Best Cuban sandwich ever! Taco salads, rice and beans, plantains, and everything else is great!

I don't give five stars on a regular basis. This is an exceptional little place for a variety of tropical foods. Great service. Basic seating so not a sit and linger kind of place but fine especially on a nice day outside. Small with limited seating can cause a wait sometimes. Yuca and mojo is a great app. read more

Amazing. Everything is amazing. Especially the Cuban sandwich. Best I've ever eaten!!

After almost a year of dreaming about it, we returned to the Tropical Grill while on vacation near Spruce Pine, and thoroughly enjoyed our dinner. I asked Claudia for her recommendation, and after quizzing me about my preferences, she suggested a Cuban pork dish that was delicious. The brightly colored and casual atmosphere, along with the friendly staff, made our dining experience fun and relaxing. read more

Tropical Grille is an oasis in downtown Spruce Pine. I highly recommend the Cuban, cucumber salad, and plantains! read more

Tropical Grill - Cuban with cucumber salad - American Near Me - Spruce Pine, North Carolina

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Way too costly for what you get. They are only open during the summer months. I can get food much cheaper and better in other places. Stay away! They want to make up ($$$) what they loose in the winter. They couldn't pay us to eat there again. read more

Great food in Spruce Pine! Wonderful staff and experience. My family of 4 all enjoyed their meals and deserts. They only way to possibly make it better would be if they served beer and wine from the same regions as the food. read more

Really enjoyed the pollo a la plancha: grilled chicken breast, black beans, sweet plantains and rice. A rich find in Spruce Pine.

The food was delicious for a very reasonable price, and the lady working there making and serving the food is awesome! It also has a nice homey Latin American (Guatemalan?) ambiance. I recommend it to anyone visiting this little town read more

What an absolute delight! Excellent food and fantastic service. Best salsa I have ever had. Nice variety of menu items. Something for everyone. Vegetarian friendly, too. If you are ever in Spruce pine this is the place to eat! read more

In Spruce Pine for a mission trip and found this amazing place with Christian roots. Ask the owner about the dancing squirrels. Christian music with Christian owners. Oh yeah the food was out of this world good. Heavenly even! Seven of us all had something different and all of is thought it was the best meal we have had in a long time. Go and listen to her when you order, don't change the ingredients. Enjoy read more

We had an amazing dining experience after hiking grandfather mountain. We ordered the pork empanadas, plantains yuca and tostanes as starters which were all very good. For the main course we got the Cuban sandwich where they did not skimp on the meat at all. We also got the hummus tahini sandwich which was extremely fresh. Claudia was our amazing friendly server! I recommend this place highly. read more

Stopped by for a late lunch after hiking. Great find, gracious and welcoming staff. The food was excellent - we enjoyed the authentic South American cuisine. The vegetable plate was large and delicious - plantains, black beens, rice, mushrooms, onions, and homemade salsa. The hummus sandwich in a pita was likewise excellent. We'll go again next time we are in town. Dave Z read more

My husband and I love this place!! I had the coconut shrimp tacos and they were so amazing! He had steak-he orders a steak often when we dine out-this was one of the best steaks he has ever had. This says a lot. He is a meat and potatoes kind of guy. It came with plantains and they were delicious also. We indulged in a couple desserts that were good too. The husband and wife put love into the food and the establishment and that shows. If you are anywhere near Spruce Pine you must eat here! We also purchased a darling elephant backpack for our little boy and he loves it. Thanks for a wonderful meal and experience. read more

Great food, great atmosphere! The chips were good, I wasn't expecting them... But it was a nice touch. If I'm back in the area I'll probably come back here! read more

This is a hidden treasure. The food was excellent! Be warned... they do not serve beer or wine and seating is limited. Totally worth a try!

The service and food were fantastic. Claudia is very warm and welcoming, which matches the fun, colorful decorations of the restaurant. It is a large menu and we focused on the latin american cuisine. We had the Colombian asada plate and the asian salad. It is fresh and well made. If you are in Spruce Pine be sure to stop by. read more

Great food. Freshly prepared. Short on waitstaff though. Would like to try again but not on a holiday weekend

What a great way to end a long holiday weekend! Dinner at Tropical Grill!!! We are from Tampa and by far the best pork in the country is in Spruce pine NC! Better than Tampa and Miami!! Great casual atmosphere and tonight tried coconut rice with raisins as an appetizer. Wow amazing! You better be hungry when you arrive because you will be full when you leave! This is a must stop if your anywhere near Spruce Pine! read more

What a great treat and treasure to find in such a small rural town. The owner hails from South America and brought her best native cooking talents and recipes!! Her husband does a great job cooking and the wait staff is quite congenial. A "Must try"!! read more

It's a good food but the mofongo its not a mofongo.... the real mofongo is just plantains garlic and butter... not onions

Friendly authentic just darn good. Had great suggestions and the coffee was wonderful

Great spot. We were here 6 years ago snd recently returned. Awesome food and service

Delicious mahi, bbq, and chorizo....loved everything! Hope to be back on our next trip to the mountains! Highly recommend this cute little restaurant! read more

By far the best restaurant I have EVER eaten at, the owner is a sweet women who always greets you with a smile. Food is made authentic, and is delicious. Would recommend to anyone. Would give 10 stars if I could. Not to mention how clean it is. The cost of your food is well worth it! It is a must try. read more

This is one of those places where you'll come back year after year. Everything was exceptionally fresh. The Cuban sandwich is the best I've had in years and save room for the Cinco Leche desert. Awesome. read more

What a great meal to celebrate 4th of July! And a perfect complement to Spruce Pine, the quintessential Smokey Mt town. Great Guatamalan cuisine. Everything fresh and made to order. We had the Empanadas appetizer, the Tilapian Cubano and Tahinoi hummus sandwich. the bread was obviously fresh made and delicious. The seasoned tilapia was excellent with the rice and beans. The empanadas were beyond description - could have made a meal of those alone. Reasonable price too. A must stop if you are in the area, and even if you aren't! read more

Unexpected little gem in the heart of the mountains! Three of us ate lunch there today and each had something different, including appetizers. Everything was wonderful and wait staff/owner was very pleasant. Not at all the kind of food we expected to find in NC mountains, but a very pleasant surprise. We will definitely return if/when in the area again. Highly recommend!! read more

I planned to stop here on my trip to Asheville last year, and ended up walking past the place several times, since the entrance is not immediately obvious (there is a sign, but the door is very inconspicuous). It's a very small, cozy space covered wall-to-ceiling with hand made bags and other textile goods (which all I believe were for sale), which gives it a very unique look. I was seated quickly, served in good time, and the food itself was very good, I had a (HUGE) veggie burger. Overall very pleasant atmosphere and I would be tempted to return should I pass that way again. read more

Food is excellent. Little place with a great atmosphere and an awesome owner. Outdoor seating available as well. Recommend the empanadas and the flan. read more

The food is delicious and the staff are so friendly and helpful. Highly recommend the pork with rice and beans. One of my new favorite restaurants. read more

7/17/15 Jay and I had dinner at your restaurant this evening and were completely blown away-we had no expectations, we didn't know anyone who had eaten here before, and we both agreed that our food was some of the very best either of us have ever had anywhere! Between us we have lived in NYC ,LA, Wash, D.C.,Minneapolis, San Francisco, and Sarasota among other places, so our dining opportunity's have been many. To find the quality and flavors you provide in Spruce Pine N.C. is extraordinary! Jay had the Jamaican Jerk Platter, I had the Mahi Mahi Platter, both were wonderful, a Flavor Explosion! We had no complaints about our service, our waitress was quick to bring drinks, chips and salsa,and refills, even as the tables began to fill, this after a long and busy day, what with the BBQ Bluegrass Festival going on. We are so pleased to find such a unique and unexpected restaurant in our area, THANK YOU!!! 4 Thumbs Up. 5 Stars Jay and Vicki read more

We were visiting Bakersville, NC and this restaurant was recommended to us by the proprietor of the B&B we were staying at. We tried it and came back for more. The service is great and the staff is friendly and helpful. The Cuban Sandwich is a stand-out. On our second visit we tried other menu items and were pleased with all. The servings are large so bring a good appetite. You won't be disappointed. Bob P. Kittanning, PA read more

What a delight!! Fresh, fresh and delicious!! They have an extensive menu of tropical dishes. The coconut shrimp salad with mango salsa and cilantro dressing was awesome! So was the coconut flan. I highly recommend for a delicious experience!!! read more

On a whim we stopped in and enjoyed THE BEST most authentic South American /cuban food - with exceptional service! We had the Caribbean salad and coconut shrimp tacos.. and a great appetizer. Very clean place too. the owners are super friendly and welcoming. Can't wait to return. read more

The food is like the owners and the staff...truly outstanding! As residents of this small town we are thankful for the opportunity we have to enjoy such delicious food made with spices and fresh ingredients that truly make you excited for the next bite! Claudia is so good to make suggestions and I have never been disappointed! read more

I went to this restaurant with a friend on October 13, 2018 and couldn't have been more disappointed. It took more than 15 minutes to get a glass of water, more than 30 minutes to order. An hour and 20 minutes after we sat down at our table we were served food. I ordered the grilled Panini Sandwich, and what I got was a greasy grilled cheese (not Panini) with so much goat cheese I couldn't taste anything else that was in the sandwich. Totally disappointed and will not be returning. Save yourself the trouble - don't go! read more

Had the Cuban and it was a huge portion and amazing! Great potato salad. Only thing better was the customer service.

The menu is all over the place. The food is disappointing. The service is weird, ranging from claustrophobic to non-existent. Not going back. read more

We stopped here for a late lunch after a hike at Linville Falls. The overwhelmingly positive reviews on Yelp are what drew us in to check the place out. I was initially very impressed with the quaint atmosphere and mom and pop feel. Unfortunately I ended up disappointed. Two people came over to take our drink orders, but when I tried to place our food order at the same time as I thought they were our servers, they both declined. When the owner finally came to take our orders, she was a bit curt/rude and told us to not be impatient as we would be the very last ones in the restaurant to get our food (I thought it was a bit strange but took it to mean a lot of people had come in just before us and it could take a while). While I wish that had been made clear before we ever took our seats and placed drink orders, I decided it was ok. I am accustomed to long wait times for good food in Asheville. At any rate, we waited for an hour before our food came. Again, that is not unheard of, but the frustrating part was that a family of three came in well after we had already been waiting at least 30-40 minutes, sat down, and had their food within minutes. I'm not sure if they were friends of the owners or what, but that certainly made us feel forgotten. My mom eventually nicely said something about our wait, and the server brought us a smoothie to appease us. When the owner came out with our food, she lectured us on how she had told us it would be an hour wait (I did not hear her give that time frame earlier) and that we had complained after 45 minutes. That was just inappropriate. We were very patient and only said something after the other table received their food before us within minutes of their arrival. We did not come and pay $40 for a salad and tacos at lunch only to be lectured by the owner. Last but not least, I should say that the food was below average, which was unfortunate as that could have made up for the other negative aspects of the visit. Update: Sam, I appreciate your apology. However, I think it is very telling that you continue to criticize your customers for leaving honest, constructive criticism. I hope, despite your overly defensive response, that you really do consider what I have to say and try to make some improvements accordingly. I left this review as much for your benefit as to give a fair perspective for your potential customers. In response to some of the things you said: I stated that I do not recall being told a specific wait time. Who are you to question what I was told and/or what I heard? You were not present. I in fact did not see the sign on the door about the wait time...are you making fun of me for that? I did say thank you for the smoothie, but I still felt it appropriate to leave this review as a smoothie does not make up for the rudeness we encountered. Lastly, this review was not left due to impatience as you stated. As I made clear in my original post, it was not the wait time that really turned the visit sour, it was the way that we were lectured by your wife. Bottom line is, I worked in the service industry for a number of years as a server, and the motto was that the customer is always right. Even if the customer is not right, you treat them as such if you want to keep people coming back. I think you would do well to learn that lesson. read more