Pour One Out For The Woodfield Rainforest Cafe

NBC 5 - A popular suburban eatery is shutting its doors for good, as the Rainforest Café at Woodfield Mall will close at the start of the new year.

According to a company official, the café is closing because the restaurant’s lease will expire on Jan. 1, and the company has opted now to renew the lease with the mall.

Look, I know that Rainforest Cafe wasn't exactly fine dining. You paid 17 bucks for some chicken strips that were comparable to the ones in the College dining hall (that came with fries just as subpar), but dammit was this place an experience when you were a 7 year-old kid.

Just heading down that monster escalator on the Sears side and seeing the dark, tree-filled restaurant could really fire a youngster up. Then you got to eat next to an alligator that moved its head and made some noise every so often to keep you on your toes. It was kinda cool.

Usually by the time you were an adult though you figured out that the scenery just doesn't move the needle anymore sadly.

But, this man seemed to enjoy his time at the place on the 4th of July so maybe I'm just being cynical:

Regardless though pour one out for the old Schaumburg staple.

P.S. - Rumor is that the downtown one will close after their lease is up too