Does the only Sweet Tomatoes in the country live up to the nostalgia? I tried it to find out

After four long years, Sweet Tomatoes returned with its first reopened location in the United States in Tucson.

On April 1, the morning of the grand opening, the wait was about 45 minutes. That deterred no one, as many had driven hours to Tucson from Phoenix, and some guests traveled from as far away as Long Beach, California.

The unspoken question was whether it would live up to the nostalgia.

When the doors opened, someone in line exclaimed, "It smells just like I remember!"

The view of the long salad bar took me back to weekend mornings with my whole family growing up. Back then I was too short to reach the ladles and needed my mom's help. The dining room in Tucson is slightly modernized with more natural light coming in, but also felt familiar with its brown tables and red and green accents.

Overall, it was just like I remembered.

What's on the menu at Sweet Tomatoes

I went in with no plan, simply adding things that looked good to my plate.

First, I built my own salad, with iceberg lettuce, mushrooms, cucumbers, eggs and Italian dressing.

My second plate consisted of potato salad, coleslaw and broccoli salad, all of which looked and tasted exactly like I remembered.

In the hot food area, guests can help themselves to pasta, soups, baked potatoes, pizza, bread and pastries such as brownies and muffins. There's also an ice cream sundae bar, which my little brother used to use to make root beer floats when we were kids.

If you're hoping for innovation, updates or upgrades, you'll be disappointed. But if, like me, you're looking for a taste of the familiar, the first Sweet Tomatoes to re-open delivers exactly what you were missing.

How to visit Sweet Tomatoes

Sweet Tomatoes held a grand opening celebration for its Tucson location at 11 a.m. on April 1. The restaurant is now open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Details: 6202 E. Broadway Blvd., Tucson. sweettomatoes.com.

'It's like a fever dream:': Sweet Tomatoes fans celebrate the return of the salad buffet

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Sweet Tomatoes restaurant opens in Arizona. Is it as good as before?