Nicole T.
Yelp
I live in Dallas, but I travel exclusively for work. Yesterday, I went through something difficult while on the road. As a dedicated bottomless brunch enthusiast, I was craving a good brunch to lift my spirits. Mimosas have a way of making things feel a little lighter--especially when they're bottomless.
I was disappointed to see that Philadelphia doesn't have as many bottomless brunch options as I'd hoped, but I came across Figo on TikTok and decided to give it a try. They take reservations through OpenTable, but OpenTable doesn't allow solo reservations. To work around this, I made a reservation for two and selected the bottomless brunch option, which was listed as $70 for two people (fair enough, but not ideal when you're dining alone). Before leaving my hotel, I checked OpenTable and saw that both indoor tables and high-top tables for two were available.
I arrived at Figo around 1 PM, only to be told my only options were sitting at the bar, taking an outdoor table, or waiting an hour and a half to two hours. The hostess admitted it was still pretty chilly outside, even with the heated lamps, which for someone from Dallas meant it was unbearably cold. Every bar seat was taken, and there were even two men standing next to friends who had snagged stools. I tried explaining my reservation situation to the hostess--that OpenTable wouldn't allow a booking for one but showed availability for two--but she was dismissive and nonchalant.
Thankfully, another staff member stepped in and offered to grab an extra high-top chair for me to sit at the end of the bar. I was relieved and thought the problem was solved--until the bartender informed me that bottomless brunch is only available at tables! When I explained my situation to the original hostess on my way out, she just shrugged as if to say, "Oh well."
I get that restaurants prefer solo diners to sit at the bar because it's better for revenue. I always try to make up for that by tipping well--30-40%, even for average service--especially since I expense meals for work. But how does it make sense to push a solo diner to the bar when one of your most popular options, like bottomless brunch, is table-only?
Disappointed, I left and headed to Harper's Garden, where the experience was night and day. They seated me at an indoor table right away, and I was immediately taken care of. I now have a carafe of bubbles, a carafe of OJ, and the relaxed brunch vibe I was craving. My only regret is Ubering to Figo in the first place when I could have walked to Harper's. This will probably be my go-to brunch spot during my two months here.
To make things worse, I took a screenshot at 1:49 PM showing that Figo still had a high-top table for two available at 2 PM--contrary to the hour-and-a-half to two-hour wait I was quoted.
Figo, here's the thing: you never know why someone is dining alone. It's already a challenge for many people to eat out solo, and experiences like this only make it harder. For someone like me--who is comfortable dining alone but was going through something personal--it was disheartening to be let down like that. Please, do better for your solo diners.