Price Range: $$ ($11 – $30)
Service: ★★★★
Atmosphere: ★★★
Publicity: ★★
Taste: ★★★★★
Originality: ★★★(3.5)
It was Saturday afternoon, Sept. 21, and I had just left work to relax for two hours before returning for the night shift. My mom called and asked if I wanted to eat at D’Agnese’s Tomato Grill in Hudson, Ohio with my cousin for lunch. I live in Streetsboro, Ohio, so Hudson was just a 10-minute drive for me, so of course I said yes.
The Tomato Grill is a mixed “classic and contemporary cuisine” restaurant located in the heart of Hudson on First and Main Street. They serve a variety of pastas, sandwiches and pizzas. Since my mom and cousin were already there, I quickly looked at the menu and texted them to order a grilled chicken sandwich for me before I headed out the door. The meal was $9.00, which I thought was overpriced for just a simple grilled chicken sandwich. Boy, was I WRONG. My first bite was heavenly!
Service: As soon as I arrived and got to my seat with my food sitting in front of me, I noticed there wasn’t a table setting ready for me. I asked for a waitress and she immediately brought me a salad fork, fork and a knife. When we were about done with our lunch, the same waitress politely asked if we wanted to pack our food and placed our receipt on the table as soon as she took our plates away. We paid with cash, but her quick service, bright smile and mannerly attitude really impressed me. Since I work in the restaurant industry, I know that good service deserves a good tip.
Atmosphere: The atmosphere was family friendly and cozy-like. The colors of the walls were easy on the eyes and there was plenty of sunlight beaming through their large windows. I can’t say something stood out to me, though.
Publicity: Hudson frequently holds special events on First & Main. Tomato Grill participated in the annual Taste of Hudson festival where “the best Hudson-area restaurants” sample food selections priced under $7.00, according to its website. The event also has a Facebook page, which has over 1,100 likes! If that many people followed or attended the event, I’m sure most of them know about the Tomato Grill.
With that being said, I checked the Tomato Grill’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Neither of the social media pages have been updated or regularly checked. Their last Facebook post was in 2011 and their last Twitter post was in 2010. The Facebook page only has 157 likes and the Twitter page only has 22 followers. On their Facebook page, I found two dissatisfied customers’ post, which was never addressed or handled. Clearly it shows that the Tomato Grill hasn’t monitored their social media accounts in a long time. Depending on who their audience is and whether they use social media, this is something they should consider taking care of. I don’t think anyone wants bad reviews about their restaurant on the Internet.
Taste: The taste was phenomenal. My grilled chicken sandwich included sautéed sweet peppers, banana peppers, onions, melted asiago cheese and pesto mayo spread with a small side of their Greek pasta salad. I’m not a “cheese” lover to begin with, but the asiago cheese was mellow and did not overpower the sandwich. The pesto mayo had the right amount of oil in it, which made the sandwich taste light and juicy/oily in a good way. The chicken (this is what deserves my five stars) was grilled PERFECTLY. A lot of restaurants tend to overkill it on the grill, which ultimately dries out the meat and the overall taste of meal. But when I bit into my chicken, it was very moist thanks to its inside juices making it very easy to bite through and quite flavorful! And since I’m trying to eat lighter nowadays, the small side of the Greek pasta salad made my overall meal taste light, fresh and delicious!
Originality: The one thing that holds me back from giving them a more solid rating is that their menu is very similar to what you would find in a classic Italian menu. But I will score them a bit above average because they make an effort to represent their signature by incorporating tomato in all of their dishes. That’s what makes them the Tomato Grill.
Referring to my publicity post – What do you think the Tomato Grill should do in order to maintain a positive reputation online?
Greater Cleveland Bites 
I’m hoping the restaurant addressed the complaints privately. If anything, it should be listening/monitoring what is posted on its own social media sites.
If they had, the customers would have removed their posts, right? I don’t think they’ve been handled for over a year, which is why I’m convinced that no one is monitoring or listening.
But you’re right, it would be wise to do so.