First Watch

First Watch does not disappoint! My family grew up with First Watch in Overland Park, KS, and I was super excited when they came to Louisville. I love their Bacado omelet and the Bluegerm pancake is crunchy blueberry deliciousness. Today I tried the avocado toast and it was silky avocado nirvana on really grainy crunchy toast. It came with perfect cooked basted eggs. Thank you First Watch for coming to Louisville. Did I mention I love their farm to table urban décor?

Great potential. My breakfast was excellent-​avocado toast w/​basted eggs. My friend’s not so much-​crepey eggs (?) with potatoes/​salsa, Etc. Burned on edges-​using egg mixture as the crêpe didn’t work for her. Service was a little slow on taking/​producing order compared to previous experiences w/​FW in Florida. Kudos to FW for continual new items on the menu and available choices for healthy vs decadent.

Over the past year I’ve probably eaten here a good 20 – 30 times so I’m not sure why I haven’t reviewed it before. It’s fairly close to my house and my experiences are always pleasant so it’s one of my go to brunch places along with wild eggs. I’ve tried several different things on the menu all of which have been delicious. Their coffee is good and they have fresh squeezed juices as well as lighter menu options if you are counting calories so they have something for everyone. L

**caution** we both chose healthy options.
What I ate: The Tri-​Athlete: Egg White Omelette with Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Green Chile and Salsa served with a Dry English Muffin.
What he ate: Egg Whites and Oatmeal.
All were very good, flavorful for not having many ingredients, and we’re glad to find a restaurant with healthy options.

Service was good. The food was just ok. Prices a little high. Bob Evens is much better

Had breakfast here with a small group of 5 others. This restaurant was fantastic. Lots of menu options that are unique, from omelettes and breakfast sandwiches, with lots of unique ingredients and flares. The service was fantastic, the restaurant was very clean, and modern. Looked and felt like it was brand new, they keep it up very well, which is always impressive with a restaurant. The manager and staff were very friendly and helpful and truly concerned with their customers with genuine interest and concern toward customers questions. I watched how they interacted with guests and you could see their interest level was sincere.

First Watch is a great place for breakfast and brunch. They have a wide variety of choices, from healthy (Avocado Toast or Oatmeal) to downright indulgent (I’m looking at you Strawberry Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast!) The Eggs Benedict Florentine is also good, as is the Cranberry Nut Oatmeal. The Floridian French Toast is also a good choice. I’ve been here several times and my only issue is the lack of consistency. In particular, the Avocado Toast. Sometimes it has a lemon wedge, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes the eggs are cooked to perfection and other times the eggs are overdone or they have those crispy edges that are almost impossible to chew. Ive discovered the avocado also comes at varying temperatures as well. Sometimes room temp, and other times ice cold. When it’s insanely cold it’s a bit of a turn off as it makes the eggs cold. Aside from that small complaint, I do recommend First Watch and will definitely keep going back for more.

Man, I love this place. I never leave anything but completely satisfied. We come here at least once a week for lunch/​brunch as it is just a quick jaunt from the office. Their traditional breakfast is everything I could want from scrambled eggs/​bacon and breakfast taters. Hot chocolate is to die for (and could likely kill me — it’s mega chocolatey! The real deal ya’ll!!). The staff is peppy and attentive. I have dietary restrictions and they always take them seriously. I have never once felt unsafe when giving my order. I certainly recommended First Watch to friends and family that travel to Louisville from across the bridge and out of town for a lovely meal.

They are right on par with Wild Eggs, but still behind my favorite non-​buffet breakfast place, Highland Mornings. Yes, the eggs were fresh, the meats were fresh, and everything was cooked well. Here’s where I think they lost — ever so slightly — to Wild Eggs: the orange juice was obviously not fresh squeezed (and if it is, they need to select different oranges!), and they skimped on the blueberry waffle sauce/​syrup. If you’re not going to offer a lot of it, then at least have some syrup available. My fiancée says that Wild Eggs potatoes are better because they cube them thinner, which makes them more evenly cooked. Otherwise, they’re a great alternative!

First Watch is one of my very favorite restaurants. I first discovered them in Florence, Kentucky, but was very excited to find them in Louisville, closer to where I actually live.
I feel that I’m eating quality food at First Watch. My favorite dish is the Avocado Toast. They incorporate avocados in a number of their offerings, which is awesome. The Eggs Benedict is good, too.
My wife usually gets the Trifecta.
My only complaint is a lack of available Tabasco. I try to remember to bring my own; but today, I forgot. The Cholula they have on the table is adequate, but I simply cannot imagine a world with eggs and no Tabasco. I would give the place 5 stars if not for this glaring oversight :-)

I had my first visit to First Watch on a Thursday afternoon for lunch. Since I was meeting a friend at noon, I expected a wait; however, tables were turning over quickly and I did not experience a wait nor see others standing around.
It’s hard to resist ordering breakfast and the Traditional Breakfast offered a bit of everything — English muffin with jam, 2 eggs, choice of meat and seasoned potatoes. Kudos to every item on my plate. There was nothing there at the end. I now understand what a good English muffin tastes like (as compared to what you get at the grocery) and the bacon was huge. They gave me 4 pieces! I also got an order of coffee. Plenty of creams at the table and the server left the pot with me for instant refills.
My table also received top notch service, even during the busy lunch hour. Our server quickly took our order, the food came out quickly and she remained attentive throughout our visit.
My cons for this spot is some (not all) of the seating. We only had 2 people and were seated in an area where the tables are fairly close together. I personally don’t enjoy this atmosphere. It feels like you are eating with strangers and you’re afraid to chat too loudly with your friend (s). I also thought the coffee and water cups were really spotty and borderline dirty. Maybe it’s the dishwasher system but I hate starting out my meal wiping down cups and utensils.
Overall, nice place and great food. Great menu variety and prices are in line with other brunch spots (for my meal).

This place is a bit pricey for what you get but OH what you get is delightful.
The pancakes are not the usual garden variety plain pancakes. I got a delightful carrot cake pancake and it did not even need syrup. I have never in my life found anything that good.
What made the place even more delightful was the servers. We have never encounterd such an upbeat group of people. But one of the servers pointed out they are open only for breakfast and brunch lunch then they close. So they are always rested up and on their game.
Being a diabetic it’s refershing to get a pancake I can actually eat and feel satisfied. The carrot cake pancake did not have a drastic effect on my blood sugar and I visit the place every time I get near it. Only reson why I deduct one star is I wish they would come down on the prices a bit, for what you get it’s expen$ive. Breakfast food usually is much less expensive.
But you can’t put a price on a carrot cake pancake that doesn’t launch my blood sugar level to Jupiter.

I would really give this experience a 3.5. Was out for a once a year girlfriend date! New baby and all things great on a beautiful start to a new year! We were seated immediately (great)! Given time to look over the menu (great)! Had a swing seat for the baby (great)! We wanted to talk and hang out. But seriously, we had scramble and an omelet they were good, but nothing memorable. And two hours later we were waiting for a check. With a lobby full of people. I get that you don’t want to be be a turn ‘em and burn em kind of place, but you guys need to work on logistics. My fave thing about this chain is that you can eat healthy if you choose!

It took quite a while to return after a less than good first visit and am happy to report much was improved. The blueberry pancakes were the best we had ever been served in Louisville. Hot fluffy cakes filled with juicy berries served with hot tasty syrup. Bravo Eggs Benedict were very good eggs poached perfectly the only negative was the deli ham if real quality Canadian Bacon had been served in this dish you couldn’t find better this side of Old Brennans in New Orleans. Fresh O.J. Was super coffee got and fresh a much appreciated meal. The health placard C was a bit troubling so I asked the reason and was satisfied with the answer. I will frequent more often I am sure those hot cakes are calling my name.

When we arrived at 12:45 on Saturday the hostess told us we would have a 10−15min wait. Actually, our wait was only 2 min. That was a nice surprise.
The décor touts «freshness».
Our server was peppy, helpful and informative even before she found out it was our first time eating here. She has suggestions for their most popular dishes based upon our level of hunger.
I ordered the Via Veneto. It’s an omelete with Italian sausage, roasted tomatoes and red peppers with fresh herbs, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Although the place was really crowded, the wait for our food was not long at all. The first bite of my omelet was a little bit of lusciousness. All of the ingredients were wonderfully fresh and flavorful. The potatoes had the right combination of crunchy and softness; the omelet was light and fluffy and the Italian sausage inside had a delightfully distinctive taste. I thoroughly enjoyed each delectable bite of this wonderful omelet.
From childhood, when IHOP was my definition of «classy breakfast food», I can’t seem to eat an omelet without having a pancake for dessert. Years later, I realize there is a place for IHOP, its just not anywhere near in the same class as really good brunch restaurants, such as «First Watch». So, because I needed something sweet, we ordered one of the Multigrain pancakes to share. We got a huge Pecan Pancake with chopped pecans inside. It was light and airy, and made me want another one. The food was so good that I just wanted to stuff myself with more menu items. That sensation rarely happens to me. If you enjoy breakfast/​brunch foods, you should certainly try «First Watch». You will not be disappointed.

The name of the establishment might remind you of a neighborhood watch group (it did for me), but instead, think locally sourced ingredients and a sunny brunch!
We found FW via Unilocal and waited 20 minutes for a table around 10:45am on a Sunday. Have no fear: complimentary coffee is offered while you wait. Both my husband and I ordered a hash dish. Mine came with bacon, avocados, and tomatoes, and his had bacon and onions. I enjoyed the amount of avocado in the dish and the fact that you can choose how you want your 2 eggs.
I did not enjoy, however, the fact that there was a dark hair on my plate underneath the dish the hash was in. Very unappetizing. My husband also did not enjoy the fact that he received one of these surprises as well. Real whomp whomp. Perhaps the kitchen needs to keep a first watch back there for hairnet compliance and renegade hairs.

Made my first visit out to First Watch on Hurstbourne, and it was highly enjoyable. I had been to one in another city and had hoped the local edition would live up to that standard. It did.
This is a very clean place, tastefully understated in its design. The focus on the menu is supposed to be fresh ingredients and there are several healthy options. But it was Sunday morning brunch for me, so who wants to be healthy? I had the breakfast scramble, which consisted of eggs, ham, zucchini and cheese over top toast, with potatoes and fruit on the side. All of it was delicious and perfectly made.
And unlike some other breakfast joints in town, where such a dish would set you back $ 12-​$ 15, this was reasonably priced at under $ 10 for a large plate of food. Very nice. I also got a take-​home chocolate muffin for the wife, who reported that it was tasty.
Had a minor setback with the wifi when I first got there (I had work to do, and it really bugs me when places don’t have their wifi working). But after conferring with the waitress, the restaurant reset it and everything was just fine after that.
Overall, everything was excellent, and I’d highly recommend it among the many breakfast/​brunch options in town.

I really, really enjoy a good breakfast. Especially when I don’t have to make it. I also tend to stay away from places where I have to wait a long period of time to be seated. busy is a good thing, but can be an easy set up for disappointments.
With that said, my husband and I went on a Friday morning around 9:30. No wait, sat right down. Woohoo! The only thing that took awhile was trying to figure out what to get! Everything looked great: from the «as big as the moon» pancakes (yes they’re huge!), to the avocado toast, to the power bowls. We ended up sharing a blueberry pancake and ordering the market hash (FANTASTIC) and the breakfast scrambler (delicious!)
Our waitress was really nice and accommodating to our indecisiveness. We’re looking forward to taking my mom when she visits. let’s just hope we miss the crowd!

Basic information:
Time: 12:50 pm
Seating: We waiting maybe 5 minutes or less? Pretty good for the time/​lunch rush!
How busy where they: This was their lunch rush, pretty busy but still very attentive
Wait Staff: Very good as always, she stopped by multiple times to check up on us.
Group Size: 3
The Food: The Works Omelet (minus Mushrooms) with hash. «The Works» Comes with cheese, bacon, sausage, onion, tomato, sour cream, mushrooms and egg of course.
The Meal: Over all its was pretty good, I am certain I said no mushrooms and onions, but I think I said no mushrooms and sour cream and missed the onion part. It was still really good, the hash browns were still very good. It was a very hearty mid-​day meal. Also considering I rarely get to have breakfast this good in the wee hours before work, it was a delightful treat for lunch.
The Drink: No Ice Coffee this time, I choose regular coffee and wouldn’t you know they bring you your own pot for that one person! I think I would come back just alone for the coffee it was so good. My co-​workers commented on how good it smelled as well~
The Verdict:
My second visit was a success, which meant the first was not a fluke of exceptional service and the food, staff and whole of First Watch was actually as good as it seems. I would recommend this to anyone look for a new «Brunch Spot» that is this area.

It’s like catching up with an old friend who’s become more fit and pretty.
I used to go to the First Watch in downtown Cincy quite often. Although I always liked what I ordered, but there was only one menu item I truly liked. Well, that has changed for this new First Watch! Not only have they ditched that terrible jarred salsa, they have added so many tasty, yet healthful menu items! I had a hard time choosing just one. The Swisshroom Omelet has real house roasted criminis and plenty of Swiss cheese. The fresh greens are dressed lightly with vinaigrette. Parma Hash comes with your choice of eggs over roasted veggies and sausage. Hubby said he enjoyed eating their multi grain pancakes so much, he’d order them again!
The interior is a real breath of fresh air! Gone are the fussy curtains and servers in plaid shirts. It is open and bright with airy custom blinds. There are many whimsical farm décor and that soothing shade of grassy green I love. This First Watch is a real competition for Wild Eggs. I welcome the choices!