What To Expect At The American Girl Bistro

There's this pink store called American Girl that houses dolls and doll clothes and doll furniture and doll food. Among other things.

Little girls love it.

Boys?

Well, not so much. (MY boy, that is. I know some boys DO like dolls, and I think it's fantastic.)

Husbands might balk at the price and express it loudly like my husband did. ("THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS for a plastic CAR? For DOLLS?")

But. Little girls love it.

She loves all the furniture and the clothes and the doll furniture and the doll food. Among other things.

MY boys? Well, not so much.

It's best to leave the boys, if they are like my boys. I did see many husbands in the store though with smiles on their faces because they know it makes their daughters happy. Tom? Well, he likes to make his daughter happy, but not when he's spending hundreds of dollars on plastic.

They stood in line with us as we waited to get the doll's ears pierced.

"What? A doll can have a spa experience?" Tom asked, reading from a board. Yes, it's true. For $15, your doll can be wiped down and...well, have a relaxing experience.

"For a DOLL? I NEED a relaxing experience for what I put up with at work, and a DOLL gets one?" Tom continued, doing his best Walter White on a tirade impression.

The lady behind us with her daughter and three dolls glared.

"I don't even even pay this much to get my own hair done," Tommy chimed in, gesturing to the hair styles with his thumb.

"You don't pay at all," I sniffed.

When we got in line, the wait to get the doll hair done was two hours. There will be a sign up front.

However, Natalie opted to get the ears pierced. Natalie was given a selection of earrings. She picked them, the worker brought the doll into the back, and returned a few minutes later.

We paid about $17.

Tom did a scowl as he swiped his credit card.

Then the boys mercifully left, because Natalie and I had a reservation to eat in the Bistro. Tom drew the line at eating in the Bistro.

"No."

That was basically his response when I asked if he wanted to join us.

The boys went someplace else to eat and I was glad, because then I didn't have to hear their rants.

I recommend making reservations at the Bistro. You can do this online or by phone. As we waited for the Bistro to open, there were some people hoping to get in, but were told nothing was available until 1 and they could check back then. So make reservations even if you think it won't be busy.

The Bisto is cute. Very pink. But cute. And if you don't have a doll, it's okay! They have dolls that will dine with you.

Many little girls are dressed up. Natalie was in a purple dress that matched the one her doll had on.

When the Bistro opened, we were led to a (surprise--pink) table and given a menu.

Yes, they give you seats for the dolls. They also ask if the dolls are thirsty.

"Of course," Natalie said primly. "We've been shopping for ages."

The dolls are brought cups and saucers that you can take home.

The menu is decent. And the prices aren't horrible either. It's $15.50 a person ($7.50 for kids 4 and under) and each person picks out an appetizer and a main course. Drinks are extra. I got a much needed Diet Coke. Natalie got a milkshake.

There's a card game at the table you can play while waiting for your food with various questions.

My response to "name something you would like to learn to do someday" was "speak Swahili" because I was being silly. Natalie was all:

"What's THAT, Mommy?"

Then I dared to ask about her "boyfriend" and she was all:

Our food came afterwards.


I ordered the caprese salad and yes, it was good!

Natalie got the fruit and yogurt plate and said it was "yummy":

For our main courses, Natalie got the chicken nuggets. She likes ALL chicken nuggets, so she gobbled this right up:

I got the buttery noodles, which was a simple dish:

Natalie shared with her dolls:

The waiter asked if we were celebrating anything special. I mentioned Natalie's birthday was coming up and he brought out a cone filled with cool whip and sang happy birthday:

We had a fun experience. I do recommend it. There is a dessert menu, but we were full, so we opted not to get any.

When we were done eating, we went to the bathroom, and yes, in case you were wondering, there are holders for your dolls:

Have YOU ever been to an American Girl store?