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-   -   Sweet Tomatoes Albuquerque NM (https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/sweet-tomatoes-albuquerque-nm-898505/)

Dayenu Jul 12th, 2011 09:07 AM

Sweet Tomatoes Albuquerque NM
 
We'll have a dinner there, and looking at their menu, I hope it's a mistake. They only have salads and soups? Come on, in this heat they have like 10 soups?

And what happened to the entrees? Like chicken and rice, or any peace of meat on a plate?

If this is not a mistake, the men in our group will be disappointed!

Maybe there is more than they show on their website?

lgs513 Jul 12th, 2011 09:12 AM

Sweet Tomatoes is a chain restaurant - it's specialty is Salads and Soups

Dayenu Jul 12th, 2011 09:44 AM

So it's true, no entrees? Something to look forward to :(

NeoPatrick Jul 12th, 2011 10:00 AM

Yep. It used to be called SoupPlantation (or maybe some locations still use that name?). Friends of mine in Naples love Sweet Tomatoes, and I like it fine for lunch. It says as their byline "soups, salads, bakery" and that's it. But I don't get it. If you don't want a place with just soups and salads, why not pick another place?

Dayenu Jul 12th, 2011 11:35 AM

Patrick, is this the place with the Soup Nazi? :)

We will be with a group, it's one of the included meals, I'm just browsing the menus. We will survive, I'm sure, just checking all I can, travel research, you know ;)

NeoPatrick Jul 12th, 2011 11:41 AM

Nope, not the soup nazi. Soup Plantations are found in a lot of malls or food courts. Usually Sweet Tomatoes are versions which are more of a free standing restaurant. But it's all the same company.

1JAR Jul 12th, 2011 12:04 PM

Not a mistake as others have mentioned. It is a very popular restaurant is California: some of the soups have huge chunks of chicken...Chicken Noodle soup. Some of the salads have huge chunks of chicken: Chineese Chicken Salad, very yummy. There are usually hard boiled eggs on the salad buffet and often litle chunks of cooked ham and bacon bits.

Dayenu Jul 12th, 2011 12:58 PM

Salad buffet? Sounds better. We like buffets.

SusanM Jul 12th, 2011 01:23 PM

As someone who likes Sweet Tomatoes (for lunch more than for dinner), let me paint it in a better light for you.

You enter the restaurant and immediately join the salad bar line. It is 2-sided, so no long waits. It is the longest salad bar I've ever seen. If you like salads, you'll be happy.

At the end of the salad bar, you pay, adding a beverage to your meal if you'd like. Then you can sit down and eat your salad or, as I prefer to do, go to the other section.

It too is buffet, with separate sections: Soups, baked potatoes, select baked goods like muffins, cornbread, and pizza bread in one, cooked to order pasta with topping options in another, and desserts in a third (soft serve ice cream, brownies and fresh fruit).

So while there are no "entrees," no one can possibly leave hungry. In fact, I only ever go through the line once, as there's so much to choose from.

Enjoy!

HappyTrvlr Jul 12th, 2011 01:27 PM

It's a big sterile chain buffet restaurant,probably located by a shopping mall. I went to a Sweet Tomatoes once and would never go back.There are lots of local places where you would get a much better meal and distinctive experience. (I am
anti-chain if you didn't guess.)

Dayenu Jul 12th, 2011 01:28 PM

Thank you, Susan :)

From their website it looked like a sit-down restaurant with a limited menu, I feel better now!

volcanogirl Jul 12th, 2011 01:35 PM

They're all over the U.S. They remind me of fresh cafeteria food. It's not bad, but if you have a chance to eat at a local spot, I would do it.

Dayenu Jul 12th, 2011 01:40 PM

Sure, we'll eat local too! Not all meals are included, and we'll stay after the program.

DebitNM Jul 12th, 2011 03:39 PM

Not to worry; lots to eat, salads, fruit, cookies, hot food that will be entree like and drinks with free refills. Not my first choice for a dinner out, but it is absolutely an okay place for a meal.

Dayenu Jul 13th, 2011 08:01 AM

Thanks!


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