I have heard rave reviews about First Watch for years and today I found myself in a shopping center with few other dining venues that appealed to me so I decided to give it a try. I was not impressed. The very best I can say was, "it was okay" and I have no plans to return.The hostess was very friendly and seated me immediately. She gave me a choice of tables, which was nice considering I was dining alone and solo diners aren't always afforded the same attention as those in groups of two of more. I wound up seated at the window, which would have been nice except immediately after I was seated, a huge delivery truck pulled up outside and stayed there for the duration of my visit. The side of the truck was my only view. This is not the restaurant's fault, but it was annoying.My waitress came to the table pretty quickly and I ordered a Coke, and a Monterey Club. The sandwich comes with salad or soup, and I chose the soup because it was clam chowder, one of my favorites. The server didn't know if it was Manhattan or New England clam chowder, so I had to ask if it was red or white. She said white so it was New England clam chowder. She was not particularly friendly or unfriendly, she was just kind of "there," which is fine, I guess. I don't expect to be treated like royalty, but it is nice to have a cordial greeting and friendly face, and I feel like I got slightly less than that, but adequate service.My drink came immediately, the food took longer, but it wasn't a terribly long wait. The place wasn't all that busy, so I felt like it took longer to assemble a sandwich and scoop up a bowl of soup than it should have, but I didn't wait forever, either so I was satisfied with the wait time overall.I have to say, I was not blown away by the food. The clam chowder had lots of appetizing chunks of potatoes in it, but not many clams at all and overall it had a watery flavor. It was also not white, but more brown-there wasn't much, if any, cream in the soup. It was more of a broth-based soup.The sandwich was just meh. It came on white bread, which I think was toasted because it was slightly rough and dry on the surface, but there was no color to the bread the way toast normally is. The bread was not substantial enough for the sandwich so it came apart with every bite. I am guessing this sandwich is served warm, which I was wasn't expecting, because the cheese was kind of melted, and everything else on the sandwich was lukewarm. The ingredients were nice and fresh, especially the avocado, but the bacon was dried out and broke into pieces and left little bits all over my plate. There was very little flavor to the sandwich and by the last few bites, it felt kind of cloying and not terribly pleasant to eat.The waitress came back partway through my meal to ask if I wanted a drink refill and I said yes. She then proceeded to clean up some neighboring tables, so that when she did bring the drink refill, I was almost ready to leave.It was loud. The patrons were speaking loudly, probably because the music that was playing was also loud, probably too loud. And even though I was facing away from the entire restaurant, there was a sense of a lot of busy-ness going on around and behind me. Another server was sweeping near me, and scraping chair across the floor, which I realize is necessary and to be expected, but it detracted from the overall atmosphere and I certainly can't say that this was a quiet or relaxing place to dine.Overall I was disappointed in my visit. I know this place is probably known for certain specialties, and maybe I just didn't hit on the "right" food order to get spectacular food. And I guess a coffee drink (I don't drink coffee) or fresh-squeezed juice (I wasn't in the mood for juice and I needed a caffeinated beverage anyway) are also reasons why people go here, but it just wasn't the place for me and I won't be visiting again.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 2
Carlos Tigreros
Poor line management. This place will get crowded and one will have to wait for their table. Host at this site mentioned a 40 minute wait which turned into a one hour wait.
Kailey
I have been a loyal first watch customer for years and never had an issue. Today I ordered the Baja turkey burger through DoorDash and took a delicious bite of paper and for whatever reason it was the most foul tasting paper I have ever tasted. I cannot get the taste out of my mouth and feel sick. I am heavily disappointed that employees would be so careless as to leave a giant piece within the sandwich. Won’t be returning.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Patrick Min
We have dined at this restaurant multiple times and have always left fully satisfied.We visited the place this morning at around 7:30 am, which was already getting crowded. The place was packed when we left at 8:30 am, and people were waiting for tables. If you plan to have a delicious and nutritious breakfast at this place, go there between 7 am and 7:30 am to secure a table.The food at this restaurant is always delicious and satisfying and comes in generous portions. They use the freshest ingredients supplied from local sources. We tried the "New Beginnings" menu items instead of the regular "First Watch" menu for a change. We especially enjoyed the Honey Caramel Crunch Iced Coffee. The Brooklyn Breakfast Sandwich was served with a lemon-dressed organic salad, which was also very tasty. The Babacoa Chilaquiles Breakfast Bowl had a rich Mexican flavor, but unfortunately, the Crispy Tacos were soggy from the red sauce.It is one of our all-time favorite breakfast spots and serves healthy and tasty food. We will go back to try other breakfast items soon.Parking: Locates in Fair City Mall, there are plenty of parking.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict with Mixed Greens, Farm Stand Breakfast Tacos, Farmhouse Hash
Karthik Krishnamurthy
Extremely busy place any time of the day. I usually take the open seating community table. Meet some new folks and as scary as it sound (sic) talk to people :)Price is a touch high, not so much that it’s unaffordable but enough to not let it be a weekly outing. Service is always very fast and pleasant. Bottomless coffee! Nice avocado smash. Definitely recommend.Vegetarian options: You can ask to exclude egg and other such products if you are vegan or Indian Vegetarian!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Avocado Toast and Eggs, Potatoes
Frank Bright
Good food and great
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nit
A menu with very good options for any time of the day.The Fritata was delicious. The French toast was excellent! It was accompanied by a delicious lemon sauce.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Paul Blumstein
The food was very good. But I downgraded it a star because it was too noisy to hear my breakfast companion and another star because it took seemingly forever for the food to arrive.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 2
Olive Yoo (자람둥이)
The food is delicious, the atmosphere is good, the seating is comfortable, the staff is friendly, and I like that there is a children's menu.
Food is good. This location especially is super busy. I wish they would institute a regular reservation system instead of their current waitlist system, where you have to be there within 2 minutes of the table being ready.
Food: 5
Pullgod
Best spot for
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
O f V
Coffee it over priced $4 dollars is to much I don’t see why overpriced still refills no body sell coffee $4 dollars
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Jake Huang
Great early breakfast/brunch option for classic American eats. Service was friendly and it was packed.
Good food. Good service. Can get BUSY!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I have heard rave reviews about First Watch for years and today I found myself in a shopping center with few other dining venues that appealed to me so I decided to give it a try. I was not impressed. The very best I can say was, "it was okay" and I have no plans to return.The hostess was very friendly and seated me immediately. She gave me a choice of tables, which was nice considering I was dining alone and solo diners aren't always afforded the same attention as those in groups of two of more. I wound up seated at the window, which would have been nice except immediately after I was seated, a huge delivery truck pulled up outside and stayed there for the duration of my visit. The side of the truck was my only view. This is not the restaurant's fault, but it was annoying.My waitress came to the table pretty quickly and I ordered a Coke, and a Monterey Club. The sandwich comes with salad or soup, and I chose the soup because it was clam chowder, one of my favorites. The server didn't know if it was Manhattan or New England clam chowder, so I had to ask if it was red or white. She said white so it was New England clam chowder. She was not particularly friendly or unfriendly, she was just kind of "there," which is fine, I guess. I don't expect to be treated like royalty, but it is nice to have a cordial greeting and friendly face, and I feel like I got slightly less than that, but adequate service.My drink came immediately, the food took longer, but it wasn't a terribly long wait. The place wasn't all that busy, so I felt like it took longer to assemble a sandwich and scoop up a bowl of soup than it should have, but I didn't wait forever, either so I was satisfied with the wait time overall.I have to say, I was not blown away by the food. The clam chowder had lots of appetizing chunks of potatoes in it, but not many clams at all and overall it had a watery flavor. It was also not white, but more brown-there wasn't much, if any, cream in the soup. It was more of a broth-based soup.The sandwich was just meh. It came on white bread, which I think was toasted because it was slightly rough and dry on the surface, but there was no color to the bread the way toast normally is. The bread was not substantial enough for the sandwich so it came apart with every bite. I am guessing this sandwich is served warm, which I was wasn't expecting, because the cheese was kind of melted, and everything else on the sandwich was lukewarm. The ingredients were nice and fresh, especially the avocado, but the bacon was dried out and broke into pieces and left little bits all over my plate. There was very little flavor to the sandwich and by the last few bites, it felt kind of cloying and not terribly pleasant to eat.The waitress came back partway through my meal to ask if I wanted a drink refill and I said yes. She then proceeded to clean up some neighboring tables, so that when she did bring the drink refill, I was almost ready to leave.It was loud. The patrons were speaking loudly, probably because the music that was playing was also loud, probably too loud. And even though I was facing away from the entire restaurant, there was a sense of a lot of busy-ness going on around and behind me. Another server was sweeping near me, and scraping chair across the floor, which I realize is necessary and to be expected, but it detracted from the overall atmosphere and I certainly can't say that this was a quiet or relaxing place to dine.Overall I was disappointed in my visit. I know this place is probably known for certain specialties, and maybe I just didn't hit on the "right" food order to get spectacular food. And I guess a coffee drink (I don't drink coffee) or fresh-squeezed juice (I wasn't in the mood for juice and I needed a caffeinated beverage anyway) are also reasons why people go here, but it just wasn't the place for me and I won't be visiting again.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 2
Poor line management. This place will get crowded and one will have to wait for their table. Host at this site mentioned a 40 minute wait which turned into a one hour wait.
I have been a loyal first watch customer for years and never had an issue. Today I ordered the Baja turkey burger through DoorDash and took a delicious bite of paper and for whatever reason it was the most foul tasting paper I have ever tasted. I cannot get the taste out of my mouth and feel sick. I am heavily disappointed that employees would be so careless as to leave a giant piece within the sandwich. Won’t be returning.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
We have dined at this restaurant multiple times and have always left fully satisfied.We visited the place this morning at around 7:30 am, which was already getting crowded. The place was packed when we left at 8:30 am, and people were waiting for tables. If you plan to have a delicious and nutritious breakfast at this place, go there between 7 am and 7:30 am to secure a table.The food at this restaurant is always delicious and satisfying and comes in generous portions. They use the freshest ingredients supplied from local sources. We tried the "New Beginnings" menu items instead of the regular "First Watch" menu for a change. We especially enjoyed the Honey Caramel Crunch Iced Coffee. The Brooklyn Breakfast Sandwich was served with a lemon-dressed organic salad, which was also very tasty. The Babacoa Chilaquiles Breakfast Bowl had a rich Mexican flavor, but unfortunately, the Crispy Tacos were soggy from the red sauce.It is one of our all-time favorite breakfast spots and serves healthy and tasty food. We will go back to try other breakfast items soon.Parking: Locates in Fair City Mall, there are plenty of parking.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict with Mixed Greens, Farm Stand Breakfast Tacos, Farmhouse Hash
Extremely busy place any time of the day. I usually take the open seating community table. Meet some new folks and as scary as it sound (sic) talk to people :)Price is a touch high, not so much that it’s unaffordable but enough to not let it be a weekly outing. Service is always very fast and pleasant. Bottomless coffee! Nice avocado smash. Definitely recommend.Vegetarian options: You can ask to exclude egg and other such products if you are vegan or Indian Vegetarian!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Avocado Toast and Eggs, Potatoes
Good food and great
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A menu with very good options for any time of the day.The Fritata was delicious. The French toast was excellent! It was accompanied by a delicious lemon sauce.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was very good. But I downgraded it a star because it was too noisy to hear my breakfast companion and another star because it took seemingly forever for the food to arrive.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 2
The food is delicious, the atmosphere is good, the seating is comfortable, the staff is friendly, and I like that there is a children's menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Great customer
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food is good. This location especially is super busy. I wish they would institute a regular reservation system instead of their current waitlist system, where you have to be there within 2 minutes of the table being ready.
Food: 5
Best spot for
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Coffee it over priced $4 dollars is to much I don’t see why overpriced still refills no body sell coffee $4 dollars
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Great early breakfast/brunch option for classic American eats. Service was friendly and it was packed.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5