Tropical Restaurant — Restaurant in New York

At this point I don’t know why I even bother with this place, always something. To even take my time out to write a review is just absurd & out of character. But I feel as if the managers/owners should see this. Even though I’m pretty sure they’re very aware of how this place is being run with/without their presence. Funny thing is the staff doesn’t know who personally knows the owners or not. You can ALWAYS count on bad, slow, & rude service here. The food or drinks are either a hit or miss & never consistent. Then they have the audacity to add auto gratuity. They lie about their lunch special hours & prices in person. I then went outside to purposely call the restaurant to verify if what they were telling me was true but then they told me something completely different over the phone.They should put the signs away if the lunches end at 4pm one day but then at 2pm the next. I just took my food to go, I refused to sit down and eat. Especially after I watched a server talk down to an elderly confused woman that was just trying to enjoy her lunch alone. Always double check the bill, they tend to try & be sneaky about certain charges or prices but when you try to dispute them or ask a question about your own bill they’re the first ones to get defensive, make up some excuse, or lie. I have personally seen this so I know I’m not the only one. My mother and I used to be regulars, we would have our mother daughter dates here but they have completely ruined that for us. So with all that being said I do not recommend this place & would give them 0! stars if I could....

Tropical has some truly delicious Ecuadorian food, no doubt about it. The flavors are authentic, portions are generous, and it’s one of the few spots around that really nails traditional dishes. Unfortunately, the overall experience doesn’t always match the quality of the food.

Service can be hit or miss—especially when ordering for pick-up, which often feels like more of a hassle than it should be. There’s also been some noticeable inconsistency with pricing. One day it’s one amount, the next day it’s something else for the same order. It’s frustrating and makes it hard to trust what you’ll actually be charged.

Even more disappointing is the vibe at times—it’s a diverse area, but there have been moments where it felt like certain customers were treated differently, which is not okay. Add to that the fact that the tip is already included when dining in, and you can tell there’s less motivation to offer great service.

It’s a shame, because the food really is worth coming back for—but just be aware of what to expect, and make sure to double-check your total...

I was among a party of 8 & only 2 people thought the food was "ok". I wasn't one of them. I ordered grilled chicken breast with onions, tomatoes, & peppers & a side of tostones. The tostones were very bland. Salt didn't help. This was the best part of the meal. The chicken dish consisted of a shallow bowl of chicken "stew" -- I don't know how else to describe it. Tiny pieces of white meat chicken, some pieces still with the skin on, were smothered in a tomato-like "soup", along with tiny shreds of tomatoes & onions. Also added to this "soup" was a large portion of French fries!!! It was terrible. I was starving so I ate it anyway, otherwise I definitely would have sent it back. One of my friends ordered the 1/2 rotisseried chicken, double-portion dark meat with one side salad. She got TWO 1/4 rotisseried chicken dinners, each with 3 different side dishes!! Yes...she was expected to pay for both!! At least she enjoyed the taste of her food. The other dinner incidents are just as bad. Wish I had...