Dulce Tropical Restaurant & Café — Restaurant in North Miami

If I could give zero stars, I would. After giving Dulce Tropical at 841 NE 125th St more than enough chances (FOUR to be exact), I can officially say: never again. Every visit was worse than the last, like watching a slow-motion car crash soaked in rancid grease.

The smell alone should’ve been the warning — a sickening stench of old, overused frying oil that hits you before you even walk in. It’s like they’ve been recycling the same oil since 2002. The floors were filthy, sticky, and looked like they hadn’t been mopped in days, if ever. Health code violation waiting to happen.

The staff? Clueless and rude. It’s not even a language barrier at this point — it’s full-blown apathy. Orders are always wrong, and trying to explain anything is like talking to a brick wall. One time I asked for a simple side swap (didn’t even touch the original one — I had literally just walked away from the counter), and the woman behind the counter gave me the nastiest attitude, like I had personally insulted her ancestors. No apology, no effort to fix it. Just pure, unprofessional garbage.

And let’s talk about the prices. This place charges like it’s fine dining — but all you’re getting is greasy, overcooked food that looks (and smells) like it came from a gas station. It’s highway robbery for what they’re serving.

Save yourself the frustration, the stomachache, and the insult. Dulce Tropical is a disaster in every way — customer service, cleanliness, food quality, and basic decency. North Miami has plenty of better options. Don’t waste your time or your money here.

(It’s been a few weeks since I wrote the above, but for the Owner of the restaurant… I’m the guy that got his money back after leaving your trash food, with your trash server. Rice, doesn’t sound like Fries even in her broken English)

Si pudiera dar cero estrellas, lo haría. Después de darle a Dulce Tropical en 841 NE 125th St más que suficientes oportunidades (CUATRO para ser exactos), puedo decir oficialmente: nunca más. Cada visita fue peor que la última, como ver un accidente automovilístico a cámara lenta empapado en grasa rancia.

El olor por sí solo debería haber sido la advertencia: un hedor repugnante de aceite de fritura viejo y usado que te golpea incluso antes de que entres. Es como si hubieran estado reciclando el mismo aceite desde 2002. Los pisos estaban sucios, pegajosos y parecían como si no se hubieran fregado en días, si es que alguna vez. Violación del código de salud a la espera de ocurrir.

¿El personal? Despistado y grosero. Ni siquiera es una barrera del idioma en este momento, es una apatía en toda regla. Las órdenes siempre están equivocadas, y tratar de explicar algo es como hablar con una pared de ladrillos. Una vez pedí un simple intercambio lateral (ni siquiera toqué el original, literalmente me había alejado del mostrador), y la mujer detrás del mostrador me dio la actitud más desagradable, como si hubiera insultado personalmente a sus antepasados. Sin disculpas, sin esfuerzo por arreglarlo. Solo basura pura y poco profesional.

Y hablemos de los precios. Este lugar cobra como si fuera una buena comida, pero todo lo que estás recibiendo es comida grasosa y demasiado cocida que parece (y huele) como si viniera de una gasolinera. Es un robo en la carretera por lo que están sirviendo.

Ahórrate la frustración, el dolor de estómago y el insulto. Dulce Tropical es un desastre en todos los sentidos: servicio al cliente, limpieza, calidad de la comida y decencia básica. North Miami tiene muchas opciones mejores. No pierdas tu tiempo ni tu dinero aquí.

(Han pasado algunas semanas desde que escribí lo anterior, pero para el dueño del restaurante... Soy el tipo que le devolvieron el dinero después de dejar tu comida basura, con tu servidor de basura. Rice, no suena como Fries ni siquiera en su...

The service here is quite simply horrible. I have been a customer for quite some time and I am appalled by the way the servers treat the customers. The food here has always been great. I won’t discredit that, however the environment of hostility absolutely takes away from what is supposed to be an enjoyable experience. My mother went to this place recently and called the server the typical way cubans do, it is our typical manner, which is simply making a quick noise with her lips and raising her hand to make her presence known. While it is understandable that the server might have been taken a back due to a difference in cultural manners, her response was completely unacceptable. She proceeded to insult my mother and give her attitude for absolutely no reason. if you’re uncomfortable with the way she called you, there is absolutely no issue in kindly telling her so. It becomes a problem when you make the customers uncomfortable by putting them in a position where their simple action is completely misinterpreted and inappropriately responded to. I’ve had many great meals here, and I’m sad to say I won’t be...

I've eaten the Pabellon Criollo Lunch two times in one week and it's delicious, sorry for the half-eaten food photo but I forgot to snap it immediately. Pabellon Criollo is a Venezualan national dish and it's a tender, shredded and seasoned beef. The Lunch comes with white rice, beans and plantains. The plantains are beautifully caramelized too, I will never make them this good myself. Empanadas are the deep-fried type, I've ordered the cheese ones three times. We've also tried three different arepa sandwiches, all were great. My son got the beefsteak special that comes with a few red caramelized onions, with fries and rice. Thumbs up! He has a peanut and tree nut allergy and it has been suitable, which is great! For dessert (for my spouse and me, not my son) we ordered the bienmesabe cake (the square one in the photo) and the tres leches cakes. Overall excellent home-style cooking and friendly service. We've also had the perico breakfast that came with an arepa instead of toast. Excellent! I'm a complete convert to Venezualan food now! This is a...