Enjoy a lunch stay-caytion at the Tropical Smoothie Cafe
The Rustic Apple Turkey Club, the Thai Chicken Wrap, and the Chipotle Chicken Club are available at Tropical Smoothie Cafe in Orem.
The Thai Chicken Wrap is available at Tropical Smoothie Cafe in Orem.
The Caribbean Sea Burst (orange), the Bahama Mamma (pink) an the Avocolada (green) are some of the delicious concoctions available at Tropical Smoothie Cafe in Orem.
The Rustic Apple Turkey Club is shown at Tropical Smoothie Cafe in Orem on Wednesday.
The Chipotle Chicken Club at Tropical Smoothie Cafe.
The Thai Chicken Wrap at Tropical Smoothie Cafe.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe also serves solid foods like the Thai Chicken Wrap.
Orem's Tropical Smoothie Cafe has a bunch of thirst-quenching flavors, including the Caribbean Sea Burst (orange), the Bahama Mamma (pink) and the Avocolada (green). Visit provodh.com/01re9 to read our review.
Ever have workdays where you feel like you don’t even get a chance to breathe, let alone pry yourself away from your office to get a bite to eat?
My Monday was just one of those days. I say “My Monday” because it was … well, a Monday! Lists of things to do at the office, errands to run at lunch, oh and a restaurant review to squeeze into that brief lunch hour.
Planning out my day Monday morning, I decided it would be a great day to do a review of a cafe — somewhere more casual, somewhere I could grab a bunch of items off the menu and happily eat while multi-tasking back at my desk.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe in Orem sounded like the perfect option. Not only did the word “smoothie” sound ideal on the 90-degree day, but I knew there was a wide selection of options to nibble on while also enjoying that refreshing smoothie.
What I didn’t realize, until I had a real good look at the menu, was just how vast the food options were. Dozens of delicious flavor combinations, all packed into tacos, flatbreads, wraps, sandwiches, salads and sliders, peppered the menu.
Turning my gaze to the smoothie side of the menu board was also delightfully overwhelming with even more icy-cold flavors — everything from classic favorites, superfood and supercharged concoctions and even the indulgent desserty treats.
First, I ordered my smoothie. I’ve been on a bit of a mango kick lately, so I obviously chose the Mango Magic with its combination of mango, pineapple and non-fat yogurt. Creamy and smooth, this drink was a perfect refreshment.
Then on to selecting a variety of food options. My taste buds instantly gravitated to the Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad Sandwich — a delicious combination of all those ingredients plus red grapes and granny smith apples piled on two slices of 9-grain bread.
I also wanted to try the tacos and the new Luau Sliders. Served up in either 2- or 3-packs. For the tacos I ordered the Thai Chili Steak and the Korean BBQ Steak. Brimming with delicious flavors and filled with ingredients, my favorite was the Thai Chili Steak — filled with cucumber, sriracha aioli and a sweet chili slaw, this messy taco was pure yummy. The Korean BBQ taco, too, was filled with lots of crunchy cucumbers and a sweet and spicy Asian barbecue sauce. Delicious. Luckily I had a cold drink to help ease the spice!
Next, I tried two of the Luau Sliders — the Caribbean Jerk Chicken and the Hawaiian BBQ Pork. Obviously getting incredibly full, I had reached the nibbling phase of my lunch, but I did manage to extract the most flavor possible from my select bites. Both sliders were so tasty, again packed with flavor. My favorite was the Hawaiian BBQ Pork, likely because of the oh-so-tender pork.
Next time you are in the mood for a refreshing and incredibly fresh breakfast, lunch or dinner, make a stop in to the Tropical Smoothie Cafe. Be warned, however, the beautifully painted Caribbean blue walls, island music playing in the background and relaxed atmosphere just might suck you in to that inviting island lifestyle. You may just never make it back to your office. Good thing there isn’t a hammock in the corner of the cafe, otherwise I would likely still be there.
TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFE
Where: 1167 S. State St., Orem
Hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon to 8 p.m. Sunday
Info: (801) 225-1293, tropicalsmoothiecafe.com