Rainforest Cafe

The food is good, not amazing but good. I wouldn’t mind eating here again because the food wasn’t horrible. Even though the food was overpriced but you’re basically paying for the experience. And if you have kid (s) they will be pretty stoked about eating here. I have a daughter who is 3 and she loved eating next to the elephant. And having a server who was nice and inviting always makes the experience a good one! CJ was our server.

The problem with kids is that they know things that adults don’t know or have forgotten. You know, their brains are more pliable so they’re filled with the names of the characters from every Pixar movie or every type of dinosaur. In the case of my nephews, their brains are filled with animals and their habitats. It’s cool information… but it kind of kills the joy of the place like Rainforest Café when the six year old is listing all of the factually incorrect animals displayed.
Service was mediocre, at best. We saw more of our server when she thought there was still a chance of an upsell to some points program that none of us wanted. After we turned that down, she had other things to do, I suppose.
The food is overpriced. My tropical chicken salad was $ 17. For a plate of lettuce with a grilled chicken breast and chopped strawberries, mangoes, and grapes, that was excessive. All of the entrees range from $ 18 – 24 and, as far as I can tell, you’re actually paying for animatronic elephants (not a rainforest animal) and tigers (not a rainforest animal).
The highlight was, in the midst of pointing out the inconsistency in theme, my six year old nephew said, «This isn’t right. There aren’t tables in the rainforest.»
There you have it.

Good food but way overpriced. Had a coupon for free kids meal so that was a plus and got seated right away.

Stopped for lunch today on our way to Chicago.
The food was good and at a fair price.
Glad we stopped instead of drive through.

We came here with our toddler to have a fun experience, not for gourmet food. The food was just as bad as expected, and way over-​priced.
Unfortunately the «experience» was deflating as well. The whole restaurant seemed old and sad, and our son was more frightened than entertained.
We will never be back.

My husband and I used to love going here! Wow, it sure has changed! They no longer have fish in the tanks, they were blasting pop music and way overcrowded! They changed the menu and really don’t have much to choose from now. The tables were very sticky as well as the menus. I gave it one star just because the manager was nice when I explained my food allergy. But, even so we won’t be back. What a shame, this place used to be awesome!

We went with our 2 year old daughter on a monday afternoon.
Awesome!
The hostess let us walk around and check it out to make sure our little one wouldnt be scared.
Then when she warmed up to it the manager (Kristin i believe) sat us in an area that is usually good for 2 – 5 yr olds.
She was totally right! Under the moon and stars away from the lion but in good view of all the lther animals. Rainstorms have thunder every 22 mins, after the first one everything was great!
Server was average. Not bad but nothing memorable.
Food was good for the price!
A mushroom wrap. Rainforest burger. Kids grilled cheese. 1 beer, 1 coke. With tip $ 50. 1hr 15 mins.
We will definitely go again.

This place is always great for the kids. I feel like this is a go to place when my son has a friend tag along. Of course they have animals and different concept for kids to play and keep entertained during dinner. But I was really surprise by a couple of changes they did to there menu. I tried the coconut shrimp which were great. I got a appetizer platter with four different items. I can not complain about the food because it was all fresh and delicious along with the customer service we had about three or four waiters come up to our table to ask how was everything.

Wait a minute… Where are all the fish? And the fish tank? I was here a few years ago and I remember having a great time with the kids. Today, not so much. Food was way overpriced and quality not what it used to be.
Got an appetizer that it was super greasy and $ 15 for half tomato soup and half (very little) sandwich with no flavor? No, thank you. Asked for mayo and I’m still waiting for it. My daughter is obsessed with Mac & cheese like any other kid… Not here. Pasta was dry, no cheese at all.
Next time I’ll go to portillos that is 2 minutes away. Will not come back :-(

I had my first experience last night I would like to say me and my bf had an amazing time ! My server was super nice and had a great personality ! Really helped me with my food choice and drink choice. Loved that she gave me a rain forest caffe cup after I paid my tab as our first experience ! It’s a little pricy but had a good first time experience

Awesome ambiance and food. Absolute love their pasta dishes and they have specials right now with lots of sea food… Amazing desserts as well!
If you love rainforest animals this is the place for you. Feast with the beasts!
I have never had bad service here, always friendly and fast. I give it 2 thumbs up!

Giving it 4 stars because of the nostalgia aspect and the smile my baby had the entire time. I brought my 9 month old here today and he was absolutely memorized. It was the best restaurant I have been to with a baby. He sat in his high chair and loved watching the animals, touching the rain, and hearing the pretend storms. The food was okay (had the appetizer platter) but the atmosphere makes it worth it! Best baby kid friendly restaurant out there!

We decided to stop here for an early dinner. While my husband and son waited for a table while I visited their restroom. I was in complete shock by how dirty it was. One toilet was clogged, for what appeared to be a long time. The garbage cans were overflowing with paper towels. The restroom needed help. (I will spare you the details)
At the table, I started searching the internet to see what gluten free choices they had. The internet said they did not have a gluten free menu but they could make modifications. When the server arrived, I explained the situation and she told me there was no gluten free menu, at all.
I told my husband that I would be fine with water and would eat later. However, he decided that he wasn’t interested in a $ 15 burger… so we paid for the drinks and left.

We dine out everyday and have to say this was one of our worst experiences in well over a year at a restaurant but certainly not one of the least expensive. Our bill came to $ 160 (2 Adults, 1 Child).
Poor food, poor service, poor attitudes. The fish have all been removed (cost saving measure) and the empty tanks look ridiculous.
WE WON’T BE GOING BACK

I am giving it 4 stars just because of all the good memories associated with this place dating back to 2006 when we used to celebrate special events and bring all our Chicago visitors there. I am not sure if the management/​ownership has changed at this place but it’s no longer what it used to be. I remember long waiting lines on the weekend but it it’s no longer the case. It looks kind of dead most times we pass by. I guess I can see why. While cocktails are still very good here, the food quality is something that needs to be addressed. Last time we were here fajitas felt like they were just out of the microwave poorly warmed up. Guacamole was brown and spoiled. The décor and the whole atmosphere inside is simply incomparable though, always feels like a little paradise.

One of my favorites in Gurnee. Usually stop for a bite to eat after shopping.
Great atmosphere, great food. Lots of entertainment for the kids.
It’s a very unique experience. I definitely recommend it!

When you’re trapped inside Gurnee Mills the option to eat well disappears. We arrived at Rainforest around 3:30pm which was definitely their down time. They were fully staffed but very few people were dining. Therein started the drawn out waiting game. First, it took the schmuck seating guy a good ten minutes to turn around and figure out how to seat us in one of their many empty tables. This guy would have gotten confused doing my sons first grade math. Once seated it took yet another 15 minutes for a server to come out and greet us for drinks. 5 – 10 minutes after ordering drinks we finally had them. Our regular server was apologetic for the wait but she was simply covering for an inept staff of morons. Anyways, onto the food.
I’ve eaten at the Rainforest in Woodfield before and remembered their food as being bland. That said I was surprised that their turkey club actually had a good taste. Green beans on the side were excellent too.
The bottom line is my son really wanted to eat here and liked it, so the experience was a win for him… which is all that matters. If you set foot in here though be prepared to wait and wait and wait. And if you come when they’re busy. well…let’s put it this way… you better bring a Snickers bar and be willing to deal with stupid well.

Awful! Came to sit down after shopping and there wss a 20 minute wait considering there was 10 plus tables open when we got in it wasn’t really necessary. Service took forever while our waitress cleaned a table.. waited 5 minutes for her to bring back soda n water. Ordered my burger medium rare with fries and a side or mayo. 45 mins later the food comes out well done and no mayo and this caused confusion with whose order it was since me and another ordered the same burger.
Asked waitress which one was which n she just took the burger away n cane back 5 minutes later while my friends ate without me. I never asked the rude waitress to take it away n cook it more considering i wanted it medium rare. Duh! Waitress came back n asked if we needed anything 20 mins later and saw we had empty plates. Rather than bringing the bill she disappeared for 10 – 15 mins.
We asked host to find her because we wanted to go. Still nowhere to be found. She finally came back n didn’t apologize! Got our bills n went to help another table! She sucked n so does the food. I guess if i go again it’ll be to the one in Vegas.

I recently had dinner here again and decided to update my review of two years ago.
There are some considerable changes that have taken place. Their menu has been updated and have some nice dishes available. Their drink menu also has changed and has some cool new choices. The staff seem to be more on top of things and are friendly. Again, the main attraction of this restaurant is the atmosphere. Being a novelty it deserves 3 stars. There are a ton more better restaurants in the area for a much better price. If you’re looking for a fun place for a kid’s birthday or other special occasion it might be more suitable.

This was such a let down of a visit and experience.
Normally, our visits at Rainforest are pretty delicious, the service is good to great, and a manager stops by to say hi and see how everything went.
During this visit, the food was blah, the service was non-​existent, and I don’t know if I saw a manager on the floor during our dining experience.
I’m sure we’ll go back because my 3 year old loves it here but my expectations have definitely been lowered.