Recently, my mother and I visited Grapevine Mills Mall around Dallas, Texas for a post Thanksgiving shopping expedition.

I'd heard mixed reviews of the Rainforest Cafe. When it opened here about four or five years ago, you couldn't even get near the place. I wanted nothing to do with a place that was so crowded and touristy. And being one of those people who always get seated next to a screaming child, I knew it would not be my cup of tea.

However, with the passage of time, new malls have opened around Dallas. Grapevine Mills is not as horrifically crowded as it once was. And we were not there at a peak lunch hour rush. So we decided to chance it.

We approached the front desk with a little trepidation, but had a very short wait. This was good. A brusque attendant told us to follow the "footsteps" printed on the floor to the next desk. There, our "tour guide" escorted us to our table, while we checked out the decor. Tons of fishtanks filled with exotically-colored fish dotted the entrance. The ceilings were covered with faux tropical foliage sprinkled with small lights, fake parrots, and small false lizards. To the side, a relaxing waterfall splashed merrily. The walls resembled short cliff faces of some sort of rock, and completed the theme nicely.

The real attraction here is the animatronic characters interspersed throughout the restaurant. Gorillas sat at various locations in the place. A major bank of them sat in the center of the room, and about every ten minutes, they grunted and squealed and shook the fake palm trees very convincingly. Two elephants to our left hefted their trunks and bellowed, pachydermal-style, alternately with the apes. To our right and across the room, sat a leopard in a tree, casually waving his tail and flicking his paw at passersby. A "starry sky" in the middle of the ceiling twinkled invitingly.

The crocodile out in front of the restaurant draws customers in, and the huge python dangling from the tree over your head sways menacingly. We missed the talking tree on our visit, but saw him from the gift shop. However, the animatronics can also scare the bejeezus out of smaller children. A couple sat down next to us in the middle of the elephant serenade carrying a child who was quite obviously terrified by the whole spectacle.

Our server was competent and friendly. The crowds were not too bad on our visit, so she seemed at ease and in control. She suggested extras, and when my mother was indecisive about a certain item, she provided a little assistance in choosing. The menu was a colorful one, filled with tons of items, and descriptions of rainforest denizens like the Capuchin monkey and the gecko.

I ordered a Chocolate Banana Blast to start: a yummy alcoholic concoction of banana, chocolate syrup, vanilla yogurt, Malibu Rum, and Kahlua. It was topped with whipped cream and a cherry. Server was nice enough to bring me a glass of ice water with my drink. However, the price was $5.99! A bit steep.

For lunch, I had the Crabcake sandwich for $8.99, and mom had the Caribe Chicken for $7.99. I tasted hers to see what it was like, and actually liked it more than my own entree. However, not much artifice went into serving it. The chicken strips were merely thrown on the plate, and sauce placed alongside. Not much in the way of garnishes here. The chicken was coated with coconut then fried, and a sweet curry sauce was served with it. I think a little bit of honey was added to the sauce for some extra sweetness. The sauce was good.

The crabcake sandwich was a bit lackluster. I'm used to crabcakes having a bit of crunch, and some body from either green onions, a touch of celery, or the coating. This tasted as if the crabmeat had been pureed, and was quite mushy. However, the bun was firm and held together well, and a healthy hunk of tomato and lettuce leaf came with. The Safari sauce (mayonnaise based) was a bit tangy and gave it a little more interest. I eschewed the chips and substituted fries, which were very tasty-- crispy and well-seasoned.

I wanted to try a tropical dessert, but we were both suffering from our Thanksgiving feast the day before, so decided to skip it. The Giant Chocolate Volcano or the Key Lime Pie probably would have really hit the spot.

The service was prompt and attentive, and we were out in no time. Enough time to check out the multitudinous items in the gift shop. Here, you can pick up T-shirts, mugs, small plastic animals, shot glasses, and other merchandise at decent prices.

I used my Visa check card with no worries. but I did not see which other cards were accepted. The Rainforest Cafe webpage did not provide this information. (www.rainforestcafe.com)

Vitals:
3000 Grapevine Mills Parkway
Grapevine/Dallas, TX 76051
Phone: (972) 539-5001
Fax: (972) 539-4903

Altogether, I would say it was enjoyable, but only because we had a short wait and a good server. The food was adequate but not spectacular, and the prices were a bit high. It could have been better. The best part? All this atmospehere and NO MOSQUITOES!



Recommended: No