During our last visit to the Mall of America, located in Bloomington, Minnesota, we were able to stay on site. To read more about that AMAZING stay, click HERE. The advantage of staying right in the action was that we could literally play at the Mall and explore more than we ever had before. Driving there for the day and being exhausted as you packed up your car again, getting the kids settled in their seats, driving the long drive to the hotel or home, it kind of took the energy out of the excitement of just “being there.” Checking into a Hotel and taking an escalator to the lobby and walking right out the side door into the Mall- priceless! 

With that being said, dining around the Mall was just as convenient and exciting. No longer was it “pick whatever, I am exhausted” – we actually got to take our time and read menus outside of preferred locations and choose without feeling rushed. Most of the Restaurants in the Mall of America are located on the top floor, so we took a stroll and landed on “Cadillac Ranch.” I think it’s a chain, but we had never eaten at one before, it looked like fun, sounded like fun, and the menu made our mouths water.

Being there during the summer, I can tell you we figured the place would be packed. Heck even the Mall itself seemed awfully quiet, but I assumed people were out and about doing the outdoorsy stuff of summer. We were the shopping lemmings sucking up the warm uv rays of the fluorescent lights humming overhead- and we LOVED it! We were seated right away, no wait, and scored a booth in the center of the restaurant. Being there for an early dinner, the place wasn’t hopping yet, so we had a relatively quiet piece of the pie. We were about 10 feet away from the bucking bull ride you could try, and even though I have ALWAYS wanted to try this, all I could envision is my fat rear flying through the air into Camp Nickelodeon and landing in a ball pit in the Mall of America. So no, we watched, we didn’t try. Some day when I am good and drunk, I mean REALLY drunk, I will do it.

I remember we were in such a great mood, we had done some great shopping, took a nap in between even, and checked out Sea Life. Feeling accomplished, we were famished, and our stomachs decided to be cocky. You know this feeling, you want everything on the menu, and then you get so much, and your stomach is literally laughing at you. Well, let’s start with the nachos for an appetizer. THEY WERE AMAZING!!  I don’t think you can really screw up nachos, but I am not a fan of places melting shredded cheese- it never blends well. Queso is actually always better than nacho cheese, but they still did a great job. We did wind up having her bring more cheese for them, don’t ever feel ashamed to ask for more cheese. ALWAYS more cheese.

What goes best with Nachos? Lots and lots of alcohol. Duh. (My 80s showing through).  Craig ordered a “Big Island Mai Tai” which I think became his favorite drink of all time. I have grown to love sangrias as much as mojitos, so I ordered a “Rose’ Sangria.” We may have ordered a couple more, who knows, we got a bit drunk and full sitting there for more than an hour.

Dinner was the fried chicken meal, complete with coleslaw and loaded mashed potatoes. They served the chicken over shoestring onions, and it was delicious. They offer a variety of sauces to dip your chicken in, I chose a honey mustard. Again, the pairing of the alcohol with the carbs; it was pure bliss. The only thing I didn’t really enjoy out of the place was the TVs playing all over the place, it can get distracting and annoying when you are just trying to chill. BUT they were playing 80s music videos at one point, so yeah, perfection.

Dessert was no- bake cheesecake and strawberry shortcake. We all have that “go to” one we always choose- for Craig it’s usually cheesecake or carrot cake, and for me it’s usually strawberry shortcake or carrot cake. Funny enough, we really don’t go for the chocolate.

We really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere for the most part. It is great for a drink with friends, lunch with the kids, or date night with your loved one. The bill wasn’t outrageous; we got a lot for our money and you always feel better not overpaying for dinner out.  They also have a dining room area outside in the Mall hallway, but we wanted to be more immersed inside. I would definitely recommend this place next time you’re at the Mall, but as always, check out the MENU before you head out to make sure everyone in your party is on board. And hey, ride the bull, maybe you will have more courage than I did! Enjoy!

****Side note, thanks to EVERYONE who have donated to my hard work. This is what I do for a living, and it is a passion for me, so tossing me a couple bucks below helps me SO MUCH with everything needed. If you can’t, please consider subscribing to the blog, LIKING the blog post, and sharing any content you enjoy– it helps me out SOOOO much! I love being able to bring you all these amazing places so that YOU can do them as well. I work mostly on donations so thanks again.

Published by Amy Joy

Inspiring adventure and joy, one day at a time. View all posts by Amy Joy