A Domestic Safari in 4 hours:
The Rainforest Cafe
Westfarms Mall (West Hartford, CT)

 

Okay, let me start off by saying that I am DEFINITELY not a snob when it comes to restaurants. I mean, I regularly review hot dog stands for heavens sake! So I definitely am not predisposed to dispatch all the "theme" steakhouses that seem to be sprouting up everywhere. In no way did I have any preconceived notions on my recent trip to the newly opened Rainforest Cafe in the Westfarms Mall. As a matter of fact, during my first experiences with the chain (in Burlington, MA) I had quite enjoyed my meals, and when I had heard they were opening one in Connecticut I anxiously awaited the opportunity to take my family to see what all the fuss is about. What follows is a detailed account of that event.

Originally, I had planned on taking the family out on the14th as a Valentines Day present, however when my wife called me on the afternoon of the 9th saying that she really didn't want to cook, it was decided we'd try our luck that evening. First she tried to call for reservations, at which time she was told that they accept reservations a minimum of 24 hours in advance and a maximum of 2 months. However, the hostess explained, the reserved seating area is relatively small and we could still get a table by just showing up if we didn't mind a bit of a wait. Remember those words: "BIT of a wait."

We made arrangements to head out as soon as Teresa got home from work and arrived at Westfarms at about 5:15. I dropped Tee & Jeff off to put our names on the waiting list while I parked the car. By the time I had caught up with them, she had gotten her "Passport" (that's how they track the waiting list) and we were told that we'd be called at 6:20. An hour wait; about what I'd expected. So we wandered about the mall, checking out all the things that had changed since our last visit.

So now it's about 6:05 and we found ourselves back among the crowd gathered at the restaurants entrance. A quick peek over the hostess' shoulder showed they were running about 5 minutes behind. Okay, we'll just poke around the gift shop. The selection was not as varied as the one I'd visited in Massachusetts, but since it had just opened on the previous Monday, I gave them the benefit of the doubt. Another peek at the waiting list showed that they were now running 10 minutes late. Okay, I can handle that. But this is when things started getting difficult.

By this time Jeff was getting antsy, Teresa and I were hungry, and we needed someplace to sit. I looked over at the hostess and saw that their clock read 6:20 (when we were told we would be called) but she was telling everyone inquiring that they were running 20 minutes behind schedule. This was getting ridiculous. We tried to keep Jeff amused by riding up and down the escalator, checking in periodically to see where we were on the call list. Finally, Tee had found a comfortable place to sit and keep Jeff calm, so I camped out by the Hostess' Elephant (the phrase "Please approach the elephant, your safari is about to begin" just sounds so silly!) It was at this point that I noticed that it was now 6:40 and there were STILL two parties ahead of me on the list. So much for the twenty minute wait. But, a little eavesdropping and I found out WHY I was so late. Every single well-to-do, uptight, West Hartford/Farmington professional type that came up to complain about the wait was told that they were running 20 minutes behind, their reservation was noted and they were given assurance that they would be called next. AND THEY WERE!!! These were people who should have been seated after me!!! AT this point I was angry and after watching this transpire three times I was livid. I got the young lady's attention, and calmly explained to her that she keeps telling everyone that they are running 20 minutes behind, but that it was now a full 30 minutes past when I SHOULD have been seated and she was giving other patrons tables ahead of me! The vacuous looking blonde just rolled her eyes, stamped my passport & told me to go right in to the restaurant.

We were in. A quick note on the decor. As I said, I've only been to one other Rainforest Cafe, but I knew what to expect: creepers covering the walls & ceilings, a large starscape dome dominating the center of the restaurant, and dioramas of animatronic animals along the walls. However, here in West Hartford there was only one of these: a group of mountain gorillas beating their chests & shaking trees. But there was also the requisite thunderstorm every 30 minutes when the interior lights dim, strobes come on, and the sound system booms out a lot of bass rumblings. It scared Jeff a bit, but he was fine afterwards.

Okay, now to mention the first POSITIVE thing that happened. Our waitress stopped by, and asked us if we minded waiting a minute as she'd just had three tables seated simultaneously. At this point I was glad just to sit, and I appreciated the courtesy of her explanation. As promised, she soon returned to take our drink orders and was back with them in a flash. She introduced herself as Eileen and said she'd give us a minute to decide on our choices. Upon her return she had another round of drinks, explaining that she figured we'd be needing them. And since this WAS the case (and since refills of Cola were free) it was the kind of small gesture I really appreciate. Note to restaurant managers: a little forethought goes a long way.

So now we were ready to order. Jeff got chicken chunks shaped like dinosaurs and chips, Teresa ordered a barbecued chicken salad, and I ordered the ribs with waffle fries, and an order of pot-stickers as an appetizer. Eileen thanked us and brought our orders back to the kitchen. Soon another server was on hand with our pot-stickers. Now, I know that it's really not fair to compare pot-stickers ordered in a steakhouse to ones ordered in a Chinese restaurant, but I was disappointed. The first one I bit into was a bit cold in the middle, and the tomato based dipping sauce was not at all what I expected (Note: there's a reason that most places serve these dumplings with soy & ginger sauce.) Anyway, Teresa seemed happy with them, and after avoiding the sauce they were a little bit better than I first thought.

Now the servers were back with dinner (and more colas; someone please give Eileen a raise!) and it was time for more disappointment. I have never been a REALLY big steak eater until recently, so I quite often got ribs when faced with other alternatives. And I really like ribs, so I know what I mean when I say that although these were not the worst I'd ever had, they were far from the best. The sauce was dull & uninspired, the meat a little over cooked, and the rack I was given was loaded with small bones & cartilage that left me picking my teeth afterwards. As for my waffle fries, they were okay, but a bit mushy ( I really HATE mushy). Teresa liked her salad, except that it was a bit heavy on the bleu cheese, and Jeff was starting to get sleepy, so his chicken went pretty much untouched. So suffice it to say, the meal was not enough to make us forget the ordeal we had getting in.

One final note on the food. Although we did not order dessert, the table next to us (occupied by one of the snooty professional types who had gotten seated before me, but I'm not bitter) did. And what they ordered was a sight to behold. It was a HUGE wedge of five layer chocolate cake, topped with an equally impressive mound of vanilla ice cream that was drizzled with hot fudge and hot caramel by their server. It smelled heavenly! But the topper was when Teresa and I voiced our amazement at the size, the woman explained, "But I can't EAT chocolate!" Ummm, then why did you order it then? It clearly says Volcanic CHOCOLATE Cake on the menu (at a hefty $10.99 a slice I might add!) But her male companion (her son, I think) eagerly dug in with great gusto.

Our final impression of the Rainforest Cafe? We won't be killing ourselves trying to get back. Granted it may be that it was so crowded because of the novelty of it, and the snafus could be because they just opened, but you'd think they'd be trying harder to make a favourable impression on their clientele early on. Also, the prices are a bit more than I would like (our meal ran to $50 with tip.) Oh well, if you do decide to hazard a visit, wait a while for the crowds to thin out and don't go in expecting a lot. And I hope you're more impressed than I was.