Tropicana Bar Be Cue

New owner-​operator, the founder has retired, and it’s cleaner, better lit, and the food is significantly better!

Rode by this place on my bike for years. Didn’t realize for a long time it was actually a BBQ joint; the big bright sign, the name, the busy exterior; it takes the eye a while to find «BBQ». Even so…
Entering this unassuming little shanty is indeed a time warp. La Don~a has been doin’ the dang thing here since ’57, and lemme tell you: that is a place whose walls ooze w/​bluesy atmosphere. A melancholy, even. Have you ever been to Gettysburg, or any other site of mass suffering and turmoil? It’s sort of like that, albeit on a far smaller scale. The décor is straight from the 50s and 60s, along w/​the vintage iconic posters of MLK, Jesse Jackson, et al. This is NOT faux vintage, ala Applebees. The juke box is circa 1981, w/​no music therein later than mid 80s Luther (which I felt was his strongest period, personally). The machine promptly ate my quarter, and I was not in the least bit surprised. It is both inspiring to me to see this woman still successfully running this business; she has to be somewhere in her late 60s or 70s. At the same time, it is a sad sight to see someone still needing to work at such an age; God knows she’s paid her dues. A lot of retirees like to work a little bit for spending money and to stay active; I’m not aware of too many that age that want to keep at it full-time…she was engaging and prompt w/​her service, but above all else, this poor woman seemed T-​I-​R-​E-​D.
On to the victuals…
The ribs seem to be the main event here, esp. pork but they have beef as well. Tender, and well cooked, the smell alone is heavenly. The huge brick and mortar wood smoker pit is just behind the counter. Oak is their preferred hardwood for the ‘cue; as opposed to alder, hickory or mesquite, as so many places use.
The catfish fillet was huge, and pan-​fried, which I prefer over deep-​frying. Sides included collard greens and black eyed peas. Finished off w/​peach cobbler, and POW! Hunger? What hunger?
Next time was the oxtail and chitterlings medley. Chitlun’s are decidedly NOT for the timid of spirit; one whiff up close had me wondering if my Hep. A and B boosters were up to date… I asked if she ever made Cracklin’ Bread; she knew what it was, but apparently there was no consumer demand for it… (again, no surprise there)
One gets the impression that the Tropicana is one or several decades past its prime, and could stand a thorough going-​over in the «Juvenation Machine.» The menu is solid, most of the entrees and sides were good (though the cornbread was pretty dry), but it’s outrageous that one in her Golden Years is still gamely at the helm of the Mother Ship here. Surely there’s family/​friends that could stand in and keep it running?
Anyone looking for an amazing business opportunity? It’s true there’s no shortage of good ‘Q in the nearby hood, even w/​the
closures of Doris’ various locales and Mel Renfro’s soul food hole in the wall (which was just across the street from Tropicana btw). But that doesn’t mean a little robust competition isn’t called for. No need to go overhauling everything, if it’s not broke don’t fix it! They’ve been going for 54 freakin’ years here, I’d love to know even ½ of everything they’ve forgotten about soul food– the preparation, the cooking, and making a successful business run and keep running. Much good to them, but hopefully they can see about getting the jukebox fixed. I love me some Bobby Womack and Rufus/​Chaka Khan, but I love ‘em even more when I can hear ‘em playing!!! ;p

I was so happy going into this restaurant yesterday with my friend. We had walked by many times and haven’t gone in yet. I loved it so much in there. The owner was this sweet old lady who’s had it for well over 50 years. Family owned and operated… and everything in there is as authentic looking as the day it first opened. The food was so tasty! I loved it. It was a little bit spendy for the amount of food given, but i’m not complaining. Such a great experience going in here, with such a sweet lady running it for so long. Thanks!

A Cryin’ Shame
For years, I’ve driven by this intriguing little yellow building on N Williams avenue and always had the intention of stopping in. The unassuming building seemed to house the potential for great food. According to the sign out front, the Tropicana has been around since 1957; surely, I thought, they’re doing something right.
Tonight was the night. It was 7:00 and I hadn’t eaten since breakfast. I was in the mood for some BBQ and in the neighborhood. I was greeted promptly by two women and the smell of collard greens (so far so good). Both women were eager to assist me as I was the only customer in the restaurant at the time. The old stove and brick oven caught my eye, as did the old pot holders and oven mits being used. This was starting to feel like I walked into someone’s southern home.
Ordering was confusing, there were three different hard to read boards in three different places. I settled on a BBQ sandwich and a side of the greens that I smelled when I entered. The women took my order and disappeared around the corner. I became aware of the Horse Races on TV as the volume competed against the jukebox.
The food arrived in reasonable time. The BBQ sandwich consists of a plate of something that resembled ribs with small bones and lots of connective tissue with two slices of dry, stale bread on the side along with a small portion of potato salad. I was offered the choice of Hot or Mild sauce, while I appreciate the variety, it would be preferable if the cooks at Tropicana put their energy into making one sauce that tasted of something other than salt and paprika. The potato salad lacked texture and had a flavor that was average. The greens that smelled so good when I walked in, tasted old and had a slightly off flavor that I couldn’t identify except to say that it seems like they replaced ham hocks with fish heads in their recipe.
When it was time to pay, the server spent about 4 minutes with a calculator, trying to add the cost of these two items. $ 16.45 is what she wrote on the ticket, $ 16.95 is what she told me the price was. In any event, I over paid for the worst BBQ that I have had in Portland.
From the outside, this had the potential to be a unique and wonderful experience. It’s a shame that it ended up being uniquely awful. Save yourself the bad food, high prices, and stomach ache by going somewhere else. Cannon’s and Yam Yam’s are only 2 miles away, Russel St. BBQ is less than half a mile.

slowest service ever
Pretty good though. The pulled pork sammy is good. They can be a bit cheap with the sauce.