Recharge at mall bars and restaurants during holiday shopping

By KELLY WILSON
Get Out

Shopping bags from Aeropostale, Virgin Megastore, EB Games and Guess surround 30-year-old Jaime Benbow at a table inside the Rainforest Cafe in Arizona Mills Mall.

Benbow sighs as she situates her purchases and takes a sip of a vibrant pink cocktail.

“I’m getting a head start on my Christmas shopping,’’ the Mesa resident explains of her bags. “I got out of work a little early today and figured I’d get ahead of the pack this year. Trust me, you don’t want to be in a mall or around a mall anytime near the holidays. It’s madness!”

Benbow makes a point, but not all shoppers can hit the malls before the Christmas season starts. With this in mind, we checked out a few places that are sure to make holiday shopping (read: hunting for a parking space and wall-to-wall crowds) more bearable.

The Rainforest Cafe — which serves hearty salads, pastas and sandwiches — is only one of several mall hot spots where you can unwind with a cocktail and refuel between marathon shopping sessions.

Over at Chandler Fashion Center, a group of young men and women are kicking back with margaritas and Mexican fare in a booth at Garduños. Like Benbow, they have bags in tow but they’re not Christmas shopping.

“We’re last-minute (holiday) shoppers,” says Regan Bladle, 28, of Chandler. “I’ll be at the mall on Christmas Eve trying to get everything I need before the mall closes at 6 (p.m.).”

And you can bet that Bladle will need a drink to handle the shopping rush.

“Oh yeah,” she says giggling. “I don’t deal with crowds well and there’s a lot of stress that comes with shopping at the last minute. I'll definitely be back here for a margarita or two or four to help me get through it. We may have to hit a happy hour or something.”

Bladle’s friend, Marcus Reynolds agrees.

“I hate shopping,” says Reynolds, 34, of Chandler. “If it were up to me, I’d rather be hanging by the bar. It is nice to have some different (restaurant) options though when you want to escape the crowds. I like the drinks here but I really like the food at BJ’s (Restaurant & Brewery). Now they have a great happy hour. I imagine I’ll spend more time there than shopping this season.”

Jingle bell hops

Need a break from your holiday shopping? Check out one of these mall spots when you need to escape the long store lines:

Chandler Fashion Center
Loop 101 and Chandler Boulevard

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery
The dish: The large brewery offers sandwiches, burgers, salads and a wide array of handcrafted brews.

Cheesecake Factory
The dish: Expect to wait before you score a seat at this mall hot spot known for its rich desserts and bevy of dessert cocktails. They also offer pastas, sandwiches, salads, etc.

Garduños
The dish: Escape to Mexico — well, almost — with margaritas galore and a large selection of south-of-the-border fare.

Kona Grill
The dish: We recommend getting here early if you choose to stop by around dinner time when you’ll find wall-to-
wall crowds. The restaurant and bar features a variety of sushi offerings and an extensive cocktail menu.

Arizona Mills
I-10 and Baseline Road, Tempe

The Arena Bar at GameWorks
The dish: Pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, desserts and a sizable drink list can be found on the arcade bar’s large menu.

Rainforest Cafe
The dish: The tropical restaurant features salads, pastas, sandwiches and a decent-sized drink menu.

Scottsdale Fashion Square
7014 E. Camelback Road

Bar Louie
The dish: The Chicago-style bar offers everything from buttery pretzels to salmon to pastas to a large martini drink menu.

Kona Grill
The dish: Like the Chandler location, be prepared to wait before you score a booth at this mall hot spot.

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro
The dish: The Chinese restaurant features shrimp with lobster sauce, moo goo gai pan and crispy honey chicken to die for.

Z Tejas Grill
The dish: We recommend having a Chambord margarita or two to help calm your frazzled shopping nerves. The restaurant and bar also offers a variety of Southwestern-influenced cuisine.