Tropical Smoothie Cafe — Restaurant in Deerfield

Stopped for a quick lunch with my daughter on a Sunday and unfortunately had a disappointing experience at the Deerfield Tropical Café. I ordered a Detox Island Green smoothie and my daughter had a mango smoothie with a chipotle sandwich, requesting mozzarella instead of pepper jack.

While waiting, we used the bathroom but couldn’t flush because the toilet was broken. I immediately let the staff know, but there was no acknowledgment or concern. When I tried my smoothie, it tasted like watered-down green ice. I politely asked if that was normal, but the staff member mumbled “Give me a minute” and walked away. The second attempt was slightly better but still overly icy.

Things got worse when my daughter bit into her sandwich and found pepper jack instead of the mozzarella we had requested. We went back to show the staff, and although the cashier confirmed our order was correct, the cook said there were “no instructions” to leave off pepper jack. While waiting for the replacement, I noticed the trash can by the entrance had no liner and was left wide open. Later, a staff member told us they were understaffed, which is why handling a simple cheese substitution was “too challenging.” At that time, there was only one table of four in the café and no to-go orders, so the explanation didn’t really add up.

To their credit, they did eventually remake the sandwich and gave us two cards for free smoothies. Still, the overall experience fell far short of what hospitality should be. A café is not just about handing over food—it’s part of the hospitality industry, where the bare minimum is making eye contact, acknowledging customers, and communicating clearly. Sadly, even that minimum...

I’m only reviewing the service, as we didn’t dine in, just ordered two smoothies to go. Unfortunately, we ended up waiting nearly 50 minutes for those two smoothies. While the drinks were okay, the overall experience was frustrating. The two women behind the counter appeared busy, but there was no sense of urgency or customer care. When we inquired about the long wait, we were met with snarky, sarcastic comments rather than an apology or explanation. At one point, a customer mentioned a soccer game, which prompted one of the employees to loudly and mockingly say, “Soccer game, of course, of course”, completely unprofessional and unnecessary. I understand that restaurants and cafes can get overwhelmed, especially during busy times, but a little courtesy and communication go a long way. A simple acknowledgment of the delay or a sincere apology would have made a huge difference. Instead, we watched one man leave without his paid drink after waiting 30 minutes because he simply couldn’t wait any longer. I hope management addresses this issue especially when the wait is this long for a simple...

I’ve been coming here for almost a year now. I’m not sure if they got new staff or new management. But the last 3 times I’ve come in it’s been unbelievable. The first time I came in this poor kid was running around doing online orders while the manager ( or at least I think she is) was just on the phone the entire time trying for find music to play inside the store. The second time I walked in she look straight at me and just rolled her eyes and laughed. Rude. And the third time I came in and she was on her phone again choosing music it was really loud. And I for sure know it’s music not appropriate to put in a store. I don’t know her name but she had blondish curly thick hair. If this is how it’s going to be anytime I go in I’d rather go elsewhere. Not...