Tom's Place — Restaurant in High Point

I first visited Tom's Place in Feb. 2023. It popped up on Google as a recommended place to eat. My friends and I have visited, at least, once a month since that time. All was going well until a couple months ago. Only management understands their staffing but they open at 6 AM and that is when we arrive. The last 2 visits, we were told by staff that the waitress for the table we selected was running late for work. I understand the territorial jurisdiction of tables in that environment but they shouldn't leave us waiting only to provide that information when we inquire. The food is still good, the timeliness of when it is delivered to our table is still good but there seems to be a staffing issue at opening time. This seems to cause anxiety for others that have to cover our table. I suspect they are upset with the person that can't show up on time and, thus, the customer doesn't enjoy their experience. I was told that our tips go to the waitress that was assigned our table even if they hadn't even shown up for work yet. That is laughable but I guess it is their policy. For anyone arriving after Tom's Place is fully staffed, I would guess that you have a wonderful experience. When I first started going here, I'd see cops having breakfast, other locals reading the newspaper but I haven't seen that in months. Maybe they showed up at 6 also. At any rate, I hope they can get some help that shows up at opening time and aren't jaded because of it. It's very unfortunate. My friends and I are not likely to return and that is sad because this place was awesome just a...

First, let me clarify that this visit was several months ago.

I went about 45 minutes before closing during mid week and there were only a couple of tables occupied. I was a single female, which traditionally doesn't get great service at a lot of places anyway, but this place really took the cake.

Though I sat in a place very close to the waitress station, I was basically ignored and had to get someone's attention after SEVERAL minutes wait - as in nearly 10 minutes. The staff, including kitchen staff, was clustered and just chatting, not busy. It seemed like no one was really interested in taking my order.

My food took forever to come out of the kitchen. I honestly think the cook didn't realize my order was in. By the time my food arrived I was the only one in the restaurant. I needed ketchup because the bottle on the table was empty, but everyone had disappeared into the back by that time and I gave up. The food was nothing to write home about, but I'm not sure if it was because that's how the food is or because the staff had apparently checked out mentally at the near end of the day.

I was not checked on and ran out of beverage. I had to wave down staff that finally appeared from the back to pay my bill and leave. I left about 5 minutes before closing.

I normally tip well, but not this time. I won't try this place again. They really screwed up too badly to risk a second bad experience. I'm hoping mine was an...

Sometimes, appearances actually aren't deceiving. From the outside, Tom's Place looks like a classic neighborhood diner, unpretentious and untouched by time. However, the amount of love it receives on local social media, coupled with some admittedly tantalizing food pics, had me thinking it was a hidden gem of a breakfast spot. Only by that measure is Tom's Place a disappointment. Nothing I tried was bad, but nothing was particularly remarkable, either.

I put in a takeout order for a Greek omelet (peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and feta) with a croissant and fruit and a Dirty South (scrambled eggs, onions, peppers, Neese's sausage, ham, bacon, hash browns, and gravy) and had no trouble with pickup. Both dishes were waiting yet still hot when I arrived.

The food proved to be comforting if a bit bland. The sausage gravy was a standout, but everything else seemed subdued. Portions were a decent size though not as huge as the hype suggests. At $7.75 and $9.75, Tom's prices are reasonable though other diners may have them beat.

Rather than delivering a breakfast that could rival the Moose Cafe, Tom's Place offers standard Southern-inflected diner fare. It's a solid representation thereof, and I might have to come back to try the breakfast burrito, but the hands-down best breakfast in High...