La Tropicana Market

I am so sad this place closed. I guess I will have to go to Florida to get a good Cuban sandwich and mojito. If there are food gods, they need to get this place back open.

Very tasty and authentic cuban. I love their plantains. Former grocery with a deli counter that changed direction and now is a restaurant with some specialty groceries for sale. Atmosphere is very casual. Nice covered patio that I’ve heard they do salsa dancing on sometimes.

We have been looking for a Cuban restaurant since we moved back to StL from Florida. We heard about this place, and tried it right away to see if it would satisfy my husband’s love for Cuban sandwiches. It did! It was quite possibly the best Cuban sandwich we have had, and my husband has had MANY in Florida at very authentic Cuban restaurants. The other menu items were great as well! Highly recommend!

While I usually stay away from establishments with so-​called identity crisis, I figured it would be worth a try despite offering both Cuban and Mexican food. I decided early on to try their Cuban specialties, perhaps it was the Celia Cruz playing overhead that influenced me or maybe that Mexican food is all too easily found here in St. Louis.
This is a classic case of I wish Unilocal allowed one to rate down to the half-​star, while slightly better than 3, but not quite good enough for a 4. The food itself was good, I ordered the ropa vieja which included shredded beef and were paired with sweet plantains, the rice however was bland though at least perfectly cooked. I was also able to try the pernil, which had a very generous serving size, the black bean Cuban rice paired with that dish had far more flavor than mine. All in all, good food, large portion size, and quant patio area.
However, their service needs an injection of basic waitering skills. This is clearly a family run business, with the waiters (I’m assuming) being the grandmother and her grandson, while the father helms the register. I appreciate the family business, I’d much rather support them rather than a large chain, but it took a while for our order to be taken, our food arrived and I had to specifically ask for silverware as eating with my hands was not an option. But where I finally decided to drop a star in their rating was when I repeatedly attempted to flag someone down to ask for the check. 15 – 25 minutes later I finally got the check, after many failed waves and «excuse me.» I was a waiter myself in my college days, so I have the upmost empathy and patience, but I found myself scrambling to try to get a basic service fulfilled. I hope they can improve their service as the food really is good.

While I cannot vouch for the authenticity of this place I can vouch for the deliciousness. This place is great, and helped me get a fill after having acquired a taste some good Cuban cuisine. Don’t let the inside get to you, its basically a market that serves food and very minimal and simple. The staff was friendly and very helpful.
I ordered the #2 Pernil which is Cuban Style Roasted Pork served with plantains and potatoes. The roasted port was delicious, and very flavorful and the plantains were amazing. An entrée is probably enough for two meals, as I had leftovers which were just as delicious the next day. The one thing that was a little disappointing that they no longer serve croquettes anymore. I will probably be back to try a Cuban sandwich for lunch someday.

Being the sandwich junkie I am, I stopped in today for a Cuban sandwich. This place is such a hidden gem. The Cuban sandwich did not last long and I had a side of plantains that I could eat all day. I will be back and I’m bringing others with me!

Awesome bean tostadas, and the local vibe is wonderful!

La Tropicana is one of the places I miss the most in St. Louis. We used to live about 5 minutes from it and they have the best, freshest Cuban and Mexican food in the city. When I have a great Cuban sandwich I have a hard time trying anything else, but their empanadas are also excellent. If you ever want to play hooky from work in the ‘Lou, sneak in here mid-​afternoon, order a Corona and a Cuban, and you’ll transport yourself closer to the Equator.
We’ve been lucky enough to hear authentic music at La Tropicana as well. It appeared to be just a Mexican dude with a guitar one evening, sitting at one of the tables just like the rest of us, but he played and sang and it felt like we were just sitting around with a good group of friends, nowhere near the hoopty hoopty humpty hump music and culture that has been moving in to South City. Love La Tropicana and it’s on the top of my list whenever I’m back in the area.

So today for lunch i gave this place a second chance. I ordered to-​go and it took FOREVER. My main complaint about this place is that all the food is pre-​cooked and then reheated. Not really prepared fresh, but assembled fresh… kinda. While the food was ok, i have had way better. As far as authentic goes, this is not really where i would go for authentic cuban cuisine. Unfortunately St. Louis is lacking in the cuban cuisine scene. Such a shame. And they have way more Mexican selections than cuban. There is not clear «waiter»… it’s all very confusing. The empanada’s are mediocre as well. Save yourself the money and learn to make this type of food at home. This review is coming from someone who lived in South Florida and knows good cuban food. This place just isn’t it. Sorry guys…

We stopped by on a weeknight. First ones there about 6 or so. We weren’t sure what to do — sit down? The guy that turned out to be the waiter talked to us from behind a counter without getting up, «Dinner?» I guess you have to ask in case someone is just there for the market. We said yes and decided to sit outside.
The whole thing seems kind of randomly put together. I had been here in about 10 years, back when it was much more of a market with a very impressive selection of hot sauce. That time I had a Cuban sandwich, which was a lot like a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. Nothing to come back for. Back then, the restaurant was an obvious afterthought. Now its more of a restaurant than a market, but not what you’d call inviting. The first appearance is one that makes you worry whether the tables are clean. Ours was clean but very wobbly. There is an apparently unused bar outside that looks kind of decrepid.
Service: I’m always a little leery when at a place like this (Cuban/​Mexican) when the server is neither Cuban nor Mexican. He wasn’t all that friendly up front but warmed up considerably over the course of the meal. A woman who appeared to be the owner checked on us, too and she was very nice.
The menu selection was an interesting mix. I tried to order roast chicken, but found out from the waiter it’s only on Saturdays (time to update the menu, I guess). We had nachos and empanadas. Both were good, but not all that memorable. The empanadas had very little filling and one of the two I received was different than I had ordered.
We might stop in again if we’re in the neighborhood and hungry. Then again, maybe not.

Great little neighborhood restaurant and market. I thought their Cuban sandwich was very good, and staff is friendly. It was surprisingly empty during the lunch hour when I was there. There are quite a few items for take-​out, and I enjoyed the chicken Tinga for several days afterward! Recommended.

In my hunt for good Cuban food outside Ybor City, I’ve experienced many disappointments. Sadly, this is one of them.
An authentic Cuban sandwich consists of sliced pork, sliced ham, Genoa salami, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard on Cuban bread. This strange variant is essentially a barbecue pork sandwich, sans barbecue sauce, with sliced ham on top. The roll it was served at least partially replicates the taste of real Cuban bread.
The plantains were pretty good, though.

I’ve lived only a block away from La Tropicana for over a year without trying their food… Easily on of my worst mistakes of the last 12 months or so.
After walking by this quant little market for so long, I finally went in to check it out, and let me tell you, it was amazing.
This review is based only on the Cuban Sandwich, but as far as I can tell, that’s all you really need. This is the single greatest Cuban Sandwich I’ve had in Saint Louis and possibly anywhere. It was made fresh in front of me by a very friendly kitchen staff and served with a side of beans and rice. Really, everything about the sandwich was top notch but the standout of course was the pork. Slow cooked and too tasty not to try.
If you’re looking for an amazing Cuban Sandwich, look no further than La Tropicana Market.

Food was delicious! I will absolutely go back there! The place wasn’t busy at all when I stopped in. We got our food to go. They were quick and the price was good for the amount of food we got, which was a lot! Looks like a cool place to go at night when they might have some live music.

Delicious Cuban sandwich – big enough to share. The pork in the sandwich definitely had the taste that it had been cooked for hours. The cactus salad was tangy and fresh. The pico de gallo that was served with our complementary chips was nice and spicy. Our chile relleno was large and stuffed with seasoned rice and loads of cheese and served with warm tortillas.
Even better than the food though was the conversation we had with Luis. He was so so friendly and kind. We stayed for an extra 45 minutes discussing Latin America, food, travel, politics and education. He was also nice enough to finish off our meal with some bolitas de nieve, the perfect sweet taste after a savory meal.
I am not from St. Louis, but I will make sure to come back to La Tropicana when I visit!

Best cuban sandwich in St. Louis. I have also tried a couple of their cuban chicken and pork entrees and they are fantastic too. I love they way they prepare the plantains and yuca on the side.
Their mojitos, sangria and margaritas aren’t great and they are really pretty expensive, so I stick with water. Which is disappointing because I always crave a mojito when I go, but I have to remind myself that they aren’t worth it.
Bring cash, because they don’t take cards. They do have an ATM onsite to use if you forgot (like I usually do).
They also have a market onsite where you can buy empanadas and salsas, and other cuban delicacies. I have yet to go in and buy anything to go, but everything always looks great. If I lived closer, I think I would take advantage of it a lot more.

Here’s the dl on this place… been going for many years. They are slow b/​c it’s in a quiet neighborhood and they don’t allow pets on the patio and they don’t take cards… so they aren’t busy and it may take some time to prepare your meal… it may also be a bit expensive b/​c of the low volume they do. Our tummies are better off with ‘em than without ‘em. IT IS VERY GOOD & AUTHENTIC Cuban and Mexican!
Best chili relleno I’ve ever had. Big portions make for good leftovers. Try the cactus salad in a veggie burrito w/​cheese, beans and plantains! Yum, Yum!
Take advantage of their patio this summer! Great, friendly owner– Lewis! World café a block away is a nice coffee shop with wi-​fi.

I have heard about Tropicana for a long time and never had a reason to go out of my way to try it. The night that I did go out of my way was for a celebration of independence for the Dominican Republic, it was very festive! Live music, red/​white/​blue decorations everywhere and the employees were all wearing patriotic colors too.
They serve Cuban and Mexican food, since I am completely burned out on Mexican, I went out of my way to order something Cuban. I ordered a seasoned pork, the plate included yuca, gallo pinto, and a small salad. It was a big plate, but it seemed a little over priced for what it was.
I have had yuca before, it really is very similar to potato, they had it prepared with butter, almost like mashed potatoes, but I was searching for a little salt! I am not an expert on Cuban gallo pinto, but I did not like the flavor at all and barely touched it. The meat had a good flavor, but it was super dry.
My friend ordered arroz con pollo and she did not like it at all.
We also ordered sangria, which was not homemade, the fruit was freshly cut up and had not been in the sangria very long. It had a good taste but I was a little disappointed.
Overall I would like to try it again, but there are so many places in s. city that I want to try, it may not be soon.

Absolutely delish! Guac was good. Chips were so-​so. Salsa was fresh & delish too! I had the arroz con pollo, which was delightfully yummy! Service was great. I had a Jarritos for the very first time. Not tooo bad. The mexican cookies & apple turnovers were good & cheap! Tiny little market but full of delish food! Parking is a pain, but if you get here early you can find plenty of spaces.

It amazes me how little amount of people know about this place. I’m guessing the people in the neighborhood and those looking for Hispanic/​Latin cooking ingredients and/​or food but that’s about it. I’m here to help change that. This place is worth your special trip, especially if it’s a nice day so you can sit on the little shaded patio. Gorgeous.
I love the empanadas… go with the chorizo and potato. The Cuban as noted with everyone else is damn good. And for my final food recommendation… torta carnitas. In the market section, go with me and try something new. Coconut soda. It’s different, a bit expensive at $ 7.50 for a 6-​pack, but you can say you did it.
The market area has been shrunk in the past year or so. The selection has gotten smaller and they have put more indoor tables for the little deli.