Hawaii), I have to say, this was by far the best Yelp event I've been to.
Food was superb! Â Pork Sliders! Coconut Chicken! Spring Rolls! Fish and Chips! And so much more. Â Heineken! Red Wine! White Wine! Spiked Lemonade! Â Oh my :-)
The friendly staff received well-deserved tips. I have to say...I'm a FAN!
All Hard Rocks are not created equal. Â The menus the same at most of them but the decor reflects the locations. Â I have to say that this location is one of the coolest. Â The guitar wave is phenomenal.
We had the burgers for dinner and they were ok. Â The 10 oz burger is plenty big, but there is nothing really remarkable about it (I dont think medium well should be the deault, we ordered one medium rare, and it still came out medium well) I think there are other menu items that are much better. Â The potato skin appetizers were really good though. Â The mini desserts, especially the chocolate mouse were really good as well.
What really stood out at this place was the Service. Â Our server Jack was awesome. Â He explained menu items, kept our drinks full, and showed us some of the memorabilia. Â He has that rare quality of seeming to always be there when you need him. Â The manager stopped by and checked in on us as well. Â There was one other guy, I didn't catch his name, who showed us all the expensive guitars in the wave, he really knew the guitars. Â (try and find the lone ukelele in the wave)
The crew downstairs in the rock shop were all really cool as well. Â Will definitely go again.
1st time here.
When we checked in we were told that it would be about a 35 min wait, so we meandered upstairs to the bar for a drink. The bar area is nice! Spacious w/ a bar top and a long seating area right behind it. There is a stage on the opposite side of the room, but I dunno when it's functional or just a prop. There wasn't anyone set to perform that night. There is open seating in the bar area, but we were snaked by another couple and since I no longer believe in getting all fisticuffs, we wandered around. We must of looked lost or something because one of the bartenders walking by asked if we needed something. I just said that we were just juked by another couple, no big deal. He said, "Give me 7 mins..." and ran off. About 5 mins later - viola! - we had a table. :)
Starter: The tomato bruschetta. Nom Noms. I'll prob go back this week just for this. The bread isn't soggy, the tomatoes taste fresh and it's 5 healthy portioned slices. They did take a bit to get to us, but it was shoulder to shoulder in there.
Hubby had a GINORMOUS cheddar burger with all the fixins. He loved it, but this thing was so huge he could only eat half! (It's equally tasty to next day. I should know. *BURP*). I had a simple Chix Cesar, which was also outrageously large. Thanks guys! Â =D
All in all, the only thing I would say is, bring ear plugs and if you're military, park at the hotel across the street (bring cash - new policy), otherwise parking is kind of a B, unless you're in a surrounding hotel. We'll be back.
**OH YEA, I almost forgot! I tried to tip the guy that got us our table and he refused it!!!! He said, "Hey, I hate waiting and I hate to see people waiting if I can help it". SWOON.
I've been here twice now so I think I have a pretty good feel for the new Hard Rock. I have to say that I LIKE THIS PLACE!
Eating at mainland chain restaurants is not my thing as our family always ends up underwhelmed by the experience. Â (The only exception for us is CPK. Â We always enjoy our meal there.)
I had been to the Hard Rock a couple of times when it was back at the old location near the Convention Center. Â Both times, I was unimpressed as I felt it was a semi-dark place with so-so food and boring ambiance. Â The memorabilia scattered through out simply made me feel like everything was cluttered. Â Food was OK and nothing earth shattering.
In the last several months, I have been to the new location twice and what a completely different experience it turned out to be. Â The new place is airy, spacious and feels really upscale. Â The memorabilia seems to be placed more thoughtfully. Â I loved the impressive wall of guitars that went up the wall and over your heads as you ascend the stairs. Â
My first revisit here was with a group of 80 middle schoolers. Â They handled our huge group easily. Â The servers were cheerful, efficient and calm. Â The food came out in less than 15 minutes and it was good! Â I had a burger and fries and had no complaints. Â But what made my night was the live entertainment. Â The duo playing was amazing and I really enjoyed my meal with them playing. Â I was wishing I could have had a lychee martini while I watched these guys, but I was chaperoning, so I had to be a good mom. Â It would have been perfect! Â
Then last weekend we had dinner at Kimukatsu and we wanted to hang out in Waikiki a bit so we ended up at Hard Rock. Â Unlike the Yard House which we tried first, the Hard Rock was not as crowded and chaotic. Â (Sorry, but my days of standing 3 deep around a bar with a drink in my hand are long gone. )
We were able to find a space at a table around the bar and we had a blast with our awesome drinks, fun friends and 70's/80's music videos playing on the TV screens above. We loved reminiscing our teen years watching MTV when there were no reality TV shows and ONLY music videos. Â Then after awhile, they stopped the videos and it was time for the live entertainment. Â It was a different male duo than the last time, but these guys were excellent as well! Â We all enjoyed the groove!
I can see myself actually going to Waikiki to enjoy Hard Rock's live music as I had not been disappointed yet. Â Â Plus, they make a super yummy Lemon Drop. Â If they would make a Lychee Martini, I would give them 5 stars! :)
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
