Islamabad has been waiting for Hardees for long. People have been actually visiting Rana Market in F-7/2 just to find out when it would open as its launch date was a bit of mystery.

One fine Saturday this month we saw BMWs and Land Cruisers in Islamabad with the Hardees logo on them. And that was the day when Hardees opened its doors to the people of Islamabad.

Hardees launched quietly on July 9 without letting the masses know because they had to take care of the security since the US ambassador and his wife were attending the inaugural event. However, from the very next day they couldn’t control the crowd dying to get their hands on a Hardees meal. It has been a week since the launch and the hype hasn’t died down as yet.

People are lining up in front of Hardees for hours just to get in.

The staff at Hardees, however, is trying its best to make sure they provide the best service to everyone.

The workers behind the counter are efficient. In case, you get the wrong order, you just need to point it out from your tableand someone comes to replace it.

People are still arguing over the fact that Hardees in Islamabad cannot match the international standards but one can’t deny the fact that it has made Islamabad’s people crazy, literally.

When it comes to food, Hardees is pretty much just like any other fast food restaurant with the only difference being that they have a larger variety of burgers and they offer beef too while most fast foods emphasise on chicken.

Menu includes big burger, cheeseburger, mushroom and Swiss burger, famous star with cheese, superstar with cheese,jalapeno burger, grilled chicken, chicken fillet, jalapeno chicken, buffalo chicken and santafe chicken.

While the fillet and grilled chicken are rather simple, it is the jalapeno burger, which most people seem to be going crazy after – probably because it tastes different or maybe because people have a flavour for jalapeno.

Hardee’s specialty definitely lies in curly fries, which are known as its signature all over the world. The curly fries are a delight to have with chilly garlic sauce. Mine were fresh and I enjoyed them thoroughly.

Along with drinks, Hardees also offers ice tea, which is a treat to have. It tastes just like a perfect mug of ice tea should and the best part is that they offer free refills.

Same goes for all drinks, you just have to point out that you need a refill.

Apart from the basic fizzy drinks and ice tea, Hardees has ice cream milkshakes too. Thus far chocolate and strawberry milkshakes have been a hit. They are as creamy as one would like one’s milkshake to be and just plain yummy! A lot of people have been going to Hardees just for the sake of these milkshakes.

People have been criticising and appreciating the food at Hardees but one can’t deny how it has become the talk of the town instantly and there are no signs of the hype dying down any time soon.

It will be interesting to see how long people can wait in lines for the sake of a Hardees burger. But here is a suggestion: relax, Hardees is here to stay.