I have been to the Rain forest Cafe many times as my older child is 23, and she loved it as much as my 10 y old does now. I miss the coconut chicken tenders appetizer very much. They don't have it anymore, and this is about my most recent visit.
I wasn't surprised to be told that I would have an hour long wait for a table two weeks ago on Sunday afternoon as the place is in Sawgrass Mills Mall, but it was for my daughter's 10th birthday , and a special treat so we waited. We ended up waiting about 40 min. instead of an hour. This place does seem a little pricey, until you consider that you are paying not just for the food but for the full RFC experience. (also, the birthday girl wanted the souvenir Iggy mug $8 with an icee, and I didn't realize that when the hubs ordered a beer, that came in a souvenir glass as well $9).
My 2 warning about this place are as follows~ The service is quite slow. if you don't have time for a leisurely meal, this is not the place for you, keep on walking.Secondly, It is really noisy. This can be troublesome if you are prone to headaches or if you have a baby who may be frightened by the thunder and various animal noises. They can easily freak out a child who is easily rattled by thunder and lightning or a baby who is trying to sleep. Also, we had rented one of the mall shopping carts and had to park it in a designated parking area with over $500 worth of merch in it. We dragged our shopping bags over to our table. What irked me is that by the time we got around to desert, other people were being allowed to bring their carts and strollers with them to their tables which I don't think is fair.
The good news is, The food was delicious. Our appetizer of onion rings were hot crispy and yummy. Served with ranch and ketchup (separately)for dipping. My hubs ordered the Pastalaya with rice instead of pasta to be more like a jambalaya and he loved it. My 10 y old enjoyed her chicken nuggets and mashed potatoes, but seemed to really love the french fries in my plate. Maybe she should have ordered those instead. My older daughter had steak fajitas. She enjoyed them. I ordered a chicken and ribs combo that came with cole slaw and french fries. I don't know what the fries tasted like as my daughter gobbled them up, but as any mother would tell you, you'd rather watch your kids enjoy a treat than eat it your self. The ribs were some of the most tender I have ever had. The chicken was not a quarter as the menu stated, but a half, and it was tender and delicious. I also really enjoyed the cole slaw. Some of the best chicken and ribs I have had in a long time.
For dessert we had the volcano. The menu says it serves 2 or more. There were 4 of us at the table, and we did not finish this desert. It is a huge ice cream sundae surrounded by fudge brownie triangles so that it looks like a volcano with a lit sparkler in the top. Several of the staff members made more noise than you would think a hand full of people could singing happy birthday to my properly embarrassed little princess. That desert could have cost a little less and been a little smaller, but I guess they know what they are doing over there at the RFC, by the time it was all said and done, The got my $170 for lunch. But like I said, it was a special occasion, so it was worth it this time. read more