Tomato Pie Cafe, Harrisburg
| Address: | 3950 Tecport Dr, Harrisburg, PA 17111, USA |
| Phone: | +1 717-836-7051 |
| Site: | tomatopiecafe.net |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | 7AM–9PM 7AM–9PM 7AM–9PM 7AM–9PM 7AM–9PM 7AM–9PM 8AM–5PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 6
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Rick Lupert
We decided to launch into an overnight in Harrisburg at the Tomato Pie Cafe…the tales of their signature dish, house-made pastries, and smoothies, promised something for everyone! (Everyone being my wife and I.) It’s a nice place, slightly upscale breakfast and lunch venue, comfortable, casual and designed with a modern flair. It was a good sign that the house coffee was strong. This is what one needs out of coffee. It’s roasted locally so you’re getting something unique and regional. It was a little acidic for my tastes but excellent on its own terms. My wife had the Green Machine Smoothie - This was everything she’d ever wanted out of a smoothie. She almost left me for this smoothie. (But I had the car keys…) Not too sweet, perfectly thick, and served in a glass so you still feel like you’re dining somewhere. (As opposed to a plastic to-go cup.) I went with the Tomato Pie. It’s their signature dish and name-sake…and when was the next time I was going to be in Harrisburg? I went with fruit for the side (potatoes, and parmesan git cake were the other 2 options) and they were nice enough to do all berries instead of the more standard mixed fruit. The presentation was a little messy.I guess it’s hit or miss when you’re scooping a slice of pie out of a tin…It mightve looked a little better on the plate had I gotten the potatoes or grit cake right on the plate instead of the bowl of berries placed on the plate with the pie. I didn’t love it. It definitely had a savory take on a fruit pie vibe about it…the bottom crust and tomatoes were good, but it wasn’t quite as cheesy as I thought it would be and the topping (which had the cheese in it) also had a noticeable mayonnaise element which I didnt like at all. I wish the ingredients were listed on the menu. I really don’t like mayonnaise and had I seen it in the description of the dish, I definitely wouldve gotten something else My wife had the Red Beet Egg and Beet Salad. It came with with bread which was nice, but it didn’t mention that on the menu, so my gluten free love, had she known, would have asked them not to bring it, or if they had a gluten free option. (which they did.) The salad was okay, but a few too many candied nuts came in it for her preference. The beeted eggs (apparently a Pennsylvania standard) were beautiful. They forgot to put the goat cheese on top so that had be brought separately, and when added the salad did come together a little better All in all the vibe of the place was pretty cool, and although we didn’t love what we got, considering all the cool options they had, which we didnt get, we definitely would come back and try it again. It also was very reasonably priced for what seemed like a pretty nice restaurant and the amount we ordered. As a side note there’s another location in the nearby town of “Lititz” which we had no reason to go to, but sure had fun mispronouncing out-loud for days.
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Jimmy Peterson
Been meaning to write a review here, due to the fact that Ive been going here since it first opened. I visit often as my friends and I congregate here for meet-up lunches when were back from our respective colleges. First off: Lovely, lovely concept that is executed well. The decor is "rustic-DIY meets coffee hipsters". The ambience is casual although if you were to dress up a bit, no one would bat an eye. There is an abundance of seating although if you come during peak rushes, you may have to wait a bit for a table. The menu is very different from what is offered in the area, which you might LOVE or find irksome. The staff is either super friendly (I might be biased as a lot of the servers used to go to my high school) or does enough to make you feel taken care of at first but thats it. Ill warn anyone that is a huge meat eater: your options will be limited, so dont come here unless you have an open mind and or are into trying new things! I cant offer any recommendations as I get items from their monthly menus, although Ill always advocate that you MUST try their lemonades; especially the seasonal ones! They offer delicious and attractive pastries in a huge case towards the almost-back area, Ive never had any of them but I know one day Ill jump the gun and go for one (its hard to have room for desserts when you find yourself ordering a drink and two entrees because you cant make up your mind!)
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Patrick Christensen
Decent food, friendly staff, and some creative offerings. My first gripe is that since its not a specifically vegan place, they out to provide a few more meat options for the meat-eaters in the group. There is very little in the way of meat here. Secondly, for a hipster establishment, they ought to know how to properly prepare quinoa. My girlfriend and I decided to try the quinoa pancakes and they tasted like dish soap. The reason is that quinoa grains secrete natural saponins (soap-like substances) as a deterrent to predators, which prior to cooking must be cleaned off properly. This involves rinsing/soaking them in multiple batches of water and flushing it several times before adding fresh water to cook it in. Its a complex grain to prepare and evidently either they dont know this or someone was just lazy that day. Either way, stay away from the quinoa items. Otherwise the food is decent.
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Josie Albert
Very cute cafe with an upscale, trendy vibe. Servers in hipster hats was kind of kitschy but fun. Our server, Justina, as attentive and personable - definitely a boon to the establishment. The food was well-described on the nifty wood-board mounted menus, but less stellar than expected. My croissant breakfast sandwich was AMAZEBALLS, and the rosemary potatoes were tender and tasty (but perhaps a tad underseasoned). My husbands eggs-over-easy were over done (and thus, not really "dip-able") but the house-made salad dressing was great, the herb lemonade was refreshing, and the herb scone was delicious! We enjoyed the cafe and can recommend it if youre into a mostly meatless breakfast/lunch experience.
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William Butler
A great breakfast/brunch/lunch spot - the shopping mall is in a confusing location nestled in an office and hotel park. This is a great place to meet friends. Everything Ive eaten here has been delicious and well-prepared - most recently a turkey and brie sandwich on brioche with cranberry jam of sorts and red onion - wonderful combination of flavors! I experienced poor service in my last visit, but that was very much the exception to other times. The menu is modern and eclectic offering things such as quinoa pancakes. For an even cooler experience I highly encourage a visit to the original Lititz location which is in an old house and adds a lot of character.
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Ricardo Nevarez
Would have given it 5 stars but.... the girl at the register was pretty rude. Had a silent attitude. What I mean by that was, she gave me the "what do you want look" very short with me like if I was bothering her facial expressions brought the vibe in my experience down. Im not sure if it was because it was getting late or if I really bothered her somehow. Im here on business from California and she made me feel unwanted. Why did I give 4 stars? Well the espresso milkshake is very Good along with the double chocolate muffin and the delicious hazelnut ice cream sandwich. Not sure if I will return because it was that awkward.
