We Made Southerners Try Fast-Food Fried Green Tomatoes

We know and appreciate a good fried tomato here at Southern Living. They're thick, substantial, tangy, and crispy – and no one does them better than Mama with a fresh crop of tomatoes from the farmers' market. When we heard that a fast-food chain was trying to replicate one of our favorite dishes, we had to give them a shot. But, unfortunately, the tomatoes didn't quite live up to our editors' expectations.

While some folks couldn't even figure out what the fried batter held – "Is it a pickle? A potato?" – others were just very, very disappointed that the "very squishy" fried green tomato even held the same name as the dish we know and love. "I see the tomato but I don't taste the tomato," one editor said. Lots of folks commented on the lack of sauce with the tomatoes, which, while advertised on posters with the fried green tomatoes, didn't come with the ones we'd ordered. "Don't give me fried green tomatoes, fried pickes, or anything fried without a dip," one editor commented.

Flavor (or lack thereof) aside, the texture was also off-putting. The tomatoes had a rubbery feeling, and they weren't nearly as thick as Mama'd cut them. They were a little soggy, a little gooey, and – unanimously – underwhelming.

Our advice? Stick to Mama's classic recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes if you've got the time to make them at home. If not, pop by your local meat-and-three to quickly curb those cravings; we've got too many awesome local joints that have perfected the dish to opt for these sorry fast-food tomatoes instead.