Tropical Star

Very welcoming, attentive, professional staff. Food was exceptional.

Feels and tastes like home cooking! Living in Cali and being from Peru and South Florida, trying this place out really took me back home. Sweet, polite, honest people cooking the food and giving you great service, you cannot beat this place. We order the Cuban food and it’s always delicious. It’s always soooo good. They have a great selection of stuff in their store as well. Items you can’t find anywhere else. I already ate one empanada in the picture and ate some of the food in the plate, it was too good to wait lol

Great South American and Caribbean food! We got the Bandeja Paisa, Colombian combo with seasoned beef, pork rinds, fried egg, chorizo, ripe fried plantains, avocado, red beans, corn pancake, and rice; and the Filete de Pescado Paulista Brazilian fish filet plate. Everything was delicious and cooked to perfection. I will definitely return to try all of the other dishes. The cook/cashier was very friendly. There is a huge variety of South American items for sale in the market section.

Market review: Their Brazilian and General Latin marker is the best! Fair prices and you can find almost everything you need from: requeijão, pão de queijo, tapioca, bono, passatempo, granulado, forminhas ….

Really happy to have found this place. It's a small kind of specialty store with different hispanic items you can't find at regular grocery stores. This is one of the few places I've found that has a few familiar puerto rican items/dishes. It's not soley Puerto Rican though. I believe it's a mixture of different Latin American cuisines. There is also a restaurant/kitchen in the store that closes at 6:30pm

We had their food at work today, and it was amazing! Lots of flavor and a great portion. I had the Lomo Saltado! 10/10 I recommended.

Food was delicious and passed my hubby's taste test which says a lot because my mother in law is an amazing cook ♥️! Reminded me of her home cooking as well 😊.

Great Market with Restaurant. Options from multiple Latin American countries. I can recall Peru, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and Dominican Republic. I ordered the Bandeja paisa (Colombian) and was not disappointed. I’ll be back weekly from now on.

10-11-2025 Happy Saturday! I drove by this place at least 3x weekly never knew it existed. My friend invited me to come dancing. I thought, “Why not? It’s only 6.3 mi from my house.” Glad I went, fun experience listening to Latin music and watching ppl dancing; I had to leave early so I didn’t get a chance to dance, next time lol My friend and her friends ordered Papa Rellena ($6) and Empanadilla ($5); they enjoyed it. I, however, didn’t ordered any food but had Lulo drink ($6.45). My very first time trying it, refreshing! Note: -Regular hours, order food at the market counter. -Dancing hours, start @ 9 pm. I believe the entrance fee is $5. In terms of food, it’s full service from Snack Menu. Have fun dancing y’all!

I had a great dining experience at this South American restaurant today! The moment you step inside, you’re greeted by an exotic little grocery store selling authentic South American spices and grocery items, which sets a unique vibe. Turn left, and you discover a cozy restaurant with a bar and coffee station. The menu features dishes from countries like Colombia, Puerto Rico, and Brazil. Every dish we ordered was bursting with flavor and made with incredibly fresh ingredients. The portions are generous, and the prices are very reasonable for the quality. My personal favorite dish is the avocado salad—the dressing is light and refreshing, and the avocado portion is impressively generous, making it a healthy and delicious choice. Another standout was their signature corn tortilla, made from fresh corn that’s cooked, ground, and crafted with care. The texture and taste are worlds apart from typical cornmeal tortillas—truly a labor of love and a must-try. Every dish we had was a delightful surprise, showcasing the rich diversity of South American flavors. This restaurant has been a local gem for over 40 years, and this new location lives up to its reputation. If you’re curious about South American cuisine or just love great food, I can’t recommend this place enough. It’s a fantastic spot to explore bold, authentic, and beautifully prepared dishes!

I do enjoy coming here to get some good Latin eats. I ordered the chicken Pastelitos and a Cuban sandwich. Both were very flavorful and delicious. I over-ordered. Lol. I couldn't eat the entire sandwich, I had to take it home. But was still delicious later. My friend ordered the Arroz con Pollo with beans and a salad. He enjoyed it. But would have preferred not to have big chunks of chicken. When we came in on April 5th, there were 2 women at the register. They were having a conversation which seemed more important than greeting customers. Afterward, the young lady who was the order taker was not friendly at all. I felt like I needed to rush to give her my order. Not pleasant at all. Once we sat down, our order came out fresh and hot. Again, delicious. The server was nice. There was no wait and eat getting a seat. I suppose I'll be back. Knowing what not to expect is half the battle. Come in for delicious eats. I also enjoy the bodega as you walk in.

Randomly found this place and decided to try it because I loved the diversity in the menu. I was really excited to try Mofongo for the first time, unfortunately they were out of it that day. I got Tostones, Arepa Con Queso, Pollo Guisado (w/Arroz Gandulez and Yuca), Beef Pastelillo, Alcapurria and 2 Fruit Shakes w/Milk (Guayaba and Maracuya). My favorites were the flavorful crispy Beef Pastelillo, the yummy Pollo Guisado and the very crispy delicious yuca. The drinks were also very good! I'm glad I found this place. I didn't see any seating area so it appears to be only a take-out place, but they have a store inside where you can shop for some interesting items.

Absolutely delicious. Besides having every single food item in the grocery section you could ever want, we had a catered birthday party, and it was just so family-oriented, the food was delicious, and the atmosphere was fantastic. It was such a wonderful evening! Thanks for making Christina's birthday such a special day!

Inside a nice Latin market.. food is so yummy 👏👍

absolute gem of a place. I got the ropa vieja and it was so delicious. i will definitely be back for more and cant wait to try other things on the menu. for the price i kinda expected a more packed plate, but regardless it was incredible.

I don’t even know where to start. It was my first time there this weekend. The food was amazing, I wanted to try the whole menu since it is a compilation of my favorites! Ended up getting the Argentinian Empanadas and the Yuca Fried as appetizers 10/10! My ropa vieja plate was out of this world - so good! The filet de pescado (fish)- my mouth waters just thinking about it. Rice and beans were so fresh I could not stop eating it. I got guaraná but tried my friends guava juice also good! The service was great, we even got some extra food items on the house <3. The price was fair, I haven’t eaten this well for the amount we paid in so long- places like these are normally overpriced, but we thought less than $60 for two people with everything we got was more than fair. After our meal we shopped at the little grocery store that’s attached to it. Got my Brazilian must haves and left so happy. We will be back!

Food was amazing! Its a small market with a dining room set up next to it. You order and pay first, then food will be prepared. Everything was well prepared and tasted delicious. Service was very friendly.

I can’t believe I grew up in Clairemont and didn’t know about this place until about 2 years ago! They have Latin food from different countries but what always brings me there are the Colombian empanadas! I think they have 2 or 3 different types of empanadas but after comparing all of them, these ones are my favorite. & It comes with a delicious sauce to dip them in. I usually order pick up but they have a cute seating area that looks tropical themed and they also have a store with Hispanic items on the side where the register is & go for pick up.

The food was delicious! My wife wanted Colombian food, so this place came up on my search. We were pleasantly surprised. We ordered the Bandeja Paisa with an extra side of rice. The girls had chicken and rice. Finished so they must have loved it!.

Casual and delicious. Friendly staff. We always order the fish a paulista with fried yucca and their delicious garlic sauce.

Sue Duong

10-11-2025 Happy Saturday! I drove by this place at least 3x weekly never knew it existed. My friend invited me to come dancing. I thought, “Why not? It’s only 6.3 mi from my house.” Glad I went, fun experience listening to Latin music and watching ppl dancing; I had to leave early so I didn’t get a chance to dance, next time lol My friend and her friends ordered Papa Rellena ($6) and Empanadilla ($5); they enjoyed it. I, however, didn’t ordered any food but had Lulo drink ($6.45). My very first time trying it, refreshing! Note: -Regular hours, order food at the market counter. -Dancing hours, start @ 9 pm. I believe the entrance fee is $5. In terms of food, it’s full service from Snack Menu. Have fun dancing y’all!

Ben D

I had a great dining experience at this South American restaurant today! The moment you step inside, you’re greeted by an exotic little grocery store selling authentic South American spices and grocery items, which sets a unique vibe. Turn left, and you discover a cozy restaurant with a bar and coffee station. The menu features dishes from countries like Colombia, Puerto Rico, and Brazil. Every dish we ordered was bursting with flavor and made with incredibly fresh ingredients. The portions are generous, and the prices are very reasonable for the quality. My personal favorite dish is the avocado salad—the dressing is light and refreshing, and the avocado portion is impressively generous, making it a healthy and delicious choice. Another standout was their signature corn tortilla, made from fresh corn that’s cooked, ground, and crafted with care. The texture and taste are worlds apart from typical cornmeal tortillas—truly a labor of love and a must-try. Every dish we had was a delightful surprise, showcasing the rich diversity of South American flavors. This restaurant has been a local gem for over 40 years, and this new location lives up to its reputation. If you’re curious about South American cuisine or just love great food, I can’t recommend this place enough. It’s a fantastic spot to explore bold, authentic, and beautifully prepared dishes!

Lisa M

I do enjoy coming here to get some good Latin eats. I ordered the chicken Pastelitos and a Cuban sandwich. Both were very flavorful and delicious. I over-ordered. Lol. I couldn't eat the entire sandwich, I had to take it home. But was still delicious later. My friend ordered the Arroz con Pollo with beans and a salad. He enjoyed it. But would have preferred not to have big chunks of chicken. When we came in on April 5th, there were 2 women at the register. They were having a conversation which seemed more important than greeting customers. Afterward, the young lady who was the order taker was not friendly at all. I felt like I needed to rush to give her my order. Not pleasant at all. Once we sat down, our order came out fresh and hot. Again, delicious. The server was nice. There was no wait and eat getting a seat. I suppose I'll be back. Knowing what not to expect is half the battle. Come in for delicious eats. I also enjoy the bodega as you walk in.

A T

Randomly found this place and decided to try it because I loved the diversity in the menu. I was really excited to try Mofongo for the first time, unfortunately they were out of it that day. I got Tostones, Arepa Con Queso, Pollo Guisado (w/Arroz Gandulez and Yuca), Beef Pastelillo, Alcapurria and 2 Fruit Shakes w/Milk (Guayaba and Maracuya). My favorites were the flavorful crispy Beef Pastelillo, the yummy Pollo Guisado and the very crispy delicious yuca. The drinks were also very good! I'm glad I found this place. I didn't see any seating area so it appears to be only a take-out place, but they have a store inside where you can shop for some interesting items.

T’ (T’)

Inside a nice Latin market.. food is so yummy 👏👍

Crissy Leen

Casual and delicious. Friendly staff. We always order the fish a paulista with fried yucca and their delicious garlic sauce.

NinaR

Absolutely delicious. Besides having every single food item in the grocery section you could ever want, we had a catered birthday party, and it was just so family-oriented, the food was delicious, and the atmosphere was fantastic. It was such a wonderful evening! Thanks for making Christina's birthday such a special day!

Annika Lund

absolute gem of a place. I got the ropa vieja and it was so delicious. i will definitely be back for more and cant wait to try other things on the menu. for the price i kinda expected a more packed plate, but regardless it was incredible.

Nathalie Silva

I don’t even know where to start. It was my first time there this weekend. The food was amazing, I wanted to try the whole menu since it is a compilation of my favorites! Ended up getting the Argentinian Empanadas and the Yuca Fried as appetizers 10/10! My ropa vieja plate was out of this world - so good! The filet de pescado (fish)- my mouth waters just thinking about it. Rice and beans were so fresh I could not stop eating it. I got guaraná but tried my friends guava juice also good! The service was great, we even got some extra food items on the house <3. The price was fair, I haven’t eaten this well for the amount we paid in so long- places like these are normally overpriced, but we thought less than $60 for two people with everything we got was more than fair. After our meal we shopped at the little grocery store that’s attached to it. Got my Brazilian must haves and left so happy. We will be back!

Kimberly Ventura (Kimv90)

Food was amazing! Its a small market with a dining room set up next to it. You order and pay first, then food will be prepared. Everything was well prepared and tasted delicious. Service was very friendly.

Leticia Sprouse

I can’t believe I grew up in Clairemont and didn’t know about this place until about 2 years ago! They have Latin food from different countries but what always brings me there are the Colombian empanadas! I think they have 2 or 3 different types of empanadas but after comparing all of them, these ones are my favorite. & It comes with a delicious sauce to dip them in. I usually order pick up but they have a cute seating area that looks tropical themed and they also have a store with Hispanic items on the side where the register is & go for pick up.

JF Trading Inc.

The food was delicious! My wife wanted Colombian food, so this place came up on my search. We were pleasantly surprised. We ordered the Bandeja Paisa with an extra side of rice. The girls had chicken and rice. Finished so they must have loved it!.

Rodrigo Murray (Rico)

Feels and tastes like home cooking! Living in Cali and being from Peru and South Florida, trying this place out really took me back home. Sweet, polite, honest people cooking the food and giving you great service, you cannot beat this place. We order the Cuban food and it’s always delicious. It’s always soooo good. They have a great selection of stuff in their store as well. Items you can’t find anywhere else. I already ate one empanada in the picture and ate some of the food in the plate, it was too good to wait lol

I enjoyed the cozy, at home atmosphere. My order was the Pollo guisado and side order of tostones and a mura smoothie. The flavors were authentic. Reminded me of being at family members house. Check this spot out if your in the area. I even grabbed some Coquito!

Tropical Star is a true hidden gem whenever a Latin dish is calling my name, this place delivers every time. The menu has whatever craving you can imagine, from perfectly seasoned classics to delightful regional specialties, all made with fresh, authentic flavors. Service is unmatched: friendly, attentive, and genuinely proud of the food, which makes every visit feel warm and personal. Highly recommend for anyone seeking real Latin cuisine and exceptional hospitality. You can not go wrong with any dish here they are all mouth watering.

Justin Q

I enjoyed the cozy, at home atmosphere. My order was the Pollo guisado and side order of tostones and a mura smoothie. The flavors were authentic. Reminded me of being at family members house. Check this spot out if your in the area. I even grabbed some Coquito!

A great selection of Colombian and Brazilian products. Some of the prices are outrageous but if you really want them...

can someone turn on the climate control here? it felt authentic in so much that it was hot like the tropics in this place! food was good, tho. Cubano sandwich and Argentine empanadas hit the spot on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

I like the variety of the food s provided in this restaurant.

The food was amazing! My mom, who is Puerto Rican and very picky about how PR food is prepared, loves this place. The shrimp was melt-in-your mouth delicious! And the Tamarindo drink was not super sugary and was thick like a smoothie. We went on a weekday afternoon and were the only people in the restaurant. Because its a small place and our server was on break for part of our visit, the service was a little slow.

I've never dine here, just get latin American products from the market. It carry the most popular items. Like dulce de leche y yerba from argentina.

First impressions wasn't good, we almost walk out, we visiting out town so we did not wanted to go some were else we drove 30min to eat here nicaragua food i did not see any, but there was one dish she pointed out, but u has to order at the market and then find a seati did jot like the process, plus they dont have any water or juices only soda can, did not like thats she kind of had an attitude, then she change, So food fry fish mojara was good tostones and yuca thats a 5👍, lomo saltado flavor was good meat was kind tough dura, thats a 4, buñuelos were on point thats a 10th. Place was ok

Tropical Star used to be my GO TO spot! Unfortunately, their price increases over the years is just too much and sadly the flavors in their food are no longer the same either. An $8 increase in their Pabellon Venezolano over a 4 year period is far too much.

Holly Sullivan

Tropical Star used to be my GO TO spot! Unfortunately, their price increases over the years is just too much and sadly the flavors in their food are no longer the same either. An $8 increase in their Pabellon Venezolano over a 4 year period is far too much.

jose caceres

First impressions wasn't good, we almost walk out, we visiting out town so we did not wanted to go some were else we drove 30min to eat here nicaragua food i did not see any, but there was one dish she pointed out, but u has to order at the market and then find a seati did jot like the process, plus they dont have any water or juices only soda can, did not like thats she kind of had an attitude, then she change, So food fry fish mojara was good tostones and yuca thats a 5👍, lomo saltado flavor was good meat was kind tough dura, thats a 4, buñuelos were on point thats a 10th. Place was ok

I bought Pork chops, rice and beans. Mofongo and alcapurias with a Flan for dessert. Not bad but it's lack of the puertorican flavor.

Food taste very good just not cooked all the way or the right way. The fried pork aren’t really fried all the way how they usually are cooked and the mofongo had hard plantain little pieces in it which probably meant they didn’t smashed it all the way but it all tasted good. Also the mayo ketchup wasn’t really mixed in all the way it had more ketchup then mayo and just ruined the taste of what I was eating. Not really hate to the restaurant just need some fixes. Overall 7/10

Just moved from NYC so i was trying to find a place that had colombian food and found this place. The food is very good and authentic, but for how pricey my food was ($24) I was expecting a lot more food. The meal came with tiny portions and I was still feeling hungry after because of that. Unfortunate. In total i spent close to $30, which is an insane amount of money to spend on a single meal that wasnt filling.

I always put the most honest reviews not like some of these people that get discounts on the food.. Anyways, the rice just tasted different to me. Not that good, but it could be cuz. It's from some other place because I'm puerto. Rican, the bacalito was good, the Chicharron was not good. But the service was very good. I personally will not go back because it was very expensive. And what I don't get is the pastel was black, didn't taste bad, but it was black. I asked them why they said because it was frozen for so long. Okay, that does not sound good to me. I used to get pastel from my mom and have it in the freezer for a long time. And it never turned black. So that broke the camel's back right there.I'll never go back.But if you want to just go try it go ahead But don't order too many things, because it's very expensive and you don't really know if it's fresh

Great store you can find so many imported products from latin america, but the restaurant isn't that good. We got the chicken and rice and tmit was bland, we had to ask for "aji" and hot sauce to make it taste ok.

Tatiana Spiegler

Great store you can find so many imported products from latin america, but the restaurant isn't that good. We got the chicken and rice and tmit was bland, we had to ask for "aji" and hot sauce to make it taste ok.

Alex Martinez

I always put the most honest reviews not like some of these people that get discounts on the food.. Anyways, the rice just tasted different to me. Not that good, but it could be cuz. It's from some other place because I'm puerto. Rican, the bacalito was good, the Chicharron was not good. But the service was very good. I personally will not go back because it was very expensive. And what I don't get is the pastel was black, didn't taste bad, but it was black. I asked them why they said because it was frozen for so long. Okay, that does not sound good to me. I used to get pastel from my mom and have it in the freezer for a long time. And it never turned black. So that broke the camel's back right there.I'll never go back.But if you want to just go try it go ahead But don't order too many things, because it's very expensive and you don't really know if it's fresh

Honest review*** We visit for the first time this place cause I’m Dominican and I really were craving some good food. Drinks: we got the morir sonando it was amazing 9/10 same for the passion fruit juices. The pastelitos: they first brought two cheese and we had to return them cause we ordered beef they were good 7/10 For main dishes we ordered the shrimp mofongo it was so salty we couldn’t even enjoy it not authentic Puerto Rican mofongo 2/10 We got the bistec with white rice and beans the rice was really good but it’s just rice the meat was kinda dry needed maybe a little sauce or anything on the side cause it was rough just by itself 4/10 The service was okay the woman who took the order was nice. It wasn’t too bad but it wasn’t good as expected so I’m not coming back if you need some authentic Dominican/ Puerto Rican food you have to travel to New York at this point 🤣

Honestly, I'm disappointed. Colombian here. When I arrived the elder man I believe the owner, just pointed at the menu and asked me to pay my meal upfront. Know that this is very unusual in a Colombian restaurant. Then he just said to go sit anywhere. Quite unwelcoming. My bandeja paisa half warm/half cold.The chicharron was hard as a stone. The man and other people started moving boxes/something when I was dining. The lady was ticketing the food to sell near me. I could hear the ticketing machine next to me. While she did stop to ask if I needed anything, I think the customer experience really lacks in this place. The food also didnt compensate. I do not recommend this place.

The food was poorly prepared leaving the roast pork meat with a boil flavor instead of a nice roasted texture You had to pay for each item on your plate individually. The alcapurria was undercook and relleno de papas were tasteless. and The bacalaito was tasteless and undercooked. However the server was gracious and very hospitable If you want to meet a great server it’s the place to go however if your looking for great tasty food skip this place

Worst food ever, the cashier was amazing girl. Her customer service top notch. But the cook knows nothing about Latin American cuisine. He should stick to cooking Mexican food. Which I love, what ever he is cooking here, terrible. Cold, meat was tough, beans sweat.

The food was not good. Overcooked dry meat. Rude. I asked for crispy fries and medium rare meat. In the middle of our table's conversation, he made me go walk into the kitchen and told me why he can't. Just politely say you can't do it, that's all that is necessary.

I will not be returning to this establishment. I ordered three entrée plates at $19.99 each based on the appealing menu descriptions and photos. We ordered takeout, and upon arriving home and opening my order, I was very disappointed. I ordered the Lomo Saltado, which was advertised as containing beef, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, fries, and rice, however, my order was missing the cilantro and there was 1 hidden tomato. Additionally, the dish was excessively salty. My son’s meal was also overly salted. Overall, the experience was disappointing, as the food did not match the quality or description presented.

Dee T

I will not be returning to this establishment. I ordered three entrée plates at $19.99 each based on the appealing menu descriptions and photos. We ordered takeout, and upon arriving home and opening my order, I was very disappointed. I ordered the Lomo Saltado, which was advertised as containing beef, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, fries, and rice, however, my order was missing the cilantro and there was 1 hidden tomato. Additionally, the dish was excessively salty. My son’s meal was also overly salted. Overall, the experience was disappointing, as the food did not match the quality or description presented.

I was really disappointed with my experience at Tropical Star. The food didn’t feel authentic at all. The lomo saltado was full of cartilage, the seasonings were off, which made it very unpleasant to attempt to eat. The ahi was just as disappointing. For spending over $100 on food, I definitely had much higher expectations. Unfortunately, it didn’t feel worth the price, my family and I will not return. We honestly threw our food away, it was overall terrible.

Flower Power Eats

I was really disappointed with my experience at Tropical Star. The food didn’t feel authentic at all. The lomo saltado was full of cartilage, the seasonings were off, which made it very unpleasant to attempt to eat. The ahi was just as disappointing. For spending over $100 on food, I definitely had much higher expectations. Unfortunately, it didn’t feel worth the price, my family and I will not return. We honestly threw our food away, it was overall terrible.