Fourth of July Celebrations With Hard Rock Cafe, Manchester

Happy 4th July to all my American friends! Last year was supposed to be the first time I actually celebrated independence day whilst in America but sadly, it was not meant to be (cheers Covid)! This year, Hard Rock Cafe Manchester has brought the celebrations to our city, so I headed in to check it out.

The USA inspired menu is available until 7th July and includes a selection of star spangled specials that will help you celebrate the American holiday in style. We started with Berry Margaritas, but not just standard margs, we’re talking American size now. They’re huge and we had literally one each during the whole evening. They mix Sousa Gold tequila, Dekuyper triple sec, blackberry syrup and margarita mix into a giant glass with a sugar rim. I thought it would be too sweet but the blackberry syrup is fairly tart, so tones the sweetness a little.

There is a lovely Rib Starter, to get your mouth watering for the mains. A pile of slow cooked ribs, with tender meat the falls of the bone and a sticky BBQ sauce for a hit of flavour. We shared one but I could have absolutely eaten a pile just to myself.

There is a lovely selection of mains with the Red, White and Blue Burger, alongside a selection of hot dogs named after different American states. I tried the burger, which adds, red ketchup, a white bun and blue cheese to the signature Hard Rock burger patty. Served medium, it was as juicy as they always are with a generous slab of blue cheese and an onion ring on top. I have been a lifelong fan of a Hard Rock burger for a while and this one did not disappoint.

My date chose 2 of the hot dogs on offer, with the New York Dog and the Atlanta Dog. The New York tops the delicious sausage with grilled onions and spicy brown mustard. The Atlanta with Bangkok slaw, chilli relish and yellow mustard. The slaw was lightly dressed with freshly shredded vegetables that retained their crunch. The other options on the menu are Chicago and Seattle, the latter of which includes warm cream cheese and would have totally been up my street. If you wanted, you could try all four on a platter, which makes them a great sharing option. I wasn’t that lucky though as she didn’t share, but that should tell you how good they were!

For dessert, there is a Summertime Shortcake which, reminds me of a twist on the Eton mess. Chopped summer fruits are lightly dressed in a fruity syrup before being piled around ice cream, whipped cream and pieces of shortcake biscuit. It was lovely and light, the perfect way to end the meal.

You can see the full menu on the Hard Rock Cafe website now, but make sure you’re quick as it finishes on the 7th July.