Tropical Smoothie Cafe — Restaurant in Town of Hempstead

I came to Tropical Smoothie Cafe to try out their food specials and I got very sick from it. Additionally, when I brought the issue to the attention of the management of the Merrick location, I had the worst possible customer service experience. Here is the full story: Arriving at the store on a hot day, I was dismayed to smell the odor of garbage permeating throughout the store as the employees had the back door open and the dumpster was right by the door outside. Everybody working in the store was sweating and several were not properly wearing face coverings for prevention of COVID transmission. I did not make an issue out of this as it was a hot day and obviously the air conditioning was not working. I ordered a shrimp quesadilla and started eating it on my drive home. I had only 2 bites and noticed an odd taste to the shrimp. I opened the quesadilla to inspect and frankly, the shrimp were RANCID. They were not in the early stages of spoiling, they were WAY past that. I then called the store to let them know that the entire batch of shrimp should be thrown away to prevent customers from getting sick, and a supervisor on site told me she would call me back. By the time she called me, I was experiencing severe stomach cramps and had vomited once already. She told me that the shrimp looked fine to her, and that they were not expired. When I explained to her that prior to becoming a doctor, I had worked for 8 years in the food service industry in various positions, and was also certified in infection control, I was again told that the shrimp were “fine.” I then requested to speak with the manager and the lady I was connected to also did not care that I had some level of experience in the industry, nor did she take my complaint seriously. I was again told that there was nothing wrong with the shrimp. She offered to refund my purchase and give me a free drink. What I asked for was to have the owner or lead manager of the store call me to discuss this HEALTH HAZARD because the employees at the site that day are obviously unqualified to deal with food quality related public health issues, and also have terrible customer service skills. I left my phone number 2 weeks ago and have not heard from the store since then. I was unable to go to work at the hospital the following day after this incident because of the degree of food poisoning I was experiencing.

After all the effort I went through to get through to the store about this safety issue, I would expect at a minimum some level of recognition and honesty from the store, which would have quickly rectified my concern. Instead, I feel obligated to report this place to the NY state health department and let anybody I can reach online know about...

I went to the Merrick location, ordered a blueberry bliss with peanut butter and chia seeds. They charged extra for those two to be added which is fine except for the fact that they were never added. When I got back to work, I realized I was charged and they weren't added so I called to get a refund on the PB and Chia Seeds. Jada, who answered was the one who made my smoothie. She goes "I was the one who made it and I know for a fact I put it in there" So I responded and said, "well, I'm drinking it and taste NO PB!" I know what PB in a smoothie taste like! It wasn't in there so I asked her to look back at the cameras and she said she didn't have access so I asked her to have her manager run the camera back because I wanted a refund on what wasn't added to my smoothie. She said she will have a manager call me and she took my number down.

A manager never called..I never got a refund... She wasn't sorry AT ALL. Ill never go back. Poor service and poor management. My smoothie tasted like water. I never write reviews but her attitude on the phone and then the fact that I never got a call or refund made me super upset and I knew I needed to do this so that no-one else has this issue. Looking at the other recent reviews now...I wish I...

I frequently order from this Merrick location at work with my 6+ coworkers for lunch. Today the delivery driver came with the food and forgot the smoothies and I had to drive back to Tropical Smoothie to pick them up myself. Even after all that one of the smoothies was incorrect. This is hardly the first time that they have made a mistake like this. They are consistently wrong with the order and the workers are seemingly unaware and apathetic to every customer and order. I have never written a bad review about a restaurant before today -- this is the first bad review I have had to write but it's reached a point where I can't take it anymore. I have had it with this place. Taking my business elsewhere.

Edit (response to the owner) 5/2/2018 @3:45pm : If the manager you are referring to is the man who instructed his employees (in front of me and other customers) to "make the customer feel bad" for not donating $2.00 to a camp after asking me: "Do you feel bad now?" for declining the donation -- then no, I do not wish to deal with this "manager"...