Tropical Fattie, I mean, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Granby Street

We decided to put chains that exist in Downtown Norfolk on our review list as well. I am a complete chain-a-phobe, but Laine and I agreed that to be fair we need to review everyone. Tropical Smoothie is running a promo: two wraps with chips or fruit for $9.99. This was before tax, of course. With two drinks our total bill was a little over $15, still not bad for two lunches, but boy, were we slightly disappointed by the time this was all over.
The tables were still messy from prior patrons for once - this does not please Laine and I in the least. Our food was ready fairly quickly, but it was not 100% correct. We both ordered Popeye's Favorite (grilled chicken, tomatoes, low-fat mozzarella cheese, artichokes) on the low-carb wrap. For the side, Laine had the Baked Lays and I had the orange. When our food was ready, mine had the wrong wrap - it clearly was not the low-carb. I had to ask them to remake it, which they did and about which they were very nice. They even gave me another orange (little spiff - I can often be paid off, like the mob). We thought the taste wasn't bad, but something did have a slightly processed after-taste. Not sure if it was the chicken or maybe the low-carb wrap, but something... The oranges were fresh, which is good. Bad fruit is such a let-down. Overall, for under $8 each, Tropical Smoothie, seemed 'okay'. Now, a pack of wild horses could not easily drag us back, but we gave it an average review...until Laine checked out the nutritional information for our lunch. I will let her take it from here...

~Alex

Their trademarked slogan is "eat better...feel better". I can only recommend that if this is your true desire, run screaming from Tropical Smoothie Cafe and eat somewhere else! Now, I accept full responsibility for every calorie and fat gram I consume, even those consumed with alcohol, so I have no idea why failed to check out their online menu and nutritional values BEFORE eating there. I plead a serious case of Monday-itis! But Gadzooks Batman, eating too much of their food will leave you shaped like a smoothie cup. Our Popeye's Favorite weighed in at 626 calories and 29.3 grams of fat. UGH! I could have chewed on a MacDonald's cheeseburger for 300 calories and 12 grams of fat, or a Wendy's 1/4 pounder for 430 calories and 20 grams of fat. Even their salads are loaded with fat. Nutritional disasters aside, I pulled three to four chicken chunks out of my wrap that could have easily substituted for bricks.The tables were all dirty, and we were part of the early lunch crowd, arriving slightly prior to noon. Although they messed up one of the wraps, I give kudos to the staff on their recovery. Two individuals came out separately to check on us and make sure that Alex's second wrap was okay, and to apologize for the earlier error. However nice they may be, Tropical Smoothie Cafe is now on my growing list of "restaurants to avoid like the plague" in downtown Norfolk.

_Laine