Denton's Tomato Serves Up Winning Pizza!

There's a reason that the buyout of Denton's Fry Street area caused a great uproar among locals, students, and alumni-- so much of the area has become a part of personal history, and The Tomato is a perfect example of how an eating establishment can become something so much greater than mere food.

When I first started university, I looked for a place to catch an inexpensive meal after my anthropology class, and I settled on the Tomato (then the Flying Tomato-- the name changed in the late 90s when the Tomato broke away from its franchise roots to become an independent business). Even if you come in with only a couple of dollars, you can still get a decent meal. If you're willing to splurge and spend five dollars, you can get a lot of quality food. Two dollars will get you breadsticks and your choice of toppings (butter, marinara, and cheese sauce, affectionately referred to as grease, tomato, and glue by employees). Five dollars will get you a slice of pizza and a drink (sodas on tap are pepsi products, but pitchers of beer are also available) with some change left over, or, if you choose to go with the free water, a couple large pizza slices made to order.

The inexpensive rates aren't all that the Tomato has to offer. A jukebox crammed full of classic hits and esoteric rock stands in the middle of this bi-leveled restaurant, blasting out tunes as people choose them. Countless groups have chosen their own time to get a meal and you can often determine what the night's social events entail by listening to the familiar selections. A foozball table and several arcade-style video games entertain the patrons, many of whom are regulars who come in just to enjoy a game while they eat. The wooden chairs and tables have seen countless names carved into them, a testimony to the number of couples made and destroyed there, lives affected by this institution of pizza cuisine.

The Tomato is not a particularly classy establishment, but it certainly does have its dignity, and it dresses up well. For Valentine's Day every year, they offer customers the change to order their baby stuffed pizzas (think miniature deep dish) in an adorable heart shape. The Tomato also delivers to customers in a small radius from the restaurant's home at the corners of Fry Street and Hickory and offers more than just pizzas. Although their pizzas are definitely worthy of note, their hot turkey and cheese sandwich is absolutely divine and should not be missed. Pizzas are often a bit heavy on oregano, but after some minor tastebud adjustment for the culinarily set-in-their-ways, they're quite delicious.

The only real problem area that the Tomato has is its restrooms. Despite being cleaned frequently, they are so awash in grafitti and so in need of repairs (the last time I was there, one of the ladies' stall doors was missing) that it's near impossible for them to look sanitary at all. Because of the high volume of customers in the restaurant and the complexities of running the counter, office, register and ovens with only a few people, restroom supplies are typically running a little low-- you might want to double check to make sure that you have toilet paper before sitting down.

This one minor problem aside, the Tomato more than pleases the crowds that it sees every day, whether people visiting Denton for the first time, families uniting over a warm pizza and a soda, or couples out on their first (or fiftieth) date.

This cultural landmark of north Texas has lasting appeal for all ages and dietary preferences, and it more than deserves to be around for a long time to come.