Arriving into Sanger from I35 North, you’ll see a small billboard on your left featuring the Tomato logo and the words, “The Legend of Fry Street Lives on!” After seeing this sign the mouthwatering for the pizza that had been missing for nearly four years began.
Any Alumni of The University of North Texas will tell you that, Denton holds a warm feeling in their heart, like going home and reliving all the treasured memories. However, since 2007 there has been one thing missing from good old Denton, The Tomato.
The Tomato, previously known as, The Flying Tomato has been a Denton staple for deep-dish pizza, subs and salads on Fry Street since 1985, until they were forced out of business and the building was burned down shortly after.
The Denton community has been encouraging the Slusarski family to reopen The Tomato ever since it was forced to close it’s doors.
Finally, the day of the rebirth of The Tomato has arrived! The Tomato opened its doors for the first time in Sanger, on a lucky Friday the 13th of 2011.
Pay close attention when nearing the new location of The Tomato, as it’s easy to drive right past the building without seeing the sign in their window. Once you walk into the humble little establishment, you feel as though you are back in Denton.
To place your order you walk up to what looks like it was once an old bar, the menu is written out on a white board and could be better organized, but luckily ordering a pizza isn’t terribly complicated.
The waiter was exceptionally friendly and personable and checked several times to see if drink refills were needed.
After sitting down you might notice that many of the tables and chairs looked familiar, perhaps donated from classrooms by UNT and TWU, as they looked outdated and almost misplaced in their new home of such nostalgic value.
First thing to be served was the garlic bread. You can choose from cheese, ranch or marinara sauce to accompany your bread. Using the cheese sauce as a dip makes for a wonderful pairing of garlic bread and hot cheese.. Their garlic bread arrives to the table fresh from the oven and hot to the touch for the first few seconds. The bread is perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft and warm on the inside, with the perfect balance of garlic and spices.
Next to arrive was a large, thin crust pepperoni and mushroom pizza. The pizza was cut perfectly into squares, something you don’t find often. The only downside to this is that you don’t get to enjoy the delightful buttery crust with every slice. Overall, the pizza was just the way it used to be, the best in Denton. The cheese to sauce ratio was just right, and it wasn’t at all greasy or sloppy, which makes for a more enjoyable dinning experience.
There is rumor that The Tomato might be also reopen in its original location on Fry Street in Denton, which would be a much better location for them to continue their business, as they are truly a Denton treasure. Either way, The Tomato is unquestionably back and hopefully here to stay.