Tropical Grille

I recently tried out Tropical Grille (formerly Tropical Chicken Grill) for the first time.  T has been raving about this place for months, but their only location was 25 minutes away from my office; too far to pop over on my lunch break.  They have just opened two more locations closer to me, one on Woodruff Road, and one near the intersection of E. North Street and Pelham Road.

Tropical Grille is a Cuban restaurant popular for their Chops;  a protein of your choice chopped up and served over vegetables and rice.  I wasn't quite sure what I wanted, so I opted for The Classic, grilled chicken breast served over yellow saffron rice.   I feel like you can never go wrong with a menu item called "The Classic", and this dish did not prove me wrong.  What really makes the meal is the sauce that you put on top of everything.  I tried two different sauces that I loved. The first one was a cilantro garlic cream sauce, and  the second was a yellow curry sauce.  Both were packed with flavor and were a perfect compliment to the chicken and rice.   If you try the garlic cilantro, make sure you've got some gum or mints on hand.  You'll be breathing garlic for the next several hours.   

When I go to a restaurant for the first time, I can't just order one thing.  I think I may have a slight problem.  I feel this urge to order several menu items to really get a taste of what the restaurant has to offer. Luckily, Tropical Grille's prices were so reasonable that I ordered two things without breaking the bank.  I opted for the Baked Sweet Plantains, because at $1.79 who could resist?

The plantains (which look more like chicken wings in the picture above) were not that great.  The best ones I've ever had were in Puerto Rico, and since then I've been trying to find a good place to get them in the States.  They weren't sweet enough for my taste, and were a little too chewy.  If you are looking for good plantains in Greenville, check out Sacha's.  In my opinion, they're the best in town.

Although the plantains weren't my jam, the Chop was amazing.  Nothing about the dish is greasy either.  The chicken was cooked to order, and was all white meat.  And the fluffy rice isn't doused in butter or cooked with tons of oil.  The sauces that I tried both seemed to be cream-based, but they're so flavorful that a little goes a long way.  I left the table feeling comfortably full, but not disgustingly stuffed.

I've been trying to figure out a way to get back to Tropical Grille ever since I left.  If all goes to plan, I may be scheming T into picking up some to go for dinner tonight.  Wish me luck.