WeHo's Fig & Olive Confirms Illness Reports as Customers Mull Lawsuit

Following some East Coast reports of a massive salmonella outbreak that hit D.C.’s Fig & Olive restaurant, a handful of customers came forward with their own reports of a similar scare at Fig & Olive West Hollywood.

Now more than two dozen L.A. customers have apparently jumped on board, claiming that the upscale Melrose Place eatery also managed to make them ill — and some are considering their own legal course of action.

After no word from Fig & Olive ownership (based in New York) for nearly a week, the restaurant finally released the following statement on the matter today:

"Fig & Olive’s Washington D.C. City Center and Melrose Place locations are both open and doing business as usual. A week ago, we voluntarily closed our West Hollywood location for a brief time after some diners and employees reported they had become sick. We immediately hired a third party food safety firm and worked with the Public Health Department in Los Angeles to address the situation. After taking steps to ensure that all food preparation and safety standards were being followed, that food stocks were safe, and all employees had been screened, the restaurant reopened the same day with the Health Department’s approval. We are confident we have adequately addressed the situation. We remain committed to delivering the highest quality food and excellence of preparation and service that is the hallmark of the Fig & Olive brand."

Properly enough, the restaurant not only seems to be taking ownership of the illness, but also of the aftermath. Following a short closure to address their issues, the place now seems to be up and running with no issues (and an all-clear from the Health Department), though many of the affected customers continue to swirl online (and in our tipline) complaining of hospital visits and lost time at work.

No official word on whether some of those affected will seek to recoup all that through a class-action lawsuit, which is exactly what’s happening in D.C. at the moment.

Update: Here's a statement from the folks doing the investigating.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) is participating in a multi-state investigation of Salmonella infections among patrons of the Fig & Olive restaurant, West Hollywood. Twenty persons meeting a clinical definition for Salmonella reported eating at this restaurant between September 6 and September 11, 2015.  Of these, seven have been confirmed by laboratory tests detecting the Salmonella.  Investigation of the cases and their exposures (the foods they ate) is ongoing.  In addition to patrons of the restaurant, three restaurant employees were identified with the same Salmonella type.