If you’re looking for a restaurant that’s as much about the experience as it is the food, Rainforest Cafe at Arizona Mills definitely delivers. We recently visited for a 40th birthday celebration and managed to keep the evening surprisingly affordable while still feeling like we got the full experience.
The Food
I was pleasantly surprised by the food.
My fiancé and I shared the Chicken Quesadilla appetizer, and it ended up being filling enough that we skipped ordering an entrée altogether. We had been eyeing the Bimini Chicken Sandwich and a few of the pasta dishes, but honestly didn’t have room.
The quesadilla had a nice Cajun kick and was cooked to crispy perfection.
The kids ordered cheeseburgers with fries and pasta with mashed potatoes. Both cleaned their plates without any complaints.
Everyone else in our party ordered a variety of appetizers and entrées, and the overall consensus was that the food was good quality with generous portion sizes that made the prices feel reasonable.
Drinks
I ordered the Strawberry Mojito, which comes with a souvenir glass.
It was refreshing, but if I’m being honest, it tasted much more like a strawberry daiquiri than a mojito. The menu says it contains rum, but it was so light on alcohol that it honestly could have passed for a mocktail. At around $15, I was hoping for a little more.
The Real Star: The Atmosphere
Obviously people aren’t coming here solely for the food.
They’re coming for the experience.
Everywhere you look there’s something happening.
- Tropical animals
- Dense jungle scenery
- Waterfalls and water features
- Rolling jungle fog
- Giant mushrooms over the bar
- Twinkling “night sky” seating areas
- Life-sized elephants
- Tropical sounds throughout the restaurant
Every 20 minutes or so, the restaurant comes alive during one of its famous thunderstorms. The lights dim, lightning flashes, thunder rumbles, and many of the animals begin moving and making sounds.
It’s surprisingly immersive without being overwhelming.
Is It Scary for Little Kids?
This was something I was curious about because I actually brought my oldest daughter here when she was two years old, and she was terrified of the thunderstorms.
Now she’s nine.
Halfway through dinner she looked at me and laughed:
“Oh Mommy… I definitely see why I was scared when I was two!”
This time both of my daughters, ages 6 and 9, absolutely loved it.
That said, I noticed several children younger than two enjoying themselves, so I don’t think my daughter’s reaction was the norm. Every child is different, but it’s something to keep in mind if your little one is sensitive to loud noises.
Personally, I think the sweet spot is probably around ages 3–10, although adults will have just as much fun taking everything in.
The Gift Shop
Don’t skip the gift shop.
It’s enormous, fully themed, and honestly feels like part of the attraction itself.
One of my favorite moments of the night happened here.
My nine-year-old spent several minutes looking around before turning to me and saying:
“Everything is overpriced here. I can get that way cheaper on Amazon.”
As a parent, I couldn’t help but smile. Since it was her own money, she looked at everything much more critically before deciding not to buy anything. One of the few times I left a gift shop unscathed! Highly recommend getting your kids a debit card like the Greenlight card to learn financial literacy and make these connections on their own 🙂 . I got my first year of Greenlight for free through my Amazon Prime subscription.
Balloon Artist
During dinner, a balloon artist stopped by our table making incredibly detailed balloon creations.
We tipped her $5, and both girls absolutely loved them. It ended up being one of those little extras that made the evening even more memorable.
Parking & Location
Rainforest Cafe is located inside Arizona Mills in Tempe, Arizona.
Parking was easy in the mall parking lot.
Once inside the main entrance, the restaurant is immediately to the left. Just follow the animal footprints on the floor to the hostess stand.
One thing I did notice was that the large aquarium tunnel near the entrance no longer contains fish.
I remember fish being there years ago, so it was a little disappointing to see it empty. My guess is that maintaining the aquariums became expensive, especially as Arizona Mills seems to receive less foot traffic than it once did.
Wait Time
We visited on a Saturday around 5:00 p.m.
Although we were joining family who had already been seated, there would have been virtually no wait for a family of four.
The restaurant was only about half full.
Noise Level
Even with the periodic thunderstorms, I never felt like it was too loud to hold a conversation.
The storms only last a minute or two before everything settles back down.
How Much Does It Cost?
Here’s what we spent:
- Kids meals: $9.99 each (includes a drink)
- Soft drinks: about $3.99
- Strawberry Mojito: around $15
- Chicken Quesadilla: around $19
Including a 20% tip, our family spent about $70 and left completely full.
A more typical visit might look something like this:
- Shared appetizer
- Two adult entrées
- Two cocktails
- Two kids meals
- A couple of soft drinks
That would likely come to around $160 including tip, depending on what you order.
So there are definitely ways to enjoy the experience without spending quite that much.
Final Verdict
Rainforest Cafe isn’t somewhere I’d visit every month, but it’s absolutely worth going for birthdays, celebrations, or when you want dinner to feel like an event instead of just another meal.
The food exceeded my expectations, the portions were generous, and the atmosphere is unlike anything else in the Valley.
If we discovered a favorite entrée, I could definitely see us returning more often—but even without that, I think it’s a fun place to revisit every year or two.
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4.5/5)
It’s also a great time to dress on theme! Here’s some cute outfits you can find on Amazon :
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