All the excitement of the Brazilian rain forest -- without those pesky piranhas -- that's the idea behind the Rainforest Cafe. The combination family restaurant and gift shop has managed to do the impossible: draw locals to the Wharf.
The 33,000-square-foot facility is decorated with thousands of feet of hand-applied "foliage" reminiscent of the deepest jungles, enhanced by colorful tropical flowers, banyan trees and fountains. Animatronic jungle animals - an elephant, gorillas, leopards and more - roar, trumpet, and growl on cue. Every 20 minutes or so, the "sky" above flashes alarmingly and diners are treated to a simulated tropical rainstorm.
Just entering the place is an adventure, as you pass under the huge, custom-designed aquarium overhead and hike up a wooden staircase to two floors of dining rooms, escorted by your khaki-clad guide.
What about the food? Well, it's what you'd expect from theme restaurants: huge portions, with funny names and plenty of stuff for kids and parties ready to share. For starters, try the huge "Awesome Appetizer Adventure," which stars crispy Chicken Rain Stix, Mango Buffalo Chicken Wings, Mojo Rib Tips, Smoked Shrimp Guacamole and - only in the restaurant's San Francisco location - warm Big Blue Crab Dip. Although Rainforest Cafe is a worldwide chain, they make a genuine effort to make each location unique, with fresh, local ingredients like San Francisco seafood.
Also available only in San Francisco are Tuscan Chicken, marinated with balsamic vinegar and tomato and charbroiled with Kalamata olives; red-skinned garlic mashed potatoes and a chive-mustard sauce; Jumbo Black Tiger Shrimp seared on a cedar plank and served with potatoes and braised Napa cabbage slaw; and Crispy Fish & Chips fried in Japanese breadcrumbs. Of course, there is a creamy New England Clam Chowder in this location too, served in a locally-baked sourdough bread bowl with a Caesar salad.
Rasta Pasta, with grilled chicken and cavatappi pasta tossed with walnut pesto, broccoli, and spinach in a garlic cream sauce, is one of the most popular items on the menu; but the pizzas come in a close second, with flavors like smoked shrimp and chicken with Smokin' Mojo BBQ Sauce.
There are also cool theme cocktails, like a green margarita called the Tree frog and an intriguing Key Lime Colada, and large, if not memorable desserts. There's a six-inch-tall Giant Chocolate Volcano cake with caramel and chocolate "lava" and tons of whipped cream; but the Captain's Choice Key Lime Pie is a refreshing, light item and the Monkey Business Coconut Bread Pudding comes highly recommended.
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