I ordered the same meal at Hard Rock Cafe and Margaritaville. While Hard Rock's food was better, I'd only go back to Margaritaville.

Gabbi ShawJan 16, 2024, 04:29 IST

My burgers: Margaritaville, left, and Hard Rock, right.Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

I visited the Times Square locations of Margaritaville and Hard Rock Cafe in December.
While the food was better at Hard Rock, I'd actually recommend Margaritaville to visitors.

As a New York City local, I tend to avoid typically touristy places like Margaritaville, Hard Rock Cafe, Olive Garden, and Bubba Gump Shrimp.

But during a Times Square staycation in December, I decided to see if I was missing anything.

I ate dinner at Margaritaville and Hard Rock Cafe, getting the same meal at both, to determine the better dining experience.

Here's what I thought.

Margaritaville and the Hard Rock Cafe are two nationwide chains that are more about the vibes than the actual food.

Margaritaville and Hard Rock Cafe.Robert Alexander/Getty Images

When I spent a night at the Margaritaville Resort in Times Square, I took the opportunity to pit the two tourist favorites against each other.

Margaritaville and Hard Rock Cafe on the map.Google Maps

First, I went to the two-floor Margaritaville restaurant inside the hotel.

Margaritaville Resort Times Square.Brittany Chang/Business Insider

The decor — like this giant Statue of Liberty holding a margarita glass — and commitment to the bit really sets Margaritaville apart.

Lady Liberty and I all decked out for the holidays.Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

Every hour on the hour for five minutes, there's a light show in the LED margarita glass.

The margarita glass turned into an aquarium at one point.Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

At both Margaritaville and Hard Rock, I decided to order a burger, fries, and cocktail.

My burgers: Margaritaville, left, and Hard Rock, right.Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

I ordered a watermelon margarita for $11.75 for my drink at Margaritaville. It came with a little shark-fin stirrer, which I needed, as the drink was very strong at first.

A watermelon margarita.Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

I ordered a watermelon margarita for $11.75 for my drink at Margaritaville. It came with a little shark-fin stirrer, which I needed, as the drink was very strong at first.

Since everyone knows that Buffett was a lover of cheeseburgers, I ordered the Cheeseburger in Paradise, named after his 1978 song.

The Cheeseburger in Paradise.Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

My burger came with fries. It cost $19.50.

The Cheeseburger in Paradise.Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

My meal was $31.25 before tax and tip. And while the food was just OK — on par with Applebee's or TGI Friday's — you're paying for the experience, not the food.

The bar.Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

My meal was $31.25 before tax and tip. And while the food was just OK — on par with Applebee's or TGI Friday's — you're paying for the experience, not the food.

The next day, I walked over to the Hard Rock Cafe.

The Hard Rock marquee.Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

There's always a huge crowd in front of the Hard Rock, and this night was no different.

The crowd outside Hard Rock.Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

On the main floor is the merch store, which I bypassed to get to the restaurant on the basement level.

The merch.Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

I didn't have a reservation, so I decided to sit and wait in this little bar area, although the bar was closed.

A waiting area.Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

Around 30 minutes later, I was seated inside a different room — but first, I had to pass the iconic guitar wall.

The guitar wall.Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

Since Hard Rock doesn't have a watermelon margarita, I went for the next best thing: the tropical margarita, which had fresh strawberries, guava, pineapple, and lime. It was $15.75.

My tropical margarita.Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

Since Hard Rock doesn't have a watermelon margarita, I went for the next best thing: the tropical margarita, which had fresh strawberries, guava, pineapple, and lime. It was $15.75.

Hard Rock's equivalent to the Cheeseburger in Paradise is the Original Legendary Burger, which cost $20.99.

The Original Legendary Burger.Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

In terms of quality, this burger was way better. It was juicier, came with onion rings, and even had a cute little flag on top.

The Original Legendary Burger.Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

But the vibes of Hard Rock Cafe are less than ideal. I felt like I was sitting in a rock 'n' roll fan's dark basement.

Inside the Hard Rock.Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

Compared to the high ceilings and glass windows of Margaritaville, I felt a tad claustrophobic.

The interior of Hard Rock.Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

In total, my Hard Rock Cafe meal cost $36.74 before tax and tip.

My burger at Hard Rock.Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

If I had to recommend just one restaurant to tourists, I'd say Margaritaville. I thought it provided a much better experience overall.

Margaritaville.Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

I tried chicken Parmesan recipes from Giada De Laurentiis, Alton Brown, and Ree Drummond, and the best one took 30 minutes

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

I ordered the same meal at Hard Rock Cafe and Margaritaville. While Hard Rock's food was better, I'd only go back to Margaritaville.

Margaritaville and the Hard Rock Cafe are two nationwide chains that are more about the vibes than the actual food.

When I spent a night at the Margaritaville Resort in Times Square, I took the opportunity to pit the two tourist favorites against each other.

First, I went to the two-floor Margaritaville restaurant inside the hotel.

The decor — like this giant Statue of Liberty holding a margarita glass — and commitment to the bit really sets Margaritaville apart.

Every hour on the hour for five minutes, there's a light show in the LED margarita glass.

At both Margaritaville and Hard Rock, I decided to order a burger, fries, and cocktail.

I ordered a watermelon margarita for $11.75 for my drink at Margaritaville. It came with a little shark-fin stirrer, which I needed, as the drink was very strong at first.

Since everyone knows that Buffett was a lover of cheeseburgers, I ordered the Cheeseburger in Paradise, named after his 1978 song.

My burger came with fries. It cost $19.50.

My meal was $31.25 before tax and tip. And while the food was just OK — on par with Applebee's or TGI Friday's — you're paying for the experience, not the food.

The next day, I walked over to the Hard Rock Cafe.

There's always a huge crowd in front of the Hard Rock, and this night was no different.

On the main floor is the merch store, which I bypassed to get to the restaurant on the basement level.

I didn't have a reservation, so I decided to sit and wait in this little bar area, although the bar was closed.

Around 30 minutes later, I was seated inside a different room — but first, I had to pass the iconic guitar wall.

Since Hard Rock doesn't have a watermelon margarita, I went for the next best thing: the tropical margarita, which had fresh strawberries, guava, pineapple, and lime. It was $15.75.

Hard Rock's equivalent to the Cheeseburger in Paradise is the Original Legendary Burger, which cost $20.99.

In terms of quality, this burger was way better. It was juicier, came with onion rings, and even had a cute little flag on top.

But the vibes of Hard Rock Cafe are less than ideal. I felt like I was sitting in a rock 'n' roll fan's dark basement.

Compared to the high ceilings and glass windows of Margaritaville, I felt a tad claustrophobic.

In total, my Hard Rock Cafe meal cost $36.74 before tax and tip.

If I had to recommend just one restaurant to tourists, I'd say Margaritaville. I thought it provided a much better experience overall.