The Tipsy Tomato Restaurant and Wine Bar — Restaurant in Cleveland

This is the 2nd attempt at patronizing this restaurant and the 2nd failure. The 1st time was when they had been open for about a week. We were seated and looked over the menu while waiting for our server. I ask for a glass of wine and was told they didn't have their alcohol license yet. Okay, that should have been posted on the door so we didn't waste 30 minutes of our time. So we left. Not that big of a deal. So I thought I would give them another chance today, on Mother's Day. Granted this is a very busy restaurant day. But it started out bad from the get go. We walked in and it was very cold inside. Most restaurants are, so I thought I could live with that. My elderly mother was with us and it was more uncomfortable for her. The hostess was very frazzled. There were 7 of us in the group and we had called ahead for a reservation. They also had a reservation for 8 that was coming in at the same time. We waited about 15 minutes and the other party of 8 had not arrived. I could see a table set up and waiting for 8. I asked the hostess if we could sit at that table and she said it was reserved for the party of 8. I explained to her that would it not make sense to set the people who were waiting and when the other party arrived give them the other table that she was waiting to have cleared. After clearing that idea with her supervisor she decided to take my advice. So after we got seated and waited about 10 minutes, our waitress came over to take our drink and food order. At that point, we were told that half of the menu we were given was not available. So 3 of the members of our party had to change their food order. This is something that should have been communicated when we were given the menu and seated. So 2 people in our party did not eat because there wasn't anything they wanted on the menu. That should have been my clue to leave. Well we stayed. My mom wanted something hot to drink because it was cold inside. So first we asked for hot tea, but they didn't have that. Then we asked for coffee. 20 minutes later after all the other drinks were brought I got up and ask about the coffee. Then the waitress came back and said the coffee machine was broke. So okay, communication! Lacking! Next the food came out. I had ordered a cup of soup as an appetizer and the Lasagna, which came with a side salad. Well the waitress brought it all at the same time. So I sent the soup back. An appetizer should be brought as a first course, not at the same time as an entrée. The salad, which was supposed to be a Caesar Salad, was made with bagged shredded Iceberg. Anyone who has any food service training knows that a Caesar Salad is made with Romaine Lettuce. Well I ate the salad although it wasn't very tasty and the Lettuce was wilty. The Lasagna looked appetizing but it was not hot. Luke warm Lasagna is not tasty. So I did not eat it. The waitress took it back and was going to heat it but instead someone brought another plate. Which happened to be the same temperature. So apparently the warming unit is not set at a hot enough temperature. The icing on the cake was the owner's attitude about our experience. I tried to speak to him as we were leaving. His attitude was you can't please everyone. I realize none of these issues are huge, but when you add them all up and continously have issue after issue it just has made me not want to go back. He said it wasn't his fault the coffee machine broke that morning. My answer to that is, go to Walmart and buy one so when the lunch crowd arrives you can accommodate. My answer to hot tea is put some tea in a cup and microwave it. You do what you have to in order to please the customer. You don't just throw up your hands and say you can't please everyone. Sounds like an attitude for a restaurant that may not last. Time will tell. But maybe you will start listening to...

We went on Friday, 5/23, around 5 pm. We had skipped eating all day in anticipation of this dinner. We were quite hungry and ready for a great meal!

The decor is as expected and planned fairly well but the flowers on all tables were wilting in cloudy water. I was puzzled as on a Friday night, I would expect a “best efforts” approach. That was my warning sign. I didn’t want to jump to conclusions but rather give the restaurant a solid chance so we decided to stay.

The view into the kitchen is open so you can see the food assembly. Most employees were carrying and drinking from styrofoam cups from various fast food restaurants in town. I was surprised as it seems inappropriate to be consuming food or drink while in a food preparation area.

Five servers were congregating at the bar, talking, trying beers and wines (for ability to tell customers their favorite?) while looking at some type paperwork, their phones, and a publication just delivered by a gentleman. They each had fast food beverages, as well.

We didn’t drink any beers or wines… maybe if we had, we would have been pleased with the food. Otherwise, I am shocked as to how the reviews speak highly of the food. We went solely because those reviews were so promising.

We ordered the hot spinach dip as an appetizer. It was served with fresh carrots, cucumbers, celery, and fresh, not toasted (as noted on menu) baguettes. It was apparent the dip is made with frozen spinach and it had an “ok” flavor. But for a $12 appetizer, I was disappointed. I think, at best, an $8 appetizer.

For our meal, I ordered the mighty meatball flatbread. The price was $15. The quality made me think of the frozen pizzas at the grocery store-you know, the single serve type that sells for around $1. We had seen some food assembly earlier and noted the prep person was putting a tremendous amount of dried oregano on something. Well, it was apparently my dish. The red sauce tasted like Ragu spaghetti sauce. The meatballs were thinly sliced, pressed meats that were perfectly round in shape… as if from a production line and tasted like Sysco brand bar food.

At the end of the meal, the server asked how everything tasted. I don’t think my disappointment was hidden when I said it was “ok” and shrugged. She didn’t inquire into my response. I didn’t ask for a manager because we ate it. We paid and left.

My husband will give a review on his experience.

For me, two people spending $45 plus tip on a meal, I was incredibly dissatisfied and disappointed.

If you want a meal where the food is almost all literally made from scratch in house and the level of service is impeccable then make the drive to Clarksville and try The Copper Pot. We have been there for multiple occasions and taken out of town family and friends. It has never disappointed us.

We will not be returning to The...

We understand this is a soft opening but take your time and try to get a better handle on it before putting it out there. All in all, it was okay. The service was slow. We ordered wine for me and beer for my husband. I had to ask when we would be getting it because it was that slow. There were two other couples there when we got there and they were eating. Another couple arrived after us and they got their drinks before we did and it was the same waitress. I got the Mediterranean salad which was in need of repair. A Mediterranean salad has tomatoes, either fresh or sundried, cucumber, sliced onion, not tiny small diced pieces of onions, and romaine or a salad mix including romain. The salad greens was just flat spinach with hard stems. That's all the greenery it contained, tiny sprinkle of little pieces of diced onion, kalamata olives, feta and some odd looking sweet round thing that the waitress couldnt even identify. Unfortunately, there was very little of any of it. The salad was flat and just covered the bottom of the bowl. For the $10 price we paid, they could do way better. My husband's sandwich was the Godfather. He enjoyed it but suggested it could have been better if toasting it were an option, melting the cheese. The side he ordered was the pasta salad which was pretty unappealing. The pasta was over cooked and gummy. We told the server and she offered something else, he chose the potatoe salad. It was basically smothered in a sour cream dressing with little flavor. He didnt eat it. He gave up after that. The Bianca flatbread was off the chain. It was really good. We'll try a different flatbread on our next visit.

They need to invest in a large dish pan for the bus personnel to carry dirty dishes to the kitchen. We watched this young man struggle 4 times carrying dishes to the back. Not a good use of his time and it wasn't his fault.

The bottle of water offered when we were seated was a nice touch. She offered ice and lemon which was on point. Get your servings consistent, increase the amount of salad to match the price, make them correctly then that would be a win. It was almost a Mediterranean salad but missed the mark. Get your menu perfected and consistant. Is your pasta salad going to be spiral pasta or bow ties, pick it. Additionally, personnel should not be seen eating a sandwich behind the bar while serving guests. If your taking a break, then take one out of the view of the public. I'm not being critical, I'm being constructive as I used to do this for a living for our local newspaper on the east coast. I want to see this place succeed; it's in our home town. This town deserves a good place like this. We'll come back next month to see if it has been further tweaked and polished. We certainly hope...