Harper’s Garden Missed a Beet…

Authored by Nina Wilson and Dynisha Murray

March 15th, 2023

*Pictured above are Mimosas ($12 per drink), Oysters ($18), Pancakes ($14), Huevos Rancheros ($14) , and The ‘Merica Burger ($17). Photo Courtesy of the Brunch Besties.*

Harper’s garden is a whimsical garden themed restaurant located in Rittenhouse Square. They first opened their doors for business on May 16th, 2018. The outdoor patio can seat roughly 100 people, while the interior of the restaurant can seat 75, and there is also a private dining room that can accommodate 50 people (Drink Philly). The restaurant is one of many that is under the umbrella of Four Corners Management Hospitality Group, FCM Hospitality for short, which has several big named venues within the group. Such as Morgan’s Pier, Noche, and Liberty Point. FCM Hospitality is owned by Avram Hornik, who is cited for having 20 years of experience in the restaurant and entertainment space (FCM Management).

Although it was difficult to find a breadth of information on Hornik, what we did find was the following. Avram Hornik graduated from Vassar College in 1994 and a few years later enrolled in and graduated from Temple University Law School in 1998 (Linkedin). It is in or around this time that he started Four Corners Hospitality Group. He also co-owns Philadelphia Independent Productions, which is a production company that coordinates musical performances for indie artists in Philly (Philly Indie). It is evident that Hornik is an experienced restaurateur, the question we have is whether or not the brunch at Harper’s Garden is worth the hype?

We visited Harper’s Garden on March 11th, 2023. It was a mild winter day, and was partially cloudy. We made reservations a few days in advance, and there was a bit of wait when we first arrived, but we were soon seated. The cool thing about Harper's Garden is that during the winter, the outdoor patio is converted into a greenhouse, so it’s possible for you to eat outside during the winter without feeling the chill. We ordered quite a few items, including Espresso Martinis ($14 per drink) , Mimosas ($12 per drink), Oysters ($18), Pancakes ($14), Huevos Rancheros ($14) , and The ‘Merica Burger ($17). Service was a bit slow on the day that we went, which was probably due to people celebrating St. Patrick’s Day that weekend.

Drinks and Appetizers

Espresso Martini

Espresso Martinis are the perfect brunch drink. They’re boozy, but still contain caffeine so they provide a rush of energy while also giving a buzz simultaneously. Most of the time they are simple and delicious. However that was not entirely the case here. Let's discuss the pros first. The drink was a bit strong, but no more than what you would expect from an espresso martini. The presentation was quite nice as well, it was clean and consistent how espresso martinis are served.

That’s where the pros end. In terms of the cons, the foam to drink ratio was disproportionate, and overall the drink had a very bland flavor to it. We’re not sure if this is because they use iced coffee as an ingredient, but it fell a bit flat. It’s because of this that we gave this espresso martinis 3 out of 5 stars.

Mimosa

Next Drink is a Mimosa. Mimosas are another quintessential brunch beverage. They tend to be a bit sweet or tart, and have a healthy amount of champagne or prosecco. The ones that we ordered were just that, the orange juice was tart and the champagne was plentiful. Our only complaint was that there was a slightly bitter aftertaste, and we think that might have been due to the kind of orange juice used.

However overall, this was not a bad drink and we enjoyed it. Which is why we gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

Oysters

Although we don’t indulge in these often, for us nothing indicates the beginnings of a good brunch quite like oysters. We’ve had them at Parc as well as Attico, and they have been delicious, so we had no reason to assume that these oysters would be anything but. Our server informed us that they were east coast Sex on the Beach oysters that came with a citrus mignonette. The presentation was typical for most oysters, which is to come on a bed of ice with the condiments in the center of the oysters. Each order comes with a half dozen of oysters.

However the flavor of these oysters were not the greatest. Firstly on their own, they had a very briny flavor to them. Which is normally one of the best things about oysters. However in addition to the briny flavor they also had a bitter aftertaste, which was rather unpleasant. This was something that we were not particularly crazy about, and if you are one to prefer bitter oysters then this may be for you. However, the only thing that helped to offset the bitterness of the oysters was the mignonette which was nearly essential. The mignonette on its own was nice and tangy. Overall, the oysters were okay. Were they the best we’ve had? No. Were they the worst? Also no. But because of that, we rated them a solid 3 out of 5 stars.

Entrees

Huevos Rancheros

This is a menu item that we’ve never had before. It definitely is risky to try something new in this capacity, but that’s part of the fun of reviewing dishes at different restaurants. It’s not just about getting the same food at every restaurant but, pushing oneself to try as many items as possible to get an idea of what the quality and menu is like at a restaurant.

The presentation of this dish did not look appetizing. It was a tortilla with a fried egg, jalapenos, and a sea of black beans in a skillet. And would you imagine that this dish tasted worse than it looked. Outside of the well executed fried egg and the flavor from the ancho salsa, It was all bland. There was no flavor. Somehow even the jalapenos were bland. How does one manage to gentrify jalapenos? We have no idea. But somehow that happened. We could go on, about how this is a slap in the face to tex mex cuisine but we think the bland jalapenos says it all. In closing we rate this dish 2 out of 5 stars. Don’t get this, not even as a prank.

Pancakes

We have had quite a few pancakes throughout the course of this blog. Some good and some deadly. These pancakes however sounded very promising. The menu described them as containing cinnamon, vanilla, and pecan butter. The presentation was simple. The pancakes looked scrumptious, and likewise for the pecan butter.

However, these pancakes were dryer than sin. They were so dry it felt like consuming a sandstorm. You probably wanted to choke on them, but were just tippy toeing on the line of not doing so. We wouldn’t even consider them to be edible. This was especially disappointing because the pancakes had a beautiful flavor and the pecan butter was well composed. So if they weren’t dangerously dry it would have been nearly perfect. It’s due to this, that we had to give these pancakes 1.5 out of 5 stars.

The ‘Merica Burger

You would think that based on what we’ve experienced so far, that the ‘Merica Burger wouldn’t be any different from the other dishes we sampled at Harper’s Garden. Especially considering the wasted potential of the dishes we sampled. However, this was a pleasant surprise. The ‘Merica Burger contains two burger patties with a brisket blend, cooper cheese, pickles, minced onions, Dijon mustard, ketchup, and a milk bread bun. You also get the choice of salad or home fries and we opted for home fries.

The presentation of this burger was simple enough. Which is really all we can ask for. And the flavors in this burger were out of this word delectable. All the ingredients married really well together, so it was rich and hearty with a tang of umami. The Dijon mustard really helped to pull together the flavors in the burger. The patties were cooked to a nice medium well, so they were juicy and fresh. The home fries were pretty decent too. This was the only dish that was not only edible but delicious, so much so that we ordered it twice. The only downside, like with all burgers is that it was a tad bit messy. All things considered we rated this burger a patriotic 4 out of 5 stars.

In Conclusion…

Harper’s Garden is definitely the kind of restaurant that you got to for the aesthetics, and not the food. It is a gorgeous restaurant, with exterior and interior design that really transports you into a secret garden, but unfortunately as far as brunch is concerned, the food transports you to the dumpster.

The service was decent, it could have been a bit better, but considering it was the weekend before a major holiday it makes sense. Honestly, we probably will not be back. And we would recommend the same for you. There are several other restaurants that have a spectacular brunch menu and do an amazing job with executing that manu, that also serves delicious drinks. Funnily enough, one of them is Green Eggs Cafe which is located right next to Harper’s Garden. And we have also done a review of Green Eggs Cafe, which you can check out here.

Please let us know your thoughts down below. And until next time.

XOXO,

The Brunch Besties