Review: Kokomo Island Cafe at the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota

If I were in Minneapolis, walking around the Mall of America and that requires a lot of stamina as it is, I would want to have a really good meal whether for lunch or dinner. There are so many options to choose from and Kokomo Island Cafe is one of them. Though this place is not at the top of my list, it certainly isn't the least appetizing restaurant either.

Located on the third level of the Mall of America near Bloomingdale's, it is easily accessed also from the south parking lot. The hours of operation are Monday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday until 10:00 p.m. and Sunday until 7:00 p.m. The setting to me is a little too tropical for my taste. I guess you're suppose to feel like your either in Key West or somewhere in the Caribbean and it works if you like that sort of setting. The decor also has palm trees, waterfalls and other lush tropical plants. There are gigantic Tikis when you enter the restaurant whom the locals call the "Partee Gods" which, of course, are the gods of eating, drinking, conversation and music. If you're in need of room for a special celebration, you can always reserve the Luau Room and treat your guests to tropical fare in a party pavilion surrounded by fiery tropical sunsets. As you dine enjoy the sounds of steel drum music to help put you in the mood.

Start out your dinner with a tropical drink because who can resist a cocktail with an umbrella in it. That is if you can wait a little while for it. The service here is quite mediocre to say the least. The food however is somewhat better. The Coral Reef Peel n' Eat Shrimp was a tasty starter, though the shrimp was a little overcooked. We also tried the Tiki Koko Shrimp and even though I am not a big fan of coconut shrimp, this was not as bad as I thought it might be. You can really taste the coconut, but again they had a little trouble getting the shrimp cooked just right. The prices of the appetizers can be a little steep also as my "pound" of peel n'eat shrimp cost $11.99 as did the Tiki Koko Shrimp. There are also choices of wings for $8.99 that you can get in different flavors such as Caribbean and Buffalo. The salads are also fairly steep with a simple Caesar salad running $8.99, but I guess that's the extra cost of having strawberries in it. Not the most appealing addition to a Caesar salad if I do say so myself. The Beachcombers Dinner Salad is a good choice at only $3.49 to add to any meal and the Hoisin lime dressing is very good. Unfortunately the service, or lack of it, was becoming an issue. Our table was full of plates from the appetizers and salads and we never saw our server again until she brought our dinner and then had to wait for someone to come get our dishes off the table before she could set our dinners down.

We decided to try the Big Luau Feast since four dinners would have cost much more and this way we could all try a little something different. This platter included Black Pearl Ribs, Key West Lime Chicken, Tiki-Koko Shrimp and Beef Beach Kabobs (or you can have chicken kabobs), black beans, yellow rice, garlic mashed potatoes and spiced green beans for $45.99. Since I had already tried the shrimp on the appetizer, I tried everything else. I'd say the ribs were the best part of the meal and I was glad I had a salad before dinner, because the yellow rice was way too dry and the green beans were cold. We all enjoyed the ribs which are slow-roasted, fire-grilled and slathered with teriyaki sauce and the flavor was very different than ribs I've had before. Other dining options are an 8 oz. top sirloin steak for $15.00 served with garlic mashed potatoes and spiced green beans or you may want to try the Surfin Grilled Salmon which is topped with a roasted red pepper sauce served with garlic mashed potatoes and Caribbean corn succotash for $16.99.

If you're there for lunch you have many choices from burgers starting at $8.49 for a 1/2 pound fire-grilled burger, chicken sandwiches for $9.49 and a Jamaican Pork Melt sandwich smothered in sauteed peppers and onions and topped with pepperjack cheese for $8.99. If you're feeling a little more courageous try one of the pizzas such as the Rockin' Reggae Pizza made with crust brushed with a raspberry inferno sauce topped with jerk pork, jalapeno bacon, red peppers and pepperjack cheese for $10.49. Looking for something a little more satisfying, try the Tidal Wave Fettuccine Alfredo with garlic, tomatoes and a fresh cream sauce tossed with Citrus Grilled Chicken or Shrimp for $13.99. A nice ending to your meal is the Krazy Croc's Key Lime Pie or the Rockin' Raspberry Cheesecake, both for $5.95.

The bottom line here is that the decor is a little bit too cheesy, the servers could stand a refresher course, but the food is relatively decent, that is if you've already tried all the other restaurant choices at the Mall of America and want to try Kokomos Island Cafe.