We tried Hard Rock Cafe's new 24-karat gold leaf burger, and we're not convinced it's better than a normal burger
Before we even entered the Hard Rock Cafe, the gold leaf burger was already being sold to us. But the advertisement didn't get us any closer to the answers we were looking for. For that, a taste test was required.
Aside from added gold leaf, the gold leaf burger is basically the Legendary Burger without bacon and an onion ring. Therefore, we were surprised to see it contained almost 250 more calories than the Legendary Burger, according to the menu. The gold leaf burger also costs $7 more, $1 of which goes to charity.
Unlike other Hard Rock burgers, which are usually staked through the heart with a steak knife, the gold leaf burger was served open-face to show off the gold-leaf-covered patty.
All that glitters may not be gold, but this burger sure was.
The burger comes with steak sauce. Pouring it over the gold leaf felt like blasphemy.
Once the bun is on the burger, only a peep of gold is visible.
It's a pretty satisfying cheeseburger with a thick, juicy patty and a pleasant bun. The potato bun was an excellent vehicle for the meat's juices. But the toppings were just OK, and the gold had no flavor. Typically, gold leaf food is designed to feature the garnish. This felt like suboptimal use of such a visual (and expensive) ingredient.
As a reference point for judging the gold leaf burger, we also tried Hard Rock's flagship burger, the Legendary Burger. It's a lot like the gold leaf burger, except without the gold leaf and with an added onion ring and bacon.
It looked simply delicious.
Even if it was a bit of a squeeze.
The Legendary Burger was delicious. The bacon and onion ring added a welcome crispy, salty kick, and their addition augmented the heavy meatiness of the patty. It was well-balanced overall, although the veggie toppings were also unimpressive.
Although the gold leaf burger was still a pretty decent burger, we're not sure we'd pay the premium for it. It's a novelty item that might be worth it for the Instagram likes, but it doesn't taste as good as the original Legendary Burger. What's more indulgent than a burger with gold in it? As it turns out, when it comes to indulging your taste buds, a burger without gold in it.
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