Tropical Smoothie Cafe: Fast Food We Can Get With
I’m just going to put this out there, right from the start: I’m not big on fast food. I had my days as a fast food junkie. Burger and fries. Fish sandwich and vanilla shake. Happy Meals to appease the kids. A bag of sliders at 4am. Fried chicken passed across the counter on the way to a picnic. There was even a time I bought a vat – yes, a vat – of mashed potatoes and gravy at the drive-thru window. And then I went off fast food, all of it. Cold turkey.
What could be sexier than a fast food tagline that promises, “Eat Better. Feel Better.” Enter my life, Tropical Smoothie Cafe.
If I can get in and out of a restaurant in about 30 minutes, for less than ten dollars, and not feel generally ugh, sign me up.
At Tropical Smoothie Cafe, you could spend an hour deciding whether to go “classic” or “superfood” with your smoothie, and then meander thru the fresh add-ins – ginger, ground flax seed, spinach & kale super pack, among others – and supplements like multi-vitamin and whey, soy, or pea protein. You might want to look at a menu online first, or ask one of the super friendly order takers to make a recommendation. I suggest you grab a menu on your way out, to plan your next visit.
The smoothies are a super-satisfying 24-ounces, so you can make meal of just one of them. Or, you can add a toasted flatbread, toasted sandwich, wrap, or bowl, as either a whole sandwich or a half. Most of the menu items are variations based on a chicken preparation. The options traverse the flavor spectrum from Chipotle, buffalo, and Caesar, to bacon ranch and apple Dijon. Tropical Smoothie Cafe prides itself on fresh ingredients, and my experience is that you can expect the lettuce will be crisp, the tomatoes flavorful, and the breads nicely toasted.
Grab a whole banana or an apple as your side, or opt for baked chips or kale & apple slaw.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe very clearly indicates vegetarian and gluten-friendly options on the menu. If you request the Beyond Meat Chicken-Free chicken strips, every sandwich becomes a non-meat offering. You can also purchase a re-fillable smoothie mug, bring your own straw, and be an earth-conscious diner.
Parents will appreciate the kids menu, that comes with a 12-ounce smoothie and a choice of side, which helps make grabbing lunch with the kids affordable. And definitely healthier. Lots of kids we know would be happy to split a full-size sandwich, though. Actually, we would have been satisfied with a smoothie and sharing a wrap with a friend.
If you need to grab breakfast, of course, Tropical Smoothie Cafe is the perfect stop, for a nutrition-loaded smoothie. There are a number of breakfast sandwiches offered all day long, too.
Find Tropical Smoothie Cafe in the Port City:
New Leland location! 143 Poole Road, Belville
130 Hays Lane, Wilmington
1671 North Howe Street, Southport
Download the App to earn rewards and order ahead, which makes your lunch stop even more efficient. Follow the new Leland location of Tropical Smoothie Cafe on Facebook.
#Sponsored | Disclosure: I have been comped a meal as part of this Tropical Smoothie Cafe review on Port City Foodie. Although the meal was a gift, all opinions in this piece remain my own, and I was in no way influenced by the company. – Anne