I have been to Rainforest Cafe several times, and I'm always just the tiniest bit disappointed. I have never been too impressed with the food, especially once the prices are factored in - it's okay, but nothing special.
That being said, my kids love the atmosphere. We go to Rainforest Cafe about once a year or so, mostly for the novelty of the experience.
I visited the Gurnee location a couple of months ago and was very disappointed...to say the least.
First of all, I went there with my 18 month old daughter and my mother. Knowing that my daughter has the attention span of, well, an 18 month old, I requested to be seated by a fish tank because I knew that would keep her busy for  awhile. I was told that the only seats left by the fish tanks were "Party" tables. I was kind of confused because the restaurant didn't seem that busy, but didn't put up a fuss. After we sat down I took a look around and the "party" tables were only tables that fit 6 people and the rest of the restaurant empty. I'm not sure why it was such a big deal to keep those tables open, especially since we were there in the afternoon on a Monday.
Second, I felt like the whole time the waiter was just trying to sell us stuff. No I don't want your rip off meal plan thing or any of your souvenirs.
Thirdly, the food was WAY under par. It wasn't anything special at all. I ordered a side ceasar salad which was actually pretty good and for lunch I had some sort of pasta with chunks of "fresh" mozzarella. I'm not sure what made me so sick but something I had there poisoned the hell out of me. I live about 40 minutes from the mall and had to stop 3 times on the way home to go to the bathroom. I was sick the whole night and half of the next day,
Overall: The place is cool as far as decor. Especially for the little ones, but as far as food goes, STAY AWAY! I will not be going back.
I visited this Gurnee location (rather belligerantly) last night at the pleading of my children, and I realized again how very much I loathe it. Here's a recent breakdown / update:
The good: Â The onion rings - this one item was above-average in quality, and the only item I would consider ordering again.
The bad: The hostess at the front told me we had to wait to be seated --- in the meantime, SEVERAL families walked past, right to the seating person, and got sat right away... come on people - coordinate! Second, the potato chips which come standard with sandwiches were stale, and I almost broke a tooth. Third, the prices are stupid for the quality of food you get.
The UGLY: We waited FIVE minutes after being sat for the server to come to the table, and an additional FIVE minutes for drinks to be brought back to us. After ordering, we waited THIRTY MINUTES before the food came, and it only came after I had to ask for a manager to find out where it was. 30 minutes for a burger, a cold sandwich, and 2 orders of dino nuggets - seriously???
Please, please avoid this place - they don't even deserve 1 star - a 2 hour dinner with two kids at 6:00 at night is ridiculous... if you need to get a "jungle" fix, try the parking lot outside - with limited spaces it's truly survival of the fittest....
I've been to this place only a few times before as a small child, not much has changed, but the prices are a little bit higher. This is a great place for kids to go to and a fun place for families to have dinner. They are all about the ambiance and the menu item names, but the food isn't too bad either. It is certainly a bit pricey for what you get, but this last time I got a pizza and it was fairly large, tasty and inexpensive considering its size relative to a regular pizza joint.
Review Source:We went here because it was my daughters birthday and we were going to the indoor waterpark to celebrate, we were here last monday, we sat in the station with the monkeys,
Server was horribly slow, after 15 mins i got up to ask a server if she knew where ours was since we had yet to be served. our waitress walks up with her attitude and says what can i get you, we order our drinks. all together it was slow and the waitress was horrible and rude, I am in the inudstry myself and could not believe the service that we got, there were 6 of us, 3 adults 2 children and an infant, we were here for two days to celebrate the birthday, all she wanted was her birthday cake in the end, So i tell her that it was her birthday and she said reallyl can you prove it! with her wonderful attitude again! we tell her that it is in two days but we are celebrating today since everyone else is working on the day of the birthday! really you are asking a 6 year old to prove it was her birthday! really! when the bill came i was very tempted to leave nothing, instead she got 10%, i will never go back here agian and I will be calling corporate, i have never been treated like this or make my daughter fell like this because you are in a bad mood! maybe you should have called in sick
While the atmosphere, with its moving animals and shooting stars is fun to have dinner to, it would be much more fun with some good inexpensive food.
A lot of what you seem to pay for was the atmosphere. Â The food was ok,but nowhere near what we ended up paying. Â The server was nice, but not great, and the manager checked up during the meal, but none of that could make for the disappointment we all felt after that meal.
Won't be returning to a Rainforest Cafe in the near future.
Delicious food, beautiful set up with animal families in different spots and music playing in the background. I wish they would make the background music available for purchase. We celebrated my son's birthday and everyone had a fun time watching the show of animal families at different times throughout the hour. Their aquariums are so fascinating as you enjoy your meal and so eye captiving that you just oooooh and aaaaaaaaaaaah as you eat!!!!
Review Source:From massive tropical aquariums, waterfalls, and hourly indoor rainstorms, to animatronic elephants and gorillas, my kids adore this place. Â Adults, however, BEWARE.
Service is slow. Â In fact, Rainforest Cafe's waitstaff makes Dennys look like a NASCAR pit crew model of speed and efficiency. Â Give yourself at least 90 minutes--if it's crowded, you'll need even more time.
Food is expensive. Â Although portions are large, you're getting second-rate TGI Fridays food for Ritz Carlton prices. Â Entrees range between $12-30. Â I've eaten here a few times, and I have never been happy with the food quality.
The decor is neat, and of course there is a gift shop to commemorate your dinner with Rainforest-themed plates T-shirts and Happy Meal-like trinkets. Â The sluggish service does allow you to walk around the place and check out the animatronics and aquariums with your kids.
Bottom Line: Â Interesting place to go for a special occasion with the kids, but not a place to eat regularly.
We brought my daughter here for her birthday this weekend, because she thinks any place that has moving gorillas on the walls is pretty incredible (she's only four). The atmosphere is pretty cool; there are plenty of animals all around the restaurant to look at, the thunderstorm in the middle is very pretty to look at and there are fish tanks full of beautiful fish that are captivating for the kids to look at.
The food? Think Applebee's. It's pretty overpriced, and just okay. But I've never heard of anyone wanting to go to the Rainforest Cafe because of the insanely good cuisine.
It's a fun place to take the kids, the atmosphere is pretty cool and our server was great- very helpful coordinating the chocolate volcano dessert for our daughter's birthday.
All and all? A fun special occasion place.
Its super awsome inside ,the sound of rain...the mist ,the fish tanks but dont come here to eat.Tho I really enjoyed the tomato basil soup,the rest was a waste of money.I payed 60+ for a burger,and a chicken alfrefo pasta and 2 drinks 2 soups.A busboy at Olive Garden down the street could have cooked better pasta.Very dissapointed at the price of the food vs quality.Luckly I had an awsome date there with me ;) hmnnn....maybe if we had just stopped by for dessert  it would have been a much better experience....
Review Source:if you must go, go to the one downtown for quality of service alone. The Gurnee location has basically the same food, ambiance, etc, but the quality of service is lacking.
The gal we had did not know how much items cost, how much drinks cost, etc.
One of our boys knocked over his lemonade, we contained the spill with napkins. We notified our waitress of the mess. A seperate staff member brought extra napkins and commented that we had a mess, but did nothing to clean it up or remove it. Unforgivable in my book. My wife finally cleaned up the mess so that the boys space was free again. Our tip reflected this.
If you have been here before then you know what to expect price-wise. If it is your first time, be prepared to pay twice what you would normally pay for food.
Note to cafe members, Landrys Restaurants now own them, so the old cafe member cards are no longer good. Although to credit this location, they honored our old card this one last time. You need to switch over to the Landry loyalty program. Have not done so yet so no more details to provide.
Fun for the Kids!
It's all about the ambiance. From the huge fish tanks to the indoor waterfall, it's got a definite unique feel to it. My 2 year old daughter loved that she was surrounded by the different animals. There's something cool about eating in the jungle, thunderstorms and all.
My only gripe is the cost. Even though the menu items sound exotic, it's your standard fare. So, don't expect to have an out of the ordinary meal.
My family decided to take my dad out for dinner for his birthday. At first, he was complaining and didn't want to go. We did go at a time between lunch/dinner..so overall the place was empty. We were seated by a great view (the aquarium) which was nice. I'd rate this place a 5, however the only down side is the elephant behind us that kept screaming in our ears every 15 minutes or so. The sound effects and food were fantastic! My dad enjoyed the overall experience, as well did my family. I'll surely be returning again! The service was fantastic. It was a nice family lunch.
Review Source:Meh. $58.00 plus tip for 2 kids and 2 adults who had only side salads. Servers with attitude problems. LONG LONG wait to cash out. I think what you pay for here is the sounds effects and "lightning". I wasn't overly impressed, i went because my kid had asked to go. It'll be a long while (if at all) before I pay that kind of money for "meh" food.
Kids running everyhwere like they are in a playground....well, at least I can consider mine well behaved!
The food was way over priced and very bland. I got the surf and turf, one of the most expensive things, and it was very disappointing. They never offered to comp anything and you don't get anything for your birthday there. That would have been fine if my food was better than Applebee's. I wouldn't ever go back there again.
Review Source:It's has been years since I've been to this Rainforest Cafe. Food was good as usual, but not our experience at the beginning.
We were told to follow the step to the aquarium were we would be seated. Waited possibly about 3-5 minutes for someone to acknowledge us. I had to stop a waitress to ask if we should sit our selves! Which replied to give her a few mins to get a table ready. Suprised me because the restaurant was not busy. Did see the manager and staff look over before to see if any guest were waiting. Hello!... Finally was seated and waitress came............. skipping that.... food was good. Wife & I shared the mix fajitas. Meats were good and juicy. The salsa, pico de gallo and rice were good, but downside not enough meat or tortillas included in the platter for the price.
Overall experience after sitting done was good. Food, service and all. Just the beginning was the minor complaint. have had better service at our locations.... May go back if ever in the area again.
My husband and I were so excited to take our son to this restaurant today. He's 2, a bundle full of energy, and we figured he would love the animatronic animals and decor.  We will not be returning.  First off, BEWARE of slick sales.  We ordered our son a typical kids meal.  The server said, "I'll be putting his drink in this glass, is that okay?" as she quickly turns a tabletop display towards us that has a frog on it (I kid you not, she was talking so fast and flipped it so fast towards us and then turned back facing again that it was boom boom boom).  We assume it's a kiddie cup and accept.  Later, here comes a glass for him that I can tell is an extra charge and I asked her, "Is this extra?" ... "Oh yeah, it's a souveneir cup"... "How much is that?"... "Ummm.... I think about 7 dollars".  Now, I know that the servers can't control what they market, but they CAN control how they approach it.  My husband and I were ticked because she slyly bamboozled us.  After that, we didn't trust anything she offered (there was a Rainforest Cafe plastic plate she offered our son for his food and we were nervous to accept because we didn't know if it was a "souveneir" plate).  It was fake service and shame on them for working over parents.  The food was fine, but unmemorable.  The price of things was outrageous.  You could get many of the same items at the food court for half the price, but let's face it... we're not paying for the food, but the "ambience".  P.S. the oil they use for their fajitas smells horrible (a huge cloud  of burnt smelling smoke- we were told it's a reaction of the butter oil to the searing hot skillet, but it's atrocious and you will have that smell and smoke multiple times during your dining experience because a lot of people order the fajitas.  All-in-all, we gave it a shot, but won't be coming back.
Review Source:This restaurant is a good example of why doing some research before trying a new place is a good idea. Â
The food here is overpriced for the level of food served, but it will be obvious to anyone sitting in the restaurant that the extra cost you paid is not going into the kitchen. Â Mixed feelings on the interior, some things like the fish tanks look very nice, while the music, and animatronics is a bit much. Â
This restaurant did not work for me, but then again I don't think i am their target demographic. Â So why did I come here in the first place?..... see beginning of my review .....heh
We enjoyed our visit, it was not over crowded for a Friday night but then again it's a pricey place to eat. Â I got a salmon on a wooden plank with rice and veggies - it was 19.99 and the salad was extra at 3.99. Â As if they couldn't throw the salad in for free. Â
The animated animals are fun but scared my little man (19 Months) a little. Â He also did not like the thunderstorms. Â I love the fish tanks and try to sit near them whenever we go (which is only once every few years). Â
I also happen to agree with one of the other writers that it was once a much better place to eat at. Â But today's servers were fake, the floor was disgusting, and the darkness of the place is probably how they try to "hide" the mess. Â
The menu has not changed much and they say that the kids menu is all about healthy but then you read it and it is NOT - it's just the same stuff you can find on any kids menu - high sodium mac and cheese, grilled cheese, nuggets... pizza... just nothing good. Â So he shared my rice and beans and salad with me instead.. and my salmon which was in fact very delicious and well cooked. Â At least the portions are of a good size. Â My hubby even had to bring some of his ribs home (I loved the sauce they were in). Â
If you go here - go for the atmosphere, sit next to a fish tank and enjoy!
Sometimes parents can't get a babysitter so they can have a nice dinner with other adults - that's where Rainforest Café comes in.  Next time you poo-poo the Rainforest Café, take a look at the haggard faces of the parents waiting in line with their kids and realize they are people with jobs and car-payments and dreams - just like you.  My family loves the Rainforest Café (we even joined their 'Safari Club' for the discounts) because it serves a very critical role in our lives... that's the ugly truth (sorry).
The reggae/calypso/pan-African music is loud enough to drown out ANY child - this is critical to getting through our meal without constantly apologizing to the next table.  The décor which I used to find so offensive - Giraffes and Zebras and Elephants peeking out of the foliage in the rain forest? Come-on-now! - that décor hypnotizes my rambunctious two year old... ask for a booth by one of the aquariums if you want to live!  The drinks are weak but you really shouldn't be getting smashed in public when you have the little ones in tow.  Did you know the pitcher of sangria is less expensive than two glasses of sangria?  It's true!  And the food??  It's fine.  Anthony Bourdain won't be featuring Rainforest Café in Gurnee any time in the near future but if he had kids he might eat at a place like this.  The food is fine - it really is.
I'm going to say this nice and clear people...
Your paying for atmosphere, and its the best bang for the buck in atmosphere around in this man's opinion. However they displays they have stopped fixing in some respects, but I'm not complaining. Waterscapes make me happier than anything and the star sky is just too cool.
Their meat, burger, and pizza dishes are always great to me. Mojo Bones are the bomb, the sauce is great and flavorful. Quesidillas are another fav and burgers are "cheap" (cheaper on the menu) and filling. I can never finish one meal, always left overs. Appetizers are standard and not super amazing, but salads are massive if you like those. You can get a whole meal as a salad. I would stay away from pastas. Go meats here, they do a class A job on steaks, ribs, burgers...
Note: its a family place, expect kids and some hectic-ness, but man don't let it deter you. Free birthday sparkler dessert!!! :)
The concept of Rainforest Cafe is fun. I love the decor of the restaurant. I have to say my first impression of this location was a total dud. IT looked as if the bus boy decided to sweep the dirt, food scraps, and crayons from the restaurant under our table. Even though no one was saying it we were all thinking if this is what the dining room is like, what kind of condition is the kitchen in.
Secondly, I felt like the prices for the menu were unrealistic. We only ordered an app sampler for the three of us. We could not find anything that was unique to this restaurant that we could not find for 1/2 to 3/4 of their prices. Based on the high prices and the garbage scowl under our table we left. I will never go to another Rainforest Cafe ever again. Way over rated.
Rainforest Cafe has been around for a long time, and over the years, we've watched the menu change and evolve. Â Our most recent visit was a bit of a disappointment, and the waiter even commented when introducing himself that this was their "new menu," and wryly noted that it mainly consisted of having eliminated items from the old menu. Â He got bonus points for honesty and good service, but I have to say, the new menu is rather more minimalistic and somewhat less enjoyable. Â I ended up with a bacon cheeseburger, it was done up very nicely, but it was, in the end, just a cheeseburger. Â I had been hoping for something a little more interesting for lunch.
The real draw for Rainforest is the restaurant environment itself, starting with the large animated crocodile and snake outside, the fantastic fish tanks throughout, and the animated animal displays inside. Â Lighting effects periodically run through various phases, including sudden thunderstorms. Â It is a lot of fun for the kids, but be prepared to pay premium prices for the privilege. Â Rainforest is pretty expensive: our five person group spent over $70 for a light lunch.
I get the feeling that they're not doing as well as they once were. Â The gift shop seemed to have fewer offerings, and they used to frequently have a trainer with a bird (or maybe it was a snake) out front, but we didn't see any this time, and we were there for lunch and passed it again around dinnertime.
It's a great bit of entertainment, in any case, not to be missed if you have kids and are in the area. Â If you don't want to spend money, be sure to at least look in from the outside, and enjoy the crocodile and snake. Â If you can take the kids into a store without them begging you for everything in sight, then the large overhead fish tank is a must-see too.
We stopped in for lunch while at the Gurnee Mills Mall on a Tuesday afternoon.  It was not overly crowded-- so we got a table right away.  However, we sat for lengthy  period of time before our server ever came to our table and when she finally arrived it was to simply say "I'll be right with you."  We waited extraordinarily long intervals between ordering, being served, getting the check and receiving our change.  I would have understood, perhaps, if the restaurant was excessively busy, but there were plenty of servers AND open tables.  It was irritating to have to wait so long when you are attempting to have a 'quick lunch.'
The menu, hidden in the back of a dirty, sticky 'tour guide,' was hard to read in the dark atmosphere. Â It also had pretty limited lunch items, serving only a minimal number of options under $10. Â The beverages seem outrageously priced at over $2.50 a glass. Â
Fortunately, the food tasted good and was in large quantity. Â The burger was large, but not exceptional in taste. Â The chimichonga was tasty, but again, nothing special. I don't think I would go through the trouble and the wait to have a meal there again.
The only thing I feel the restaurant has going for it is the decor. Â It has wonderful saltwater fish tanks for nearly each table to enjoy, anamatronics everywhere, a star filled sky overhead and it of course rains often. Â Be careful when leaving with your children, they may be distracted by the gift shop on the way out, filled with great (over-priced) toys and clothing. Â In retrospect, perhaps I should have bought something there-- since the rest of the experience wasn't worthy of remembering.
My kid loves this place ,I think it's like eating in some sort of Disney animatronic environment. That said , the food isn't that bad. Everything in my soul wants to hate this place , but to be honest it's actually tolerable. The fried calamari was pretty good , and that's a toughy , I've had really crappy calamari elsewhere. The southwestern egg rolls were OK, the chicken fingers were good. I really enjoyed the crab cheese dip with tortilla chips. As for entrees , the catfish was good , and I've had some brutal catfish elsewhere. The ribs were fall off the bone ... I hate fall off the bone , but they were flavorful , as a whole not too bad. The steak was good , that's it , I wish I could elaborate more than saying it wasn't bad.
More of the same for the fish and chips , although I should add that the fries are waffle cut fries , and I love those. Everything is really expensive though , paying for the upkeep of the aquariums and the millions of little fiber optic lights I suppose.
Look , the servers are teenagers usually , friendly if not always competent. The environment is made for the young or young at heart , full of robot animals , faux rainstorms , and fish tanks taking up entire areas of the building. Â If you have kids , this place is a go , if not , walk past and you can tell if you'll like it or hate it.
I love the Rainforest Cafe, and try to go once a year on my yearly trip to either downtown Chicago or Gurnee Mall / Woodfield Mall. The atmosphere is absolutely fantastic and unbeatable. Even from outside the restaurant there is plenty of entertainment with robotic animals, water features and fake foliage hanging all over the place. The food is a bit pricey, as someone else stated, but the overall experience makes it worth it. Inside it gets even better with fish tanks, light shows (an awesome night sky on the ceiling above you with LED stars and such), and more animals in the trees and alcoves around you.
The store out front is an awesome touch, and I always find something I "Can't live without!" This last visit, for example, I found a dinnerware set, a couple of t-shirts and a Cha-Cha (the mascot) umbrella.
This is definitely one place where you don't have to be ashamed of pulling out your camera. I always do. :D
Good place to have lunch in Gurnee. Â I try to avoid it on weekends and only frequent it during work hours. Â Prices are a little high, but it's not like you would go there every day. Â The clam strips are really good and I always want to have one of their yummy sounding drinks on the menu.
Review Source:Bring your kids to see live animals while eating fun foods. They sometimes have a trainer with a bird, and there are large aquariums with a wide variety of fish. Foods have fun names. This is more of an entertainment destination, so the prices reflect that - not a cheap lunch stop. But a fun place to come once or twice.
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