First Watch

First Watch is a good solid spot for breakfast staples. You won’t find a fancy, innovative brunch menu, but it definitely fulfilled my waffle craving. We arrived at 12:30 on a Sunday and were told it would be a 30 minute wait. They have a text messaging system to let you know when your table’s ready so next time I’ll plan to do my grocery shopping at Fresh Market while waiting. I don’t remember the name of it but I ordered the combo with a Belgium waffle, two eggs and turkey sausage. Everything hit the spot. Also I definitely recommend getting the real maple syrup for just a dollar or so more.

The service was good. I just find it disappointing when simple basic steps are missed. I ordered the Elevated Breakfast Sandwich, the Brioche was cold it should have been toasted and let sit adding the arugula etc. after. They served it with what seemed like yesterday’s potatoes and were mostly mush so I didn’t eat them. The Day Glow juice was good.

Love this breakfast place. It’s got a nice modern look while still being cozy. Expect to wait if you go on a weekend – we went on Saturday morning around 10 and waited about 15 minutes.
They focus on freshness and you could tell by the way the food looks and is presented in the menu. Food was delicious (see pics). My only complaint would be that I didn’t get what I ordered but didn’t notice until I started eating but didn’t bother telling the server. The server had actually gotten my order right (farmhouse skillet hash) but I had managed to get the Parma skillet. I didn’t notice because all I could see on top was the eggs and cheese. It was still delicious though so can’t complain too much. A great experience otherwise.

Got the market hash with poached eggs. My boyfriend also ordered the market hash, but had about double the amount of food on his plate. Weird. The poached eggs were inedibly runny and unappetizing, and are what I believe to have made my stomach unbearably painful for hours after my meal.
The server did not bring our toast to us when the rest of the meal was brought out, but finally did after we were completely done with our meals.
Food was bad, service was bad. Find somewhere else to go.

Wow… Used to have a good time here. Used too, don’t really know what happened to this place but the employees are destroying it. This was out first time back as last time was not a good experience either. We Like the menu option but the waitress was rude and rushy and ignored us after we waited almost 45 minutes for our lunch. Classic example of things that occur in a now over populated city. Shame.

I usually have a good experience but when I visited on 1−2−16 for breakfast I asked for waffles with out butter and my waiter said ok and when he drop my food off at my table it had butter on it. I let him know so he said ok I will get you another one and came out 3 mins later with a waffle. When he walked away I looked at it and it was the same one that had the butter soaked in it and he just took the butter off and put more powdered suger to try to cover it up and I was so pissed I did not even want to look at him and when he came by asked if everything is ok I said no this is the same waffle he said ok I’m sorry would you like a fresh one I said no thank you just take this one away. Then he comes back and said we went ahead and took it off the bill «if I never ate it why would they not take it off». I go every sat for breakfast to this location and if I ever decide to go back I will never had him as a waiter and will request never to have «will» as a server again. When it comes to food service you never pass something off.

I always get the avocado toast, and I’ve never been disappointed. The service is always quick, too! Definitely recommend this First Watch.

First Watch is one of my favorite breakfast options. Yes, it is a chain and no, they don’t serve alcohol, but keep listening.
Many of the «open early» breakfast places (I’m not talking 11am brunch) are more diner-​style with heavy and greasy food options. First Watch is different, and dare I say better. The menu is full of fresh, healthy items which are varied and customizable. Standard Trifecta with eggs, meat, and potatoes, energy bows with granola fruit and Greek yogurt, hash options with potatoes, veggies, eggs, fluffy pancakes, waffles, French toast, quinoa power bowls, there is truly something for everyone.
First Watch starts by bringing the table a pot of smooth, hot coffee and they leave the pot on the table. Refill whenever you want, however much you want. Choose from a variety of options on the menu, customize where you’d like (I’ve never had them turn me down). Food is made to order and served quickly. Service is always good and they leave the check at the table when they drop the food so you can hang and chat after your meal or head out quickly.
Their market hash is my favorite– full of veggies and potatoes with over easy eggs. They are also happy to sub out the cheese for avocados for dairy-​free patrons. Their waffles and pancakes are delicious and they have the option of real maple syrup. They often have seasonal specials on the board which are always delicious. If you see one you like, try it before the specials rotate!
The Mills location is a nice one with adequate seating inside and even some outdoor dining tables, which is perfect for Florida Fall days like today.

Not sure if this location was having an off day compared to other First Watch I visited. But the food was not fresh. I ordered my normal Tri-​Fecta meal… but added some fresh vegetables like broccoli, cheese and spinach to my scrambled eggs. When the food was brought out my pancakes were burnt, sausage under cook, scrambled eggs had rotten broccoli. My only question how can a chef serve that type of food and call it fresh? I was totally appalled will never visit this location ever again.

The food was very fresh and delicious the service was excellent. I do have a comment however. I ordered the eggs benedict BLT. It came on a very small plate. It also came on one large piece of very thick bread. When I attempted to cut it up, because you have to cut it up to eat eggs benedict, it just fell all over the plate and fell off of the plate.
It was a beautiful presentation but impractical to eat. It ended up all over the place.

I’ve been going to first watch cafes for a while now and have usually gone to the location next to UCF. I just moved to the mills area and was excited that there was one close by. However, this is our third attempt at this location and overall the experience has been subpar at first but the recent visit was inexcusable.
The server really did the bare minimum with serving us, and this is from someone who has worked in the restaurant industry for years. But even that could have gone unnoticed if the food was up to standards. The meal was an absolute joke and with all the menu item changes it seems like the food overall has gone downhill. The dish I ordered was not what it was advertised to be and the entire experience was just not worth the wait for the table. If you’re a breakfast and brunch place then you definitely need to be able to make a decent breakfast meal, which evidently they cannot.
If you’re looking for a good breakfast place around town do yourself a favor and try se7en bites down the road and definitely avoid another mediocre dining experience here at all costs.

Location is great upbeat attitude from the service just a cheery place to be around fantastic coffee and orange juice just put you in a great mood definitely check it out

What a complete turnaround of service on our most recent experience. Like night and day. My husband and I decided to come back even after our disappointing visit. I will chalk up our last experience to an off day because this visit is what we are used to and expect. Carly was pretty amazing– friendly and sincere and never overbearing. She was also quick to take my order since I was on a time crunch. Food came out super quick and was delicious as always. I had the cranberry nut oatmeal and also decided on the Belgian waffle which comes with an amaaaazing mixed berry compote! I highly recommend!
I’m glad we didn’t give up on this location as it’s a fairly convenient location in between work and home. Hope we continue to receive this kind of service on our future visits whether it be early morning or early afternoon!

went here for lunch today and was appalled to see how they seat their customers.
in the back corner of the room, they sat me and my Asian buddies in the farthest table from the front. As we ate, they sat an African American couple next to us, then an Indian lady, then a couple more minorities with us in the back.
As we made our way to the front to pay, we saw nothing but white faces in the front and main section of the restaurant.
I’ve experienced a lot segregation before, but this was the finest job in a long time.
on a lighter note, their roast beef sandwich was decent.

One of First Watch’s newer locations located at the booming Mills 50 District. This is one of my favorite locations due to the bounty of natural light and friendly wait staff.
Enjoy the variety that is First Watch’s menu. In the mood for waffles? Trifecta. Looking for more healthy options? You are covered too. Often trade out the sides for broccoli. Their portions are often on the lighter side in contrast to their direct competition, which can be a nice contrast for a lighter meal.
Their service is attentive from the moment you sit. However, once the food arrives, the check is close to follow. I would not mind this if it meant the service continued. Just hate being mid meal with an empty glass and forced to flag down a random server.
Having frequented this location since it opened, it is great to see their wait staff turnover is relatively low. Seeing the same faces at a local brunch spot is refreshing.
Bottomline, recommend this location for a casual brunch and will certainly be returning.

If you’re looking for a great place for breakfast, then First Watch is a great choice. Here’s why:
I always order the Trifecta. It comes with two eggs, your choice of Pancake or Belgian waffle, and choice of bacon, Turkey sausage, or link sausage. I get the eggs white with cheddar on top, waffle, and the plentiful sausage. I add an extra sausage with a side of their thick sliced bacon. 4 slices.
Egg whites are fluffy, tasty, and don’t taste bland which is a feat for this type of food. Well done. Good sized portion too.
The Belgian waffle has a great hint of vanilla with a sprinkling of powdered sugar. Just enough sugar to flavor and not overwhelm. Their syrup complements it well. Waffle is just crispy enough to hold up under lots of syrup and not get soggy or hold extreme crunchy. Excellent.
The sausage has a great mild seasoning and is plump. Not dry but juicy. Thus is one of the main reasons I choose First Watch.
The thick bacon has the right balance of meat and fat. I’m from Texas and the combination make it top rated.
Coffee is a good balance between light and dark roasted. Plentiful International Delight brand creamer is provided on the table with choices of flavors. Nice touch.
The service is friendly and attentive and knows the menu and options well. Any requests were handed quickly for me.
Final Note: great menu selection. Food cooked as I requested, great waffle experience, and coffee opens and closes the meal perfectly. Great service. Will be back

I’m a sucker for first watch. It’s one of my all time favorite breakfast spots. This location is no different. Great service, perfect food. I like that there is an outdoor area where you can eat with you dog. The wifi is also VERY fast!

Very busy brunch joint in Mills Park! Bustling, colorful, brightly lit and family friendly with no diner/​greasy-​spoon grittiness, it’s a great safe choice for breakfast/​brunch. The menu covers all the expected omelet and pancake bases plus some healthy offerings (like egg white omelet, granolas and fruits) and some seasonal specials. I had coffee and one of the seasonal dishes — avocado, egg, bacon and cheese on brioche. Good portion of avocado and everything was fresh.

This is our go-​to brunch place. It’s generally quick (although we do occasionally experience long waits for food although rare) and there are great healthy and non-​healthy choices.
When we do healthy, we split a Healthy Turkey (egg white omelet stuffed with smoked turkey, caramelized onions, tomatoes, spinach, and feta) subbing the side of sliced tomatoes for fruit and a Tri-​Athlete (egg white omelet with mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and green chilies topped with salsa). The Power Wrap is kinda bland but the Fruit Crepes are amazing and I’ve recreated these at home.
For non-​healthy, I order the Turkey Chive Crepegg which isn’t on the menu any longer but is eggs cooked thin like a crêpe and stuffed with smoked turkey, onions, spinach, and topped with hollandaise and chives. The fact that they continue to make this for me makes me happy and is part of why we come back. The BF orders the Chickichanga which he loves (and I’m not sure what’s in it except chorizo lol). Today he got the Parma Hash and loved it.
So anyway there’s nothing wrong with this place and the prices are good. You can be healthy and food usually comes out quick. I’ve had better brunches at more expensive places but it’s still good enough for us!

Delicioso! Costo igual que cualquier desayuno de cadena grande, pero en calidad insuperable. Simplemente mi favorito!!!

This is a new location and built fresh and new in Mills Park.
Now, disclaimer, I am not much of a breakfast person so maybe I am not the expert when reviewing spots dedicated to this meal. But, if I had to hit up a breakfast spot, this is a very good one.
Their way of life here is — everything is made to order, and freshness is never compromised. We don’t use heat lamps or deep fryers — we use only the finest ingredients possible for the freshest taste around. — Super respectable!
I checked out this location for a morning meeting on a weekday so we were immediately sat and our service was lovely. My dining partner had some strict dietary needs and they happily did abide. Much appreciated.
I went with the Fresh Fruit Crepes — Two thin, sweet crepes wrapped around fresh fruit, topped with low-​fat organic strawberry yogurt and powdered cinnamon sugar. Served with a fresh baked muffin of the day and a side of our house made granola. They were HUGE! Chock full of fresh fruit yet so light. It was a nice balance. I thought the muffin was somewhat overkill and I didn’t even touch it. I should have asked to not even have that if I knew how large the crepes were. I threw the granola on top of the crepes, very good!
Now, like I said, not a huge breakfast fan so everything was good but nothing blew me away. Also, we didn’t have to fight the weekend crowds that a lot of people are mentioning either. Overall, we had great service though and I always appreciate that!