Sweet Tomatoes info please

[CaLuCa]

Hi, we are headed down for an off site trip...usually on site people, but we are simply outgrowing Disney rooms with four kids. I am excited to try some off site places, including Sweet Tomatoes but am having trouble finding prices. I see several coupons online, like family dinner for 4 for $32. What age do they consider a child? I've got 12, 5, 5, and 2.

If you have a review I'd love to read it. I've only read pretty positive so far.

We are also planning on Giordionno's pizza (love deep dish) and Bahama Breeze. Might add one of the mexicans in the other thread and thai if we have time. Really wanted to do Earl of Sandwich but the thought of DTD at its current state makes me nauseous.

Thanks!

 

[HopperFan]

From them in late fall -
"Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes: It seems that there is some confusion about our pricing. We apologize for the confusion! Our prices vary depending on location and time of day. Typically, lunch prices range between $8.50 - $9.50 and dinner price is between $10 - $11. For more information, call your nearest Sweet Tomatoes/Souplantation location. Phone numbers can be found at www.souplantation.com or www.sweettomatoes.com. We look forward to serving you!"

Kid age breaks (unless that varies by location) are 2 and Under Free, 3-5 years old around $5 and 6-12 around $6. PLUS drinks. We never eat there without a coupon here and def wouldn't there as we often find the big chain restaurants in Orlando have higher prices than we pay at home for same thing.

Based on ours -
There are several stations. When you walk you go direct to the long salad bar with assortment of made salads and ability to build your own. At ours if you add any meat to the build your own there is an additional charge. At the end of the salad line is the cash register where you pay and get cups. There is a drink station. There is an "ice cream" station with toppings. There is another long station which includes soups, breads, cobbler, sweets, pastas and pizza.

Here is a review with photos of the International Drive one.
http://tastychomps.com/2009/07/sweet-tomatoes-international-drive.html

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

We have been to the Sweet Tomatoes at the Crossroads near Downtown Disney and really enjoyed it. We are planning to go back in July. I have read that if you sign up to their email club you can get a discount do I am going to do that before we fly out. Last time we go BOGOF without a voucher but that was just good luck with the cashier

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

You can read my review ... with several photos.... from May 1st here (post 43):

http://www.disboards.com/threads/love-is-“universal”-our-awesome-anniversary-adventures-in-orlando-may-2015-tr.3409180/page-3

My trip report features full reviews of the following offsite locations: Sweet Tomatoes, Earl of Sandwich, Hash House a Go Go, Millers Ale House, Bubbalou's Bodacious Barbecue, IHOP, Carrabbas, The Knife and Red Robin. My previous reports (specifically, the one from August 2013) review Giordano's. You can find the most comprehensive one here, beginning at post 122:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/ro...an-august-trip-report-complete.3167818/page-7

 

[Upatnoon]

Hi, we are headed down for an off site trip...usually on site people, but we are simply outgrowing Disney rooms with four kids. I am excited to try some off site places, including Sweet Tomatoes but am having trouble finding prices. I see several coupons online, like family dinner for 4 for $32. What age do they consider a child? I've got 12, 5, 5, and 2.

If you have a review I'd love to read it. I've only read pretty positive so far.

We are also planning on Giordionno's pizza (love deep dish) and Bahama Breeze. Might add one of the mexicans in the other thread and thai if we have time. Really wanted to do Earl of Sandwich but the thought of DTD at its current state makes me nauseous.

Thanks!

There is new sweet tomatoes over by Animal Kingdom on 192. There's a Target there and a bunch of other restaurants as well.

Sign up for Sweet Tomatoes coupons with their club veg program online. I've found those coupons they send in my email to be better than the ones I usually find online. Usually they have a family deal for around $29 for 4 people including drinks. You should be under $35 with an extra kid, probably less than that.

 

[erosenst]

We just went to the Sweet Tomatoes on 192 last week while we were there. Two adults, one 11 year old with two sodas was $37. Kids meals stop at 13, and under 7 is less expensive than 8-13.

We really like it - nice to have some fresh, somewhat lighter food amidst all the not-so-healthy that we eat while we're there. Let me know if you have specific questions -

 

[gunderda]

Some people we're going with rave about this place and plan to go multiple times.
So are you only allowed to go through the salad bar once? Not sure why you'd want to go more than once with all the other offerings just be curious if you're able and how to bypass the cashier.

Seems like a goofy setup - especially if you have to juggle young kids.

I'm excited to try it since I really love salad bars but I always skip the salad bar portion at regular buffet restaurants so I can fill up on other stuff. So I'm glad to have a purpose to pig out on the salad bar!

 

[powellrj]

We have been a few times because people always rave about it, but I will be honest, we never saw the big attraction. It really loud and crowded and it seemed like they were always out of everything I wanted. I would wait in line for a potato, the soup I wanted would be gone and never replaced. It just never seemed like it was bussed well and most stations were a mess.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Some people we're going with rave about this place and plan to go multiple times.
So are you only allowed to go through the salad bar once? Not sure why you'd want to go more than once with all the other offerings just be curious if you're able and how to bypass the cashier.

Seems like a goofy setup - especially if you have to juggle young kids.

I'm excited to try it since I really love salad bars but I always skip the salad bar portion at regular buffet restaurants so I can fill up on other stuff. So I'm glad to have a purpose to pig out on the salad bar!

You can go through the salad bar as many times as you like (for the record, everything is unlimited).

I think any buffet is challenge for those with young kids!

 

[Sparkly]

You can go through the salad bar as many times as you like (for the record, everything is unlimited).

I think any buffet is challenge for those with young kids!

You can get more salad? I didn't know that! I always filled my plate up because I thought you were only ever allowed one trip.

We love Sweet Tomatoes! It's wonderful to have a big plate of salad after a week of fried food at Disney!

 

[Sehsun]

You can get more salad? I didn't know that! I always filled my plate up because I thought you were only ever allowed one trip.

Yup! If/when I go back to the salad bar, I just take my receipt with me and show it to the cashier.

I love Sweet Tomatoes, too!

 

[disneysteve]

You can get more salad? I didn't know that! I always filled my plate up because I thought you were only ever allowed one trip.

Nope. Sweet Tomatoes is all you can eat. You can go back as much as you want.

We love Sweet Tomatoes. Honestly, it's probably our favorite place to eat when we are at Disney World. We usually go there twice each trip.

There are 3 locations in the area. One at Crossroads. That's the one closest to property. It's also very big which is nice.
Another one is on 192 west of property in the shopping center where Target is. That's smaller but tends to be a bit less chaotic being a little more offsite.
The 3rd is at I-Drive and Kirkman Rd. That was actually the first one to open. We've been there many times though not recently.

 

[siskaren]

We are also planning on Giordionno's pizza (love deep dish)

FYI, it's Giordano's.

 

[CaLuCa]

Want to post an update...We went to the Crossroads one. I think I had built it up so much in my mind that, unfortunately, it did not live up to its expectation. I told DH is was like Panera and Golden Corral had a baby, but unfortunately it got more GC than Panera. I had two of their speciality salads, the strawberry and the Asian ones. Neither was as good as Panera's version. They were limp and over dressed. I did not go back and make my own, which I should have. My kids ate their money's worth of mac and cheese, which was decent, and ice cream. The penne pasta with spinach was good and reminded me of Noodles and company (which I was so excited to see there in the same shopping complex, but I didn't get to go to). DH said the broccoli and cheddar (I think) was good. I tried the french onion and was not impressed. (I am one of those particular people who prefers my own French Onion...beef stock and onions caramelizing for a good hour with some red wine to deglaze) The highlight was the focaccia breads, really delicious and loaded with butter and cheese.

On a side note, we did not make it to Giordano's since we saw the Uno's right there. We had one where we used to live and loved it. They have a bunch of new salads on their menu (maybe not really new, but we haven't been to an uno's in probably a year). There was a strawberry and blueberry with goat cheese salad that was fantastic. I had a similar one at the Wave two nights earlier. I have to say Uno's won! Their salad was not as heavily dressed (although the dressing was just a touch sweet) and it had much more goat cheese.

We also hit chevy's mexican, another chain we used to have when we lived in another state. Good, but I think we preferred Chuy's, which we mistakenly went to in February thinking it was Chevy's! BTW, the shrimp tacos at Chuy's are fantastic.

Also, interesting to note, the Uno's was just about the same price as Sweet Tomato's. bonus that someone brings your food. With four kids (only one who can get her own food), they were on their third plate of mac and cheese before I even sat down. I did get a coupon for 20% off adult meals, and more coupons later but we didn't return.

Thank you for your help. I have been a disney bubble type of gal and had NO IDEA Orlando was so big. DH and I were trying to find a chain that wasn't there...couldn't come up with a single one! Still want to try Bahama Breeze. Staying off site really opened my eyes to all there is out there.

 

[Our 2 Princesses]

Want to post an update...We went to the Crossroads one. I think I had built it up so much in my mind that, unfortunately, it did not live up to its expectation. I told DH is was like Panera and Golden Corral had a baby, but unfortunately it got more GC than Panera. I had two of their speciality salads, the strawberry and the Asian ones. Neither was as good as Panera's version. They were limp and over dressed. I did not go back and make my own, which I should have. My kids ate their money's worth of mac and cheese, which was decent, and ice cream. The penne pasta with spinach was good and reminded me of Noodles and company (which I was so excited to see there in the same shopping complex, but I didn't get to go to). DH said the broccoli and cheddar (I think) was good. I tried the french onion and was not impressed. (I am one of those particular people who prefers my own French Onion...beef stock and onions caramelizing for a good hour with some red wine to deglaze) The highlight was the focaccia breads, really delicious and loaded with butter and cheese.

On a side note, we did not make it to Giordano's since we saw the Uno's right there. We had one where we used to live and loved it. They have a bunch of new salads on their menu (maybe not really new, but we haven't been to an uno's in probably a year). There was a strawberry and blueberry with goat cheese salad that was fantastic. I had a similar one at the Wave two nights earlier. I have to say Uno's won! Their salad was not as heavily dressed (although the dressing was just a touch sweet) and it had much more goat cheese.

We also hit chevy's mexican, another chain we used to have when we lived in another state. Good, but I think we preferred Chuy's, which we mistakenly went to in February thinking it was Chevy's! BTW, the shrimp tacos at Chuy's are fantastic.

Also, interesting to note, the Uno's was just about the same price as Sweet Tomato's. bonus that someone brings your food. With four kids (only one who can get her own food), they were on their third plate of mac and cheese before I even sat down. I did get a coupon for 20% off adult meals, and more coupons later but we didn't return.

Thank you for your help. I have been a disney bubble type of gal and had NO IDEA Orlando was so big. DH and I were trying to find a chain that wasn't there...couldn't come up with a single one! Still want to try Bahama Breeze. Staying off site really opened my eyes to all there is out there.

Thanks so much for your detailed report!!

 

[disneysteve]

I told DH is was like Panera and Golden Corral had a baby, but unfortunately it got more GC than Panera.

LOL. Well, I suppose it is more like Golden Corral since it's a buffet. I wouldn't think it is anything at all like Panera though, but I think of Panera primarily for sandwiches, not salads.

I had two of their speciality salads, the strawberry and the Asian ones. Neither was as good as Panera's version. They were limp and over dressed.

As much as I love Sweet Tomatoes, I have to agree with you here. The prepared salads are definitely over dressed. I'll take a small serving of one of those but never make it my main salad. I much prefer making my own salad there, especially because they have such a huge variety of ingredients that you never see anywhere else.

Staying off site really opened my eyes to all there is out there.

Welcome to the "other" side of a Disney trip. We always stay offsite and eat many of our meals offsite. We don't particularly care for big chain restaurants, though, so we're always searching for local, or at least regional, fare.

 

[erosenst]

We don't particularly care for big chain restaurants, though, so we're always searching for local, or at least regional, fare.

It took us a couple trips to find it, but if Sweet Tomatoes is close, Celebration (the town) isn't far. We've liked D'Antonio's, Columbia House, and Celebration Town Tavern. There's also a Twistee Treat on the way back . (Get the kids size, or at most the small - portions are HUGE but delicious.)

 

[disneysteve]

It took us a couple trips to find it, but if Sweet Tomatoes is close, Celebration (the town) isn't far. We've liked D'Antonio's, Columbia House, and Celebration Town Tavern. There's also a Twistee Treat on the way back .

We've been to D'Antonio's, though it's been a while. We haven't tried the others yet. We've been to the Twistee Treat several times but not that one. There is another one on 535 down the street from Crossroads. We hit that one.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We've been to D'Antonio's, though it's been a while. We haven't tried the others yet. We've been to the Twistee Treat several times but not that one. There is another one on 535 down the street from Crossroads. We hit that one.

We could be totally crazy, but we've visited a total of three different Twistee Treat locations (the one down from the Crossroads that you mention, and the two in Kissimmee on the 192) and the Kissimmee ones seem to have a better product. We don't quite know why.....maybe its all in our heads, a result of the "fun" factor of being served out of a giant ice cream cone versus a standard square building....but we all agree, the Kissimmee TT's just have an 'edge'.

 

[disneysteve]

We could be totally crazy, but we've visited a total of three different Twistee Treat locations (the one down from the Crossroads that you mention, and the two in Kissimmee on the 192) and the Kissimmee ones seem to have a better product. We don't quite know why.....maybe its all in our heads, a result of the "fun" factor of being served out of a giant ice cream cone versus a standard square building....but we all agree, the Kissimmee TT's just have an 'edge'.

Interesting. We may have to test that theory on future visits.

The one thing I do like about the 535 location is it is off the tourist corridor. I get the sense that it gets more of a local clientele. And it's never been particularly busy when we've gone. I don't know how the others are, though.