If you dream of dining under a thick canopy of greenery, Rainforest Cafe is the place to go. This unique restaurant makes the entire meal an experience.
When you look beyond the bright lights and animatronics, the most important thing is the food. While their menu has some fantastic options, you’ll also want to avoid a few.
Today, we’re looking to find the best and worst items at Rainforest Cafe.
Let’s dig in!
About Rainforest Cafe
You don’t have to walk through their doors to see that this isn’t a typical family restaurant. Rainforest Cafe buildings often include waterfalls, smoking volcanoes, and other outrageous decorations.
Stepping inside can be overwhelming at first. The decor stretching from floor to ceiling, noises, and lights can overload your eyes, ears, and brain. You’ll want to be mindful of this if you have someone in your party with sensory issues.
Foliage covers just about every inch of the interior. With waterfalls running through ancient ruins, you can dine beside robotic animals. Every so often, you’ll even encounter a thunderstorm with flashes of lightning and roars of thunder.
While its creator had the idea in 1989, actual growth didn’t occur until 1994. Its prestige quickly grew, opening establishments in the United States, Tokyo, London, Paris, and Dubai. Today, you can find 23 locations, 16 of which are in the US.
Who Was the Founder of Rainforest Cafe?
While most known as the founder of Rainforest Cafe, Steven Schussler previously had a successful career in the television and radio broadcast industry. In this career, he sold radio and television airtime throughout the United States.
Schussler used his business skills to open Jukebox Saturday Night, a nostalgic nightclub concept, in 1979. It eventually expanded and had locations in Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, and California. Sadly, it was ultimately a failure.
However, this didn’t stop him from pursuing future success.
A short time later, Schussler opened the first Rainforest Cafe. As a result of its incredible success, he opened a plethora of additional businesses. These include T-Rex, Yak & Yeti, and Galaxy Drive-In. Some of these you’ll find in or near the most popular tourist destinations in the country, including Walt Disney World.
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Where Was the First Rainforest Cafe Located?
Steven Schussler lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1989 when he had an idea. While extreme, it involved transforming his residence into a venture prototype. He replaced sofas and dining tables with massive aquariums, live birds, and a gift shop.
The hope was to win over investors with the possibility of making fortunes. After two years, Lyle Berman, a founder of Grand Casinos, agreed to partner with Schussler.
Before long, the duo opened the first Rainforest Cafe at the famous Mall of America in Minneapolis. The restaurant launched at a time when themed establishments such as Hard Rock and Planet Hollywood were wickedly successful.
Patrons quickly found themselves waiting in line for hours. They expanded multiple times and eventually had a seating capacity of roughly 300.
The buzz also attracted the attention of celebrities, including Michael Jackson. The King of Pop visited a local cancer center’s charity lunch for kids hosted at the site. One former employee recalls, “He was mesmerized. I remember him standing in front of the talking tree for about ten minutes, just standing there, staring at it, watching it.”
Best Food at Rainforest Cafe
Rainforest Cafe knows how to create an exciting dining occasion. But they also have a menu with some tasty food worth trying.
Mozzarella Flatbread with Arugula
One of the best foods here is the Mozzarella Flatbread with Arugula. They list this delicious option under the appetizer section, but don’t let that fool you. It’s large enough for dinner.
Flatbread serves as the base, with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and arugula on the top. From there, they strategically place tomatoes and shaved parmesan. They complete it with a balsamic glaze that acts as the perfect finishing touch.
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Mojo Bones
Another excellent option from Rainforest Cafe is their Mojo Bones. You get a half rack of St. Louis-style pork spareribs when you order this item. They top the meat with a heavenly Smokin’ Mojo BBQ sauce.
If that’s not enough, they pile on coleslaw and fries. You can also add a second half-rack of ribs if you’re extra hungry. Whether you upgrade or not, you should plan on having leftovers, as this dish is incredibly filling.
The Sparkling Volcano
To end your dining experience, we suggest ordering their Sparkling Volcano. Similar to the vibe and decorations, this dessert is extreme.
It features a brownie cake with chocolate and caramel sauce. A lit sparkler once topped this dessert, but a shiny, safer piece now sits on top.
A benefit of this treat is that there’s enough for everyone to share. Whether you’re celebrating something or not, this dish can be the exclamation point on a fantastic meal.
Worst Food at Rainforest Cafe
The worst food items at Rainforest Cafe aren’t necessarily because of their taste. We also factored in the dish’s cost, portion size, and health when deciding.
Banana Fosters Pancakes
Pancakes can be a great way to start your day. However, topping them with caramelized bananas, candied pecans, and maple syrup can be a bit much.
You also get breakfast potatoes and can add country ham, applewood smoked bacon, or maple sausage.
While we couldn’t find specifics, a typical Banana Foster easily contains 1,500 calories. If you’re not careful, you’ll exceed your daily caloric intake before lunch. A healthier option may be your best bet unless you plan to walk several miles after breakfast.
Blue Mountain Chicken Sandwich
The Blue Mountain Chicken Sandwich could be better despite its premium price tag. Expect to get something you’d find at a typical chain restaurant but for a few bucks more.
You get a grilled lemon chicken topped with bacon, swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion. They finish it with their Boom Boom Sauce, which is more of a dud than anything.
Thankfully, it does come with a side of Safari fries.
If you’re anything like us, you expect more from a sandwich that costs over $20.
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Creole Mac & Cheese
One of the most defining characteristics of Creole food is its distinct taste and flavors. Unfortunately, the Creole Mac & Cheese at Rainforest Cafe falls flat.
While the portion size is rather generous, the price is not. It’s another item that’ll cost well over $20 but doesn’t have the taste to justify it.
The penne pasta mixes with the shrimp, andouille sausage, peppers, and red onions. Cheese sauce and chili butter bread crumbs rest atop the concoction.
You can almost feel your arteries clogging reading that description.
Is it Worth Visiting Rainforest Cafe?
When visiting Rainforest Cafe, you’re generally paying for the experience. Little ones especially may enjoy dining in the unique environment. On the other hand, most parents won’t enjoy paying an absurd price for their kid to eat frozen chicken nuggets. It can be a fun and memorable event, but visiting regularly is likely not worth it.
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