Restaurant Review

Bonding Over Bites 

Going to a sports game, there is always hype surrounding the food. Whether it’s hot dogs or ice cream, there is always something to look forward to. My dad surprised my family and I with yankee and knicks tickets and we knew that we needed to fuel up beforehand. So, we stopped by the Hard Rock Cafe in Yankee Stadium right before the game. I’ve been to Yankee stadium plenty of times before and this is definitely one of the better restaurants there. The environment within the restaurant radiated nothing but positivity as my family and I were surrounded by our fellow Yankee fans. 

While the location of this one is very tricky, since the only way that you can get in is by getting tickets, if you go to Yankee stadium it is a definite stop by. I’d rather eat here than another “restaurant” within the venue. You walk past all of the security lines and there is a separate entrance. You still have to scan your ticket and go through security; however, instead of entering the stadium, you enter the restaurant. 

They had a few tables outside the front of the restaurant where I noticed families eating and having drinks. Walking in, whether it was at the bar or sitting down, there were few tables or seats that were available. You see a bar with lights glowing on the chairs and a big lettering that says “New York Yankees” with pictures surrounding it and it immediately attracts you in. Every single person that I saw looked to be having a great time. 

Next, I went to the bathroom, but my dad discussed his experience with the hostess and he told me about it. He said that it was a very average experience. They asked him how many people were coming, then showed us to our table. They were nice, but it was nothing special.

When I walked over to our table in the corner next to the big New York Yankee sign, I saw the menus, plates, plate setting, and glasses all set up. The menus were huge and took way too long to get to the food. It seemed like they had more advertisements for their food than actual menu pages. However, when I got to the pages where the meals were, I was surprised by the amount on the menu. They had a variety of food to choose from, s. Such as salad, burgers, bowls, and so much more.  

Our waitress was attentive when she needed to be. She was chatty and gave us recommendations of what to get and what not to get. For example, she told us not to get the boneless buffalo wings and to just get the regular ones. The first time I saw her was when she came to fill up our waters and she already asked if we were ready to order. For appetizers, we got buffalo wings and the Bangkok spicy shrimp. She then asked if we knew what we wanted for our mains, but we didn’t, so she went off and didn’t come back until the appetizers came out. 

Right when the appetizers came out, a man with a microphone began speaking. He announced that the table next to us had the veteran of the game there. He began to list all of his accomplishments as a veteran and everyone gave him a standing ovation. It was very wholesome to announce this and give the veteran the gratitude that he deserves. 

As for the appetizers, the wings and shrimp were both very flavorful. The shrimp definitely lived up to its name as it was spicy. It was served on a bed of coleslaw, which added to the explosion of flavors. It was like a spicy chili type of sauce. Normally, I am able to handle my spice pretty well, but it was difficult for this. The wings, however, were phenomenal. The chicken was tasty along with the tangy buffalo sauce. You could taste the charcoal as if it was fresh off of the grill. It was accompanied by celery, ranch, and blue cheese dressing. I liked how they brought out both dressings in order to satisfy whoever liked which one. 

Next, we ordered our main dishes. My sister ordered a chicken caesar salad, my brother ordered the steak salad, and my dad, my mom, and I all got the southwestern chicken bowl. The service time between each dish was very good considering how crowded it was. I was expecting it to be longer, but we were able to finish our whole meal in around an hour. As we were waiting for our meals to come out, the servers continued to fill up our waters and clear our plates from eating the appetizers. 

They brought all of the meals out at the same time. At first glance, all of the food looked delicious. The way the chefs plated the food was very aesthetically pleasing and you couldn’t wait to eat it. Going in for the first bite of the southwestern chicken bowl, I noticed that the chicken was very moist and flavorful: a trend throughout all of the chicken. Along with this, the salad needed a little bit more dressing, and the dressing needed some more flavor. It tasted like something was missing from the salad, but I wasn’t exactly sure what. Other than that, the other toppings such as cabbage, pico de gallo, and beans were all very balanced, flavor wise. My mom and father agreed with what I thought of it. My dad even asked for some more dressing to add to it. When you see the price of this salad, $24, you may think that it is over priced, but for the portion that comes with it makes it pretty reasonable. My mom, sister, and I all didn’t finish our salads, but we were all full, which was the goal. 

For the steak salad, my brother had nothing bad to say besides the fact that there were too many fried onions on it. He stated that the steak was juicy and the seasoning was mouth watering. My sister had a similar reaction to the chicken, except for the fact that hers had less flavor because it wasn’t as seasoned. 

We didn’t get any dessert because it was getting close to game time and we didn’t want to miss it. So when our waitress came over, for maybe only the 4th or 5th time that night, my dad asked for the check. The process of getting the check took a while. We didn’t find out until we received the check 10 minutes later with the note that the machine was broken. We weren’t aware of this at all. 

Exiting the restaurant, I was able to tell how excited the fans were getting for the game and that the game was going to be electric. There was nothing but smiles across each person's face. It’s crazy how a chain restaurant is able to bring such joy to people as they connect over a shared interest.