Restaurant Review: The Rain Forest Cafe in Auburn Hills, MI

Anxious for a fun family night, my family and I visited the Rain Forest Cafe in Great Lakes Crossing Mall in Auburn Hill, MI on June 1, 2007. It was truly a unique experience.

First, we were greeted by a very friendly woman who assured us we would not have to wait long to be seated. We were very impressed since it was after seven on a Friday night. True to what we were promised, we were escorted to our seats in about five minutes. We were seated next to a very large fish tank with some very exotic-looking fish.

The restaurant was surprisingly dark. This, however, presented a great opportunity for stars to twinkle above us. Every ten minutes multiple jungle animals came to life. Birds chirped, elephants roared and monkeys squealed. The life-likeness of these creatures was amazing. Every twenty minutes thunderstorms occurred. Thankfully the storms were only realistic in their sounds and sights (lightening and thunder) and not with rain.

The atmosphere was truly unique but a little frightening initially to my two-year-old son. It is not every day that you have big fish swimming by your head and a swinging monkey hanging from the ceiling. After he adjusted, however, he enjoyed the rare dinnertime sights and sounds.

The food, however, did not quite match the greatness of the atmosphere. I ordered the chicken fried chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and "napa" vegetables. I was pleased to see two chicken breasts with a generous portion of potatoes. The side of gravy was tiny, no more than a tablespoon. After I tasted it, I realized I wouldn't need much with its rather odd, strong flavor. Lastly, the vegetables were a very strange mix. It consisted of cucumbers, onions, carrots, bell pepper and onions. Since a majority of it was cucumbers, the others tasted as such. Cucumber juice on your chicken and mashed potatoes is rather unappetizing. After eating a little of this stuff, I stopped. It simply wasn't good. The price for this was $13.99.

My husband ordered the BBQ chicken pizza. There was a very small amount of cheese and chicken. In addition, the BBQ had such a strong flavor that he had trouble eating it. The pizza itself appeared to be about a small or medium sized pizza from a local pizza parlor. It was a relatively thin crust. The price for this was $12.59.

My two year old who thinks hamburgers are a daily food staple ordered his favorite. The menu stated these were mini burgers. This dish came with a side and we selected another of his favorites: French fries. We were pleased to see three not so tiny burgers on his plate when the food arrived. There was also a generous helping of French fries. Once he got accustomed to the atmosphere, he ate very well. The taste of the hamburgers and fries was pretty average. The price for this was $5.99.

Overall, my family's experience at the Rain Forest Café was mixed. While we enjoyed the fun sights and sounds, the food left a lot to be desired. Depending on your expectations of dinner, a fun experience or good food, will determine your experience at the Rain Forest Café.