Why strangers are gathering for dinner in San Antonio

The big picture: The Timeleft app says it is fighting "big-city loneliness" one dinner at a time in 185 cities across the globe.

• It launched in the U.S. in April, Andrea Stambaugh, the company's U.S. growth manager, tells Axios. It's now in 35 cities across the country.
• Timeleft came to San Antonio in mid-June, per Stambaugh.

How it works: When you sign up for dinner, Timeleft poses a series of questions — what field you work in, if you're introverted or extroverted, if you're religious, whether you work out often, if you have kids, and whether you're in a relationship.

• It also asks about your dietary restrictions and menu preferences.
• Then you pick a date when you want to have dinner, on Wednesdays at 7pm.
• The app matches you with five people based on your compatibility.
• You don't know anything about those strangers. The only details come the night before when the app tells you what industries your dining partners work in and what their zodiac signs are.
• The app will tell you the restaurant location on the morning of the dinner. Multiple groups have dinner in the same city, at various restaurants, every week.

Zoom in: There's an icebreaker game for dinner.

• Afterward, the app reveals a bar where everyone in San Antonio who had dinner through Timeleft that night can meet up for an after-party. That allows you to meet more strangers beyond your dinner table.

What they're saying: Before Timeleft launches in a new city, they try to gauge the interest of locals, Stambaugh says.

• "I was getting a lot of feedback that it seems like people there (in San Antonio) would like this experience," she says.

If you go: It costs $16 to book a one-night dinner. Subscriptions are also available.

• A one-month pass costs $26. It's $56 for three months and $86 for six months.

My experience: I was skeptical when I signed up that enough people would be participating for there to be a true compatibility match — but, delightfully, the app proved itself to me.

• Everyone at our table had similar interests and got along well. Once we got over the initial hump, it wasn't awkward at all.
• Timeleft sent us to Best Quality Daughter at Pearl for dinner, and Lowcountry in Southtown for the after-party — two of my favorite spots.
• Our group was well-matched based on ages and dietary restrictions — I was not the only person at my table who doesn't eat meat.
• We all got along so well that we stayed late at dinner and the after-party had largely dispersed by the time we arrived.
• We all decided to share phone numbers at the end of the night. But for those who don't, you can connect with people in the app later if you both say you'd like to see each other again.
• My favorite part: Everyone at the table is open to making friends and meeting new people — something that's not always the case at other social gatherings. It's the sort of environment that's hard for adults to come by.

The bottom line: I'd definitely do this again.