TROPICAL CUISINE – Mexican
A steam-table counter on East Hillsborough Avenue, open from seven in the morning, where plates come out fast and priced for a working day. The kitchen leans Cuban and Caribbean: beef stew, stewed and baked chicken, oxtails over yellow rice with cabbage, fried pork, chicharrón, black beans, steak, and a Cuban sandwich for the road. Portions are the thing regulars mention most — plenty of people order one meal and eat twice. Service moves quickly, the music plays loud, and nobody comes for the decor. Cheap, filling, unfussy Tampa cooking.
3405 E Hillsborough Ave, Tampa, FL 33610 813-252-4712 https://tropicalcuisinetampa.com/0Cuisine: Mexican
Price range: $
Dietary options: halal, high-protein, keto, low-carb, vegan, vegetarian, heart-healthy, low-fat, low-sodium, paleo, pescatarian, plant-based, whole30, anti-inflammatory, atkins, dash-sodium-reduced, gerd, high-fiber, low-cholesterol, south-beach, aip, alkaline, carnivore, renal, tlc, volumetrics, zone, lectin-free, macrobiotic, slow-carb
Diet fit at TROPICAL CUISINE
Halal at TROPICAL CUISINE
TROPICAL CUISINE in Tampa has 4 halal-tagged dishes on its current menu, including Salmon, King Fish and Shrimps. Tags come from dish-level menu analysis and update when the menu changes.
High-Protein at TROPICAL CUISINE
TROPICAL CUISINE in Tampa has 2 high-protein-tagged dishes on its current menu, including Chicken Breast and Salmon. Tags come from dish-level menu analysis and update when the menu changes.
Keto at TROPICAL CUISINE
TROPICAL CUISINE in Tampa has 5 keto-tagged dishes on its current menu, including Chicken Breast, Beef with Onions and Beef Tripe. Tags come from dish-level menu analysis and update when the menu changes.
Low-Carb at TROPICAL CUISINE
TROPICAL CUISINE in Tampa has 6 low-carb-tagged dishes on its current menu, including Chicken Breast, Beef with Onions and Beef Tripe. Tags come from dish-level menu analysis and update when the menu changes.
Vegan at TROPICAL CUISINE
TROPICAL CUISINE in Tampa has 1 vegan-tagged dish on its current menu, including Soup of the Day. Tags come from dish-level menu analysis and update when the menu changes.
Vegetarian at TROPICAL CUISINE
TROPICAL CUISINE in Tampa has 1 vegetarian-tagged dish on its current menu, including Soup of the Day. Tags come from dish-level menu analysis and update when the menu changes.
Heart-Healthy at TROPICAL CUISINE
TROPICAL CUISINE in Tampa has 3 heart-healthy-tagged dishes on its current menu, including Chicken Breast, Salmon and Soup of the Day. Tags come from dish-level menu analysis and update when the menu changes.
Low-Fat at TROPICAL CUISINE
TROPICAL CUISINE in Tampa has 2 low-fat-tagged dishes on its current menu, including Pork Chops and Soup of the Day. Tags come from dish-level menu analysis and update when the menu changes.
How tags work: Dish-level menu analysis by Chefi's rule-based diet engine with AI assistance; nutrition values are estimated from ingredients unless marked verified. Allergen and certification claims are never inferred.
What to order at TROPICAL CUISINE
| Dish | Net carbs | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Beef with Onions | 1.6 g | 40.3 g |
| Pork Chops | 130.5 g | 25.5 g |
| Salmon | 0 g | 24 g |
| Chicken Breast | 0 g | 21.7 g |
| Pork Rind | 0 g | 17 g |
| Shrimps | 48.4 g | 16.9 g |
| Chicken Tenders | 9.2 g | 15.2 g |
| Crab Meat | 43.7 g | 12.1 g |
| Roast Pork | 16.5 g | 9 g |
| Fried Pork | 15.3 g | 8.6 g |
| Beef Tripe | 17.4 g | 8 g |
| Fried Chicken | 35.7 g | 5.5 g |
Nutrition values are estimated from ingredients.
Menu
Lunch Specials
- Baked Chicken - $5.99: Pollo asado Dietary tags: Whole30, Paleo Available at: dinner, lunch
- Beef with Onions - $6.99: Bistec Encebollado Dietary tags: Keto, Low-Carb, Whole30, Paleo, Low-Sodium, Atkins, South-Beach, Carnivore, AIP, Renal, Slow-Carb, Lectin-Free Available at: dinner, lunch
- Beef Stew - $6.99: Res guisada Dietary tags: Low-Sodium, Anti-Inflammatory, DASH Sodium-Reduced, TLC, Renal Available at: dinner, lunch
- Beef Tripe - $6.99: Mondongo Dietary tags: Keto, Low-Carb, Low-Sodium, Atkins, South-Beach Available at: dinner, lunch
- Chicken Breast - $6.99: Pechuga de pollo Dietary tags: High-Protein, Keto, Low-Carb, Whole30, Paleo, Heart-Healthy, Low-Sodium, Anti-Inflammatory, Atkins, South-Beach, DASH Sodium-Reduced, Low-Cholesterol, Carnivore, TLC, AIP, Renal, Slow-Carb, Lectin-Free Available at: dinner, lunch
- Chicken Stew - $4.99: Pollo guisado Dietary tags: Whole30, Paleo Available at: dinner, lunch
- Chicken Tenders - $6.99: Tiras de Pollo Dietary tags: Anti-Inflammatory Available at: dinner, lunch
- Goat - $10.99: Chivo Dietary tags: Whole30, Paleo, AIP, Lectin-Free Available at: dinner, lunch
- Ground Beef - $4.99: Picadillo Dietary tags: Whole30, Paleo Available at: dinner, lunch
- King Fish - $7.99: Pescado Sierra Dietary tags: Halal, Whole30, Pescatarian, Paleo, Alkaline, AIP, Macrobiotic, Lectin-Free Available at: dinner, lunch
- Oxtails - $14.5: Rabo Available at: dinner, lunch
- Pork Chops - $6.99: Chuleta Dietary tags: Whole30, Paleo, Low-Sodium, Low-Fat, Anti-Inflammatory, DASH Sodium-Reduced, High-Fiber, GERD-Friendly, Volumetrics, TLC, AIP, Renal, Lectin-Free Available at: dinner, lunch
- Pork Rind - $8.99: Chicharron Dietary tags: Keto, Low-Carb Available at: dinner, lunch
- Roast Pork - $6.99: Pernil Dietary tags: Low-Carb, Whole30, Paleo, Low-Sodium, South-Beach, Renal, Slow-Carb Available at: dinner, lunch
- Soup of the Day - $4.99: Sopa del Dia Dietary tags: Keto, Low-Carb, Vegan, Vegetarian, Halal, Whole30, Pescatarian, Paleo, Heart-Healthy, Plant-Based, Low-Sodium, Low-Fat, Anti-Inflammatory, Atkins, South-Beach, DASH Sodium-Reduced, Low-Cholesterol, GERD-Friendly, Carnivore, Zone, Volumetrics, TLC, Alkaline, AIP, Renal, Macrobiotic, Slow-Carb, Lectin-Free Available at: dinner, lunch
- Baked Ribs - $7.99: Costillas de cerdo asadas Dietary tags: Whole30, Paleo, AIP, Lectin-Free Available at: dinner, lunch
- Crab Meat - $8.99: Cangrejo Dietary tags: Whole30, Paleo, Low-Sodium, Anti-Inflammatory, DASH Sodium-Reduced, TLC, AIP, Lectin-Free Available at: dinner, lunch
- Fried Pork - $6.99: Masa de Cerdo Dietary tags: Low-Sodium, DASH Sodium-Reduced, Renal Available at: dinner, lunch
- Salt Fish - $6.99: Bacalao Dietary tags: Pescatarian Available at: dinner, lunch
- Shredded Beef - $6.99: Ropa Vieja Dietary tags: Whole30, Paleo Available at: dinner, lunch
- Fried Chicken - $5.99: Pollo frito Dietary tags: Low-Sodium, DASH Sodium-Reduced Available at: dinner, lunch
- Stew Ribs - $7.99: Costillas de cerdo guisada Dietary tags: Whole30, Paleo, AIP, Lectin-Free Available at: dinner, lunch
- Stew - $6.99: Sancocho Dietary tags: Whole30, Paleo Available at: dinner, lunch
- Salmon - $8.99 Dietary tags: High-Protein, Halal, Pescatarian, Heart-Healthy, Low-Sodium, Anti-Inflammatory, Atkins, South-Beach, DASH Sodium-Reduced, Low-Cholesterol, Carnivore, TLC, Alkaline, AIP, Macrobiotic, Slow-Carb, Lectin-Free Available at: dinner, lunch
- Shrimps - $10.99: Camarones Dietary tags: Halal, Whole30, Pescatarian, Paleo, High-Fiber, Alkaline, AIP, Lectin-Free Available at: dinner, lunch
Frequently Asked Questions about TROPICAL CUISINE
- Is TROPICAL CUISINE halal-friendly?
- Yes. TROPICAL CUISINE has 4 halal-tagged dishes on its current menu, including Salmon, King Fish and Shrimps.
- What can I eat at TROPICAL CUISINE on a halal diet?
- Salmon, King Fish and Shrimps carry the halal tag, out of 4 tagged dishes on the current menu. Every dish's diet tags are listed in the menu.
- Does TROPICAL CUISINE have vegan options?
- Yes. 1 dish is tagged vegan on the current menu, including Soup of the Day.
- What is the highest-protein dish at TROPICAL CUISINE?
- Beef with Onions, at roughly 40.3g of protein (estimated from ingredients).
Restaurants near TROPICAL CUISINE
- TROPICAL CUISINE — Mexican
- GARIBALDI'S RESTAURANT — Mexican
- XTREME TACOS — Mexican
- TACO BUS — Mexican
- RANCHERO TACOS — Mexican
- TACOSON — Mexican
- BARRIO TACOS + TEQUILA + WHISKEY — Mexican
- EL JEFE CAFE — Mexican
- Jimmy's Tacos — Mexican
- TAQUERIA EL PATO LOCO — Mexican
- TAQUERIA MEXICO LINDO — Mexican
