I can see why this place has only 3 stars. But surprisingly I think it will last for a while. It is pretty inside and has lots of potential. We went around 8:30 on a Friday night and it was maybe 20% occupied. We ordered a large carafe of wine($ 10.50), a small chopped salad($ 8.50) a gorgonzola piandine($ 13.25), and an aracini with pesto($ 8.95). The arancini were my favorite. And we sent the chopped salad back — it was just grey and mushy and gross(I think I only remember ever sending 3 items back in my life, so that is saying something about how unappealing it was.) It was the kind of thing, you take a bite of and think it might have potential to give you food poisoning — it was obviously chopped and assembled way ahead, and we were getting the«end of the day» portion. The arancini were good, the piandine fine — but pretty tasteless, think boring salad wrapped in a thin pizza crust. The servers could not give 2 shits about the place and it showed in attitude. Overall — pretty underwhelmed.
Trini T.
Place rating: 5 San Diego, CA
First time trying tomatinas for my cousins birthday and honestly, I’ve been missing out! I ordered a cheese rigatoni meat dish and every bite was super flavorful. My brother got the pesto seafood pasta and OMG that was the best pesto I’ve ever had. My niece(who is hard to feed) ate the most she’s ever eaten. She had some of my pasta, her own spaghetti and 2 slices of kids pizza. Great atmosphere and service!
Lisa O.
Place rating: 4 Union City, CA
I love eating here. They are always very courteous and friendly. Everything is made fresh. You can watch the chefs cooking.
D C.
Place rating: 3 Hayward, CA
Went here for a late lunch after a movie with my mom and aunt. We had the calamari appetizer and it was ok but nothing to write home about. We all had the two for 10.50 lunch special where each of us get a soup/salad and an entrée. Mom got the tomato-basil soup and chicken spaghettini entrée. The spaghetti was overdone and the tomato sauce was meh; better than a jarred sauce but not by much. I got the tomato basil soup and mozzarella/prosciutto sandwich. The soup was really tasty and my sandwich was good – fresh mozzarella with prosciutto, arugula, and pesto sauce on ciabatta bread. Auntie had the cauliflour/broccoli feta side dish and the cappalini with alfredo sauce entrée. Her pasta was cooked al dente but the alfredo sauce was kinda bland and needed something to perk it up. It was just pasta and sauce, nothing else. The side dish was really tasty and a little on the spicy side. Yum. The service was good, our waitress was friendly and came back several times to make sure we had everything we needed. All in all, it wasn’t bad.
Mindy N.
Place rating: 3 San Jose, CA
My pizza was a bit salty and overly greasy. My salad had way too much dressing in it and I was surprise they didn’t offer free bread. The worse part was when a glass of beer suddenly broke off from the bottom, spilling the entire thing onto the table and onto my father in law’s lap. They cleaned it up but the beer itself was not comped. We left feeling somewhat ripped off from the whole experience as it was our first time here.
Jasmine ..
Place rating: 2 Union City, CA
Went here for my friends bday Lunch. The food was decent, but I feel like it was way too expensive based on the service that was provided.
Wajma Z.
Place rating: 1 San Jose, CA
Came here out of sheer hunger and landed in this crap hole. Pizza(the Garden) is what we ordered. For the kids plain cheese. The pizza was so bland and salty! I asked for extra hot sauce, ranch, jalapeños, you name it! Nothing made it taste like pizza. I did not care to finish the pizza and I was so disappointed. Not going back.
George R.
Place rating: 2 Union City, CA
This review would be a 2 ½ stars if I could cut a star in half. If I gave 3 stars with this explanation of a half star deduction, they would get the benefit of an appearance of an above average grade that it didn’t deserve. I really want to give Tomatina a higher grade but I can’t. This review is from(3) separate visits… The place has nice décor, looks cozy and has about(25) tables. Each time our visit was on a weekday because we won’t deal with the parking on the weekend. There was about ¾ capacity each time. Food — the menu is varied and the food is delicious. It’s fresh and the presentation is well done. I’m being general about the food because the food is not the problem… The customer service is the problem. On our 1st visit we were well tended to. From what I could tell(and I could be wrong) there was(1) waitress. A boss took our drink and appetizer order and handed us off to the waitress to take our order. Meanwhile the boss asked if I wanted a refill and brought out our appetizers. Someone else brought out our meals and both the boss and waitress followed up to ask about our satisfaction. It was a team effort and we were taken care of. The next(2) visits were very similar. I’m not naming names because I don’t believe the poor service was a reflection on the individual. I believe the place is poorly staffed. On our first visit it looked like the staff pitched in. On the last(2) visits the waiter/waitress was on their own . Both times my request for water was forgotten. I placed my empty beverage glass at the edge of the table in the hope of a refill… nope. He never noticed and had a knack of avoiding our table. When we finished our meal the next table over were served dessert– Banana Breadpudding. Mmmm. It took awhile to clear our table and when he arrived he presented the check without ever asking if we wanted dessert. I asked for the Breadpudding and I heard him exhale hard as he left; like I was bugging him. Warriors were on tv. Maybe that’s why. Tonight was more of the same — excellent meal. Asked for water, didn’t get it. Placed my empty beverage glass to the edge, nothing… The food arrived and then I was asked if I would like a refill(that they charge for). I agreed . We enjoyed our meal except that for the next(20) minutes that the refill hadn’t showed up until my wife caught her attention. my drink was now unavailable so I made an alternative choice. No «oops» or «sorry» for the long delay. Nothing. On our last(2) visits, I honestly think that they are understaffed. Our servers weren’t lazy slackers and they were pretty damn busy. We’re not high maintenance diners either . We’re gonna give them another chance… the food is good. If it’s more of the same then we’ll just do take out…
Kristine F.
Place rating: 4 Hayward, CA
A lot has changed in one year. Service has gotten better and seems like they took my last review into consideration! In the past, my waitress forgot the chicken and my piadine was automatically served folded/cut in half with barely any garlic spread. Krystal did a marvelous job memorizing our order without a notepad and emphasized my addition of chicken to the Caesar salad piadine, plus she asked if I preferred open faced or sliced! Love these options, I like open faced though. My order also had quite a smear of garlic spread this time. Despite needing extra time to decide, Krystal came round three times until we finally ordered. She handled multiple tables with grace and ease, personable lady. Have to say, the past complimentary soft focaccia bread with fresh tomatoes is better than the thin crispy breadsticks they’re serving now. The tables around us didn’t seem to finish them either. Please bring focaccia back! Penne bolognese still makes my mouth water– that melted cheese, zesty sausage, sliced mushrooms, and piping hot marinara wins every time. The calzone wasn’t what we expected, cheese wasn’t smothering the ingredients, but rather gave the arugula room to breathe. Busy on Saturday night at 7pm but we waited about 10 min with a quote of 5. Not bad.
Poiuytrewq A.
Place rating: 4 Union City, CA
We got a coupon in the mail and decided to have a go. We came in without reservation. The place was pretty full but there were some seats available and other people waiting. The receptionist was polite enough and got our table ready himself. So we waited probably less than 10 minutes. We were seated right by the fire and it was aesthetically pleasing to watch the chefs make food. Waitress was friendly and attentive. I like how there is a chef special for the month because that means the menu changes up. For the most part we were pretty satisfied with the food. My pasta was okay, but to be honest I don’t really love pasta. It was a cous-cous wannabe pasta. I wish there were more none pasta dishes, so I would just try something different next time. My dad ordered salmon, but to him it should have been cooked longer. It was cooked, but just barely. He assumes that’s how it’s supposed to be, but he lived in Alaska and fished his own salmon, so he might have a good idea of what good salmon is. My boyfriend ordered whatever their specialty is and it was huge. It wasn’t what any of us were expecting, but I think he liked it, since he ate the whole thing. I guess overall the experience was pretty good, the staff was very friendly, helpful, and polite, which bumps up my rating by one star.
Cyntia Q.
Place rating: 3 Hayward, CA
I used to go to a Tomatina’s back in the day in St. Helena, CA, and fell hard for the piadines. The restaurant later changed, but I was so glad to find Tomatina years later. The menu looks quite evolved but still has the basics it had back in the St. Helena, like the piadines, the mezzo mezzo drink, the garlic rolls. You can get free garlic rolls for signing up for a promo but it requires you to give your credit card info-uh…no thanks! Service was lacking. Sat for about 10 minutes with no waiter coming by. Aside from taking our order and bringing the food, he was almost MIA the entire meal. Observing the fella, he seemed to be able to manage one task at a time from one table at a time. For example, he took a refill order for drinks but didn’t think to clear our empty plates. The piadine portions were solid! My bf liked his salmon piadine with a delicious citrus Parmesan dressing. I had the chicken one but found the dressing mild. I would actually get the citrus Parmesan dressing on mine next time or try the Caprese piadine. Ingredients were fresh and plentiful. The bread pudding was meh-def not a repeat. I like the fire pit outside-very nice and warms you up.
Lauren H.
Place rating: 4 Union City, CA
I personally would only go 3 stars but my daughter loves this place. It was really good when it opened but each visit since has been a little disappointing. The bread sticks are stale and just bad. They should go back to the bread they had at opening or not bother. Today we had lunch special. My daughters pasta was great and my salad was delicious. She loved her paired soup but my sandwich was bland and unexciting. Our favorites are steak piadine, design your own pasta, and meat lovers pizza. Chicken Parmesan is hit or miss. First time was tasty, second overlooked and dry. Short rib special was great first time but lacked enthusiasm second when they couldn’t even be bothered to actually make carrot and zucchini in pasta shape.
Lene N.
Place rating: 3 East Bay, CA
I was really looking forward to trying this place since I’ve heard through the grapevine a lot of good things about it. For example, their pasta is made fresh along with the pasta sauce or how the salads are light, airy and have different combinations of flavors. After my initial visit last Saturday, Tomatina is not a restaurant I will be rushing to visit again. Upon arriving around 1pm, we waiting a good 10 minutes for someone to acknowledge us, since there was a sign that read, «Please wait to be seated.» When we were finally seated, there was another wait until someone took our order. At that point we put in our drink and food order in, to save some time. The salads were pretty tasty, and the small size is large enough for one person. If you opt for the large size, it can easily be shared between 2 people comfortably. If weather permits, select for a table outside. The veranda or front patio offers just enough shade to enjoy a glass of wine on a nice day. Potential, but food is just okay.
Jane S.
Place rating: 3 San Jose, CA
Our first time, food was good. Service needs some improvement. When we got in, they sat us down at a really cold booth. No breadsticks, we had to ask for drink refills(each time) and he had only checked on us at one time. Several other servers drop too many drinks and plates which is too distracting. We ordered our dessert and not once did he ever got back to us. Took so long for the dessert to arrive. Spoke to the Manager who was really civil with the situation and gave us a complimentary dessert which I told her she didn’t have to, she insisted. Still we had to re-evaluate our tip, 50%. I normally give a penny, but my husband was feeling generous.
Darcel T.
Place rating: 2 Union City, CA
I hardly ever leave negative reviews… but. The two stars is for the pleasant attitudes of the service team. The missing stars are for: The waitress took my drink and appetizer order as I waited for my friend that was meeting me. After my friend arrives, she asked a second time if I’d like any appetizers to start. I asked her if I put my appetizer order in with her, or if it was another waitress, because frankly, I was confused. She said, oh, I forgot, yes, I took it. The appetizers came. Garlic rolls were nice, the arancini was barely warm and flavorless. She took out order. It came out wrong. The Damon was way over cooked and they served us an entirely different salad than we requested. I wake up the next morning and my stomach is totally upset. I check to see if my girl’s stomach is upset as well, and of course it is! Needless to say, I do not plan to return.
Monique A.
Place rating: 4 Pittsburg, TX
We came here right after the movies. Perfect location to eat and see a movie. The restaurant is very nice if your looking to bring a date. Great wine menu and we actually enjoyed the food. My husband got a small Caesar salad with lasagna. He is pretty picky but he said it was good, he would have liked just a bit more meat. I got the mixed salad with the Penne Bolognese. Portion for my dish was enough for two people. I only ate half. I think the only disappointing thing would be that it was cold and wet and we sat a couple tables away from door. Every time someone opened it we got the cold air hitting us. The upshot we had a seat against the window.
Mandeep S.
Place rating: 2 Union City, CA
Nothing to rave about here! Food is mediocre and service is terrible. 1 star is for the location and second is for the location. We have tried this place twice and noticed one thing that servers tend to forget about you. Walked into the restaurant and the staff member across the bar shouts ‘feel free to sit anywhere’, which is fine considering the casual ambience. Once we were sat it took 15 minutes for the next interaction with the server. After we placed our food order it took more than 30 minutes to get our starters and which was followed by a long wait for the main course. Food is mediocre, nothing amazing. I will only recommend this place if you have no other option.
Dana L.
Place rating: 2 Union City, CA
Sad. This is our second visit and we are not impressed. We ordered a large pizza and it was good, but doesn’t merit the price. We also ordered the calamari and it was an interesting service with deep fried onions. The problem was it came to our table soaking in grease. It was not appetizing at all. Service was spotty as our server was there before we got our food, but once we were served, she wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Probably wouldn’t be back with service the way it is and the lack of care for the food they serve. Mommy Tip: crayons, children’s menu, high chair
Sowmya S.
Place rating: 4 San Mateo, CA
Nice décor, ambience and great service. We ordered chicken Alfredo pasta, shrimp rissotto, chicken Parm and chicken pesto pizza. Our server was considerate enough to warn us about how big a moderate pizza would be after seeing that we already ordered enough dishes for 4 of us. Liked all the dishes. Oh yea, loved the bread and sangria too!
Christopher G.
Place rating: 2 Hayward, CA
I really wanted to like this place but it didn’t really impress me. This is why: — The customer service needs work!(we can tell if your judging your customers) — The noodles are pretty stiff! — The drinks were extremely sweet! and got my order wrong. Upon entering, the exterior and interior is pretty nice! I must say that this is the best part of the restaurant. They have a nice bar inside with a see-through view of the kitchen. The outside eating area is nice to eat when its nice and warm. The wood that surrounds the outside area smells wonderful when is warm. Its conveniently located right next to Buffalo Wild Wings and the Union City Theatres. LUNCHSPECIAL is worth it but I feel like the quality of food is better in other places. I seriously had big hopes with this place but it all fell short.