This mall isn’t all that bad.  Here are a few tips. . .

1. cheap food court – compared to Riverwalk restaurant prices the food court is a relief on the wallet.  They have a Dairy Queen, Sbarro’s, and Chinese food, to name a few.  They also have restaurants like Chili’s, Tony Roma’s, and Hooter’s.  There’s also a Starbucks for you coffee drinking junkies.
2.  Gamestop (Or is it EBGames?) at the mall usually has stuff that sells out quickly at neighborhood game stores (ie. they had Wii Fit for a long time before they sold out).
3.  The AMC movie theater (not the IMAX) has $4 movies all week and during matinee Fri, Sat, and Sun.  Cheap!  The movies are current ones, not like the dollar theater.  Don’t mind the uncomfortable seats!
4.  IMAX shows a regular (not about the Alamo) type movie in 35mm on the IMAX screen at 8:50pm.  The movie is usually a slightly stale one (It’s the middle of August and they’re showing Iron Man still).   You can get 3 hours of parking free at the Rivercenter Garage with validation.
5.  There are all kinds of tourists and conference goers, to sit and watch if you like people watching.  It sure beats bird watching!

Looking Forward:
The mall bought the building Dillard’s was in (Dillard’s sold it to them).  They plan on putting some nicer stores there, and a Fogo de Chao.  This is definitely something to look forward to.

Overall:
If you want Williams-Sonoma, Nordstrom’s, or Neiman Marcus, don’t come to the Rivercenter.  Go to La Cantera 200,000 miles from downtown.  Okay, okay, it’s really 18 miles from downtown.
But, if you want some quick, cheap food court food instead of the pricey Riverwalk food, you have this option.  And, take a break from the heat and walking by watching a low priced box office hit at the AMC theater, though your butt might regret it.