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Welcome to Lattes, Life & Luggage! I’m Christine and I share my adventures traveling and navigating this crazy thing we call life.

Not Your Typical Burgers. Experiencing The Hard Rock Cafe World Burger Tour

Not Your Typical Burgers. Experiencing The Hard Rock Cafe World Burger Tour

When there is an explosion of flavor in your mouth, you know you're eating a good burger. Last month, I introduced you to the World Burger Tour Hard Rock Cafes are hosting all around the world. It was only a matter of time before I had the opportunity to try some of the burgers out for myself and I cannot say enough about the experience. This limited-time event is only happening through the rest of this month so if you have not had a chance to stop by yet, make sure to do so asap.

*Thanks to Hard Rock International for the gift card provided to experience this tour. The information and gift card have been provided to me by Hard Rock International. Any opinions remain my own and are in no way influenced by items received.

My aunt recently celebrated her birthday and I thought a night out in Chicago with dinner at at the Hard Rock was a great idea. Upon our arrival, we were greeted warmly with tons of enthusiasm. I have never felt so welcome at a restaurant before. The Hard Rock Cafe Chicago staff are quite honestly some of the friendliest people I have met. They escorted us to a seat next to a window with plenty of sunlight (which makes for great photos) and introduced us to our server, Chris. Chris put up with our shenanigans like the inability to make a decision, gave us fabulous drink recommendations and even took my aunt on stage to have everyone tell her "Happy Birthday." But on to the World Burger Tour...

My mom and aunt both ordered the All-Jacked Up (a cocktail featuring a mix of Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey, Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey, Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, PJ, Orgeat and lime juice, garnished with orange and pineapple wedges and a cherry). Being the designated driver, I ordered the Black Cherry Melonade (a mocktail featuring a mix of Black Cherry Real and Monin Cumumber, topped with ginger beer, garnished with a cucumber slice and a cherry). I did have a sip of the All-Jacked Up to taste it and let me tell you, amazing. I love when drinks have pineapple and this one was bomb. I will be back just to have one all for myself. That's not to knock the Black Cherry Melonade though. Refreshing, sweet and even a bit tart, this mocktail has it going on. I hope they keep it around for a while because it's delicious and the perfect summer sipper. I might even try to recreate it at home one day.

The Hard Rock Cafe Chicago location is currently offering four of the World Burger Tour creations (as of Friday, June 3rd): ATOMIC! Burger from Las Vegas, Tango Salsa Burger from Buenos Aires, Greek Burger from Athens and Aloha Burger from Honolulu. We tried the ATOMIC! Burger and the Tango Salsa Burger. I couldn't resist a fried egg, it's been years since I had one on a burger. Their descriptions reads:

ATOMIC! Burger (Las Vegas, United States) – a Certified Angus Beef patty topped with Atomic beer-battered peppers, pepper jack cheese, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, garlic chipotle ketchup and chipotle mayonnaise

Tango Salsa Burger (Buenos Aires, Argentina) – a Certified Angus Beef patty topped with andouille sausage, Monterey Jack cheese, chips de batata, a fried egg, salsa criolla and garlic aioli

The ATOMIC! Burger had this sweet yet salty but a tiny bit spicy component going for it. The chipotle ketchup and mayonnaise were something to be reckoned with. One might say that all those ingredients are too much but I have to disagree. They all work together. The peppers have a slight tart flavor that contrasted with the sweetness of the fried beer batter. The pepper jack cheese has a light spice to it but it's complimented with the sweetness of caramelized onions. It was an culinary experience bursting with flavors that were over the top but beautifully done (kind of like Vegas). 

The Tango Salsa Burger was a completely different and equally satisfying experience. Where do I start? The andouille sausage had a smokey quality. The fried egg added richness to the burger. The garlic aioli lent a finishing punch of flavor and the salsa a freshness that rounded everything out well. To top everything off, the fries came with a Siracha Mayo that I would eat with anything. The burgers were cooked to perfection, tender and juicy with a slight char on the outside, exactly how I like them. 

I can sit here all day and write positive notes about my experience at the Hard Rock Cafe Chicago and the outstanding meal we enjoyed. However, you cannot experience it simply by reading this post. I encourage you to find the nearest Hard Rock Cafe to where you live (there are plenty around the world) and try one of the options they are offering for the World Burger Tour. It is a unique and satisfying experience. I'd like to thank the wonderful staff for being kind and accommodating to us, especially our server Chris who was entertaining, patient and friendly. I always want to thank Hard Rock International again for providing a gift card so that we could enjoy this fantastic event.

The World Burger Tour is only available until June 30th so be sure to visit your local cafe before then. For more information regarding the tour, visit my original post with complete details or the World Burger Tour website. The World Burger Tour travel package is additionally still available for booking. The tour stops in cities including London, Athens, Buenos Aires and Seattle over the course of a 10-night trip. Visit their website to enter your email address and get your trip started.

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