The salad was fine, the pasta overcooked, and the pizza was actually great at least for the first six slices. Unfortunately, that's when I discovered a cockroach crawling across one of the booths. Once you see that, you can't help but wonder what else it's been walking across. read more

Tomato Cafe - Margarita Pizza, Salad, Soup - Italian Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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We hadn't been to Tomato Cafe in years, so we decided to pop in for an early dinner. Salad bar is fresh and delicious. Had a decent selection of pizzas, though none were particularly memorable. The pasta bar was cool with a ton of options including GF. The ice cream at the end was the less creamy icy soft serve I'm not a fan of, but I'm sure it's a favorite of the kids. Service was fantastic, and the place was super clean. Not too crowded. I'm glad I found a Valpak coupon for bogo half off the 2nd, as I didn't find it totally worth the full price. Still, it's a nice option if you're a big fan of relatively budget friendly salad/pizza/pasta buffets. read more

The salad bar here is nice. Unfortunately there are not enough salad bars in this town so the bar is low. The pizza is sometimes good but sometimes it can be sitting out for a while. The green chile Alfredo is actually the best thing they got as well as their soups that they rotate. This place isn't fancy at all even though they have a wine menu. It's clean and the service is nice. I just wish the pizza was a little better. read more

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Gracious, good morning on this wonderful Wednesday in central New Mexico. The boys from the VA Creative Writing Group went to the Tomato Cafe for lunch, and boy, did we enjoy it. This is the third location some of us have been at for this buffet restaurant. The food is still the same - which means it is great. Multiple versions of pizza, a few types of pasta, and many choices for pasta sauces and soups. Oh, and did I mention ice cream? Fast service and an interesting interior atmosphere make this one of our favorite places to eat. Just click on the following YouTube video link to see why we enjoyed Tomato Cafe and why we think you will too. Watch the outtakes at the end and see how many versions of directions we filmed. And not a single one was flawless. https://youtu.be/Sr4WKGV-HOw?si=cYTen8tDUELOPv9V read more

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So apparently I just realized I've been due for an oil change. I found myself going to 3 different Walmarts each telling me apparently everyone in Albuquerque needs one too since they had crazy wait times. When I heard 2 hrs at the last one I said well that's the best wait time I'm gonna find I guess. Anywho I found myself nostalgic about this place when I first discovered it several years ago. Figured I was in the area so I stopped in to grab some dinner. Boy they did not disappoint. The pizza was nice and fresh. The pasta and the noodles accompanied by the sauce was enough to fill any empty tank. I was running on fumes. I took that first bite and of the pizza and the combination of cheese and the toppings sent my taste buds roaring. I found myself eyeing the meatballs so I grabbed a bowl and grabbed a few. The beef ones are my favorite. Moved on to the broccoli and man was it perfectly steamed. I mixed it with the cheese sauce and I had a nice little treat. My only regret was not trying the Alfredo sauce on the raviolis. It goes without saying this was a delightful meal. I'll definitely be coming back for more. The food was pretty stellar. Totally worth it! read more

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Salad and pasta bar for about $15 pp. Salad bar has limited options but the vegetables were freshly cut and the bar itself was very clean. There are four different types of past noodles to choose from with just as many options for red sauce. I would come back because it's not loud, abience is perfect for location and the dining area and food stations were tidy and very well kept . Lastly, they do serve alcohol. read more

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This is probably our favorite place to dine or at least in the top 2 or 3!!! Love their salad bar (simple but adequate) and great Italian dressing! Highlight is the vegetarian posole! That is another love of ours (me and my wife). Good selection on the pizza, pasta and sauces section should appease any fan of Italian food. And wrapping it up with a soft serve non-dairy "ice cream" machine it just enhances the experience for us because of our diets. The folks that work there are very nice and friendly - just an overall nice experience. Ask them to give you one of their "frequent flyer" cards you get a free pass after so many stamps!!!!! They offer senior discounts too. read more

Tomato Café was a staple when my daughters were in single digits. Tonight, I had a chance to enjoy a nice dinner with my youngest and being at Tomato Café brought back a number of great memories. While it is in a new location from those many years ago, the food is still the same and is still very good, fresh, and plentiful. read more

Tomato Cafe - Tomato Cafe - Italian Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

The cafe is presenting one of the best menus out of Italua. The Polenta was excellent paired with linguine and one of the zesty sauces offered. The pizzas offered numbered in the dozen, vegetarian optional. The family enjoyed the homemade ravioli. The salad bar was divine. We topped lunch off with complimentary ice cream. Beer & Wine available. Felicimo! read more

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They are close to our home, great selections on the buffet, good service. I would like us to go there more often.

Our first time and we weren't disappointed. Everything was very fresh, and both the vegetarian pozole and tomato basil soups were delicious. The pizza and pastas were very fresh, with the "older" pizza being replaced frequently. There are lots of gluten free and vegetarian options, and lots of pizza variety. I loved the vegetarian pizza. Our waiter was professional, highly attentive super friendly. The restaurant seemed very clean and welcoming. What a great discovery - we will be back!! read more

This is the second time I've come to this place looking for the spinach ravioli and they didn't have them ready. If I wanted pizza, I will go to CiCi's buffet and save $5. Salad and pizza isn't worth a $15 buffet. read more

Food wasn't very good. Pizza dried up unless just brought out. Salad bar was subpar. Pasta was nothing exciting. Wish we hadn't gone here. Service was kind read more

As far as buffets go, this one is a winner! It's all you can eat Italian, and it's worth a try. They open with a small salad bar. Pretty basic, but you can have iceberg or spinach. They have a ranch dressing, but the Greek is really good. You can throw some onions, carrots, and cucumbers on and make a tasty little dish. They also have a tomato basil soup and vegetarian posole, which is actually very good! Next they have a few pizzas to choose from. Cheese, pepperoni, vegetarian, meaty pizza with onions, and a bbq chicken. Thin crust, lots of flavor. They also have two pastas and polenta for a gluten free option. You can choose from a variety of sauces, from marinara to cheese to green chili alfredo (my favorite)! They have two types of meatballs (fantastic) and some steamed broccoli and pan fried green beans. The green beans are smothered in garlic and delicious! You can get a homemade tiramisu or just enjoy some soft-serve ice cream for dessert. Usually friendly service, fair prices. We enjoy coming her for family dinners! read more

We visited Tomato Cafe today. I was looking for a dupe for Sweet Tomatoes and this restaurant was perfect! The restaurant and buffet was small, but the food was fresh and plentiful! The pizza was delicious, thin and crispy, the salad bar was so fresh!!! Will be returning! read more

Tomato Cafe - Buffett - Italian Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

The food was cold!! Not even WARM. The soup was the only thing that was hot. I didn't have to pay, but i also ate nothing.

A big Thank You to Tomato Cafe for hosting our "Friends Celebrating Friends" 2024 Gathering! Great Food! Great Staff! Thank You, Joe & Mitzi Felice read more

One of my friends couldn't stop telling me about how great the Tomato cafe is so when I got a chance I finally decided to try it out. I walk in and I was greeted by a friendly hostess. My waiter, basically brings drinks, was awesome bringing drinks and napkins and bussing away the plates. The food is nothing fancy but it's hearty and filling. There's a good assortment of pizza. The meatballs are good and there's plenty of sauces to choose from. I didn't like that the salad bar is really basic, not even some bacon bits or croutons or thousand island. There was only ice cream for dessert but there was no peanuts or toppings other than chocolate and caramel sauce. The tickets for 3 of us with 2 sodas was about $51. I don't know if I'd come back because GC has all these and so much more for a little less money. It is definitely worth trying. I have to say if you like alcohol then this place would be a great choice because they have it, I don't drink so it's not a big deal to me. Stop in and try for yourself, it's not great but it's not bad at all... read more

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I LOVE this place! I am gluten-free, they have so many great options. SO, for the buffet you just pay extra for Gf crust, then you can take it home. Everyone is so nice and helpful! They even made my daughter a pizza without cheese and they have dairy free ice cream for dessert Definitely going back! read more

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I was really disappointed to see a pasta restaurant that prides itself on serving fresh pasta not have any available. I asked one of the chefs to make more, but was told no.The cook was more worried about going on his bike ride. As a place known for its fresh pasta on the buffet, it was a huge letdown to see that missing today. We came at 2:30 the restaurant closes at 4 and unfortunately, the manager didn't address the issue either. read more

They have an Italian buffet style menu, to pick and chose what you want. There is a salad bar with a nice variety of choices of ingredients and dressings. I had the spicy Tomato basil. It was thick and covered it well. The pizza selection is next and garlic bread sticks too. Next is the pasta section with a marinara, mushroom sauce or Sausage sauce and Alfredo sauce. It in last section is green beans, broccoli and ricotta spinach ravioli. There are some other choices, but we were full. We grazed our way through. Our server Mia was prompt and and efficient, and very graciously. We will be back. read more

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We came in with a rather large group of people, 40 to be exact. We did call ahead and make sure they could handle such a large group. Let me say that the crew that they had working was absolutely amazing! They managed to get us all seated quickly, and the drinks out without a problem. The food... the food was awesome. The selection on pizza, pastas, sauces, salads, and soup was out of this world. We cannot wait to do this all over again. What a fantastic group of employees, and they seemed to love their job. Thank you so much for being attentive and so organized. Very appreciative of your service! read more

We've been going to tomato cafe since I was in grade school and they were located on Academy. They have a variety of food and it always tastes delicious. They have decent pricing and friendly staff and it's usually not too busy. read more

Good pizza and pasta but they make the best veggie posole! The servers are cordial and welcoming! A great experience. read more

Good spot for an inexpensive meal. They have pizza, pasta, polenta, soup and salad, plus some sides at the bar like broccoli and string beans. There is also a little ice cream bar afterwards. It's a good spot to bring big groups and kids under three eat for free! read more

If anyone is worried that the food quality has changed, it hasn't. It's as delicious as before. Great new location with an amazing view. Perfect for late afternoon, early evening dining. Quality service from the wait staff. So happy to see the return of a heights staple restaurant. read more

Tomato Cafe - Italian Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Love the staff the food is fresh. We love this place. I actually just go for the salad bar but the green beans are amazing. read more

I just went to have dinner at the tomato Cafe because I found on Google the 11 best restaurants in Albuquerque for senior citizens to eat before 5:00 great specials! For only $7.99 you get the buffet and a drink for people over 50, they told me after I got my plate that it was not good there so since we already had our plates we had to pay but I was so unimpressed salad bar only had lettuce carrots tomatoes and dressing, Pizza tasted terrible the pasta was mushy and the meatballs tasted like they came from frozen food section it cost me over $30 for 2 senior citizens! I will never go back read more

This place is delicious! Love the small but fresh salad buffet and my family can't get enough of the fresh hot pizza buffet. If you have special dietary requests, just ask, they are very accommodating. The garlic green beans and the posole soup are incredible. In a cross county trip, this restaurant was one of our top favorites. Friendly and very welcoming staff and delicious fresh food with great healthy options too. It's an incredible value too, especially for families, and great for groups. We can't wait to come back! read more

Always amazing and a great spot to save the rest of the buffets in ABQ. There is an amazing blonde waitress that always kills it and makes the experience that much better. Not from a creepy POV I'm with my kiddo but she is always killing it. I'll make another post next time I visit I guess. read more

First experience, and a very good one. The place is clean and airy. The food is basically buffet style. The spread and choices are decent. The soups, specially the Posole, is awesome. I was served by Leni, who is very attentive and hardworking. read more

Our family loves this place! The food is delicious and the service is wonderful! I highly recommend!

This is the third location for this restaurant, but it's still the same delicious buffet of classic Italian food with a New Mexican twist! The tomato basil soup is delicious and I wish they'd sell it in bulk so we can enjoy at home! They also serve a great posole. The salad is bright and fresh, with a great selection of dressings. There's a choice of at least 6 different pizzas, fresh pasta with fan favorite green chile alfredo sauce, and of course spaghetti and meatballs! Don't forget the delicious garlicky green beans! All you can eat for one price PLUS they have beer and wine and SELF SERVE SOFT ICE CREAM and toppings for dessert!! Great family friendly ambiance and attentive service (thank you to Salome! ) Ask for a table by the window for a perfect sunset view at dinner time! read more

Service was descent. My overall complaint was our server seemed clueless. We asked for 20 dollars in cash to be put towards or bill and the rest on a card. She charged it all to the card and appeared confused and it took a while to be fixed. She thought of the cash as a tip when it was towards our bill. read more

I haven't been there in many years but was so pleased with the selection and taste of food (salad, pizza, pasta and soft serve ice cream). The staff was friendly and very helpful! I highly recommend it!! read more

TOMATO CAFE is the very best Italian Buffet in all of NM. When you arrive, you will be greeted by the Manager, JEROME, who always makes us feel so welcomed and he will do the same to you as well. He and his staff are AMAZING!! He should get a raise!! I feel as if they are family. They are professionals in the food industry. The buffet is out of this world delicious and will never disappoint. The pizza is exquisite... not your average tomato sauce and cheese. These are pizzas I dream about! The Vegetarian is . The most beautiful crispy greens, pastas etc. soups, and sauces to die for. We know that when we sit down, each and every time, the quality and consistency of the buffet will never change. And they do have other menu items, but we haven't tried it yet. Except for the Tiramisu.... Karina, one of our fav servers, will melt your heart with her joyful smile and such amazing energy. She and I are copacetic!! Our family, highly recommends Tomato Cafe in every way possible. If you go one time, you WILL go again and again..., it is also affordable and FAMILY FRIENDLY. Holy Smokes! Somebody stop me! read more

Fast, friendly service - Great Food and great family dining 10/10 all the time! My whole family LOVES this place since they were little - my now 21 year old son nicknamed this place "Meatballs" when he was 3 years old and it stuck with my whole family! Great times, great place! We love Meatballs! read more

A friend recommended this place to me. She was spot on as far as taste is concerned. Although I normally don't go to buffet style restaurants, I must say THIS PLACE is so worth it! The pizza was just the way I love it and the pasta selection was perfect. I'm in love with the roasted tomato basil is to die for! I'm definitely a fan and will return for more read more

The food was good - but not a huge variety. Will definitely bring the kids to give it a try. Double white made a huge difference! read more

Tomato Cafe - Trying an Italian bar for the very first time! - Italian Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Great family Italian joint! We ordered online, the process was quick & easy, and we were sent an email with a pickup time. Our food was ready on time, we called when we arrived and they brought it out to our car, hot & ready to go! We got spinach ravioli, alfredo pasta, garlic green beans, family size salad with peppercorn dressing, and meatballs. The only thing that was so-so was the meatballs, they were a bit small and not up to my standards. $30 bucks for all of this, plenty of leftovers for a family of 3 - fresh, great flavors, & tasty! Good job Tomato Cafe! (Sorry, I forgot to get pics) read more