First Watch

went here early for mothers day brunch. the silverware was filthy — not just mine but all three of us — the utensils were greasy and dirty. my daughter and I ordered the eggs benedict with smoked salmon. both dishes arrived stone cold, as if they had just pulled them out of the fridge. i have been here many times and the food is usually top notch — folks what happened? you can do better.

Recently returned for a second visit with a friend. Time was nearly noon and we were seated immediately.
Breakfast food was on our mind, while it was our first meal of the day. Bacado, an omelet filled with bacon, avocado, Monterey Jack, topped with sour cream, served with a side of homemade salsa and toast was appetizing. Replaced my greens with potatoes that cleared my plate in a heartbeat.
Solid plates were delivered hot and fresh and server was very accommodating.

Decided to try this location for lunch & I’m glad I did. I ordered the «2 for You» with the kale salad & the veggie sandwich. Let me tell you the veggie sandwich was amazing, it was warm and full of veggie goodness and flavor. On the other hand, the kale salad was underdressed with an abundance of carrots… it actually lacked flavor of a typical kale salad BUT it was not horrible. I also tried the cucumber mint refresher which was AWESOMELY REFRESHING!
This location was easy to get to, not overly crowded and our server was nice (& patient… my friend always has annoyingly special order «can you take this off, replace this & add that»…& always asking for extra «sauce» of some sorts).

Something has gone very wrong. I have been a fan for years, new menu a huge reversal. Had Chili Chorizo omelette. Omelette dry, filling dry, poor presentation and tasteless. Coffee now poor and no V8. Went from a wonderful breakfast place to a boring tasteless breakfast place. Hope they go back because unlikely I will for this menu

Been going for a number of years. This last menu change is terrible. Along with the coffee. And I am a subscriber to their website.

Found this place on Unilocal and was very pleased! My mom and I both got the pick 2 and it was more than enough food. Delicious and healthy at the same time (: loved all the fresh ingredients

Tried it for lunch today and it was great. Food choices excellent. Our sandwiches were tasty and fresh Can’t wait to go back to try it for breakfast!

I sat outside with my puppy. The staff was very accommodating and updated me on the status of «my table» frequently. Once seated I ordered an orange juice and a water. They were promptly delivered with a smile. Since I’m very indecisive, I asked my server for her recommendation on which item to order and she informed me that the Ruben was great. I was not disappointed. Service was great, food was awesome, and I will definitely eat here again soon.

Extra star because service is excellent. The food was below average. Very surprise because the first watch Lakewood Ranch /​Bradenton location food is excellent. Example: potatoes broccoli burnt, Omelette no color or taste. Banana crunch pancake tasted old. Maybe they send the trainees to this location???

Food was horrible. Eggs were greasy and sausage was under cooked. Over heard the manager talking smack about previous customer complaints and that he had to comp meals. So my wife and I decided to pay for the food we barely ate and left. It’s just breakfast food, how hard can it be? And it wasn’t even busy. And if the customers are constantly complaining about the food, perhaps it would be best to listen and make certain adjustments.

Normally when we travel we like to go to places we can’t go to at home but Breakfast is breakfast so we ended up here at First Watch. The food was good and arrived quickly to our table. Once again as other reviews of First Watch, they need to up the coffee bean or at least use what other coffee houses use. Our server was very attentive and met all our needs.

Well, I am back. We will see how it goes this time.
Well, first, the drinks. So far so good. Coffee is still a bit weak but not unacceptably so. I do like strong coffee and maybe the regulars like it less strong. So, I understand that it is weaker than my taste.
If you want juice, get the large. The price difference is inconsequential vs. the small compared to the size difference.
So, as for the food, today I got the Parma hash with rye toast and fruit. Presentation was great. It looked very good. I like a good amount of butter on my toast, so, if you like lots of butter, just ask for it. I know why the toast comes without much. You cannot remove butter. You can add more but not add less. So, the taste of the toast was very good. They use a good quality rye bread.
Again; the fruit was also very good. Nice mixture of fruits, not in surup. Tastes pretty fresh. Not sure if they cut their fruit from whole, if it comes from a can or a frozen bag, but it was tasty.
The Parma Hash was quite tssty. Done well, and kudos to the kitchen for getting the over medium eggs correct. The yolks were perfectly liquid while the whites were done just right.
The odd thing is, the food came out very fast. But, it did not taste or did not appear rushed. The hash itself was quite flavourful, and I would most definitely order this again.
Service was solid. Emily got me what I needed.
So, to summarize:
Drinks are pretty good. I am still not a fan of the coffee. Too weak and I am not finding the beans pleasing. Juice was pretty good. I did like it. Water was wet. Not much to say about water (it’s not why I came in anyway).
Toast: Good bread, just ask for extra butter if you like lots of butter. Go with the rye. It’s good.
Fruit cup: Both times good. Not in syrup.
The entrée: Excellent. It was great. I was pleased.
Service: Emily was professional, nice, pleasant. Just what a server should be.
Restaurant: clean, nice, exactly what I want in a breakfast café

This is a solid place to go for a casual and delicious breakfast! Their coffee is okay and I like that they give you your own pot so you can refill your mug as you want. There are plenty of healthy options (my mom LOVES their quinoa bowls) and I found it very easy to eat vegetarian here. I asked them to replace the bacon in their Avocado, Bacon & Tomato Hash with their veggie burger patty and they were happy do do it (and it tasted great)!
Just be warned — if you’re going here on a Saturday, either go early or late to avoid the church crowds!

I’d give it 2.5 stars if possible, but since it’s not, I’ll give it 2 stars. Went here today for breakfast and like my other First Watch experience, every server is under the age of 30, closer to 20. It is becoming something I notice after reading some of the comments on sites like Craigslist, the places that only hire a certain «type». The manager is middle aged and male, the servers young and female, the bussers young and male. While many places do have a youngish staff, when the entire staff meets a certain criteria, you know if is by design and not by chance. The crowd is a mixed aged group leaning toward the «old» end, so having a couple of servers who are a decade or two older than the current crop seems appropriate.
Ah, now on to the meal itself. I had a cup of the complimentary coffee you can serve yourself while waiting for a table. It was «eh», so I didn’t order it with my meal. I ordered a breakfast chicken burrito that had avocado, chicken, eggs, and something spicy in it served with sour cream. I thought it was pretty good, my dining companion who ordered the same thing said it was okay but he wouldn’t order it again. The potatoes that were served with the dish were bland and greasy. The little cup of fruit salad that came with the dish had two grapes in it that were unacceptable– one with an insect hole/​nest in it and the other was rotten. Really? since both the defective grapes were face up in the tiny dish, it is obvious that the person preparing the bowl would have seen the unacceptable fruit but they made the choice to serve it anyway and the server didn’t catch it, either. I think a basic expectation in food service is don’t serve something to a guest that you wouldn’t eat yourself. That means the crappy leaves of the lettuce head, the ends of celery stalks, the rotten fruit. Management needs to demand that employees pay attention to such basic expectations in food service. It makes me wonder about the rest of the food and the standards in the kitchen when such obvious details like a rotten /​insect eaten grape are overlooked. What else is getting overlooked, ignored or used when it really shouldn’t be? That is the question left lingering in my mind when restaurants make simple mistakes like that. Anyway, the place was packed so they obviously have their following, but my suggestion is to bypass First Watch and choose Katies (see my review) or some other mom ‘n pop outlet that cares a little more about the food they serve.

Great breakfast, prompt service. Pancakes were outstanding, not the best coffee, but not the worst either, clean restaurant.

This updated review is based on their new menu.
The coffee is consistently bitter, weak and awful.
They SHOW real roast beef (and other real meat/​poultry) on their signs, table cards and menu, but what you get is chopped, pressed and formed processed meat, NOT REAL ROAST BEEF (or poultry, etc.). That is called bait and switch, false advertising, fraud, serving fake meat junk food.
I like the idea of their half sandwich and salad or soup, but the FAKE MEAT is a serious drawback. That stuff is overly salty, as is any salad dressing they serce.
This place won awards? For what? Because they could afford to pay off the award company, that’s why. They don’t deserve any awards.
UPDATE
My dad made me go here with him, and I discovered real sliced meat in his sandwich. The soup was still served cold, but my Monte Carlo sandwich was quite good. I’ve upped the Stars, but it’s still not a destination for me.

As I am not a food snob, I will say that I and my sig other and also family members and friends have enjoyed multiple good breakfasts here. Many tasty and varied items to choose from, everything always fresh and well-​prepared, and pleasant, attentive service make this a good go-​to place when friends and family visit the area. The atmosphere is pleasant and — importantly — clean.
Since I don’t go looking for a gourmet haute cuisine experience every time I venture out for breakfast, I’m always happy when I end up here. Give it a try!

I have yet to find a breakfast/​brunch spot that had wonderful coffee… This is my new morning spot. Plus its really close to my home. They also sell their coffee for only $ 5 a pound. All the hostesses and waitresses are super nice. Our food came out fast and very scrumptious!!!

I love this place for brunch. Best time to arrive is shortly before 11:00am. It is a busy place!

I heard wonderful things about this restaurant from mixed company. You never know who you can trust these days because most people have terrible taste in food. And, well, almost everything else. That is why Fox News is still around…
Anyways, I looked their menu online and was interested in trying the Acapulco Express omelet because it has chorizo and green chilies in it. Well, I never knew that both of those items would ever be this bland. At first, I thought that it must be healthy, that is why it is so bland. But it is neither healthy or flavorful. Therefore, it is not worth wasting my time any further with this place. If I am going to eating fattening food, it might as well taste like something.
They also have Greek inspired items that contain Feta cheese, but I am sure they will find a way to make that bland as well. Oh, coffee is $ 2.00 here.