Popular Tropical Smoothie Cafe Menu Items, Ranked Worst To Best

Generally, when you want to grab food fast, that sad truth is that you're not left with many healthy options. You can more often find a subpar taco or go with the classic greasy burger and fries. But just because you're on the go doesn't necessarily mean you want to eat something that'll leave you feeling heavy and sluggish. Thankfully, more and more people are trying to eat nutritious meals, which is why health-centric fast casual spots like Tropical Smoothie Cafe are popping up all over the country.

At Tropical Smoothie Cafe, you can, of course, find plenty of delicious smoothies. But did you know that it's an excellent place to pick up a meal as well? The chain has a variety of healthy options that are super tasty, from veggie-forward meals to protein-packed dishes that will give you energy for hours to come. You can get your food quickly and be on your way, which makes this place even more appealing.

However, there are some other dishes that aren't quite as good. If you want to know what you should try versus what you should pass up, you've come to the right place. We've ranked some of the most popular Tropical Smoothie Cafe menu items, arranging them from worst to best. Start at the top and make your way down to the most delicious dishes of them all. Then, take a trip to Tropical Smoothie Cafe and try it all out for yourself.

We all love to start off the day with a nice, fresh smoothie, at least every once in a while. And while smoothies are relatively easy to make at home with some frozen fruit and a blender, sometimes we just don't want to go through the laborious process of gathering all those ingredients together. That's when taking a trip to Tropical Smoothie Cafe just makes more sense. However, when it comes to the Jetty Punch smoothie, you're better off just sticking to the stuff you can make at home. Why? Because this smoothie is about as basic and boring as it gets.

When you order this stuff, all you're going to get is some blended bananas and strawberries. Seriously, that's it. Sure, you can add extras if you want, but is it really worth paying a premium when you can make the very same smoothie for a fraction of the price at home? The flavor isn't particularly interesting — in fact, it's kind of bland — so the truth is that we wouldn't even waste our time making it in our own kitchen without a lot of modifications. While this kind of a smoothie might be good for unadventurous kids or really picky eaters, just know that there are much better options you can find at Tropical Smoothie Cafe.

Look, we know that not everyone wants to eat something new and interesting every time they go out to eat. Sometimes, you just want to stick with the familiar classics you know that you like and call it a day. But in our opinion, the three cheese quesadilla is just way too boring to justify buying it at a premium from a restaurant — especially from a place that doesn't even specialize in Mexican food.

This quesadilla contains cheddar, queso blanco, and a smoked cheese blend, all packed into a flour tortilla. It's also served with tomato salsa. And that's literally it. Yes, you could make this meal for yourself in your own kitchen in about five minutes and very likely at a fraction of the price.

What makes this meal even worse is the fact that it doesn't taste all that good. Sure, it's hard to mess up cheese and a tortilla and there's nothing outright offensive about the final product, but there's also nothing about this order that makes it even remotely interesting. This is another dish that you may want to order for a finicky child. But unless you have some serious dietary restrictions, we would suggest trying something else completely.

If you love Italian food, then you've probably had your fair share of Caprese salads. There's something about this kind of salad that's always a hit (hint: it's probably all the mozzarella cheese). Therefore, when you see the chicken Caprese sandwich on the Tropical Smoothie Cafe menu, you might start to get excited about the prospect. But before you order this sandwich, you should know that it's not quite as good as you might assume.

The first thing you'll notice about this sandwich is the fact that the chicken is completely and utterly dry. The last thing you want is a tough, unappetizing hunk of meat in your sandwich, which is precisely what you're going to get with this menu item. The pesto and the balsamic glaze help to combat that dryness somewhat, but they still don't make up for the texture of the chicken.

We also think there's slightly too much cheese in this recipe, surprisingly enough. It overpowers the other flavors coming from the tomato, sauces, and protein. Some fresh basil could make a big difference here, but this sandwich is lacking that as well. Now, does this sandwich taste horrible? No. But are you better off ordering something else? We certainly think so.

Sometimes, you want a smoothie that's light and refreshing. Other times, you want something that's a bit richer. But when you have absolutely no idea what you really want, the Bahama Mama seems like the only option. We're warning you now, though, that this particular menu item isn't very good. When you order this smoothie, you're going to get a drink filled with pineapple, strawberry, and coconut. That sounds pretty sweet already, but at least it's a reasonable combination of ingredients.

But then, the ingredients keep coming and things start to get weird. This is where Tropical Smoothie Cafe adds white chocolate to this smoothie. Yes, you read that right: white chocolate. We can't figure out why they thought it would be a good idea to add sugary white chocolate into the mix, but believe us when we say that it makes this smoothie over the top levels of sweet. The white chocolate also lends a strange richness to the final product that isn't complemented well by the other super fruity flavors in the cup.

Basically, this smoothie just seems confused about itself, and we are too. We're going to have to pass on this one.

It's always a great thing when a restaurant has plenty of side dishes you can choose from. After all, you don't always want a standard side of chips or fries. But that doesn't mean that every such dish you encounter is actually going to be all that good. Unfortunately, that was the case with the maple-kissed sweet potatoes at Tropical Smoothie Cafe.

You definitely shouldn't think of these potatoes as sweet potato fries because they're pretty far off that quasi-savory mark. Instead, this menu item is more like a dessert. Sweet potatoes already have a lot of sugar in the mix as it is, but add the maple glaze into the equation and they become way too sweet. All told, there's nothing about them that complements the savory dishes you'll find at the chain, so we don't even know how these sweet potatoes got on the menu.

While the maple-kissed sweet potatoes aren't terrible on their own, we certainly wouldn't order them with anything else that appears on the menu. In fact, they just make us wish that you could order a serving of fries instead.

Who doesn't love a nice smoothie with plenty of citrus in it? It's not something you see every day, sure, but such a treat can be an acidic and refreshing twist to your average super-sweet smoothie. That's why we thought we would love the Blimey Limey smoothie. Unfortunately, it didn't really do the trick for us because it was still a bit too sweet despite that extra punch of acidity from the citrus.

This smoothie contains strawberries, pineapple, and orange juice. As you can imagine, all of these flavors come together to create a lot of sweetness. The pineapple flavor, in particular, is really strong, to the point where it almost overpowers the other flavors. Naturally, there is also lime juice in this smoothie, but it's not particularly pronounced. That's a bummer, considering the name of the drink itself is focused on the lime.

The Blimey Limey is not a terrible smoothie if you prefer something that's on the sweeter side. But if you're looking for a more balanced flavor, there are better smoothies on the menu.

You may think of Tropical Smoothie Cafe primarily as a lunch spot, but that doesn't mean you can't grab breakfast there, too. Now, it's true that there aren't too many breakfast options, but sometimes, you only need a couple of menu items to pique your interest. One breakfast option you probably shouldn't get, though, is the All-American wrap. It sounds incredibly simple, and it is. In this wrap, you'll find eggs, bacon, ham, and cheddar, and mozzarella cheeses.

Of course, when these ingredients come together, they're going to taste good — it's cheese, after all. Add them onto a wrap, and you have a winner. However, this kind of meal probably isn't what you're looking for when you go to a place like Tropical Smoothie Cafe. A wrap full of meat, eggs, and cheese isn't exactly the healthy and light breakfast you might think you would find in this more health-focused establishment.

While the wrap itself isn't bad, you can find much better breakfast burritos and wraps at fast food spots that are known for their greasy and indulgent morning meals. We think you're better off with that option than trying something that's relatively unhealthy at Tropical Smoothie Cafe. After all, if you're going to indulge, it should actually be delicious!

There's something about a good flatbread that can make for an amazing lunch. You still get those carbs you want to fill you up, but you don't have to eat the bread in an entire sandwich. And since there are a few different flatbreads to choose from at Tropical Smoothie Cafe, you have options. However, our least favorite has to be the chipotle chicken club. Just like in the chicken Caprese sandwich, you're going to find that the chicken in this flatbread is kind of dry. However, it's at least improved with the crispy bacon that also graces this menu item.

The meal also gets some freshness from the romaine lettuce and tomatoes, and the chipotle mayo and pepper jack cheese adds a bit of creaminess and a lot of taste. When you put it all together, it's ... just okay. It's definitely not our first choice at the chain, but we wouldn't necessarily turn it down if it were offered to us either. It's one of those standard menu items that probably won't stick out in your mind much.

There's not always time to eat a healthy, nutritious breakfast in the morning. And there's always the occasional lunch when you're in a rush and just need to get something down fast. That's when a healthy smoothie is often in order. And if you're looking for something that will fill you up and give you the energy you need, you need to check out the Chia Banana Boost smoothie. This thing is packed with good-for-you ingredients that will have you feeling your best. Chia seeds, whole grain oats, almonds, dates, coconut, and cinnamon all come together to create a rich flavor profile. Roasted bananas bring the flavor to a whole new level. And then you can decide whether you want peanut butter or strawberry in there too.

This smoothie is going to make you feel great, but what about the taste? It's not the most impressive smoothie on the menu, that's for sure. It tastes somewhat heavy and bland, but that's because there's not a lot of watery fruit in this smoothie — it's more substantial. It tastes better with the strawberry, as the peanut butter can make the resulting smoothie even heavier.

The verdict? This smoothie is blandly okay on taste but it's absolutely great when it comes to filling you up.

You already know that we were less than impressed with the three cheese quesadilla, as there's just not much going on there. Because of that, you may assume that the Santa Fe chicken quesadilla isn't worth your time either. While it's not our favorite thing on the menu, it 100% tastes better than the plain cheese quesadilla, to the point where you may just be surprised by how much you like it. In addition to cheese, this quesadilla contains black beans, chicken, roasted red pepper, and onion. These ingredients add a whole lot of flavor and make it a more substantial meal as well. We love dipping this quesadilla into the red salsa that's served on the side.

While this quesadilla is definitely a step up from the plain one, it's still going to come up short when you compare it to quesadillas that you get at actual Mexican restaurants. However, if you're craving a quesadilla and just happen to find yourself at a Tropical Smoothie Cafe, you should be safe to go ahead and order this one.

When you're really hungry at lunchtime but you still want something healthy to eat, it can be hard to decide what to get. A cheeseburger and fries might be calling your name, but is that really going to help you feel your best? We're going to guess it won't, at least not on a regular basis. However, a healthier sandwich may fulfill some of the same cravings while keeping things light a fresh. Enter the Ultimate Club from Tropical Smoothie Cafe. This sandwich starts out with a ciabatta bun (quite possibly the best bread ever!) and brings together turkey, ham, bacon, Swiss cheese, Parmesan, lettuce, tomatoes, and chipotle mayo. It's all toasted and served to you warm. Sounds great, right?

This sandwich is really filling, and it tastes great overall. The chipotle mayo is an especially nice touch, lending a bit of heat and smoky complexity. Just about anyone who orders this sandwich is going to enjoy it. That being said, there's nothing super interesting about this dish, so don't expect something unique or much different than every other sandwich you've ever had. It's still a solid choice in our books, though!

Who doesn't love pesto? It's an herby, oily paste that makes just about everything taste better — especially when it's paired with carbs. That's why the chicken pesto flatbread should be on your radar when you make your way to Tropical Smoothie Cafe. As you already know, we think that some of the chicken dishes at this chain are a bit dry, and this flatbread contains yet another example of that parched chicken issue. However, the pesto combats that dryness somewhat, so we can't complain too much in this case.

You'll also find tomatoes, shredded Parmesan, and mozzarella in this flatbread, which makes for a flavorful lunch or early dinner. Despite the addition of tomatoes, this may not be the freshest, healthiest-feeling item on the menu, but it is certainly warm and comforting. That makes it ideal for the winter months when you want a dish that will be more satiating. It would be delicious with a salad on the side, and it's not so big that you'll feel stuffed if you decide to eat the whole thing. Give it a try the next time you visit this restaurant.

Wondering what kind of salad would go best with your chicken pesto flatbread? Well, we have just what you're looking for: the kale and apple slaw. Kale's moment may have come and gone, at least in the world of culinary trends, but that doesn't mean we don't still love the bitter green for its health benefits and hearty flavor. And when it's paired with a sweet and juicy fruit like apple, it's hard not to find it even more delicious. That's why we think this salad is such a great option. It's a light, healthy, and refreshing side that doesn't feel like an afterthought on the menu. Rather, it's actually extremely flavorful.

Our only problem with this salad? You're not going to get enough of it. While it is sold as a side dish, we think you should get a larger portion if you choose greens over something like those heavy and sugary maple-glazed sweet potatoes. Apart from that slight issue, though, this salad is a winner. Give it a try if you're looking for a truly tasty side.

If you've never had avocado in a smoothie, then the Avocolada smoothie might sound disgusting to you. We get it — it doesn't seem like avocado belongs in a smoothie. But believe us when we tell you that this is actually an excellent option on the smoothie menu at Tropical Smoothie Cafe. It all starts with the star of the show, the titular avocado. Now, why put this fruit in a smoothie? Its soft and creamy texture makes an excellent base for your drink, to such a point where you've probably never had a smoothie that's quite this creamy before.

However, the other ingredients in the Avocolada play a larger role when it comes to the flavor of this smoothie. It also contains spinach, kale, pineapple, coconut, and lime. While, yes, you can taste the greens, the flavor isn't overwhelming. The pineapple definitely plays a significant role in providing a sweet and fruity taste. And the lime adds just enough acidity to ensure that the flavor isn't too one-note. Though there are a few smoothies on the menu that we like better, this one is a winner in large part because of how creamy and healthy it is.

Let's say that you're on a health kick, but you forgot to bring your lunch to work. What should you do? No worries! Just make your way to Tropical Smoothie Cafe and pick up the Supergreen Caesar chicken bowl. You can thank us later. 

If you're looking for something that feels really healthy, it's hard to go wrong with this option. Romaine lettuce and spinach make up the base of the bowl, but you're going to get a lot of grilled chicken as well. Tomatoes provide that fresh, juicy texture you're looking for, and the Parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing really up the ante with some rich umami flavor. The best part of this salad, though? The Parmesan crisps, without a doubt. After all, can you really have a good meal without a bit of crisp?

That said, despite the hefty portion of chicken, this meal isn't as substantial and as filling as it could be. But when you're looking for something that's on the lighter side, we think that this is a fantastic option.

Want to dig into a bowl that will be a lot more filling than the Supergreen Caesar chicken? Then you may want to consider the Caribbean jerk bowl. If you're wondering what makes this one more filling than other bowl options, it all comes down to the rice. Those carbs help fill you up and give you the energy you need to make it through your day. There are plenty of other delicious ingredients in this bowl as well, though. The black beans and grilled chicken provide plenty of protein, while the roasted pineapple salsa adds an incredible amount of flavor (you're going to wish that it came on everything on the menu). The romaine lettuce adds a nice crunch and some light freshness to the bowl, while the spicy jerk sauce ties it all together.

We love how all the flavors come together in this bowl. Plus, it's something we could easily eat on the regular, making it more worth your while to order it at Tropical Smoothie Cafe. Since it fills you up and still comes off as super healthy, you can feel good about ordering this meal whenever you go to the restaruant. If you haven't tried it yet, you may want to get it the next time you're there.

Attention, vegetarians! We know it can be difficult to find good food options at chain restaurants that aren't full of meat, especially those that have more of a fast casual vibe. But luckily, you have some really delicious options at Tropical Smoothie Cafe. In fact, the hummus veggie bowl is so good, we can truly say that it's one of the best items on the menu regardless of whether you're a dedicated herbivore or an omnivore. The bowl starts with a base of rice and romaine lettuce. Then come the black beans and the pepper jack cheese that make this meal heartier. The smashed avocados, tomato, and pickled red onion add a brightness to the dish that you're going to love.

The best part of the bowl, though, is the hummus. You're going to get a hefty portion of it here. Considering the hummus and all the black beans you get in this bowl, you know you're going to get plenty of protein in via this meal, even without the meat. Would this bowl have ranked higher without the lite dressing that they add on at the end? Yes. But can you ask for your bowl without it? Also yes, which we recommend, as you don't necessarily need it to enjoy the bowl. At any rate, this is a Tropical Smoothie Cafe favorite that you just have to try.

Do you ever have those days when you're just trying extra hard to make a good decision between downing some coffee and a smoothie? We've been there, too. Of course, you can always order both, but that's a lot to juggle when you're trying to make it into work or school without spilling everything all over yourself. But at Tropical Smoothie Cafe, you'll find the solution you've been looking for all this time: the Mocha Madness smoothie. What's in this smoothie, you ask? It combines chocolate, coffee, and cappuccino with a helping of nonfat yogurt for a rich, delectable taste that you simply won't be able to get enough of. It feels like both dessert and a delicious coffee drink all at once.

The nonfat yogurt here adds a surprising amount of creaminess, and we think it's actually what really makes the smoothie great. The main flavor you're going to taste, though, is the coffee. And with that added touch of chocolate, it's clear why this smoothie is a winner. Even if you don't consider yourself a big smoothie person, this is one treat you have to try.

Who knew that a side dish could be so delicious? Really, it's a shame that the jalapeno corn is just a side dish at Tropical Smoothie Cafe because it's definitely one of the tastiest items on the entire menu. That's especially true if you like a little kick to your food. It starts with charred corn, which is perhaps more significant than you may first think. The fact that the corn is charred lends it so much more flavor — after all, isn't a grilled ear of corn much better to eat than a raw one? Then, they mix this corn with chipotle mayo. While this mayo does have a bit of heat to it, it's definitely not overwhelmingly spicy. Most people should be able to eat this dish without worrying about the spice levels at all, unless you're extra sensitive to that sort of thing.

Then, to finish it all off, they squeeze some lime over the top of the corn. That bit of acidity really brightens up the whole dish, bringing it up another level. Rest assured that it'll have you going back for more once you take that first bite. Not all of the side dishes at Tropical Smoothie Cafe are worth writing home about, but this one is the best of the best. Next time you're considering your options, be sure to choose it over a bag of chips. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how amazing it tastes.

When you want a smoothie, it's probably because you want a drink that's nice and refreshing while offering you plenty of health benefits in the process. Most of the time, a good smoothie is fresh, fruity, and has just enough sweetness to keep you going back for more. And if there's one smoothie on the Tropical Smoothie Cafe menu that epitomizes those characteristics, it's the Mango Magic smoothie.

The main flavor that comes across in this smoothie is the mango, naturally enough but the pineapple plays an important role as well. It adds just the right amount of sweetness and acidity to the drink. The nonfat yogurt then takes what would otherwise be a fruity, icy smoothie and makes it incredibly creamy and filling, all while adding some serious nutritional benefits in the process. When all of the ingredients come together, they make what may just be the most refreshing smoothie we've ever tasted — and certainly within the walls of a Tropical Smoothie Cafe. It wouldn't have occurred to us to make this at home, either, which is why it's totally worth it to go out and try it for yourself.

Were you waiting to read about the best item on the menu? Well, here you are, and now you know that you have to try the Baja chicken bowl. This meal in a bowl is seriously out of this world, and we could eat it just about every day. Rice, black beans, and romaine lettuce make up the base of this bowl that's covered in healthy grilled chicken. The smashed avocado adds a creaminess to the overall meal while still retaining the dish's freshness. And the pickled red onion and tomato salsa are both absolutely essential when it comes to that savory flavor you're going to love. Add a sprinkle of cheddar cheese on top, and it's clear why this bowl comes out on top.

The Baja chicken bowl is relatively simple, but it's still incredibly flavorful. It's healthy, but it still has everything you need to feel full, including carbs, protein, and plenty of delicious and nutritious veggies. So, what are you waiting for? Make your way to Tropical Smoothie Cafe today so you can see what all the hype is about.