Review Tropikis - Winnipeg

First time customer at Tropikis Restaurant and I will definitely being going back! We bought the mild chicken/beef roti and jamaican patties, all of it was absolutely excellent! The green eyed lady working the front was extremely sweet and very informative about the different foods on the menu. She really made our experience delightful. The vibe there was awesome and the food was super filling an so delicious. Highly recommend this place!

Food was excellent! WOW! The amount of BEEF in my Roti and the amount of CHICKEN in my wife's Roti! We were totally full once we were done eating and it was delicious 😋 We also tried one of their Jamaican Salads which was full of different kinds of fruits, fruits I didn't think would taste GOOD together but they did! AN AWESOME PLACE! VERY FRIENDLY!

We were shown a take out menu and proceeded to place our order and paid. THEN we were informed that the price that we saw on the menu were from the "old" menu that they hadn't gotten around to getting "new" ones and they could do "nothing" about it. I asked why are they handing out old menu's rather than printing up new ones with current and accurate pricing as it is just a sheet of paper anyway, her response again was "there is nothing we can do about it" I told her that was false advertising and she blame "vivid" for the rise. Why would you sneakily advertise at one price then charge another? Untrustworthy and deceitful business practices.

Went there on the recommendation of a friend. Arrived at 5:25 and they close at 6. Made me feel very unwelcome and stated twice that they close soon. Also argued with someone on the phone about closing time while I waited to be acknowledged. Hey, if you put in that much effort to get me out without spending money, fine by me haha I live in the area and most likely would have been back several times if they even showed the slightest desire for my business. Their loss

Food used to be excellent. While the food is still pretty good, It's gone downhill. The patties are store bought, rice tastes like it's been reheated and the chicken roti is a bit salty. I'd give the food a 3/5 stars. The bigger problem is the disrespect to customers, and employees from the owners. I Can clearly hear the chef yelling and swearing at the employees from the front. The lady in the front was very rude and would gossip about employees to customers, and the bathrooms are a nightmare. Atmosphere of the restaurant is a 1/5 and customer service is a 2/5 for me. (I did use to work here a few years back and left because of the abuse. I would recommend against going to this restaurant. It is not safe for kids, chef is abusive to his employees and the lady in the front is very rude to customers).

The salad is fantastic - bright with lots of interesting fruits. The food is warm and rich, but the service is often slow. The server will definitely try to talk you into ordering more food/drinks than you intended to.

After being told for years that I should go, I finally dropped in and got the hot chicken/rice/salad combo. It was so good! The best I’ve had in the city. I’ll definitely be going back. Take out service was great, the process in store was warm and friendly. We chatted about a bunch of stuff. Excellent first impression, and like I said, the food was incredible.

Absolutely loved Tropikis restaurant. The food was very fresh and flavourful. I would highly recommend this great little place!

The food is excellent, that being said;<br/><br/>The woman working the front counter is a terror. Insulted my fiancee one time making an off handed comment about our relationship, and has taken my order down wrong and claimed I was mistaken when several other people heard me place the order and confirmed she was at fault. Refused to do anything to fix it. She will also make you wait for your pickup order even if you can see it sitting there. I used to eat here regularly, but now find it such a hassle dealing with her I barely go anymore.

Great service, the lady that works the register is very friendly! Great rotis! I deeply recommend trying everything in their menu and especially the chicken roti.

A great little gem in Winnipeg! Walking in I felt like I was in someone’s house. The server was super friendly and walked us through the menu. Food was delicious and full of flavour! Ox tail was juicy and tasty, the roti was very yummy! Great place to try if you want to experience spice! Will be back for sure!

The food is amazing, however the service is quite frustrating at times. The hours are unpredictable and our last visit was quite disappointing. We walked away without food because we arrive to find out they'd run out of the items we'd order for pick up. I wish I could say that was a first...

The Swizzle Styx had lunch here yesterday and WOW! Everything was awesome, it's a cute little place and very clean and Caribbean music playing made for a great atmosphere. Our server Michelle (Mikey) was outstanding with a great sense of humour and knowledgeable about the menu. We tried all four appetizers and they were all excellent. We had elk, goat and shrimp roti and all were great and the salad that comes with it is really delicious. We even tried the camel and it was great! It was a fabulous dining experience and can't wait to go back.<br/><br/>Oct 2018 - The Swizzle Styx were back here and once again the food was incredibly delicious. I think we may become regulars 😊

We recently discovered this place and have been here twice, only somewhat familiar with Caribbean food. The first time we went the owner/manager (a woman) served us and she was fantastic. She guided us through the entire menu, explained items and made recommendations. It made for a very pleasant first visit. We tried doubles for the first time and man have we been missing out. We have no others to compare it too but they are incredible!!! We had a veggie roti and shrimp roti. Both very delicious Caribbean-style roti and Heavy Hitters portion-sized approved. The accompanying salad is a mix of veggies and seasonal tropical fruit and one of the tastiest salads we've ever had. We left stuffed! <br/>Our second visit lacked in service. It was cold and robotic, we didn't have an opportunity to ask questions and we weren't checked on after we got our food. To be fair it appeared a kitchen worker was filling in serving duties on a pinch. We got our food in a timely fashion this time a chicken roti and mixed veggie roti. They were as yummy as expected. It is a good thing our second visit was not our first as we would have been lost and scratching our heads at the menu. I would say a safe bet for anyone else in this boat is to go for the roti. It's amazing and likely every variety is, there were about 10 different kinds on the menu. We are also interested in trying out more of the menu.

What a treat. Food was delicious and brought me back home to Jamaica. The decor is interesting, could use an upgrade. Service was excellent and our server made a big effort in explaining carefully each dish we ordered and how it's made. I would have given it a 5 star if it wasn't for the rum punch we ordered. I think the juice for it was powdered and therefore way too sweet. Gotta taste d rum! Will be coming back here again.

Had the chicken roti with doubles. At $3.95, the doubles are maybe a bit pricey?  I haven't had doubles in Winnipeg in years, so I'm not sure.  They were delicious.  The chicken roti and salad was excellent.  It's a large meal.  One of my lunch companions couldn't finish his chicken roti.  The salad was superb, in fact, one of my colleagues always raved about the salad she had with a roti from a few years ago, saying it was the best salad she's had.  Mine today was so good, fruity and tasty.  Overall, it was a positive experience.

Ordered shrimp roti last weekend. The shrimp were fresh and the roti was excellent as usual ! The double and roti are the best in the city.

Honestly, I think this is one of the best/most unique places in the city, and a go-to for me to bring out of towners for the simple fact that they have Bison and Elk rotis. I've never encountered another place that has them, and they are top notch every time. The salad plays right into my taste palate, with the fruit and romaine mix, and the rotis are perfect. <br/>It's a quirky hole in the wall joint, so don't expect fine dining...but that's what makes the best restaurants in Winnipeg, in my opinion. It fits in perfect with the flavour and culture of this city. A creative twist, on a classic.

Been to this restaurant on numerous occasions and never been disappointed yet.  The quantity of meat in their rotis are perfect.  I always have enough for the next day. Their salad is to die for.  It is a surprise every time as the ingredients change with the seasons.  They only make one dressing which is yummy. I have also tried their goat and oxtail and was delighted at how yummy it was.<br/>I was told everything is house made including hot sauce.<br/>I recommend Tropikis for one of the best dine in or take out experiences.

The chicken roti with salad is probably my pre-execution last meal.  I have easily had it over a hundred times over the last 15 years and it never misses.  When you eat-in the salad it comes with varies by season but is always top notch with semi-exotic fruit, nuts and their signature dressing.  I have occasionally had the bean rice, patties and doubles as well and they are equally delicious.  I used them a couple times for catering jobs -  Terrific.<br/><br/>I give it a 4.5 because the food is so thoroughly excellent and basically wipes out some of the deep flaws this place has:<br/><br/>Decor - the place is not nice.  They slapped on some pain a few years ago but the men's room is a horror show.  You can see the kitchen from the front counter and it is scary looking as well.<br/><br/>Service - This place has a type. Competent, normal servers don't last long.  The service is never poor, just weird.  Awkward.  Servers usually always seem like this is the first table they ever served.  There also seems to be a strange pacing to how they interact and only one thing can be addressed per visit to the table.  "Here is your water, I'll be right back to take your drink order" kind of stuff.  If you force them to deviate from their rhythm they are noticeably uncomfortable.  It is not just one person, it is always like this there.  Never unpleasant.  Just strange.<br/><br/>Pricing - For a West End dive, the prices are getting up there.  A dinner for two with a round of drinks is pushing $50 nowadays.  That is a little pricey for the decor level you get and the offal that passes for house wine.  I used to go once a month, but now it is every other month and I focus on cheaper local alternates.

I had been a customer at Tropikist  for over 25 years  i ordered a ROTI for pickup some time ago and arrived for my order i was told that it was sold to some one else the owner was talking with one of his usually the owner is the one who makes the roti i waited for 5 minutes he was still talking with his friend i told him i was in a hurry that day so i guess he got annoyed that i asked him to rush my order he told me he took my money and told me not to come back that is the way to treat customers that help you to build a business. there are other ROTI SHOPS in the city where i will take my business from now on.

Without a doubt the chicken roti here is one of my last meal requirements.  The salad it comes with is always a little different, but always great.  Good doubles and beef patty as well.  Use their home-made hot sauce as much as you can stand the heat!  The beans and rice is also super good.  I have had them cater events for me as well and everything was superb.<br/><br/>Its an Ellice hole in the wall, so if you can accept that, the decor is ok though the bathrooms hover on unacceptable.  Just avoid them.  They re-painted recently not that it looks much better.<br/><br/>This place is not as cheap as it used to be.  Dinner for two with a drinks and starter will push towards $50 now.  Not bad, but man, those rotis bring me back, wallet be-damned.<br/><br/>The service is....idiosyncratic.  I have been eating here for over 10 years and good, normal servers tend not to last long.  Instead you get these kinda weird folks.  Well-intentioned but everyday seems like their first with no sense of how to time a table visit etc.  Things are done one-at-a-time and in some sort of pre-determined sequence in their minds.  So if you ask for a beer at the wrong time it unbalances them noticeably until they get back into their own internal groove.  And this is not just one server, but several that have platooned for long years there.  When I want to leave I make sure they are unoccupied with no take-away orders in queue otherwise it will take 10 minutes of me standing at the counter before they can find my bill and ring me up.

UNBELIEVABLE ATTITUDE !!. Let me preface this review by saying that my wife & I have patronized Tropikis for approximately 17 yr. Tho we have always dined in the restaurant we had decided today to pick up rotis and salad to take home so that we could watch the Bomber game.<br/>I ALWAYS order the chicken roti which comes with a delicious side salad and my wife almost always has her fave -- shrimp roti which also comes with the same fabulous side salad.<br/>I went in, ordered the rotis and assumed that the same side salads would be included. Just to be sure I did ask the young man at the front counter and was informed that no salad was included BUT could be added at what I thought was a very overpriced cost considering that if we had dined in it would indeed be included in the meal. When I asked why "so much ?", I was directed to the owner (Danesh ?). When I mentioned that we had eaten at his restaurant for many years and was just asking why the salad was such an expensive extra for take-out when it was included if we ate in, his reply was, and I'm not kidding "It was your choice to eat here and it's your choice to not eat here".<br/>Well, all I can say to you Danesh is ...<br/>YOU made that choice for us. We will not be back & I will be honest when I say that we will miss your rotis and that fantastic salad BUT you are not the only game in town. Why you had such an arrogant attitude when you could have just as easily taken a minute to explain your reasoning for the take-out prices instead of being just another egotistical self-centred business owner who thinks that all you have to do is "open the door and they will come".<br/>Definitely gonna miss your food but certainly not your crappy attitude.<br/>BTW ... we enjoyed a great Middle Eastern dinner (which was handed to us with a genuine smile and a "thank you"). Hint hint.

Yummy roti. I had the chicken curry roti and thought it was great. The salad that came with it was also really good and as others have mentioned, the dressing was great. Although I had a positive experience, my boyfriend didn't feel the same way. He found that the restaurant didn't seem very clean and he was unhappy with his meal. He ordered a shrimp salad to start and it contained such a small amount of shrimp considering how much he paid for it. His main was some sort of fish dish and he was really unimpressed with it, especially considering how well other people have rated this place. I'd go back but just stick with the roti.

Great food. Weird Service.. The Roti I had was amazing, and the salad had an awesome dressing on on it. I would definitely reccomend the food here. <br/><br/>I'm not sure if the service here is a gimmick or something, but it is very odd. The server comes at seemingly timed intervals to fill your water glass, whether or not it is still full. <br/><br/>I ordered a beer, and he left to go get it, and was gone for a while, and then came back without it and asked me if I still wanted it, then left and came back to refill our mostly full water glasses, then left and came back with my beer.... <br/><br/>When we asked for the bill, he left, and then came back to refill our water glasses, then left again to get the bill.<br/><br/>I'm the sort of person who enjoys experiences like this, I'm honestly going back to this place, not just for the great food, but for the kooky atmosphere.

This restaurant has an ok atmosphere, but one that needs some refreshment. The food is definiteley not worth the hype. I have tasted better caribean food from the forks.

Mediocre Food, Terrible Service. My fiance and I were driving down Ellice looking for a place to have lunch and happened on Tropikis. We decided to eat there because we had seen generally good reviews for it.<br/><br/>The first red flag went up when we asked if we could substitute rice for mixed vegetables in a Goat curry and the server replied 'No'. After consulting with the chef, he offered to serve the rice separately and add on some mixed vegetables (for 60 cents extra). We agreed and proceeded to wait... and wait... for our food despite being the only customers in the restaurant. Out comes 6-7 small pieces of Goat in sauce(hardly a curry worth almost $15) and some sort of chick pea curry with 'complementary' potatoes that we didn't ask for. We clearly asked for one entree, which was a goat CURRY, that comes with a side salad and rice. We were told we were getting steamed vegetables along with rice, and out comes stew pieces of goat, and a chick pea curry. The best part about this meal was the preceding salad with spinach, strawberry, blueberries and a lovely dressing. My fiance has a specific diet that requires her to eat little carbohydrates, which is why we wished to substitute rice for vegetables. It was not pleasant to have chick peas or potatoes come on to the table and be called "complimentary".<br/><br/>The real kicker was when I went to pay, and the total came to almost $27, when we didn't order any appetizers, desserts and only ONE entree of goat curry- not a platter. When my fiance asked why so much, the only thing that was heard was some mumbling and then something about complimentary potatoes. Our only guess is that they saw it fit to not give us what we asked for, and were willing to pay a little extra for, take advantage and simply charge us for a whole other dish we didn't ask for. The decor is unkempt, the service was a little awkward and of course, we felt a little robbed leaving the restaurant. We're not eating here again.

GOOD CARIBBEAN FOOD OK SERVICE. Overall decent food. Roti’s have good shell and tasty filling. Island drinks are in glass bottles not plastic (retains quality better). Curry chicken and rice have good flavor. Doubles are ok. The service is a little substandard and I would suggest not putting the salad on the same plate as the Roti. Ranch dressing and Curry do not mix! Prices are a tad high for what you get. Caution: Some very offensive language was heard and the staff seem to be treated very poorly. Very unprofessional. Some may find this offensive and rightfully so.

Not the best.. The roti's were ok- all be it a little dry and lacked that carribean punch.<br/>the service was just bad. the staff didn't seem interested in serving us, and did more avoiding than anything else.

I can't rate the food as we never got served. Service was terrible - we were there for about 20 minutes and never got brought a menu or water. The cashier did see us come in. We left after 20 minutes - there are too many good restaurants in the area to waste time and money at a place that clearly doesn't want our business

The place for Roti in WPG. You are going to love the salad that comes ith the Roti dishes. Its a nice green salad with fruit and nuts and a splendid homemade dressing. Its really good. <br/><br/>But man, the Roti here is absolutely to die for. The first thing I have to comment on is the huge tender chunks of flavour bursting chicken. Then add the rich curry sauce and the terrific shells and its a lunch from heaven.<br/><br/>If you like hot sauce, and who doesn't...... whatever they put in the red squeeze bottle on the tables is KILLER! I wont even try to figure out whats in it, but its hot and fruity and refreshing all in one. I love that hot sauce. <br/><br/>And to the lunch time waiter who I used to think was as odd as a month of Sundays has worn on me. You make me laugh man. Now sell me some hot sauce!<br/><br/>4 out of 5 mon!

Best Rotis in the city. Last time I went there the potatoes were a little on the mash potato side. I still think they're the best in the city though. Sorry Famena.

Unsatisfying Conch Dish. I'm from the West Indies and was craving a real (by "real" I mean Caribbean style) conch dish. So I decided to go for Tropikis, since I could not find any other place than Tropikis in Winnipeg. The first thing that stroke me was the dish itself. The cook basically told me that the conch is a stand-alone dish, nothing comes with it (for almost $17!!). Surprised, I asked him why the dish does not come with rice and red beans (since Tropikis is supposed to be a Caribbean restaurant). He basically told me that he could serve the conch with potatoes (?!) if I wanted to. It took me a while to think about it, and because I was craving conch and went for the conch mixed with the potatoes and my oh my I regretted my choice when I started digging it. <br/>The conch dish served at Tropikis is far from - not being authentic but instead is more an indian dish with the original indian spices and everything where the conch is unfortunately dropped in there. Which means that the conch served does not taste like conch. It is totally blend! <br/><br/>If anyone knows a place in Winnipeg where I can enjoy an authentic conch dish (plantain, rice and red beans) please let me know.<br/><br/>Thank you!

Love this place I always phone in my order on my way home, always order beef roti and doubles when you want some spice they know how to do it. 2 thumbs up

Food good..service sketchy. Have been here numerous times. The food is good. Service always a bit slow for some reason. Usually have the beef roti and an order of doubles and cold beer. Can't go wrong. Can never finish and must take home leftovers. Nice spicy (hot) fruit chutney. A few parking spaces on side of building.<br/>Cheers. Happy eats.

OXTAIL FAIL!!!. I was in from Calgary visiting my sister and decided to order some oxtail. Carribbean spice's nuber was out of services found out they shut down so tried a new place th next day. The oxtail was made with RED WINE VINIGER. I should have know when I went to pick it up I could not smell the amazing scent oxtail gives off. This stuff was gross. The meat DID NOT fall off the bone the sauce/gravy had an orange ting to it and the black bean rice has frozen cooked carrots in it. DISSIPOINTED WHAT A JOKE! The lady on the phone made refference to the trinidad cook knowing just what he was doing, NOT AT ALL if looking for oxtail DO NOT TRY TROPIKIS THEY MAY KNOW ROTI BUT THE OXTAIL WAS A TOTAL FAIL YUCK!!!

Good food. We went to Tropikis for supper on a Friday night, and there was only one other customer in the restaurant at the time, and another couple came in while we were eating, so they don't seem to get very busy.<br/><br/>The chicken roti was good, but my father-in-law said that the roti was supposed to be spicy, and this was sort of bland. Fortunately, they do put hot sauce on the table for you. This is actually a spicy hot sauce, not a bland hot sauce that you're going to find in most northern restaurants (you know, the kind they say is spicy but is also sort of bland and mild). <br/><br/>A complaint here is I saw they had a soursop beverage on the menu, so I ordered that. The waitress informed me that they don't have that, and she didn't even know what it was. I figured that maybe this was a new waitress, but she was familiar enough with my in-laws who hadn't been there for a few months, so she obviously wasn't new.

Best doubles in town.

Solid Rotis. If you're in the mood for a curry roti, this is the place to go. They offer a variety of options, such as potato and vegetable, chickpea, chicken, shrimp, goat, and bison, all in the same yellow curry sauce, so the only difference is the protein. We ordered the doubles to start, and I liked my double even better than the shrimp roti I followed it up with. The double flatbread was soft and chewy, the chickpeas perfectly tender, and the sauce had some good, biting heat. Beautiful appetizer; next time I'm ordering two. <br/><br/>The shrimp in my roti were quite large, which meant I only got a bite of shrimp occasionally. I would actually recommend they go with a smaller count shrimp, maybe a 31-40, so you're more likely to encounter shrimp in each bite of roti. My guy had the curry goat roti, which is full of bones, as goat usually is. Actually, I feel the need to go on a bit of a goat meat rant here. <br/><br/>I like the taste of goat, but there's so little meat on the bones it hardly seems worth eating. I've cooked goat before and had the same issue. Is it possible to get ground goat? Goat meat on the bone is too much effort for too little payoff. I want to like it, because it's a healthier meat and better for the environment, but it's a big, boney hassle. End rant. <br/><br/>Either way, with a double and a roti, this is some seriously filling food. <br/><br/>Complaints: We got there at 7:45 on a Friday evening and were told they were about to close so our orders would have to be to go. They told the same to two other groups who came in after us. Maybe it's time to extend the hours on Friday nights, no?<br/><br/>The decor here is seriously dated. Also, and this is a strange quibble I feel compelled to add--the people running the restaurant do not appear to be from the Caribbean, but to be garden variety Canadian white people. Food's still good, but I find that odd.

OMG EXCELLENT Curry Goat !!!. Popped in for a quick lunch today as the restaurant had been suggested to me and I was in the neighbourhood. WOW was I glad I did as they serve the most amazing authentic Trinidadian stewed goat I have come across in a long time ! It was all goat, (no potato/carrot fillers) falling off the bone in the stringy tender way goat does. The flavour was fantastically spicy without being overwhelming in a nice thick gravy. It was served with my choice of rice & peas (could have had plain steamed rice) and their signature salad of fresh greens, spinach, strawberries, grapes, papaya, roasted sunflower seeds and another type of crunchy roasted seed (perhaps soy) which combined perfectly with their house dressing. YUM YUM !! And all for $13.60.<br/>Service was fast and friendly too ! Will definitely be going back as they had bison & elk rotis/platters on the menu also !!! They also serve their own homemade hot sauce at the table which packs a very good kick !!<br/><br/>PS Did go back for lunch with my Dad today and he had the elk roti and I had the elk platter. Both were fantastic !!<br/>Chicken Roti... exellent combination of chicken and potato curry in homemade roti shell; they also sell roti shells alone to take home and fill with your own creations.<br/>Oxtail... a little fatty but served in a rich thick tasty stew that had some lentils in it.

Sooo good!. I love Caribbean food and Tropikis, I especially like the chicken roti, it tastes like its slow simmered melt in your mouth, the roti shells are the perfect texture, and portions are huge. The restaurant itself is small and casual, staff is very friendly, usually Caribbean music playing. A friend from Trinidad made the best rotis and would never share the recipe, after finding Tropikis I don't have to beg her to make me delicious rotis anymore.