A new smoothie shop has opened within walking distance North Allegheny Senior High School. The Tropical Smoothie Cafe is located on Perry Highway next to current NASH favorites—Slice on Broadway and Moe’s Southwest Grill. As differing opinions have been floating around the halls of the school, I felt it was time to give this new hot spot a try. 

Upon walking into the cafe, I was met with friendly staff, blue and tan accents, and a bright, pleasant atmosphere overall. 

After examining their expansive menu, I settled on five items to try–each from a different category. 

The first item was the Classic Acai Bowl. A smooth frozen acai base, topped with fresh strawberries, blueberries, bananas, coconut, granola, honey and chia seeds, made for a sweet refreshing treat. While the acai base did still have some ice chunks, it had a naturally sweet flavor and the fruit was fresh. The crunchiness of the granola paired with the honey-coated bananas made for a complementary texture blend. I rate this smoothie bowl a 7/10.

Sticking to the smoothie realm, the next item was the Peanut Paradise Smoothie. With peanut butter, banana, dates, and greek yogurt, the smoothies was a solid choice. The dates sweetened it nicely, and there was a nice blend between the flavors–none of them overpowering the rest. However, the smoothie did taste a bit watered down and only came in one size–a very very large size. It is an expensive decision for something I could not even finish. If you are hoping for something smaller, I would recommend an item from the kids’ menu. I would rate this smoothie a 7/10 as well. 

Next, we tried three sandwich options, two of them flatbreads and one a wrap. All the meals came with a variety of side options, such as chips, fruit, sweet potatoes, or a kale salad.

The first flatbread was the Chipotle Chicken Club Flatbread. Consisting of grilled chicken, bacon, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, pepper jack cheese, and chipotle mayo, this sandwich was a nice concoction of flavors. The vegetables seemed fresh, and the chipotle mayo tied the flavors together. However, the flatbread was no longer hot and the melted cheese had cooled down and almost completely solidified by the time I was brought my food. The sandwich tasted good enough, but for the $8.00 dollars I paid, I was hoping for a bit more of a fresh taste. I rate this flatbread a 6.5/10.

The second flatbread we tried was the Cali Breakfast Flatbread. You could choose between grilled chicken or sausage, but we went with the grilled chicken. Paired with an avocado spread, eggs, a smoked cheese blend, and chipotle mayo, this flatbread easily earned a 9/10. The smoked cheese gave it a Mexican-style flavoring, and the avocado came through strong and fresh. The sandwich was hot and a dependable comfort meal.

Finally, we tried the Southwest Wrap. The flavors and textures failed to blend cohesively. The soft, warm, scrambled eggs, paired with uncooked tomatoes and cold, crunchy spinach, were a bit off-putting. The wrap was not bad, but it was quite small, especially for its price tag. I would rate this wrap a 4/10. 

The Tropical Cafe was a cute but expensive place to visit. While I may not return in the future, it has many delicious options and is a great place for students to unwind after a long day at NASH.