Red Tomato Cafe

First a update. Looks like something happened where the building is damaged and they are closed for now. They didn’t say when they would re-​open. I can only imagine that the heavy snow damaged the roof or something.
Now for the review I love this restaurant. Good food, good service. The big things I like here are their Pizza’s, Salads, and Pasta’s. Which you would expect from a good italian restaurant.
Service has always been pleasant. Is it over the top service like you get at a five star restaurant. No. But it has always been pleasant, friendly and attentive. Anyway I hope they come back.

Decent food, but definitely not the best Italian in the area. The service is great, but the space is small, so the servers and other diners have to squeeze by frequently. We got the mushroom soup to share as an appetizer and that was quite good. Neither of our entrees was memorable, however. We shared the veggie pizza and the tomato capellini. The pizza had a very thick layer of cheese on it and a lot of garlic. The vegetables were good, though. The capellini was just boring. I’d rather go to La Panetteria or Mia’s.

Went there on a date tonight. The place was pleasant. Our waitress, Melanie, was very friendly. The pizzas were okay but not spectacular. We ordered the house wines which at $ 8 a glass was reasonable except that they only poured half a glass making it expensive. They ought to be a bit more generous with house wine. The atmosphere was warm and friendly. Although we had a reservation, we waited about 10 minutes before anyone noticed us and came to talk to the people in line. Perhaps they were understaffed this night. Verdict — will be back because it had good atmosphere and was fairly inexpensive except for what I said about the half glasses of house wine.

We had dinner there last night. Busy on a Saturday night, but not too noisy.
Ordered one wood-​burning stove pizza and one pasta. Demi, our waitress, was attentive and particularly enthusiastic in helping create a version of a menu item that would accomodate my complicated food restrictions. Food came speedily, and was delish.
We’ll be back!

Ehh. Just so so. Nothing special compared to the pizza options in the area. Awkward layout inside. Staff seemed «distant»

This place has probably become my favorite in Bethesda! Loved the margherita pizza, loved the mussels, loved the caprese! The service was fine and the atmosphere is cozy, warm and inviting. Can’t wait to go back! I give it four stars because it’s a bit pricey.

Salads good.
Mussels good
Margarita Pizza good
Service so so
Prices so so
Looking forward to trying the pasta.

Great Pizzas, no reservations needed for lunch. The wait service is always great. You get your food nice and hot in no time. I love the Chicken Pesto brick oven pizza. SO GOOD! I always try to go to Red Tomato when I am starving just so I can finish the pizza. I can’t wait to try their other pizzas and other menu options. I will be back.

Best pizza in Bethesda. I had the prosciutto pizza and was blown away. I’m sort of glad I passed on Mia’s Pizza today.
Was really pleased by the quality of the ingredients and service. Also glad I was in there before 1130 because it gets busy pretty fast during he lunch rush.
The price for the pizza was also pretty affordable for the area and would gladly try them again next time I’m in Bethesda.

Risotto fritters were okay– gently fried exterior, chilled at center. Sans prosciutto for some reason, but served with a small side of salad greens and reasonably tasty tomato basil sauce. Coworker was content with his coffee and red tomato sandwich. Boring house salad was a lightly dressed pile of fresh mixed greens.
Housemade chips were seasoned heavily and topped with Parmesan powder, but soggy in sections from fryer grease. While RTC offers a thicker cut of prosciutto di parma than local competitors’ prosciutto sandwiches, the accompanying mozzarella and tomato are awkwardly chunky and basil somewhat sparse. Rather than a french loaf, the ciabatta is baked nicely as with their other sandwiches.
Service was friendly, if a bit swamped by the lunch rush. TV in the corner by the bar. We’ll probably be back to try the chicken pesto pizza, Scoutmob or not.

2.5 stars
After reading all the reviews here, I was kind of disappointed with Red Tomato Café. To be fair, there wasn’t anything explicitly wrong with it and it wasn’t terrible, but it just left me completely underwhelmed in every way. I considered giving it 3 stars but in the end I just felt like «Meh. I’ve experienced better» was a perfect description of this restaurant.
From the get-​go, I felt like the place had an odd atmosphere. I loved the look of it from the outside – very cozy and dimly lit (in a good way) – but when they seated us inside we realized there was a large TV above our heads with a baseball game on. I definitely didn’t come to a cute Italian restaurant because I wanted the sports bar experience…
Aside from the weird, misplaced TV, the atmosphere was pretty cute and intimate. The service was alright – nothing special, nothing awful. Our waitress didn’t write down our orders, which I found odd especially since she had to ask me a second time what my entrée order was when she brought over our drinks. If you have a good enough memory to get everything down in your head, that’s great. But if you almost put in an order for a sausage dish for a vegetarian, well… maybe write it down.
In terms of food, we had mixed feelings about everything. The wine list was very nice and had a good, wide selection. The menu seemed to be the perfect size and didn’t get overly complicated or excessively long – which I find many Italian places do. My boyfriend ordered the fried calamari and enjoyed it quite a bit. I had the caprese, which was okay but kind of boring. The balsamic somehow managed to add no flavor, there was no salt on it at all, and the tomatoes didn’t taste completely ripe.
For entrees, my boyfriend ordered the gnocchi and again actually kind of enjoyed it. It was in a cheesy cream sauce and included grapes and walnuts, both of which he was surprised to find worked really well with the cream sauce. I ordered the pappardelle and was extremely disappointed. Both of us felt that the pasta was undercooked, and therefore impossible to eat because it had no flexibility as a noodle. The sauce lacked seasoning and had much less flavor than I would expect from something made with mushrooms, parmesan, and truffle oil. Surprisingly, I didn’t taste the truffle oil or the parmesan at all.
Even for the dishes that were enjoyed, we both agreed that the prices were way to high for the quantity and quality served. I guess we should have ordered pizza, but if something is on your menu, it should be good even if it’s not your specialty. We probably won’t be coming back.
NOTE for vegetarians: The menu online marks things that are supposedly vegetarian, but the menu at the restaurant does not, so you have to go in with which dishes are alright memorized. However, I wouldn’t suggest bothering because the markings are completely inaccurate anyway. One thing marked vegetarian has prosciutto listed as an ingredient (the Buffalo Mozzarella). My boyfriend then asked if the gnocchi was vegetarian when we got there, and the waitress said that it was. However, when we got home, I noticed that it isn’t marked as vegetarian. I’m not sure which was the reliable source, but in short, fair warning that this place may not have it all together in terms of what it means to be vegetarian.

Ah! A cute intimate little restaurant for special-​something kind of lunch.
My friends and I all but took over this little restaurant when we came to celebrate a birthday. We had a large group of 12 but they accommodated our different tastes and large group demands well. Red Tomato has a fairly comprehensive lunch menu with a large selection of your standard Italian fare (soups, salads, sandwiches, pastas, pizza– you know. the works).
I had the prosciutto pizza, which, for $ 12, was decently sized for one person. The pizza was well crafted with generous helpings of tender mouth-​watering prosciutto strips and spicy arugula. Even more impressive, the pizza came out hot from their real brick oven.
Service here was also exceptional. Even with our large group, food came out hot and all at the same time. Moreover, they planned ahead and split our bill in half. Despite our confusing instructions on how to charge our combinations of bills and credit cards («take the cash, split whatever’s left in 5, charge ²⁄₅ to this card, and ¹⁄₅ on the rest of the cards» Yea, we were THOSE annoying customers) the waiter was patient and did it all without complaint or mistake. Also, I appreciate that he took the time to ask and clarify before charging them.
My only complain with this place was its slightly claustrophobic feeling. The open brick oven was a fantastic addition for the fresh pizzas, but smacking it right in the middle of a not-​very-​large restaurant made the café feel cramped. Nonetheless, the generous menu, delicious well priced food, and cheerful competent service made our experience here a wonderful break from the work week.

Hmmmmmm. My feelings toward this place are not yet solidified and to be fair I think I would have to visit again to give an unbiased opinion. The appetizer was nothing special and was small. Wine list adequate and pizza was just okay. If you like your crust extra crispy make sure to ask as their’s is more on the runny side.
Now with respect to the service, while the waitress was nice, she repeatedly forgot my beer which I for better or worse, think is inexcusable. If you can’t remember, right it down.

Completely enjoyed our visit here! We split the bruschetta appetizer, then my friend had the chicken pesto pizza and I had the smokey pizza ($ 13 each).The smokey pizza was delicious, thoughtfully designed with smoked gorgonzola and applewood bacon plus mushrooms giving it a rich, savory and layered taste. Crust was light and crunchy but substantial enough to support the toppings. We followed the pizzas with chocolate mousse cake and coffee, both were great; the mousse was intensely chocolate but silky smooth, and the coffee was a dark roast and very fresh (and I am super fussy about fresh coffee). Service was quick and attentive, We went on a LivingSocial coupon so couldn’t spend much, but next time I’m definitely planning to try the pasta and ask for the wine list as well.
The place is small, so it wouldn’t be my first choice for a gang of people, but for a group of 2 – 4 it’s definitely going on my list. Make sure to call and get a reservation!

I liked their calamari, although the portion size is a bit small. The veggie pizza was really good, and so was the smokey pizza. Waiter was nice and friendly.

People are going to disagree with me on this but quite honestly, I didn’t see this place as anything special.
First of all, the side salad was nothing more than bagged mix green lettuce with vinagrette dressing on top. There was nothing but the lettuce and all this cost $ 6? The soup sounded great but it was a little salty. The bruchetta wasn’t bad. I mixed it with my salad and that was ok.
As for the pizzas, they were decent but nothing special. They tasted a little dry and lacked a mix of flavors. I had the chicken pesto. My boyfriend had one that literally was just a cheese pizza with lettuce on top.
I had a Groupon to try this place out but honestly I was less than impressed. If you want a good small pizza, go up to Pizza CS in Rockville.
The service was ok. Friendly but infrequent check-​ups. The atmosphere was decent.

Let’s not mess around. Nice Pizzas and very wonderful salads. I am never upset – AND thanks for relaxed service. It look slike there are a number of people here who don’t know good service when they have it. Getting taken care of is a two-​way street – you have to know how to set expectations.
Came back to add that there is a nice happy hour discount for beer and wine. I don’t usually have wine there, but will start since they have a very interesting list. I have also been enjoying their Risotto specials. Check out the Chicken Piccata.

When I visited the Red Tomato Café to meet with a friend, I found myself not very hungry… at all. Which is quite a shame since their menu is filled with wonderful Italian eats. So while my friend ordered a pizza, I opted for the salad that Alicia C lamented not having ordered — the Insalata con Spinaci. The salad is composed of tender baby spinach, red onions, gorgonzola dolce (yum!), roasted tomatoes and a bacon/​balsamic vinaigrette.
How good was it? This not-​hungry-​at-​the-​time-​girl ate the ENTIRE thing. The salad was completely and totally delicious. It was very fresh and there were no old pieces of spinach which is something that I always look out for.
The service was very pleasant. It was nice that he didn’t scoff when we ordered an iced tea and a soda and then simply a salad and a pizza. He did not rush us but was there anytime we needed him for something.
I am definitely going to need to make a return visit on a day when I’m seriously hungry because their food (well, at least the salad was)…is seriously good.

My sister & her husband use The Washington Post to find good restaurants — I wanted to prove to them that Unilocal can do the same if not better. My parents were interested in Italian, and I found several 4-​star and reasonably priced restaurants on Unilocal.My sister voted for Red Tomato Café. And the verdict? They enjoyed their food a lot and they’d definitely come back!
This place seems most known for their brick oven pizzas — apparent also by the oven’s location in the center of the restaurant. The pizzas are also very reasonably priced at $ 10.95. My dad ordered the «Salsiccia» pizza which had mozzarella, fresh tomato sauce, spicy Italian sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, & carmelized onions. My dad enjoyed it a lot but I enjoyed mine better. I got the «Red Tomato Special» which was white pizza topped w/​arugula, marinated chopped tomatoes, basil, and fresh parmesan cheese. Talk about fresh tasting! My favorite part was the marinated tomatoes. Note this pizza is more like a salad on top of pizza crust — the toppings are «cold». I loved that I was surprised.
Mom got the «Spaghettini Frutti Di Mare» which had shrimp, mussels, & clams in a white wine garlic herb sauce for $ 16.95. I liked the mussels the best, but I didn’t like the fishy taste of the white wine sauce. I think they may have put too much clam juice. My mom thought it tasted fishy, too.
My sister & her husband opted for the specials which also came with salad. My sister ordered the Risotto w/​scallops, asparagus, and spinach for $ 18.95. My brother-​in-​law got the Lasagna for $ 17.95. Both enjoyed their food a lot, and I liked what I tried — esp. the risotto dish. The Caesar salad was very good, too.
Overall 4 stars for great food, friendly service, nice ambience, and reasonable prices. FYI — parking is available on the street or nearby garage just ½ block away.

I brought a group of 12 people here for my birthday this past summer. After getting some song and dance about them only taking reservations for «certain» things (a group of 12 doesn’t warrant a reservation??), I got someone on the phone who said she’d make it happen. My group ended up with a long table in the back, closest to the restrooms (not like you could see it, but we were the last table before you head thru the curtain and onto the restroom).
Anyway. So the table was a bit cramped because a) it was a big group and b) it’s not a huge restaurant. However, it was cozy and fun and we all had a good time.
Onto the food. I wasn’t super impressed with the calamari, though my friends seemed to like it. I went straight for the pizza and was not disappointed. It was delicious– I think I had pizza margherita or something– just sauce and cheese. I am big on sauce– I think it can make or break a pie. I loved this sauce because it had a lot of flavor– spicy, but not in your face. Just really tasty. Also the pizzas are a good size– I think two people could share one if you start with salads or an appetizer.
In my group, about half went with pizza and half with pasta. The pasta people all seemed very happy with their choices– I tried bites from other people’s plates and they really were delicious. I think most people had one of the specials– some sort of ravioli. Wish I could remember more but I do remember being surprised that it was so good (I guess I had low expectations?)
We didn’t try dessert– I had brought a cake but overall, the meal was delish and I would come back in a heartbeat. Just be warned the place is a bit small.