Tropicalata

First time having Cuban food and I’m hooked!!! Me and a friend happened to be walking past after leaving greenhouse and decided to stop in. We both ordered a potato ball and the famous Cuban sandwich. It exceeded my expectations! The food was amazing and the customer service is ridiculously good. Everyone who worked there was smiling and friendly. I just went again today for the second time. I highly recommend trying it!

Really sad they closed. Used to be our go to place. We loved the food and the staffs there.

The food here is really great, except they are never never open even when they say they are (like right now). Ambiance could be a little more inviting.

Closed permanently on Valentines day 2014… So sad. I had booked them to cater my Cuban mothers 90^th birthday. So went down to have lunch and finalize the event. Doors closed and locked with a huge chain. Call them several times and never received a return call. Went there today and saw a sign on the door stating that they were closed. So glad I never left a cash deposit for my event.

My coworkers have been raving about this place so I finally decided to try…
I came here last friday and ordered their special (#8 Ropa Vieja). The plate came with marinated shredded beef, caribbean black beans and rice. *you may opt for the arroz gandules (puerto rican) or keep it cuban with black beans and rice.
The marinated beef was way too SALTY! Oh Em Gee! If you’re a fan of beans, order this dish because half of the plate was beans! (See photo below).
I think I’ll stick with their sandwiches next time.
They have specials during the week (combos include a drink).
*Mon: #2 Media Noche (slow roasted pork, ham, swiss cheese, onions, pickle, potato sticks, mustard and butter)-$ 6.99
*Tues: #11 Pollo Fricase (chicken pieces sauteed in savory red sauce w/​potatoes and special spices)-$ 6.99
*Wed: #12 Lechon Asado (slow roasted pork served w/​mojo sauce, caribbean black beans and rice)-$ 6.99
*Thurs: #1 Famous Cuban (slow roasted pork, ham, salami, swiss cheese, oniond, pickle, potato sticks, mustard and butter)-$ 6.99
*Fri: #8 Ropa Vieja (marinated shredded beef, caribbean black beans and rice)-$ 7.99
#1 and #2 are sandwiches (comes w/​chips/​plantains) and #8, #11 and #12 are plates.

Make the trip and JUST GO TO PORTOS!
this place was horrible… not impressed at all. the black beans had a weird taste, the rice was dry and the ropa vieja was just ok.
I would almost be willing to come back here because its close to home and the place looks clean. However the service was weak, the place seems to be runned by a man, women, and a child. I waited at the counter to order food, however the 5 year old child behind the counter had to tell his mom that there was a customer waiting, and he told her twice. The the man approched and hardly knew the menu. He ended up brining me the wrong order– no surprise and he did not check on us once!
again, GO TO PORTOS!

Their cortadito is to die for!
I tried Tropicalata for the first time yesterday and I was very satisfied. I love Cuban food and have had it many times in Miami. I had the ropa vieja and it was excellent. Their black beans were excellent. The fried yucca was some of the best I’ve ever had. The arroz gandules (Puerto Rican, not Cuban) was also quite good. And the cortadito (Cuban espresso made with condensed milk) was phenomenal. The best I’ve had outside Miami.
The place is simple, nothing fancy. They were busy and short staffed but we felt welcomed and the food was so good I didn’t care that it was a bit slow.
I’ve noticed in a lot of the reviews that people are comparing it to Versailles. I’ve been to Versailles many times. I like their food. However, Versailles does not remind me of the Cuban food I’ve had in Miami. Tropicalata did and I will be going back there again for that reason. I think I want to give up regular coffee and just have cortaditos every day from now on :)

I walked by this place frequently and forget to go inside, but now I’m thankful I stopped.
Friendly service, and clean, modern interior. I ordered a Media Noche and a Guanabana Smoothie. The food was very filling, so filling I had to take half my meal home! The Guanabana smoothie was lightly sweet and very refreshing, especially in the stifling morning heat today. Will definitely bring friends next time.

Horrible food (?), cool ambiance.
After going to Versailles for lunch, I was on my Cubano wave, and tried this joint closer to the crib. HOLY FUCK this food was horrible. I got pollo asado. I never noticed the white rice in cuban restaurants isn’t your typical asian cal rose rice or whatever. it has a different taste… not here. The rice was some crap asian rice. The black beans had no taste whatsoever. I bit into the tiny little sad portion of chicken and DAFUQ?! This shit tasted like some processed micorwaveable teriyaki «chicken». You know the kind… the shit you buy in the frozen food section when you know you are going to be busy during the week, and you don’t wanna cook, so you buy a box of this stuff, and pop in the microwave… thats what the chicken tasted like. The ambiance was cool, though. They had a little trio banging out hella cool beats, and the coffee they were making smelled pretty good. After the chicken, I had no desire to try it. Downtown LB has been cool for like the last 20 years, and who doesn’t hunger to discover the latest cool hole in the wall… but this isn’t it.

tomato and basil sandwich…
tai tea…
any of the desserts!

I would NOT advise you to come here if you are in a hurry, cause good food takes time to prepare/​cook.
You could call in your order, the owners are very accommodating.
Come here and relax, take a seat and drool while your fresh food is made.
Super tasty and super affordable. I am familiar with Cuban cuisine and this is pretty good, never failed me.
The empanadas are cooked just right, even the papa rellenas.
The cuban sandwich was delicious too and so were the tropical drinks.
I don’t know about other places but it does no justice to compare it to other places. Stop comparing!
They will be expanding their menu soon.

It was pretty good. I am not cuban so I thought it was pretty good. It was recommended by a friend and we went that same night. I liked the sandwich that he got. I wish I had gotten the sandwich. I got chicken, rice and beans and it was tasty.
And the people are extremely nice.

La comida aqui esta chingon compa!!! Yuca, Platanos, Lechon! Que mas quieres guey!!! Asta tienen ese café que te pone bien perico!!!
In other words this place is worth coming to. Food is authentic, not a big fan of their sandwiches but why would you eat a sandwich when you can have a dish that tastes and looks like mom made???

It looks like this place has some mixed reviews, and I’m sure everyone has their reasons, but here is why I love this place:
— AMAZING VALUE. I get the Turkey, Avocado & Cheese sandwich and it costs me $ 6. Not sure how those economics work for them, but they absolutely work for me.
— REALLY NICE PEOPLE. This can be just as important as the food to me, to be honest. They’ve gladly accommodated large (10 – 15 people) parties and never once given a hint of frustration. This is while having like two people work the counter, so you can imagine how hectic that might get (especially when other customers are coming in and ordering too).
— GOOD FOOD. I’ve honestly only ever had their Turkey, Avocado & Cheese sandwhich, though I will continue to get that every time I go. I have no need to try other things, as it’s just such a good balanced choice for me! I’ve also gotten their Tropicalata drinks– and they are really delicious.
Potential cons for this place (hardly any natural light in the place, hole-​in-​the-​wall type location) really aren’t problematic for me– though I could see it bugging other people if they were going out to eat primarily for «ambiance».
Support local business and come pay these guys a visit!

I don’t understand all the hate! This is place isn’t Porto’s but it’s still good. They have a very limited menu which is unfortunate. I wish they had a better selection of, well, everything…
The potato balls were good. Someone said they are from Porto’s? I’m not sure about that. the day I visited, the filling was definitely different. The empanadas weren’t entirely fresh but they heated them up for me and they still tasted good.
My boyfriend tried the Cuban sandwich and he enjoyed it. The smoothies and coffees are alright, but, not the best considering there’s a new smoothie shop and Greenhouse for your coffee needs right around the corner! At the very least, it’s better than the last spot that was in this store! I will definitely be back, especially on days I don’t want to haul my butt out to Downey and fight their crowds for a quick Cuban lunch.

Ohh what a letdown Tropicalata was. When Versailles is my bar for cuban fare, it’s fairly obvious that it’s not that hard to win me over.
I was in the area for a business meeting and realized how close I was to my good friend Chris T’s office. Invite her for lunch, and she suggests we try out this new place. I’m always down for new hole in the wall joints, especially when you tempt me with Lechon.
What I got here was dissaponting to say the least. The Lechon had an aftertaste to it that made it seem it came from a can? Made me wonder if they had a kitchen on site, or are they just heating food up in the back.
Everything else was pretty average, the chicken, beans, rice, etc. etc. but I just couldn’t get over the lechon and the bad taste it left in my mouth, excuse the pun.

I get pretty jazzed on new shops that open up in the East Village, but this place definitely has some work to do.
Their iced coffee was 80% ice. The drink was good, but it filled me with a deep sadness when I finished my three dollar drink in a few sips.
I also ordered a turkey sandwich. It tasted like something my mom used to send me to school with. That also filled me with a deep sadness.
:(
Overall, they’re just starting out, I’ll give them another shot, but I feel like they’re cutting corners to save a bit of cash at the expense of the customer.

Cuban food in downtown LBC. It is similar to Porto’s, in that, they offer the cheese rolls and Cuban sandwiches and tapas. They serve other things like smoothies and salads.
My sister had the beef stew, and that was really hearty and tasty. It tasted similar to Pilipino beef stew, which we love.
I had the coconut smoothie and it was refreshing and definitely hit the spot for me on the hot day! I’d definitely get that again.

I was out the entire weekend in Long Beach enjoying the perfect weather when I stumbled upon my new favorite coffee house/​café. It’s in the East Village arts district and really stands out among the sea of choices in the area because of it’s Cuban theme and low priced menu items.
I came in around lunch, ordered (paid $ 5 something), found a seat and listened to Cuban music until my order arrived. The owner personally brought out my food and the meal (REAL ropa vieja, beans and rice) was amazing. I also ordered a Cuban «Guanabana» smoothie which was good as well — especially since it was a hot day.
Later in the day I passed back by and ordered a iced coffee which was also delicious thereby sealing the deal — this is one of my new places I will always frequent when in the area! :)

Think their potato balls taste so familiar? Guess why. It’s because they’re from Porto’s! If you just can’t make it down to Downey, Glendale, or Burbank, you can try your luck here for those papas rellenas. Be forewarned; some days they sell out of them early in the day. I was one of the unfortunate ones to come in during lunch to find out that they were out.
Me and a friend ordered from the Authentic Cuban Favorites. We got the Lechon Asado and the Marinated Grilled Chicken. The plates came with rice, black beans, and a Cuban chip. Not bad at all for a reasonable price of around $ 5.50 each. The chicken had good flavor while the pork was alright. The black beans were good too. What I wasn’t too fond of was eating with a cheap plastic fork.
If it so happens to be a hot day, it may get stuffy inside with no a/​c but there is a fan in there. You can opt to eat outside where a couple of shaded tables are placed. There are speakers facing outside so you too can enjoy the music.
Service was good. Although this is the place where you order at the register and they bring you your food, they still came to check on us throughout our meal. I made sure to leave a tip in the jar by the register.

New Cuban style café on Broadway, its where the Chill café once stood, Great cool look Great sandwiches The Cuban Sandwich was great very OG. chips and soda
The Guava cheese bread was amazing very authentic food. Caribbean music playing in the back ground and a full kitchen staff I saw four people working behind the counter and two on the floor taking care of customers. great new addition to the area!!!
FAMILY OWNED AND RUN.
Clean
fair pricing
Welcoming