This Hard Rock Cafe is much less about the preservation of music history or heritage than it is about the cruise ships in the harbor. HRC is one of the first things people see when they turn right off the tender. You can sit upstairs in air conditioning with a beer and burger and take pictures of your cruise ship. The view of the harbor is fabulous.
I'm more of a long-term visitor, though, sampling the cuisine from one end of the island to the other. At some point I get tired of local food and just want a salad. This is where HRC comes through for me.
First of all, it's just around the corner, so does not require any effort to visit. That's a plus when you're living in town without a car. Secondly, of the half dozen or so restaurants where I sampled salads, this is the only one that offered an arugula salad. Bonus points.
I've had this meal three times (over the last few years) and it's been consistently good. Fresh arugula with thinly sliced chicken, sprinkles of feta cheese, dried cranberries, unusually small bits of pecan. All of this tossed in a lemon-like vinaigrette. It's a good portion, and sometimes one just wants to feel like there is some nutritional value to the calories consumed.
Cathy had a Cobb salad she quite liked. In the past she had very good ribs served.
That's about all I can offer - HRC describes itself as "Rock ’n’ roll-themed chain with a high-energy vibe serving burgers & American classics." Eh, not this one, not in my experience. Go for reliable nutrition (or fried food if that's your thing), great view, air conditioning, free wifi, open on Christmas day. All worked in our favor.