If you recall the last time you ordered a smoothie, did you think twice about where you would go to get it or even what you would want in it? Well, my recent experience at Tropical Smoothie Café has given me a far greater appreciation for both the quality of the ingredients inside these frozen beverages and the overall consumer experience when we step up to the counter to place our orders.
At a recent Media Event held at Tropical Smoothie Café’s Atlanta location, a group of us food bloggers sat down with CEO Mike Rotondo in their newly designed store to learn more about their brand and healthy menu advancements. This casual gathering included sampling several pleasantly surprising smoothie blends like the UnBEETable Berry Smoothie and Island Green Smoothie, both part of their signature Superfood Smoothie Series.
I’ve juiced with beets before and already like them in liquid form so I thought the first smoothie was pretty fantastic. I don’t have a taste for cooked beets at all but will consume them raw as I would most vegetables so this smoothie works for me quite well. It’s a mixture of Fresh Beets, Strawberries, Blueberries, Banana & Cranberry. I could taste the earthy freshness of the beets but not too much. It was a well-balanced, delicious combination, so don’t be afraid to give it a try. By the way, you might want to hurry because this flavor is only being offered for a limited time.
The Island Green Smoothie contains Spinach, Kale, Mango, Pineapple and Banana. I have to admit my apprehension in trying this because of the green veggies but my hesitation was just a waste of time. The drink was just the right amount of sweet and more than enjoyable.
Two other smoothies I tried were Acai Berry Boost and Pomegranate Plunge. Both are delicious and well worth the potential brain freeze if you happen to drink them too fast which I am guilty of sometimes. As awesome as the smoothies are, there is more to behold while you’re inside the café.
The interior of Tropical Smoothie Café is a relaxed family-friendly space with grown up finishes. The walls, floors, furnishings and fixtures are a beautiful palette of textures & colors that energize. The woods used are both warm and bright while the painted surfaces lend that island charm we love.
The prep area is open so you can see what is happening behind the counter. We were told that it’s pretty common for folks to sit at the counter and chat with the staff as they prepare their orders, which is nice because they can see that their smoothies are filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, not some stuff poured from a carton. They can also see that the cafe has more to offer than just smoothies.
Tropical Smoothie Café serves breakfast, lunch and dinner which includes savory entrees like noodle bowls, salads, wraps, sandwiches and flatbreads. This is a new concept to me because I’ve only previously known regular take-out smoothie places. Here, we can order a smoothie along with something inventive, yet healthy from the menu, then actually sit down to enjoy them both. At the media event, we were able to try two Asian-Inspired Noodle Bowls and samples of the Flatbreads.
The first was the Ginger Miso Chicken Noodle Bowl. It was composed of grilled chicken, edamame, shredded carrots, baby spinach, scallions, cucumber, sesame seeds and noodles with a topping of Carrot Ginger Miso Sauce. Let’s just say that it was Mah-ve-lus! And the sauce….oooh the sauce. There was a wonderful medley of flavors in this bowl which was in large part attributed to the fresh ingredients used, but the rest is because of the sauce. Just try this bowl so you’ll know what I’m talking about.
The Spicy Mongolian Steak Noodle Bowl was our second entrée. The word “spicy” should not be taken lightly with this one. The bowl was prepared with steak, green and red peppers, fresh baby spinach, scallions, sesame seeds and noodles. The topping was a delicious Spicy Asian BBQ Sauce. I felt the heat immediately when I started in on this entrée but I could still appreciate the different levels of flavor in it too. Although it was savory, there was also a slightly sweet element in it. This bowl is a great choice for anyone who enjoys tons of flavor with a spicy kick.
For non-meat eating folks, each of the noodle bowls can be substituted with Beyond Meat, a plant based protein. Miss A tried it and liked it a lot. I’m going to give it a try during my next visit which will be soon because these noodle bowls are only available until late October.
The flatbreads we sampled were the Baja Chicken and the Chipotle Chicken Club. Both were delicious and affordable options. Several of the items on the menu including the noodle bowls and smoothies were developed by Chef Lake Dawson. Thanks to his diligence in repeatedly testing various ingredient combinations, Tropical Smoothie Café is able to offer a deliciously diverse menu to those of us searching for fresh and healthy meal choices.
For more information and to find a location near you, visit the Tropical Smoothie Café website. If you’re interested in receiving exclusive deals & discounts, you can sign up for their Text Club by texting the word “Flavor” to “30364”.
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Disclosure: While the food and beverages at Tropical Smoothie Cafe were complimentary, I received no monetary compensation for this post. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way. Gift Cards were generously provided by Tropical Smoothie Café. You can view my full Disclosure Policy here.
