My husband and I recently ate at the Hard Rock Cafe in Gatlinburg, TN. We avoided it for a long time because there was usually an extremely long wait.


The Wait

These restaurants seem to be located in the larger tourist areas. Gatlinburg, TN is your basic tourist trap. There is a lot of traffic, and it gets really crowded. You can pretty much expect a long wait here. If you go during lunch hour or at dinner time, you can expect to wait up to 2 hours. This is one reason it took us so long to eat here. We went at 3:30 one Saturday afternoon, and only had to wait about 5-10 minutes.

Grub

Would you like overpriced chicken or beef? Most of the menu is limited to either chicken or beef. If you want a sandwich, you have a choice of any one of several different hamburgers, or one of many chicken sandwiches. Even the club sandwich is called the chicken club. I ordered the chicken fajitas. I was so excited when the order arrived. Then I saw it. There was a huge platter. Half of it was covered with shredded lettuce. The other half was covered with sour cream, guacamole, and diced tomatoes. There was a little bag on the side that held 3 small soft taco shells. Then came the skillet. It was the smallest skillet I’ve ever seen. It was covered with cooked peppers and onions with a small chicken breast on top that was cut into 5 strips. The chicken was very bland. It didn‘t taste seasoned at all. $10.99 for this? Who are they kidding? I guess it’s okay if you like a little chicken with your lettuce.

The appetizer and dessert menu had a little more variety. You can get most of your basic appetizers. We ordered the hot wings. You can get them in classic rock (medium) or heavy metal (hot). My husband doesn’t like them too hot, so we ordered the classic rock with some heavy metal sauce on the side for me. Needless to say, the medium was plenty hot. The heavy metal was scorching! Just the way I like it!


Atmosphere

This restaurant is full of rock ‘n roll memorabilia. In fact, the walls are covered with memorabilia from various artists. The downside to this is that you’re limited to viewing the wall you’re sitting next to, if you’re even against a wall. You can see a lot of stuff from across the room, like clothing, guitars, and pictures, but you can’t always tell who it belonged to. I wouldn’t really feel comfortable walking up to someone else’s table to view the items above their head. The best places to view items are at the entrance, and the hallway leading to the restrooms. We were seated in the Beatle’s corner. Everything on the wall surrounding us was full of Beatle’s stuff.

You can also purchase your own Hard Rock Cafe memorabilia. There is small gift shop in the front of the restaurant that sells all kinds of shirts, key chains, shot glasses, etc. If you didn’t get a good look at everything, there is a list of all items for sale on your table. The items are a bit expensive, but could make good souvenirs from a vacation.


Want to increase the guest list at your wedding?

Shortly after we were seated, someone announced that John Q. Couple was getting married, and everyone inside would be attending the ceremony. My husband and I were sitting just outside the ceremony area. The music was cut off so everyone could hear the wedding vows. It was short and sweet, but seems like it would be a better place for a reception than the actual ceremony.


What I like most about it

My favorite part of the experience was the large variety of continuous, commercial-free videos. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a television channel dedicated to playing non-stop music videos? Maybe one day... There are screens up throughout the restaurant. While we were there, we saw numerous videos; old and new. We saw videos ranging from Tony Basil’s Mickey to Jennifer Lopez’s latest. Once an hour they show the Village People’s Y.M.C.A. Every time you hear this, you can expect the staff to hop up on tables and chairs and do the Y.M.C.A. dance. It’s pretty cute the first time. I like to be able to hear the music that is playing, but unfortunately, the music in this restaurant is so loud you can barely hear the person sitting across from you.


Overall

I would recommend visiting this restaurant at least once just for the atmosphere, but don’t go expecting some great meal. The food is only so-so. If I go back, it will be to get an appetizer, and a better look at the walls. Don’t go right at lunch or supper time either. Go in between, and you won’t have to wait as long.


Recommended: Yes

Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Get the wings.
Best Suited For: Friends