Note: This is a review of the Coeur d’Alene Tomato Street. Apparently there was a whole big thing that happened between it and the Spokane location, and they are now two separate entities. I doubt the Spokane location is any better however.

Tomato Street is one of those places that tries to be more than just a dining location. It also desperately wants to be an experience. To achieve this, the peppy waiters are dressed up in hats and smiles, and they will more likely than not sing “Happy Happy Birthday!” should it be prudent. Loud and garish, Tomato Street is not somewhere to go for a quiet meal.

I could forgive this (largely because one can utilize their take-out service) if the food was anything to write home about. It’s not. My calzone was the size Texas and consisted mostly of soggy dough. The garnish? A slice of red onion. Yes. This is Olive Garden style Italian food at its best; safe, predictable, dull, and full of MSG. There’s something to be said for that I guess, but it’s hardly anything to recommend.

Go to Tomato Street if you’re looking for a safe and loud dining experience. Avoid otherwise.

I absolutely love this place. While it can be a bit noisy for my taste, the food is wonderful. Generous portions, full of flavor, and the staff are attentive to your needs, which is a tall order considering how busy it always seems to be. The prices are reasonable, and the aromas are heavenly. I often have the Uncle Tony’s pasta or the Smoked Chicken Manicotti. It’s well worth it. If only I could reproduce all my favorites at home.

This place is great to take kids to since they have a large chalk board to write on during your one hour wait for a horrible Italian meal. Kids also like the play dough that has felt at least a dozen hands before your child plays with it.
I really don’t know why people are willing to wait to get into this restaurant.

The only thing impressive about this restaurant is the way the waiters can write their names upside down on your table.

Tomato Street is one of those places where I know the food will be very middle of the road. The only thing I do enjoy there is the artichoke dip. The only time I go there is when the kids are with me. Or I want artichoke dip.

The food is fine, I think, but a little expensive. The garlic bread is very good. This is more of a place I go to when my husband is in the mood for a certain dish from there (he likes the baked chicken mostaccoli and one of the calzones), since all I can really eat there are basic meat or marinara sauce/pasta combinations, which are never bad. I was there recently and there was a very good meal on the specials list—Stell’a Pasta, I think it was called—chicken, angelhair pasta, sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta, butter sauce and spices. My mother really liked it. And yes, it’s kid-friendly. No, you wouldn’t go there for an intimate dinner for two, but for a decent meal that you know everyone is going to find something they like and the kids are less likely to get antsy? There’s nothing wrong with that.

If you have kids, go.

Our kids (4 and 6) couldn’t stop talking about it because they loved the homemade play dough (and we asked … it’s fresh for each kid), and the little bag of uncooked fun pastas, letting them create to their heart’s content. We went later at night (about 8pm) so it wasn’t noisy. We only had to wait about 20 minutes for our food. The portions were so huge my husband and I shared a dish, and the two kids shared the child’s spaghetti/chicken fingers dish (one kid ate the spaghetti and the other ate the chicken fingers), so it definitely wasn’t pricey … we fed a family of 4, including tip, for just under $25, and we all left full. All and all, it was a good family experience and I would recommend it.

Perhaps my affinity toward Tomato Street comes from a certain nostalgia from eating there since I was four, but I’m guessing the food has something more to do with it.

To start, the garlic bread is divine and only topped by the garlic bread served at The White House in Post Falls. Tomato Street also has a fairly delicious Tomato Basil soup, which goes nicely with the garlic bread. I’ve not experienced the appetizers but I hear that they’re pretty average.

The smashed sandwiches are well renowned and their twice baked spaghetti is very filling and delicious. Though the calzones could use some work, they’re still okay and there is plenty else on the menu to try and be satisfied with.

Tomato Street is a great place to go for lunch and the price isn’t half bad either. The service on the whole is very good and all in all, Tomato Street is a good place to hit up.

The garlic bread was the only good thing here. It was SOOO loud and the wait was long.

The Coeur ‘d Alene location is not nearly as good as the Spokane location. Their garlic bread is fabulous. I usually get the baked chicken mastocolli. Service has been great and very kid friendly.

A great place to take the family in Spokane.

I spent three years in Italy. Tomato Street is the very essence of what a Trattoria should be (an Italian Family Restaurant).

No, it’s not “fancy”, yes, it can be loud, and it’s casual dining at its best. They copied the trattoria idea pretty well.

As for the food, they copied that pretty well too. Simple dishes that fill you up without killing your wallet and taste very good. I’ve been there a few times and have enjoyed it every time. The waitstaff is amazing, the food is good and the price isn’t outrageous. 4 stars for environment, because it’s really close to what it SHOULD be. 4 for the food, because it’s good, but you didn’t have to break the bank.

Why 4 and not 5? Because in Italy the only way you can get 5 stars is to buy them! I’ve been in 5 star hotels in Italy that were worse than the 3 star down the street and 5 star restaurants that were horrible compared to the trattoria around the corner. So, 4 stars!!! In that fine tradition, you have to wonder how Geno’s Fabulous rates 5 stars, because I was seriously not impressed! A somewhat trattoria environment with “Ristorante” prices. Give me a break Geno! You’re not worthy of those 5 stars or even close to fine dining Italian style!

Lastly, Calizones… I stay away from them because the Italian ones I had were bad to poor at best. Remember that! If they’re trying to be an Italian Trattoria in America and they copied the italian recipe for Calizones and the cooking instructions, what would they end up with? Calizones are typically around 12 inches across and are basically a pizza folded in half. Most of the ones I had in Italy were either burned or so dang hard you had to use a steak knife to saw through them, and same goes for the pizza, though Tomato Street does that right. You have two choices with a calizone. It’s either burned hard or it’s doughy… Or it’s microwaved. So, I can’t fault them for it because I won’t eat one. I won’t give it even a second thought when there are so many more appealing dishes to eat! Steak Mizithra! Uncle Tony’s! Mmmmm.

So, if you’re looking for an Italian Family Restaurant where you can relax, eat good food and have a good time, then this is the place. If you’re looking for something else, then by all means, go someplace else and reduce the wait time for me!

We love it. We love the twice baked spaghetti. We split it as it is very filling and delicious. One of the nicest things is that they split it in the kitchen for us. We have always gotten great service also.

Tomato street really is hit and miss. I would never actually choose to eat there but it seems like every time someone in my family has a birthday dinner that is the place they want to go. Last time I was actually impressed. The tomato basil soup and garlic bread were outstanding. I am a sucker for a good soup and they got me with that one. For my meal I ordered the chicken and mushroom ravioli with alfredo and I couldn’t stop eating it even though I was stuffed. It was really really good. If you go there, get that. Everything else I’ve had there hasn’t been memorable.

I was not impressed with the food at Tomato Street. I went to the Spokane location for lunch today and I ordered chicken marsala today. The food reminded me of the food at Olive Garden, so if you are into that then check it out.

Olive Garden is way better.

I have always had good food and great service here. I just had lunch there today and I’m always satisfied.

I like this place. You cannot compare it to Olive Garden because in my book Olive Garden stinks and has for years. OG can no longer even make good bread sticks or salad, Olive Garden is not “italian”.... neither is Tomato Street really as far as homemade italian by someones mama goes, but it is surely good and much better than the OG as far as quick italian dishes. The Tomato soup is to die for… and I hate tomato soup, but this one I ate and almost licked out the bowl…so that says alot! Their bread is also wonderful. We had the Smoked Gouda & Shrimp Mostaccioli, it was wonderful!

I can compare it to Olive Garden. Olive Garden is way better.

went there during the summer as a large(ish) group, service was fantastic, food was great, i had something with huge prawns and they were very tender and tasty, and enough that i had leftovers for lunch the next day. my only complaint was that even tho we had fewer than we had planned it took quite a while to wait for our table. was worth the wait tho. Go. Enjoy. Eat lots, it’s not hard to do. (Spokane location fyi)

Look, you need to know what you are getting here. It’s a loud, kid-friendly place where the food is cheap and the portions are enormous. I’m a big guy and can’t finish the entrees they serve. We have 2 kids, 5 and 7, and they love the place. It’s noisy enough that you you don’t have to worry about how your kids behave. The garlic bread and tomato basil soup are both very good. I would never go here with just my wife or just other adults but this is part of our regular rotation of family friendly restaurants.