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The Kitchen

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Troobabiee7
Troobabiee7
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3 out of 5
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Editor Pick

The Kitchen: Dine Like Rock Royalty

  • March 5, 2009
  • Rated 3 of 5 by Troobabiee7 from Brooklyn, New York
The Kitchen: Dine Like Rock Royalty

The Kitchen is the Hard Rock Hotel's signature restaurant. Located right off the main lobby, it's a comfortable if somewhat sterile environment that really showcases the rock memorabilia so prevalent around the hotel. I'd heard nothing but good reviews of the place before my family's trip, so I was somewhat surprised by what we saw upon arrival. The restaurant isn't all that good-looking. With frequent visits from rock stars, some of whom even take to the open-air kitchen to help the chefs prepare their favorite dishes, I was expecting the restaurant to be a little more... swanky. I should have realized that this was a theme park after all, and that the restaurant would cater to families. With a laid-back vibe, beige walls and metal tables, The Kitchen almost resembled a cafeteria. It's saving grace was the pieces of rock memorabilia lining the walls, as well as larger-than-life puns regarding the world's best-known rock stars. It was a fun environment, but not what I'd expected.

The best part of our experience at The Kitchen was definitely the food, which lived up to its reputation. The restaurant boasts an open-air show kitchen where guests can watch top chefs create and prepare their meals. It makes for fun entertainment for adults and children alike. No one was there during our visits, but it's said that rock stars like to periodically show up and help the chefs prepare meals in front of guests. I'm a huge fan of Jon Bon Jovi, Robert Plant and Steven Tyler, but I'm not sure if I'd want them preparing my food!

That being said, the food here is good. On our week-long stay at the Hard Rock Hotel, we visited three times - once for breakfast and twice for dinner. Breakfast is served from 7:00 to 11:00 AM, and includes both a buffet and a la carte selections. We went with the buffet which was $17.95 for adults and $8.50 for children. The food was typical breakfast fare - pancakes, waffles, scrambled eggs, omelets, bacon, sausage, muffins, breads, potatoes and a variety of juices and flavored coffees. It was overpriced for a typical buffet, but the food was good. If you're not into buffets, the regular menu includes such items as The Kitchen Burrito (Scrambled eggs, chorizo sausage, green onion and cheddar cheese) for $9.95, the Buttermilk Pancake Stack for $8.95, and the more upscale Steak and Cake (two poached eggs with filet mignon and a Maryland crab cake) for $19.95.

Dinner was the better of our meals at The Kitchen, which is served from 4:30 - 10:00 PM. On our first experience we enjoyed the regular menu. I ordered the Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes for $19.95 which were absolutely delicious! The menu also includes such dishes as Filet Mignon ($27.00), Roasted Chicken ($17.95) and a Garden Vegetable Risotto ($16.95). The food's not cheap, but it's good.

A really cool thing about The Kitchen is that they really cater to kids. Our second dinner at The Kitchen was actually for their character buffet. For $29.99 we had an all-you-can-eat feast of steak, chicken, seafood, pasta, side dishes and desserts, all alongside such characters as The Cat in the Hat, Thing 1 and Thing 2, and Woody Woodpecker. My 6-year old cousin loved it! Again, if the buffet really isn't your thing but you want your kids to be entertained, The Kitchen offers an entire dining room just for kids. With kid-sized furniture, giant TV's playing cartoons, qualified chaperons and a kid-friendly menu (with hot dogs, hamburgers, macaroni and cheese and chicken fingers), kids can enjoy their own special "night out on the town" while their parents enjoy a meal next door. I've never seen anything like it!

The Kitchen is a safe bet if you're looking for classic American food in a fun atmosphere while staying at the Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando.

From journal Universal Studios Resorts: Get Swept Away

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