I sat on the fence A LONG TIME and read a lot of reviews before finally deciding to purchase these.  Granted, they are not real bamboo---have you seen the prices of REAL bamboo flatware?????.....and I have a champagne taste but a beer budget.  But overall, I will have to say I am pretty satisfied with this set.  Some reviews mentioned how flimsy they were but I found them to be hefty enough for a picnic, patio, or porch event---would not want to use them everyday.  I think they will work just fine with my tropical melamine dishes.  I purchased 2 sets.....glad I did.