Rainforest Cafe

I went here for my Birthday in order to bring the kids and have them entertained and this place isn’t bad as some people say. We went on a Friday evening and it wasn’t busy we ordered and received our food in probably about 10 to 15 minutes and the food was pretty good. The staff wasn’t bad either.

Suuuper slow service, they charge too much for low quality food. Servers were nice but cashier didn’t even know how to give us credit for a gift card and had to wait an extra 45 mins for the problem to be solved. Never eating here again.

Their own employees have no clue when they’re open or closed. I called in this morning and asked when they close. They said 9pm, so I put down a reservation for 7:30pm. We arrived just after 7pm and they told us that they close at 7pm and that they weren’t accepting any more tables.

I’ve never been to a Rainforest Café before, but while out of town the boyfriend and I decided to try it, since he’s a fan. We had a coupon from our hotel for a complimentary appetizer, so we chose the chips and queso — a pretty safe bet. It was good and I was glad to see that our server brought us more chips in order to scoop out every bit! The BF went with the Taste of the Islands, which includes Caribbean Coconut Shrimp, dynamite scallops and shrimp, and blackened talapia, topped with mango salsa. He said that it was pretty great and it looked like he really enjoyed it! I got the Tropical Island Chicken Salad, but I substituted Grilled Shrimp. It was wonderful with loads of grilled shrimp, mango pieces, strawberries, grapes, and pumpkin seeds, topped with a honey-​lime vinaigrette. It was refreshing and filled me up without being uncomfortable on a hot Houston day. The food was great and the price was totally doable, but the best part of the experience was the atmosphere. There were animatronic animals, a storming ceiling/​light show, and really cool «rainforest-​y» effects throughout the restaurant. Even though it was in the middle of the Houston Galleria, it was a first-​rate experience and I would love to visit other locations!

Careful with your phones, waiter stold mine! Police wouldn’t do anything about it since they have no cameras inside. Food was not even worth it at all total garbage!

Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised. I got the pot roast… it was excellent. We had a lovely and attentive waitress! Also, they handled questions about food allergies very professionally. Hubby and me took our baby son here with his grandparents. Our baby was scared at first by the «thunderstorms» (we were seated during one, ha!), but loved the place after the second «thunderstorm”– fast acclimation! It is a smaller Rainforest Café than others, so there are less «animals» to look at, but it also has a view of the ice rink which is neat. Good family outing especially for our baby! Oh and fun gift shop :-)

We’ve frequented Rainforest Café on the past due to the ambiance and not necessarily the mediocre food and service. Today, the service and food was 100 steps above what we’ve been used to. Manager, Chris, and Waiter, Oran, made today’s dinner so much more special by providing exceptional service and going above and beyond by introduced my kids, niece my nephew to all the «animals» in the café. Kudos to the Galleria store team for making tonight’s dining experience a favorite and special memory.

Food was decent, great atmosphere for kids. The drink I got in a souvenir glass was all syrup and sugar and almost no alcohol. Very expensive for food that is just OK.

My daughter absolutely loves this place, she usually gets the kids pizza with fries. Last time we came I got the chicken fried chicken which was very tasty. Today I ordered A Taste of Island which came with tilapia, scallops, coconut shrimp and mash potatoes. We also ordered the Sparkling Volcano, it was perfect to end our lunch. Will be retuning.

Stopped in with a large group for dinner this week while we were in town for a conference at the Westin. We were seated quickly (it was around 6:45 pm) and our waiters were attentive and helpful. We ordered a couple plates of combo appetizers for the table (which were pretty good!) and then everyone seemed to have different dishes and everyone reported that they enjoyed their food. Their drinks (alcoholic) were good and you can keep the glass the drink comes in for many of the drinks! The «show» was interesting… were the lights flicker and the jungle animals make noises and such though this is most likely geared towards young kids… or someone who has had several of those drinks. :) The prices are reasonable for the atmosphere and the service was good.

My inner child was so happy when I was finally able to get to a rainforest café again. They are just so much fun and you get to eat in a great atmosphere. We had lunch here on a Tuesday so no wait and service was quick. Our ‘safari guide’ (server) was attentive and polite. We ordered the chicken fingers and had to order a side of fries with it (they don’t come with) and a chicken Caesar salad. With two sodas as well our bill came out to almost $ 50. a little pricey for lunch don’t ya think?
Anyway… unless you’re like a child or actually have children I wouldn’t say this is a must to check out but it’s fun. Not to often you get to eat with elephants and gorillas.

Pros:
1. Good for the kids
2. Lots of souvenir items, it make sense since the wait time for your food takes forever.
3. If you like the Zoo/​Animal atmosphere experience
4. The shrimp scampi is really good
Cons.
1. Wait time for food is ridiculous, takes forever
2. The food doesn’t match with the pricing that they have.
3. Price, its ok if the food is awesome, but it’s average
PS: Sorry for the guy who ordered chimi cha cha rolled with a bolt, that was funny, for readers, but not funny if you are the one eating those.

Great atmosphere. My kids love this place. It is a bit pricey but with the atmosphere the price is ok. The Volcano is the best part

This was our first time at Rainforest Café, everything was great, we were attended right away, seated, drinks right on time but once my CHIMI-​CHA-​CHA rolls arrived I was confused by what I saw in one of my chimi rolls had a bolt, yup a bolt, thank goodness I didn’t bite it must likely would have choked or chipped a tooth

The food takes a long time to come out and they refill the drinks very slowly. The wait staff is very nice though. The theme is very nice and will be very welcoming to atmosphere because rainforest setting. The food was just ok but it didn’t justify the expensive prices.

We came on a Wednesday evening, arrived about 6:15pm, was seated instantly for a party of five and received excellent service from Antonio and his trainee Regina.
We started with an appetizer of onion rings that came out promptly and hot.
My kids ordered Rainforest burgers, my wife ordered a portobello wrap and I ordered the Amazon Feast with Mojo Bones and rotisserie chicken. Our food came cooked to order. The Mojo Bones were excellent and the chicken moist and flavorful. My wife said her wrap was beefy, tender and just what she wanted. The kids ate their burgers without complaint and enjoyed the animatronics and light show immensely.
We were there to celebrate my son’s birthday and so we ordered the lava cake, which is delivered by the staff with a big, «Vooolcaaanoo!» It was a lot of fun and my whole family had a great time.

Take an insanely hot summer day in the middle of the month August, take a 4 hour running arpund the Galleria Mall in the heart of Houston, TX.. take 3 different people wanting 3 different dishes…
Then, right across from the Ice skating rink… like a oasis, this peculiar restaurant seemed cute and different from the usual food courts.
The menu is non — committal (in the sense that there is no real theme… it ranges from fish to meat).
The main attraction is the restaurant rainforest theme and the animals that, at intervals, decide to come to life and move and let their presence known, capuchin monkeys, lioness and cub, and some others (not in our section). Cute and not at all annoying was the intermittent rainforest rain.
Not excessively lighted (making it at times difficult for the staff), the place is fantastic for little kids who want to relive the animated animals experience like Madagascar (the movie). For adults (of all ages and stages) after a while it becomes repetitive and at times almost annoying.
The food was rather good and cooked as ordered, the waitress was very nice, bubbly and patient.
Worth stopping at the gift shop on the way out (strategically placed by tue counter where you go pay). Funny rainforest themed knick knacks not excessively priced

I came here with my husband and three kids, and it was by far, one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had at a restaurant. I much prefer the one located in Katy Mills than the one in the galleria.
First off, the host came off a bit stuck up, didn’t even bother to place the high chair at the table. She literally just ‘dropped it off’.
Waitress was a young lady, seemed friendly at first, but she was actually a big part of why our experience went horrible here. She took our order for drinks and appetizers. Came back and took our order = I ordered a flat iron steak combo, WELL DONE and my husband had the chicken fried steak and my kids got the minature hamburgers and grilled cheese with a side of corn.
Waitress brought my steak and it was BRIGHT RED! I cut into my steak and had blood spilling out everywhere. UGHHH! So, I thought, alright, maybe it won’t be as bad, but I couldn’t even eat it. Asked for a manager and a gentlemen with an earpiece and white shirt stopped by and had a snarky atittude. I told him I requested for well done, and he said «WELLLLL, I like it medium done, but since you want it like that, then we’ll have it fixed.»
Are you serious!!! Wow. What a joke.
Another gentlemen in a blue shirt brings back my steak and was very considerate and apologized for the mishap.
Now, back to the waitress, she asked the manager what the problem was, and DIDN’T EVEN APOLOGIZE OR ACKNOWLEDGE ANYTHING ABOUT THE STEAK.
She was busy training a new guy, but rarely checked up on us. Literally stopped by our table 4 times, INCLUDING the first time. Horrible. I asked for our check and when she dropped it off, she said «whenever you’re ready» and walked away. Sooo, it took her about 17 minutes to get our check and card. Seriously?
My kids love this restaurant and the gentlemen in the blue shirt made me feel like I had to give it at the MOST 2 stars. but I will never be returning back to this location. Save your money, and go to chili’s or cheesecake. This place is not worth your time or money.

This review could be written from two different perspectives– mine or my 4-​year olds. Our reviews would probably be very different!
He loved every minute of it! The café is very well decorated with lots of animals, plants and flowers for the kids to enjoy. They have kid menus, crayons and little hats for the kids. My son loved it and we walked around after looking at the animals.
The food– I ordered an appetizer and it was okay, too much cheese and not that tasty. My son ordered a hot dog, I’m sure it was a hot dog-​nothing special.
They also sign to birthday guests… be aware of the chocolate volcanoes and chanting wait staff that come out often! The desert is huge though, so only order if you are sharing!

We took our kids here before their ice skating lessons. They love the Rainforest Café because of all the animals (prior to this visit, they had never eaten the food). It was a quiet Tuesday afternoon and we pretty much had the place to ourselves. They were probably 4 other groups there.
The food is surprisingly expensive ($ 37 for two entrees and a kids meal). I would expect it to have been cheaper since they cater to families (who are generally inclined to spend less money when out with their kids). I went into the place expecting mediocre food with a decent experience for the children – it met those expectations. My little girl loved the little hat they gave her and she loved sitting next to the tigers. My son was also fascinated with the tigers.
My daughters wanted the dinosaur nuggets, so we got some of those along with some veggies. I ordered a volcanic cobb salad and my wife got some nachos. The dinosaur nuggets were a hit with my daughter; they reminded me of the old McDonald’s nuggets, but not as good. My cobb salad was massive and could easily be shared by two people. It was better than expected. The nachos were ridiculously large and full of chips with little toppings.
During the latter portion of our meal, we could overhear some workers arguing with each near the back portion of the restaurant. Unprofessional for sure, but not too surprising coming from teenagers.
In the end, you go here for the atmosphere and not the food. After ice skating, my daughter wanted to say «night night» to the elephants.
My recommendation to the restaurant is to cut the portion size by 50% and reduce the price by 33%. Portions sizes are large and wasteful. I don’t anticipate returning in the near future and may try La Madeline next week instead.