First Watch

my favorite brunch place! i really love their pecan dijon salad and always order it on every visit. the 2 for you is great value.
their servers are friendly as well. will be back for sure!

How I love breakfast!!! By far this is one of my favorite chain breakfast restaurants and a go to for brunch. I love their fresh look and mellow atmosphere. I usually get whatever is on special because is freaking delicious. Last time I was here I got the avocado toast with hard-​boiled eggs and it was delicious and something I had not thought about trying before. Servers are super friendly and is reasonably price for what you get. And since it’s the season, they had pumpkin pancakes… I was not thrilled about the flavor because I expected more spice and pumpkin flavor but my friend truly enjoyed them.

What a great breakfast! If you ever are thinking, «should i do panera across the street?» or «where is that cracker barrel???» STOP. Don’t do that. Go to First Watch. A large and varied breakfast menu with your standard fare and then fun alternatives for people willing to get out of their midwestern comfort zone. My dining companion had the chorizo filled omelet and I had the Tri-​Athlete egg white omelet off the Lighter Fare menu. Such a lovely breakfast. Everything was good. From homemade salsa, thick rye bread, tasty mushrooms, and sweet homemade jelly. And get the coffee– it was a great cup of coffee.

My husband and I eat here at least once a week, sometimes more. The food is always fresh, delicious and cooked the way we request it. This trip I had a light lunch of Butternut Squash soup from the new Fall menu, and the Kale tonic. Both were delicious and healthy. My husband had a BLTE without the lettuce and had cheese added to it on an English muffin instead of bread. He had a side of fresh fruit. We got there around 11:00 so there was no wait time, but it got busier as we were finishing up.

Arrived on a busy Saturday close to 1:00. Gave my head count and then gave my phone number for a text when the table was ready. We took a quick run over to Home Goods to waste the 15 – 20 minutes. Showed back up and they called our name. They told me that they had texted me, but I never received it.
Got our seat and menus and water quickly. Took a little while to get her back to place our order and then a while longer to get our food.
Food arrived and everyone cheered! I had the half sandwich/​half soup, Monterey Club and tomato bisque soup. Delicious and ate every bite! Hubby had the Grilled Turkey, kids had pancakes, and other kid had an egg hash. Everyone cleaned their plates.
Food is great — 5 stars. If you are in a hurry or require more attention, not for you — 3 stars for the service. I’ll definitely be back because there are more items on the menu I want to try. I’m not usually one for eating breakfast out, but will do brunch or lunch.

Usually a decent breakfast here. I like to get their mixed greens with my omelet. Helps the meal not sit so heavy.
This visit, I got their steak and eggs florentine. It came with a ciabatta toast. The portions were so small, I ordered a pancake after eating my main course just to fill me up! Fortunately, it was a free entrée because it was my birthday. Definitely not worth the $ 13.95! My steak was beyond raw in one part as well.
Not my best experience here.

I love First Watch for a earthy crunchy breakfast. This location is clean and well run, but always super busy. Try the chickichanga; a great brunchy combo of chimichanga and omelet. The banana granola pancakes are also fantastic. Recently they added some fresh juice mixes including carrot that are very refreshing too!

On our way home, we stopped at First Watch for breakfast. I ordered Eggs Benedict and my husband ordered the Killer Cajun omelet. We also shared a Belgian waffle with 100% pure maple syrup and mixed berries capote. All three tasty dishes were fresh and cooked to perfection. The restaurant was very busy when we arrived, but we were seated right away. Our waitress was very friendly and prompt. Stopping at First Watch for breakfast was the perfect way to start our day! I highly recommend this restaurant.

Love their healthy options menu. We tried a kale tonic which was surprisingly tasty. Service was excellent. Food was delish!

First Watch manages to get it right every time — food, service, and price always deliver. Unfortunately lots of people agree which is why there is usually a bit of a wait — but it is worth it.

True, the food’s good, the choices are amazing, the place is comfy and clean. But here’s the elephant in the room no other reviewer’s mentioned: the prices are too high. Eggs, pancakes… those are cheap foods, easily found for about $ 5 for a full-​on all-​inclusive breakfast at any number of diners (more especially on the west side, but also available on east side). Here, you can’t get out for less than $ 10, which is a hell of a lot for bacon and eggs. I get that it’s great for a business meeting where you have to impress, or a «ladies’ brunch,» but I find it strange no Unilocalers have mentioned it. Here’s an example: my husband likes one egg, not two, no meat, with his breakfast. When he asked the waitress what to order (bunch of sides vs «the traditional,» their package) she told him the traditional, then charged him full price. Seriously, $ 10 for one egg, toast, and some potatoes? It seemed like it was calculated to run up the bill. Yes, they get to know you and your order; wouldn’t that be true anyplace you frequented?
Ok, ok… it’s delicious, clean, pleasant. Just thought someone should mention the obvious.

I don’t really understand First Watch. It seems to be the cool place to go in Ohio — of course Ohio has a plethora of chain breakfasty type places like Denny’s, Bob Evans, Big Boy, etc.
However, I got the Parma hash and I was not disappointed. It was delivered quickly and was just what I ordered. The restaurant was crowded, but clean. The service friendly and efficient.
Well done, First Watch. Sometimes just being a consistent performer is enough to be successful.

I love this place! Their coffee is really good and i gave tried at least half the menu i have never had anything i didn’t enjoy. I go there all the time for brunch. They always have new and interesting daily specials that are not on the menu. Definitely worth a try :-) one of me and my mans favorite spots :-)

This place was so cute and the menu was amazing! A lot of healthy options for the health nuts. The waitress was nice and the restaurant was clean. The food was amazing! I ordered the chickichanga and it reminded of an enchilada but for breakfast! Tasted the pancakes and they are just as yummy.

Oh I love First Watch. This place feels so clean and airy. Their (half) open kitchen lets you see the food come out and keeps your mouth watering. All of the food looks great and is relatively innovative. I would recommend for a nice brunch place.

Yum!!! Love this place!!! The turkey burger is sooooo good and I like the greens they serve on the side!

Cons: Food could have been ever so slightly warmer…
Pros: Food was delicious, flavor-​wise. Came here to do work on my computer and the service could not have been more perfect. Gave 5 stars because the service was that good.

Open for Breakfast and Lunch only, sort of like Le Peep if you know that chain. Always crowded, and for a reason: everything they serve is a little or a lot, better than what you’d expect. It is superior food and atmosphere compared to most anywhere else for the price. Put another way, this restaurant is consistent and their food is good!
Fresh, healthy, and creative breakfasts and lunches with emphasis on fresh ingredients and made relatively quickly: 15 – 20 minutes wait for your food is about average. They could do it quicker if they weren’t so darn busy but it’s the price you pay for good food, good environment, and good service.
Lunches are great, lots of good sandwiches and creative salads; try the tomato basil soup, I give it a 9 out of 10, it’s that satisfying. Breakfasts are also great, and as others have stated the pancakes are very, very good, but then again, so is everything else for breakfast.
If you show up on the weekends, do not come in at noon on Sunday (church just let out…), as you’ll wait for 30 minutes to be seated.
First Watch in Harper’s Point is modern and über-​clean. Worth a 20 minute wait at this location (very well managed store), and I’m not a fan of waiting for meals. We’ve never left First Watch in Harper’s Point anything but happy that we thought to go there.

LOVE LOVE LOVE THE PANCAKES HERE! Definitely a must try.
TO DIE FOR PANCAKES! Addictive… I’ve never left any extra pancake of mine on a plate at First Watch!
Light, hot, and FLUFFY on the inside, CRISPY on the outside… MULTIGRAIN BATTER for all pancakes, but I always get the wheat germ one. SO SO DELICIOUS! And huge. If you’re getting ONE on the side, definitely share.
They serve them with butter so if you don’t want a hunk of butter on them, make sure you notify your waitress!
This is my favorite breakfast place in Cincinnati. I always bring my dad here so he can pay though, because it’s not the cheapest!

I really don’t get the obsession with First Watch. It’s good, but it certainly isn’t anything special.
Let me first say that this place get packed. I guess it’s one of the best breakfast/​brunch options around the suburbs of Cincinnati because everyone and their mother seems to be here. I don’t even live in Cincinnati and yet I always happen to run into people I know. So be prepared for a wait.
I’ve been here a few times over the years and I will say that consistency is one of their strengths. I’ve never had a bad experience and the service is always on par. I guess because of the large crowds, all of the servers seem to be good at getting people in and out, but they never really make you feel rushed.
As far as the food goes, it’s good, but not great. To me, it tastes like menu items you can find around the country, but they do offer more fresh and healthy options. That’s definitely a bonus.
All in all, First Watch is a decent place to dine. It’s a little bit too chain-​ish and generic for me, but it’s better than heading to Denny’s or Bob Evans.