Smoothies, shakes & sandwiches at Tropical Smoothie Cafein South Portland

Justine Glass, store manager at Tropical Smoothie Cafe, helps customers Kyle Paul of Westbrook andZachary Poitras of Portland. Photo by Melanie Sochan/Special to the Press Herald

On a stop to our cellphone carrier's store in South Portland, my 17-year-old daughter and I spottedTropical Smoothie Cafe. Kale and fruit smoothies, as well as protein shakes, are regular breakfastand lunch options for me and my teens. We can easily make an inexpensive smoothie at homepacked with good nutrition, but lately we've been bored with our recipes. This smoothie bar piquedour curiosity about fruit and vegetable combinations.

My 17-year-old daughter likes thick shakes - so much so that she once blew our blender's motor - soshe was pleased with the blends at Tropical Smoothies. They are thick but can still be consumedwith a straw.

She went with the Acai Berry Boost ($5.49) on the "Supercharged" menu because acai is not atypical ingredient at home.

In addition to acai, this smoothie includes pineapple, banana, blueberry and strawberry. I don't carefor bananas, but the flavor in this smoothie was heavy on the berry and light on the banana and Iliked it. My daughter gave it an enthusiastic thumbs up.

I chose the Detox Island Greens smoothie ($5.49). I was told by the friendly cashier that this optionhad a strong ginger flavor. Along with ginger, there is spinach, kale, pineapple, mango and bananas.My request to hold the banana was met with a friendly nod and a "no problem." Bananas offer a

thicker smoothie consistency and although I didn't order an add-on item (avocado is a goodsubstitute for bananas), it was tasty without it. And the ginger offered a nice kick without beingoverpowering.

The Totally Green Smoothie, front, and Acai Berry Boost are two of many smoothies on the menu atTropical Smoothie Cafe. On right, Justine Glass, store manager, makes a customer a smoothie. Photoby Melanie Sochan/Special to the Press Herald

Most smoothies come in a generous 24-ounce cup (there are a few smaller options), and they're agood value for $5.49 because not much water (other than ice) is added as filler.

Another day I ordered a King Caesar Chicken Wrap ($7.49) and a Totally Green smoothie (cucumber,green apple, kale, spinach, celery and kiwi) and received a combo discount for $10.49. The garlicherb wrap was a satisfying size stuffed with warm chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, a nice Caesar sauceand a sprinkle of shredded Parmesan cheese. The wrap was simple and delicious and included a sidedish. I opted for an orange, which was a large one cut into quarters. House-made fruit "medley," kaleand apple slaw or chips were also options. The combo was too filling for me; I ate half the wrap,drank half the smoothie and took the rest home.

The menu includes several other wraps, sandwiches, salads, flatbreads and tacos. The Rustic Turkeyand Apple Club made with turkey, cheddar, gorgonzola, bacon Dijon mustard and house-made kaleand apple slaw on "thinly sliced seedilicious bread" sounded especially good. They even have acouple of breakfast wraps.

My daughters and I have made several smoothie stops since our initial visit and we all loved the

Bahama Mama smoothie on the "Indulgent" menu. The strawberry, pineapple, white chocolate andcoconut concoction was a cup of sweet creamy goodness. I prefer to get more nutrition out of asmoothie, but this was an excellent dessert-style treat. So is the Mocha Madness with chocolate,coffee (available in decaf), cappuccino and non-fat yogurt.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe, 740 East Broadway in South Portland. Photo by Melanie Sochan/Special tothe Press Herald

Most smoothies are $5.49 with add-ons including protein powders, supplements and vitamin boostsfor 99 cents.

This is a franchise operation but there are only two locations in Maine, both in South Portland. Ivisited the Broadway location.

The seating area is clean and inviting with counter-style seating and bistro stools as well as regulartables. The service is quick and when you're eating in, food is delivered to the table.

The one downside is the noise of the blenders. When the place is busy, the blenders are loud andmake asking (and getting) answers to questions at the counter a bit of a challenge. But if you're busyand looking for a smoothie packed with nutrition, or a simple wrap or sandwich, for lunch this is agood place to get both. And to make it a quick stop, they even have a drive-through.

TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFE

740 Broadway, South Portland | 207-808-8122 | tropicalsmoothiecafe.com

HOURS: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

WAIT: About 5-10 minutes

PARKING: Lot

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE: Yes

NOTE: There is a drive-through

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