Restaurant People Walking Lot Food Medieval Making Reservation

In the United States, many people like to take their children to restaurants. Regular restaurants are sometimes boring for small children, so many families like to go to "theme restaurants." A "theme restaurant" is a restaurant that is built around an idea or style.

One popular theme restaurant "chain" (restaurants in many different locations) is the Rainforest Cafe. Walking into the restaurant is a little bit like walking into a "tropical rainforest" (an area with a lot of trees and animal life found in some parts of the world). Inside the restaurant there are a lot of "fake," (man-made or artificial) trees, a small river, plastic animals like monkeys and birds, and a lot of animal noises. The "menu," or the piece of paper that lets one know what kind of food is available, lists foods with names like "Planet Earth Pasta," "Congo Catfish," and "Rainforest Burger." The restaurant also has a "gift shop" where people can buy toys and other things related to rainforests.

Another theme restaurant is "Medieval Times." The "Medieval times" are also known in history as the "middle ages" and lasted from about the year 400 to the year 1500. When one goes into a Medieval Times restaurant, it feels like one is walking into the past. The restaurant's employees are dressed in clothing from that time. People eat medieval food while watching a show or performance. Men dressed as medieval "knights" (strong and brave men who worked for the king), ride horses and "joust," meaning that they try to make each other fall off of their horses by using long pointed sticks.