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Tomato Head Pizza Kitchen
Category: Restaurants Pizza Pizza [Edit]
945 W Randolph St(between Sangamon St & Morgan St)
Chicago, IL 60607
Neighborhoods: Near West Side, West Loop
(312) 226-1616
- Hours:
Mon-Tue, Sun 10:30 am - 10 pm
Wed-Thu 10:30 am - 11 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 1 am
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
84 reviews for Tomato Head Pizza Kitchen
Review Highlights
"this is a really nice, fresh thin crust pizza."
(in 27 reviews)
"that was the most amazing thin corn meal crust ever."
(in 5 reviews)
"We do delivery from here at least once a month or more."
(in 31 reviews)
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84 reviews in English
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Review from Liz P.
Chicago, IL
9/18/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I finally tried Tomato Head a few days ago after walking past it many, many times. I was in the mood for pizza, and was very pleased with my slice of pepperoni. I'm glad there's a good, low-key pizza place in the neighborhood, and I'm sure I'll be back.
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Review from Jeff C.
Frankfort, IL
1/20/2012
When the pizza is hot and fresh I'd say 3 1/2 or 4 stars. However they have been horrendously late delivering 2 out the 3 times weve ordered. (i live a measly 5 blocks away and there wasn't traffic or weather to contend with.)
Worst case was it took an hour and a half to deliver. Pizzas were pretty cold and one had clearly been dropped or tossed around... All the pizza in one box was jammed into one corner some slices (squares) upside down. We didnt even bother complaining as we had no intention of waiting another hour. Take your chances with this place if you are getting delivery. Maybe youll luck out, maybe youll pay 20$ for what is essentially a Tombstone frozen pizza you need to cook again when it arrives. -
Review from Kiki M.
6/10/2011
It was late, we were hungry, and in West Loop. Not even remotely knowing where we were Tomato Head became our choice because there was nothing else around and I didn't feel like doing anymore walking. My mom and I walked in to a group of Chicago's finest. The space had a warehouse feel with a television set in the corner playing the Blackhawk game. The menu had pizza, sandwiches, burgers, salads, and hot dogs. The woman at the counter was pleasant. Since pizza is my favorite food group we ordered a small spinach, red pepper, and feta cheese pie. My mom asked for a salad and saw the basket of chocolate cookies and added it to our order.
The salad was your basic house salad. Nothing extravagant but decent. Our pizza arrived and it was a disappointment. It tasted like a frozen pizza. The crust was thin, pale, and was so crunchy I thought I bit in to a pretzel. Now, I can forgive a lackluster pizza what I can't forgive is a tasteless cookie. A food crime if there ever was one! The chocolate cookie was atrocious and this is coming from someone who will eat any sweet thing put in front of her. I rarely dislike sweets but that deserves two thumbs down.
I finished what I could of the pizza and a cookie but ended up throwing both of them out. It has been years since a meal has been such a let down.
To be fair there was a glimmer of hope at the end of our meal. What could have turned this uneventful dinner around? Staring at the employee who was an exact replica of a guy I used to lust after. I should give another star just for that but no.Listed in: Chicago For Hungry Hungry…
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Review from John P.
Chicago, IL
11/22/2011
Pizza is only good if you call in your order- pizza by the slice isn't worth your time. My biggest complaint is the consistently bad service. I've ordered online in the past when I've gone. Once, I arrived only to be told my order wasn't received despite getting a confirmation e-mail. And on two separate occasions, I've shown up and was told that my food was almost ready. After waiting patiently for ten minutes or so, it turned out that my order was ready all along...just nobody checked under the heat lamp where it had been sitting the whole time! Always seems to be problems with the soda fountain machine too.
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Review from Nik B.
7/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been sporadically eating Tomato Head for a number of years now, and there's a reason for that.
Sometimes you're just in the mood for a good thin crust pizza, and Tomato Head is definitely a good choice for such a pie. The crust is always just thick enough and perfectly crunchy. The sauce is slightly sweet, but pairs will with good savory toppings like onions or garlic.
There's nothing too special or unique about Tomato Head pizza, it's simply a good spot to satiate your need for a good pizza. Sometimes that's all you need. -
Review from Mike K.
Chicago, IL
11/12/2010
Anyone who lives in the Loop, West Loop or even the South Loop knows how hard it is to find a decent slice or, for that matter, just any slice at all. (North siders are lucky that pizza places selling slices are ubiquitous). My recent go-to place for slices is, oddly enough, Whole Foods, but it's somewhat of a pain to get there and then dodge their kamikaze customers just for a slice. I've walked by Tomato Head probably at least 100 times without thinking of trying it. On a recent visit to Graziano for a sandwich, I figured I was hungry enough to also get and eat a slice. So I did. And I was.
Whenever I walk by Tomato Head it seems to be completely dead, as it was when I walked in for a slice. I ordered a pepperoni slice. The damage was $3.75. That's not nearly as good of a value as Whole Foods.
Non-locals should be aware that it's a corn meal crust. I know, for some reason, this freaks out non-locals. The crust was a combination of chewy and crunchy. And there was plenty of cheese and a bit of grease. You might want to dry off the grease with a napkin.
Like other Yelpers have indicated, it did take somewhere between five and 10 minutes for my slice to be served, but it did come out tasting fresh and the cheese quite gooey.
I probably wouldn't order delivery from here because I'd opt for Aurelio's when ordering a whole pizza. As for their slices, I may stop back in some time for another one if I'm in the area. I found the slice to be fresher than Whole Foods' slices, but in the taste category I might have to give Whole Foods the edge.
It's worth four stars. -
Review from Gary E.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 1/13/2011
Yuck. That's pretty much all you need to know but if you want the details keep going.
It's been a while since I last grabbed food from Tomato Head - in the past I've always considered it decent, inexpensive, fast food with a wide enough selection to fulfill cravings for burgers, sandwiches, pizza, etc.
Anyway, I had a taste for their beef sandwich today so I decided to go and grab one. When I got my to-go bag, I stopped to pick up some napkins and a straw and noticed a small roach crawling around the area. Granted it was tiny but if there's one; there's usually more. I tried my best to forget about it on my two block walk home. It kinda worked but still gave me the creeps.
Anyway, on to the food. The beef sandwich in the past was by no means "tops" in Chicago but it definitely was good enough. This time around it was DISGUSTING. The meat was incredibly fatty that I pretty much couldn't even get a good bite and after (TMI) spitting out a gross mouthful of fat - I tossed it in the garbage. I thought the usually yummy fries would at least be decent but they were bland so I dumped a package of salt on them; had three and tossed the rest of the meal in the garbage.
I'm not sure if I just caught the place on a bad day or if their overall food and cleanliness has taken a nose dive in the past few months since I was last there - regardless; I will never be going back.
Yuck, again.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/29/2010
There's something about this three star caliber place that made me want to give it four stars.
I… Read more »
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Review from Lindsey P.
Chicago, IL
12/1/2011
The pizza is good, over-priced, but good. I love the Fire Breather, but the staff is so horrible I may not be back. I agree with other posts they would rather not serve you and are totally disinterested in you being in the store. I went to pick up a pizza tonight and the girl at the front pretended she was on the phone while 3 people waited to pick-up their food, for several mins. In the meantime our pizza sat in plain view getting cold... I like cold pizza as much as the next person, but not sitting on the counter at the store.
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Review from Carol K.
7/23/2010
Love it when a place over delivers on my expectations.
Picture this: 4 starving adults late on a Sunday night sitting at a bar that doesn't serve food. We all start calling restaurants to see who will still deliver. Finally, one in the group yells, "Got one! We're having pizza!" And a cheer goes up from the rest of us.
And within 30 minutes- we were happily munching on our Pizza Head Pizza- saving us from sure starvation and putting something into our tummies other than beer!
The thing I like the best about their pizza? The cornmeal thin crust. Kind of crunchy but yet not. And the toppings? We had more meat than vegetables (yeah- they guys took over with what to top it with) but it was all fresh tasting and quite delicious. It must have been. It seemingly was gone in seconds!
A large pizza with plenty of toppings delivered was about $30.
But the highlight of my night was the delivery guy who made me laugh when he took one look at our motley crew and said, "You really look like you need a pizza!".
Ah, the pain of honesty! -
Review from Ted P.
Chicago, IL
9/22/2010
Well, at least the food makes it easy to not overeat...
On the other hand, they were quick! -
Review from shellie a.
Chicago, IL
1/29/2011
Person at the counter was disinterested in us and would rather have not taken our order, but did because she had to. Pizza was super greasy and the garlic was not fresh (it was spooned on from a jar of minced garlic).
I will not be back. Yuck. -
Review from Colleen C.
Brooklyn, NY
6/17/2008
Adequate.
Hanging out at West Loop Studio tonight with the Otonohana girls and Beth P, poring over millions of disposable camera pictures...HUNGER strikes. (Well actually, a migraine struck...and with my noggin meds, I require greasy food...just 'cause).
Tomato Head Pizza was called, the delivery guy showed up about a half hour later, and the world was righted once again...the pepperoni was much better (in my opinion) than the veggie, which I found a bit bland...though it was quite greasy. But hey, its pizza...I mean, really...it's like saying "its got cheese on it."
$45 for 2 pizzas seems steep, but honestly at this point I would've paid $100. It was quick, hot and arrived to the right destination: my stomach.
However, ya know...I've had better. We live in Chicago, after all :)Listed in: Obligatory Pizza List
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Review from Penny S.
4/28/2009
TOMATO HEAD TO THE RESCUE!
Amazingly crispy, tasty cornbread crust, everything on the pie had great flavor. Chunky veggies, spicy peppers, greasy but delish pepperoni. Pricey, but I didn't pay for it. Win win!
Yes yes yes! -
Review from Scott M.
Chicago, IL
7/1/2011
Great Zorba pizza. Fast delivery!
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Review from Tyler H.
Phoenix, AZ
6/24/2009
I love pizza. Tons. I've had all kinds and am loving the Chicago deep dish style, but it gets to be a bit much.
Sometimes I just want a light, thin-crust pizza with plenty of toppings.
Tomato Head FTW. Not that pricey and it's damn good. -
Review from Chrissy N.
Chicago, IL
2/16/2009
My boyfriend and I ordered delivery from here on Friday. We ordered a pizza, fried mushrooms, and wings. Delivery was about 45 minutes- pretty good on a Friday night. The pizza was ok. No amazing ingredients, sauce was nice (sweet/savory) and the crust was nice with a cornmeal bottom. My boyfriend said the wings were just alright. And the fried mushrooms were very very plentiful (for a side order) but tasted quite salty to me. But they came with a nice side of marinara for dipping.
We might order from them again- but we have several favorite pizza places in the area who deliver- so this one will be much lower on the list. I woul dbe interested in trying their calzones though!
Heart pizzas on Valentine's Day! Ha! -
Review from Kimberly L.
IL
7/16/2010
Definitely not the most delicious pizza in town but, in a pinch, it will do. It will do.
Ordered, picked up, and shared a medium vegetarian and a medium pepperoni and onion. To give you an idea of price, it was about $40 total. The staff was friendly. But this is not a place to "dine in." (At least not for me. When it's 90+ degrees, I must have a/c.)
If you're in the neighborhood, if you have a coupon, if you are really hungry and you're limited in terms of options, give it a try. -
Review from Elaine C.
Chicago, IL
10/16/2009
I've lived in Chicago for a year and a half now and its taken me this long to step away from the deep dish pizza and try the thin crust. Not to mention this is one of the few places really close to my office. I've been at my job for over a year and never tried Tomato Head.
First off, if all thin crust pizza is as cripsy and crunchy and delicious at tomato head then deal me in. I got one with spinach and tomato and it was phenomenal. I also tried a Village salad (tomato, cucumber, red onion, kalamata olives, feta) and that was pretty great too.
It really would be a 5-star worthy place, but it is just too pricey for what it is. And the service isn't stellar.Listed in: Lunch in the West Loop /…
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Review from Beth P.
Chicago, IL
6/24/2008
I have found another good pepperoni pizza in chicago!
Just plain ol' pepperoni n cheese- they do it right.
I had this a couple times while working on the elite event, and I must say that it was yummy. I will see how it is from their Halsted location next time I need a slice.
The veggie pizza wasn't good tho. I pretty much scooted the veggies off the piece, and just ate the crust. Tomato Head could never compare to Art of Pizza's veggie pies.
Stick with the pepp.Listed in: NICE SLICE...
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Review from jamie k.
Chicago, IL
8/22/2007
Tomato Head has a good solid vegetarian pizza.
The delivery is fast and nice.
The online ordering painless (for once!!)
The price is a little steep...but when it's on the company card -- I'm not complain' -
Review from Amber P.
Chicago, IL
2/22/2008
Tomato head pizza kitchen is awesome!
My boyfriend and I love Tomato Head! The pizza does have a thin crust so if you like a normal chicago style this may not be for you. I think the crust is unique and sauce and cheese is good too! Sometimes we pick it up because it tastes best when fresh out of the oven! They do have very fast delivery but were only a couple blocks away so I can't guarantee that for everybody. -
Review from Angie M.
5/23/2009
God bless http://Grubhub.com. They make me aware of all of these great places that deliver to my apartment that I never knew existed.
Enter Tomato Head.
I had a fierce craving for a meatball sandwich. (My favorite! Hey, when you hear the call of the cow, you have to answer.) Tomato Head makes 'em and delivers 'em. And oh boy, are they tasty! The meatballs are perfectly seasoned, the tomato sauce is super rich and tangy and there's the perfect amount of melted mozzarella cheese on top. Add a can of diet coke and serve it on a slightly toasted hoagie roll and you have yourself one very happy camper.
Meatballs = love. I bet you didn't know that. Well, maybe if you're Italian you did.Listed in: Pizza
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Review from Hissyfit S.
Chicago, IL
10/8/2010
This is our go-to pizza delivery joint. I love the super thin crispy crust. The calzones are really good too. And yes, we often get cheese sticks, because fried cheese is yummy. They do cut the pizza in squares but you can request pie-cut, no problem. Easy online ordering and quick delivery. Once in a great while they've messed up the order (brought onion rings instead of cheese sticks) but we call and they send someone right away with whatever we ask for, never giving us a hard time about it. It doesn't happen often enough for us to stop ordering from them.
It's not the best pizza in the city, but when we don't want to go out, it's the best delivery we've found. -
Review from David K.
Chicago, IL
10/8/2010
Here's all you need to know about Tomato Head:
- Is the best pizza I've ever had? No. With that said, is it better than most of the places I've been to in Chicago? ABSOLUTELY. I also get calzones from time to time and they are monstrous and over-flowing with whatever you decided to get in them.
- Inexpensive. Everything I've ordered from here has always been at great price.
- Quick. They are always quick about getting your order ready.
- Online ordering. The best I've seen plus they give you a discount for ordering online.
If you need a quick pizza that actually tastes good and isn't overly expensive, this place is where you should go. -
Review from Kelly A.
Los Angeles, CA
2/17/2007
The pizza itself is pretty good although a tad on the bland side... be sure to have your crushed red pepper and parmesan on hand. But quality indredients and lots of toppings.
One gripe I have is the size - they only have small and large. I'm a medium kinda gal, so I'm a little peeved about that. Also, customer service isn't the greatest when you call in... -
Review from Scottie S.
Chicago, IL
2/9/2010
I use Yelp all of the time, however, decided to sign-up JUST to review this place.
This place is horrible. The pizza, from time to time, is actually decent, however the staff has forced me to never, ever to order here again.
A bunch a low lives work here who are dirty, unprofessional and don't understand customer service. I get it, they are probably making $8 x hour - but learn about pride, people! If I flipped burgers for a living, I promise I'd be the best burger flipper in the world - or at least aspire to it. Who knows who is walking through that door - maybe its a possible future employer!
Once again, ordered phone ahead pick-up and when I arrived the pizza once again wasn't made. The employees giggled (rather than being concerned) and decided to play stealth ops by speaking spanish (which I speak). The one employee told me the pizza would be another three minutes while telling the other to hurry up and make it. Twenty minutes later, I had a barely edible pie.
Owners - Spend a little more money on decent employees - or take some "ownership" and get them vested.
Consumers - until the above happens - Stay away. (I wish there was a 1/2 star option, they'd get 1/2, if any, stars.Listed in: Places you should never go to!
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Review from Christopher H.
Chicago, IL
10/14/2011
Great thin crust pizza. Crispy with a healthy dusting of corn meal on the bottom. Slightly sweet sauce. Not sure if this is an actual sit-down restaurant or just take-out/delivery. We always get delivery and it is timely and hot.
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Review from Audrey T.
Chicago, IL
11/13/2008
Yeah this is another Midwestern weirdo pizza joint that cuts their pies into squares/rectangles. But that's ok, because the pizza is actually really good!
There's actually seasoning to it! And you eat it and it is good! EVEN the crust!
The staff is a bit "oh, hi... you're here." as opposed to helpful and attentive. And if you need a corkscrew for the bottle of wine you naturally carry around with you if you're like me and my crew (actually, I'm not sure if this place is BYOB but we were in the mood and it was late and empty and we figured we'd ask) well good luck. Make sure to bring your own. -
Review from Lisa D.
Chicago, IL
7/26/2009
Cheap, and the pizza sucks.
We were so hungry we walked into the first place we saw. -
Review from T S.
Chicago, IL
8/16/2008
The first time I ordered from Tomato Head, I was pleasantly surprised. As a result, whenever I order in pizza (which is not horribly often), they are my go-to. Their crust is amazing (corn meal-y) and the pizza is always well-cooked. I always order the same thing--large thin crust with spinach, mushrooms and sausage. The spinach and mushrooms are always fresh, and the sausage is great too!
Normally I would only give four stars just because their topping add-ons are a little pricy per item, so delivery can end up being a bit on the expensive side. However, now that I work right down the street, my carry-out experience on Thursday was definitely five stars!
I called and ordered my pizza over the phone (they also have an online ordering system if you are human contact averse). They told me to come by in 20 minutes. I picked up the pizza and chatted with the friendly guys behind the counter for a few minutes. I headed back to the office and opened up the box and this pizza looked INCREDIBLE.
Three of us dug right in and all agreed that it was the best thin crust we had ever had. It was cooked to perfection (crispy but not burned) and had more cheese on it than Tomato Head usually distributes. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
I think we found ourselves a new Thursday tradition! :)Listed in: The West Loop
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Review from julie p.
Chicago, IL
8/30/2007
WARNING: They cut their pizzas into SQUARE slices. If you're one of those triangles-or-nothing people, this is NOT the pizza for you!
I like pizza that has cornmeal on the bottom of the crust, and I like pizza where the veggies are fresh. So I like Tomato Head pizza. It's pretty overpriced, but it's the best delivery we've got in the West Loop. And the mushrooms and green peppers have those wrinkles on them that tell you they were real whole raw veggies recently- not just in a can.
Be careful about the olives. The way they pile them on your pizza, it makes it super salty. I wouldn't order them as a topping again.
The delivery is $2.50 and takes usually 45 min to an hour. A few times the pizza has arrived not-quite-hot, but never cold. I've never been to the restaurant itself, though. So I can't comment on that. -
Review from Abigail T.
Chicago, IL
5/30/2007
this pizza was good! as were the breaded mushrooms. We ordered online and the pizza was still hot when we got it home (even tho we had to go back for ranch for the mushrooms, even tho we specifically requested it upon ordering). Lots of corn meal at the bottom of this deliciously crispy thin crust pizza!
The inside of the joint is actually cute inside! I would sit and eat in there next time.
Bonus that they have an ice cream cooler (filled w/ Good Humor stuffs!). mmmmmmmmmm........ -
Review from Barbie M.
Ok I'm from Detroit and we are not lacking the places to get a great pizza. Matter of fact I think I found the best Metro Detroit has to offer. BUT!!! Tomato Head!!!
My boyfriend and I stumbeled upon this place after dinner one evening and we were dying for pizza so we stopped in and HOLY COW!!! It was the BEST pizza I have ever had. We took the train all the way back to some hotel we were staying at outside the city so it was a good hour till we had a chance to eat it and it was still AMAZING at room temp!
Now during our stay we got delivery from some local joint that was supposed to be the be all end all and I cant think of the name but it was GROSS!! We ate one piece and tossed the rest!
The last day of our trip we drove to Tomato Head in a major down pour. Streets were flooded and everything. But we had to haev that pizza again!
The 4 hour drive back to Detroit we talked and ate the most amazing pizza AGAIN!!
I'll be back in Chicago this weekend and my first stop when i get off that plane is Tomato Head!!!
xox -
Review from Dana H.
Chicago, IL
2/8/2007
I love this pizza...the thin, crispy crust wins me over. But, I am also a big fan of the cardboard pizza I used to get at the skating rink in the 80's...perhaps my love of TH is part nostalgic affect. I do not like deep dish pizza...I like my pizza thin and crispy...it should stand at attention when I hold a slice:)
I like the price point, here, too and I think it is great that you can order online or by phone.Listed in: Bringin' It Home
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Review from Heather B.
Chicago, IL
4/1/2008
I was pleasantly surprised with this place. I was in the neighborhood and needed lunch fast because I was starved.
I only tried a slice of their cheese pizza--and it was pretty good. I liked the fact that the thin crust was soft and not super crispy.
A good size for this location, and their TV had NCAA BB highlights on, which was nice. -
Review from Ashley C.
Chicago, IL
9/25/2009
In this city, there is no shortage of pizza places and as such, I do think there is a higher standard because you can simply go elsewhere. I should declare my bias upfront since I found one of my favorite thin crusts. (see Pat's Pizza review)
That said, this place is a hit or miss which is one of the bigger problems. No consistency. When it's hot and good, the pizza is good. I recently tried bacon on the pizza and it was very well done and wonderfulyl yummy. It is a thinner crust, but not as thin as others (inbetween thin and a handtossed is how I would categorize it). It is a perfect combo when you have some that are a little wary of "thin crust." If the pizza was like this all, or most, of the time, it would get a solid three or three and a half stars. The big problem is that other times it has been overcooked, not hot, and just not the same.
Delivery is so-so: sometimes it's not very hot. Other times they forget things in your order (I don't know how this happens when you order it online). The upside is it has been pretty quick delivery and it's pretty cheap. -
Review from Jennifer S.
Chicago, IL
3/24/2011
Very yum. Great crust, hot and fast delivery. One of the best thin crusts I've had in years!! Nice phone service. Go Tomatoe Head!! If you are in the West Loop I would for sure give this place a try!!
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Review from Nick S.
3/5/2010
Just got this pizza once. The thin crust is solid and I had pretty high expectations.
What's with all the salty reviews? -
Review from Jason B.
Chicago, IL
5/27/2010
I wanted to like Tomato Head, my wife and I walk by it all the time and see the guys in there hard at work making fresh pies. When we moved into our apt a few blocks away we ordered delivery. After a day of moving boxes and unpacking, pizza sounded like just the thing. Sadly, it didn't hit the spot. The crust was blah; kind of tasted stale. The topping on the veggie pizza were hard and crunchy; like they didn't get a chance to cook at all. The pepperoni didn't have much spice. All in all there just wasn't a lot of flavor there.
I may give Tomato Head another chance; based on the other reviews this could have just been an off night for them -
Review from Jennifer C.
Redondo Beach, CA
3/27/2010
We do delivery from here at least once a month or more. We haven't actually ever eaten here so I can't say much about the dining experience. We have always been pretty happy with delivery.
We love their BBQ chicken pizza. As well my other favorite is the chicken kebab sandwich. I usually order the fried mushroom as well.
We've even used them twice for our daughters birthday parties and they have always been pretty good.
They have great thin pizza, nice an crispy.
It's too bad that I read lots of bad reviews particularly about the dining experience but maybe we'll be sure to steer clear of dining there so it won't spoil our opinion of them.
