It's National Burger Day!

It's National Burger Day and what better day to bring you some of the burgers from around the world that the Hard Rock Cafe is showcasing.  Now through June 30th visit your local cafe to to experience Legendary Burgers from around the world.  My husband & I had the opportunity to visit our local Hard Rock Cafe here in Vegas where we were guests of their World Burger Tour.  I have to admit, I was a bit nervous as I grew up and still am a plain burger gal.  James, our server helped us get settled in and made us feel welcome.  He took time to go over the burgers with us while also recommending his favorite.  So, we started off with his recommendation - The Schnitzel Burger from Cologne, Germany - cutlets of pork topped with smoked bacon, tangy sauerkraut, spicy brown mustard, lettuce and tomatoes and the Java Lava Burger from Seattle, WA.- Espresso rub and house made lava sauce topped with crunchy java onions (yum!), melted cheese, smoked bacon, lettuce and tomatoes.  My fav of the two was the Java Lava Burger.  I'm a big fan of anything Java and that espresso rub and java onions were so good and just gave the burger that extra unexpected kick.  Now the bun on the Schnitzel Burger was the best, so soft and nice to have something different on a burger. The pork was a bit plain, not much flavor on this one, but if you're a pork lover like my husband, he would def suggest this one.

Up for our next two - The Banh Mi Burger from Ho Chi, Vietnam (My Fav!) - Coated in their tangy house-made Vietnamese glaze topped with sliced cucumbers and pickled vegetables, accompanied by a garnish of cilantro and green onions and The Date Burger - Enhanced by their rich date chutney, diced fresh dates and softened cream cheese, with crisp lettuce and tomatoes. The Banh Mi Burger was my absolute fav! More on that one later.....The Date Burger was surprisingly good.  The sweetness of the dates and cream cheese was in no way over whelming, in fact quite the opposite.  Everything blended together smoothly. It was different, but different in a good way. Def something to try if you're looking for something other than the same ole fat burger.

Last but not least is the Local Legendary Burger - A juicy 1/2 lb Certified Angus Beef burger topped with pineapple, cheddar cheese, golden fried onion rings, lettuce and tomatoes. Can never go wrong with a good ole fashion burger topped with  onion rings! The pineapple just adds that extra bit of sweetness.

Now....I said I was saving the Banh Mi Burger from Ho Chi, Vietnam (below) for last.  There is a reason for that - it was my absolute favorite burger out of the five we tried.  The veggies that topped the burger were so crisp and fresh is accented the burger to perfection!  A nice juicy burger coming together with crisp fresh veggies was the perfect mix.  I wish this was a regular menu item, I would visit much more often just for this burger - that's how good it is!  Along with the burgers they have more than just a couple versions of fries - a tip, try the chili seasoned fries - the best! The garlic is also good, anything with garlic in my opinion is worth trying!

Gotta have something to drink to help get those burgers down.  We sampled some of the brand's world famous cocktails, and yes, that is bacon in the Maple Old Fashioned drink!

My favorite - The Maple Old Fashioned - a twist on a classic cocktail that features a refreshing blend of Mount Gay Eclipse Rum, Cointreau Orange Liqueur, Monin Orgeat, a splash of lime and orange juice.  Also pictured above is the Pomegrante Mule with Absolute  Vodka (a favorite in Russia) and the Pineapple Ginger Caipirinha - a Brazillian blend of Agua Luca, Cachaca and pineapple with the subtle hint of Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur.