Page 20 - Jackpot Magazine South ~ September, 2026

CASINO DINING GUIDE
Hard Rock Cafe, from Page 19
nachos, flatbreads, house-made crispy
chicken dippers and the One Night in
Bangkok spicy shrimp. The Cobb is
a popular salad choice along with the
Caesar, both of which can be topped
with chicken, steak or salmon.
Hard Rock Cafe also has plenty of
sandwiches and burgers. There is the
barbecue pulled pork, the grilled chicken
with Applewood bacon and, named for a
popular soccer player, the Messi chicken
sandwich. Smashed and stacked are the
way the two-patty burgers are served
from the classic with cheese, lettuce and
tomato, to the spicy diablo with pickled
jalapenos and pepper jack cheese to the
barbecue bacon burger: two burgers,
signature spice blend, crispy shoestring
onions, bacon and all the toppings.
But it was the Dragon Burger created
by Hard Rock Cafe waitress Angelina
Nguyen that captured our tastebuds.
Nguyen described it as an
Americanized banh mi,
a favorite Vietnamese
sandwich filled with meat
and savory vegetables. The
Dragon Burger, served on a
toasted artisan bun, features
both beef and chicken
patties glazed with hoisin
sauce, then topped with
spicy aioli and crisp, pickled
vegetables. Served with the
cafe’s seasoned fries, this
fusion creation works on so many levels,
delivering a terrific taste sensation.
The fries were crisp and bright and
we added an order of thick, golden
onion rings, just one of several available
sides. There are also
loaded cheese fries, mac
and cheese, mashed
potatoes and vegetables.
Grilled salmon,
New York strip steak,
cowboy ribeye and
baby back ribs smoked
in-house are some
of the specialty entrees along with the
“famous fajitas,” a Tex-Mex-style meal
we readily savored. We went with the
shrimp grilled with peppers and onions
and served with a selection of pico de
gallo, queso fresco, guacamole, lettuce,
charred corn, pickled onions and a
cilantro lime crema. We took the warm
tortilla and piled on the shrimp and
(Left) Thick cut onion rings; (above) whipped
vanilla cheesecake dip; (below) Angelina
Nguyen and manager Jimmy Stump.
toppings, making our individual fajita
tacos exactly the way we wanted.
Although full from our meal, one
more dip was calling to us. This time, it
was something sweet: the whipped vanilla
cheesecake dip from the
Made to Share menu.
This deconstructed slice
of cheesecake was cool
and light, making it
an ideal way to finish
dinner. Topped with
graham cracker crumbs,
the dip is served with
fresh strawberries, pineapple pieces and
warm cinnamon-sugar pretzel bites.
Hard Rock Cafe is a family friendly
restaurant that, like the music featured
throughout the restaurant, hits all the
right notes. The restaurant is open from
7 a.m. to midnight Sunday through
Thursday and from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Friday and Saturday.
20 JACKPOT! MAGAZINE • September 2026 THE SOUTH’S LARGEST GUIDE TO GAMING & FUN • www.jackpotmagazine.com