First Watch

I’ve known of this location for several years, and have often seen the lines out the door on busy weekends. I’ve read 4 and 5 star reviews of fellow Unilocalers whom I respect, and figured, hey, let me finally try it, and arrived at 8 AM on Sunday, hoping that there would not be a wait, and there was not.
Quickly shown to a table, and greeted by a server who wanted to immediately take our order, we explained that this was our first time, and we wanted to look at the menu. She offered to bring fresh coffee, which we accepted, and when I inquired about bottled water, she said she would need to check on it. The coffee was brought and poured into our mugs, and was warm, not hot, which is a sure indication that it had been sitting in the carafe for awhile, and not poured directly from the urn. That was our first red flag, so to say.
It took 5 minutes for her to return to take the order, and indicate that they had no flat bottle water, only sparkling, and we asked for a bottle of sparkling, which was not brought until we asked for it again, to another waitress walking by. I was taken aback when I asked for clarification about the preparation of the works omelet, when her response was «it has everything stated in the menu», and I replied, «yes, I can read that, but I am asking you something specific about HOW it is prepared», and she replied «it is prepared exactly as it is on the menu». I guess I was not supposed to ask any questions, just order.
When our food was brought over, I tasted mine, and commented to my partner «the eggs are luke warm, and the mushrooms, bacon and sausage are cold, as is the buttered toast» [which I had requested dry]. My partner said «everything on my plate is cold». We caught the eye of another waitress and explained it was all cold, she apologized, and said she would have it re-​made.
When it was brought back to the table, both meals were real hot. Our original waitress asked «is everything ok now», to which we replied «yes, but the food really shouldn’t sit in the kitchen and get cold», to which she replied «it doesn’t, we don’t use any heat lamps, it’s brought out as soon as it is cooked», and I shook my head and said, nicely, «well, that’s not what happened to ours».
When paying at the register, a man who looked like he might be the manager, and who identified himself as the manager when I asked [Jim Bonner], was surprised when I explained what had happened. His waitress had not brought this to his attention, and should have. He comped our meals, which I was not expecting, but did reflect his sense of responsibility for the poor performance of the kitchen and/​or the waitress.
Will I return? No. There are way too many restaurants in Boca serving healthy, hot breakfasts. So the two stars are awarded for the manager’s appropriate reaction, otherwise, this was a 0 star encounter. The food was ok, nothing to rave about, maybe my standards are too high, but they are what they are. Note: I rarely write negative reviews after only one experience, but thought this one was worth noting, as I know I will not return.

Came here with my good friend Rich for brunch and I was excited after reading all the Unilocal reviews.
The place was clean well lit and we luckily had no wait.
We were seated and after reviewing the menu I ordered a Ham Gruyère Omelette with salad greens which were a tad bitter and a mini cup of fresh fruit. My omelette was very tasty but those free range cage free eggs were pretty small! (the next time I want my eggs caged and LARGER)
Rich had the Veggie Burger and A cup of tomato soup which he enjoyed… Rich can’t cook so finds mostly everything good except for raw dead fish aka Sushi!
Overall a decent meal $ 30 for the 2 of us with a tip!
I may be back …

Had the cherry chicken quinoa protein bowl and the dayglow juice and they were both delicious! Great service, not too pricey.

Living within walking distance, I was excited when I found this place a few years ago. However, I got really sick after eating bacon, eggs, and toast here a few years ago on two different occasions — and stopped eating here. Two years go by, and with the lack of close, good breakfast choices, I decided to try it again thinking perhaps their food handling practices have improved. For a few weeks, it was fine. Not great, but good enough. Then, one day, I switched from pancakes to eggs, bacon, and toast. Within 90 minutes of getting home… sick again. Thankfully, a new breakfast place is about to open near me so I will finally have another option since First Watch will not get a fourth chance to make me sick. Not worth paying money for…

Went here for the first time last weekend. I’ve heard about First Watch for years and just never made the time to go until now and I have no clue why it took us so long. Sunday morning, around 9:30 AM, and we only waited about 15 minutes for a table. This place is a well-​oiled machine with the way they get customers in, fed, paid, and out the door, and what more can you ask for? I ordered a belgian waffle with strawberries and my fellow diner ordered the traditional breakfast with 2 eggs, potatoes, bacon, & an english muffin. My waffle was delicious, he loved the eggs, it came with a VERY generous amount of bacon (like 3 – 4 slices), and a mountain of potatoes. I wish the potatoes were more crispy, and they had a bit of an odd buttery flavor which most people probably wouldn’t mind but it just kind of caught me offguard. My favorite thing about this place is the fresh-​squeezed orange juice, which is hard to find these days, and not to mention it was actually sweet and delicious. A large one is less than $ 4 and worth every penny. Their coffee is actually great, which says a lot for a breakfast joint when it doesn’t taste like ashtray remnants. Our total bill for everything was under $ 30, which is a pretty reasonable price for the quality of food you get. We were very happy and would definitely be back to try any number of the other tasty offerings they have on the menu.

Kristin, our waitress during this visit was fast and efficient. Even though the place was packed, we were seated right away and served immediately. Service was great and so as my blueberry pancakes! can’t wait to come back.

The hashes are great. The paninis are so good. The price is so so so low for tasty and fresh food. I’ve been here four times and the quality of the food is still the same. Good job!

Greasy food marketed as «fresh», Splenda wrapper in my breakfast, long wait, musty smell in restaurant, generic flavor… I’ll stop there.

Ideal brunch restaurant!!!
Quick service, tasty food, good prices!!!
Will be back soon!

Admittedly, this review is tainted by the food that my wife and I had; the food ordered by our friends was quite good and representative of the menu’s description.
Salad — warm to hot? Is this a Florida thing? We had the quinoa salads (I had pesto, my wife had cherry something). Looked like oatmeal, feta cheese was melting, very little kale in mine (despite its name), I think that someone left the pesto in the kitchen. The coffee, however, soothed my soul (a little).
This is a very popular place, and we may return to see if it can be redeemed in our eyes.

My usual go-​to with my family is the First Watch on Hillsboro, but this day I met a friend at the St. Andrews location. All of the First Watch locations seem to be pretty standard. Their breakfast is great and just what you’d expect from the good breakfast places around the area. Eggs and fruit are always great — I’ve seen their pancakes from afar and they look fantastic.
I definitely suggest trying their juices — fresh squeezed and delicious. Their coffee is pretty basic (and I’m a pretty big coffee buff). Go here for a solid, predictable breakfast.

It was a Saturday and it was breakfast time and I found myself in between errand running needing some quick nourishment which would be inhaled in the car in the parking lot of the next stop I was about to make. All of a sudden I had a craving for this warm quinoa salad I had had once before at First Watch. And there’s the exit now I thought as I made my way safely over.
This quinoa salad made with diced chicken, dried cherries & goat cheese was one of two warm quinoa salads on their menu and luckily it’s available at breakfast time. It totally hit the spot & kept me full for hours.

Love this place.
Had the best banana walnut pancakes ever!
Great service, great food and over perfect in every way.
Def will be back if I’m ever in town.

Great breakfast/​brunch joint. .. . my 2^nd trip, this time to a 2^nd location. .. . same quality product & great energy from the staff…
One thing though — I ordered a muffin & assumed it would be fresh baked. .. but unfortunately was one of those soft, sticky, frozen kinds you get in an airport lounge. .. wtf?

Amazing. Amazing flavor. Amazing fresh blended kale drinks. The hash was so perfect and big enough without being too big. Always a line so come early.
Sit at the community table and strike up a conversation with your neighbors.
The staff is very friendly, fast as is possible in such a busy place, and very attractive.
There are several of these establishments in the area, excited to try them all to see if they keep the standards consistent.
When friends come into town, bringing them here for breakfast.

First timer. Might not want to go there for Sunday breakfast if you are starving, because there will be a long line. Super busy for breakfast as you expect, since place known for breakfast.
The breakfast choices were good and food was great. There were several items on menu I would like to try, so need to get back there again. I decided on the chickenchanga which was a good choice and my daughter had chocolate chip pancakes (of course). Portions were a good size and breakfast for two was $ 20.
The funniest thing happened after we got our drinks but before food arrived. I took my young daughter to bathroom and when we returned to table they had already cleared it and cleaned it for next guest in line. They immediately recognized the error and got us set back up with coffee & silverware. No harm, no foul.
Definitely will return sometime soon.

First Watch has become one of my go-​to establishments for breakfast/​brunch fare. I have tried many of their dishes, from regular menu items all the way to the featured menu items. One of the cool things about this place is when you order coffee, you get your own pot, and if you ask for a pitcher of water at your table, they are more than happy to oblige. Another nice thing is on the weekends when it is very busy, they have coffee out for you as you wait. I love it when places do that. It shows consideration and respect for your wait, and I appreciate that, especially in SoFla.
As far as the food goes, I really enjoy how this restaurant has so many healthy options on the menu (my gf swears by the quinoa bowls, her fave is the pesto). I also tend to eat far more vegetarian fare than meat these days, and there is plenty of that to be had at First Watch as well. My favorite dishes from the regular menu are The Forager (a splendid veggie omelet), The Market Hash (a wonderful potato and veggie dish topped with two eggs), and the pancakes. who could forget the pancakes? Specifically, the blueberry, banana granola, and carrot cake p-​cakes are unreal. When it comes to the featured menu, which changes periodically, my favorite that I ever got was the Gnocchi Margherita (not available anymore). Currently, I am a fan of the Avocado Toast that comes with two basted (or however you want them cooked) eggs.
First Watch is a franchise with several different locations locally, but this particular location has become my favorite. The staff are great there, very accommodating and on point. I really can’t recommend the place enough to anyone in the area looking for a great place to get a healthy, tasty breakfast or brunch.

I love First Watch! The menu has a California flair to it… lots of breakfasts and lunch sandwiches that have some combo of avocado, salsa, sour cream…
We call for breakfast to go on the weekend, and they say it will be ready in ten minutes. By the time we get there, it is ready! I am always amazed as they are super busy so I don’t know how they do it!
I have had the regular breakfast with ham and bacon, scrambled eggs and potatoes several times, and pancakes… always very good, and sometimes if it is bordering on lunchtime, I go for a sandwich… it is all so yummmm.

First Watch is a clean place for a good breakfast to start your day.
While it’s not amazing, they do serve up good quality plates at prices that you’d expect.
The waffles were light a fluffy. Eggs were well cooked and bacon was … bacon.
Every plate seemed like it was missing something though. For instance, the waffle «Trifecta» came with bacon and eggs, but somehow the plate felt lacking. Maybe throwing some potatoes or something on there would have completed the experience. I don’t know.
Girlfriend got the «Key West Crepeggs» which she was not impressed with. I thought it tasted fresh and flavorful but under the covers was some very brown looking avocado. Maybe it’s best not to know. :-)
Personal grievance: There are sections of the menu with no prices. I find it distasteful because in some places a small orange juice to large orange juice can be a difference of $ 6. (Hey — we’re proud of our citrus… Am I right?) For what it’s worth, the juice was very good.
I personally like the fact that they leave a jug of water and coffee on the table but their service and presentation did lack a little bit and made the experience feel even more casual and more like a chain restaurant than I’m sure they want. My suggestion is to leave only one self-​service drink item on the table. It crowds it and lessens the experience.

Rating: ⁷⁸⁄₁₀₀ pts
My family has been coming here since soon after they opened, and they have since provided consistently good service and food, quickly rising the ranks to become one of our top family breakfast spots.
Me being the explorer in the family, I typically find myself craving morning comfort food whenever I’m back in Boca after being overseas, and First Watch’s extensive menu more than meets this need by providing a good combination of traditional American breakfasts (pancakes waffles, omelets, oatmeal), as well as some interesting local and seasonal specialties (Floridian French Toast, Pumpkin Pancakes). In addition to the standard menu, they also have a constantly changing chalkboard of specials, which is a great place to start if you aren’t already set on what to order.
Everything I’ve ordered has been so satisfying that I wouldn’t know where to begin as far as recommendations. However, I will mention that the Floridian French Toast is my personal favorite: perfectly crisp sourdough slices, encrusted with wheat germ and topped with strawberry, banana, and kiwi slices.
Recently I tried the Bruleed Banana Waffles, a chalkboard special which, in addition to being topped with brown sugar bacon and bananas, was finished off with bacon-​flavored maple syrup. This was awesome, and as such I cleaned the plate spotless.
Nice atmosphere, great staff, fair prices, and excellent food quality. First Watch very well may be the best spot to get breakfast west of Military Trail.