Tropical Smoothie Cafe — Restaurant in Noblesville

I occasionally visit this location, and every time I’m in the area, I make it a point to stop by and order my usual — a Nutella bowl, customized to my preferences: no honey, no coconut, no seeds. Today was no different, except I decided to order two bowls instead of one.

Upon receiving my order, I noticed that one of the bowls appeared to be missing the Nutella entirely. Assuming it was a minor oversight, I politely pointed it out, expecting a simple correction so I could go about my day — as anyone reasonably would.

One of the young ladies assisting me opened the bowl to check and explained that the Nutella was placed in the middle. I appreciated her willingness to clarify and resolve the issue in a respectful manner. However, what happened next was entirely unnecessary and unprofessional.

Standing just to her left was a man named Scott, who, without addressing me directly, interjected with, “I know it’s on there — I watched her put it on.” Whether he assumed I wouldn’t hear him or simply didn’t care, I found his comment dismissive and condescending.

There was absolutely no need for that remark. I wasn’t being difficult or unreasonable; I simply wanted to ensure my order was prepared correctly — something any paying customer is entitled to. His response lacked basic courtesy and undermined what could have been a simple and pleasant...

The food and smoothies are always good, but NEVER do a mobile order on a Sunday afternoon. It's absolute bonkers there with incredibly slow service and seemingly no management. One Sunday I waited 50 minutes for a food and smoothie order, but that was the 1st weekend it was open with a short staff. I understood.

This time, now a few months under their belt, and much more staff on hand, it was horrible.

I waited 58 minutes for 1 smoothie and a new acai bowl. After about 30 minutes it became apparent the "ticket" for my bowl never printed out so they never made it. Over the next 25 minutes I asked 4 separate employees about the status of the bowl, all of which responded politely that it was being made. It doesn't take 28 minutes to make a smoothie bowl, folks. The absence of management and urgency was befuddling.

Overall, I still love TSC, but man these things just blow my mind. What makes things especially annoying is that a lot of times my order is ready right in the normal 10-12 minutes. But they're a big fat 0-2 on Sundays. It wasn't just my sentiment either. There were several others around me frustrated with the speed. I just got the worst hand...

I have been to a few Tropical Smoothie Cafes before and this one just wasn't hitting the spot for me. I already prefer Jamba Juice or even Smoothie King over TSC because I think they have better flavors, but the Blimey Limey I got was really disappointing. It tasted like stale ice. I don't think my smoothie should have an overpowering flavor of water.

I also ordered food for the first time. It was hard to browse the menu because there were stacks of boxes (or maybe drink carriers) blocking everything from the bottom row. I got the Cheese and Chicken quesadilla. It wasn't bad - there was nothing wrong with it... but it was NOT worth I paid for it - it was just a small amount of cheese and a small amount of chicken. (I will say that I went with a friend and she got a flatbread that did look amazing - so just avoid the one quesadilla).

Everyone was friendly and the interior was clean. But all of the staff we spoke to mumbled like crazy and it was hard to know what was being said so I had to make guesses at...