First Watch

This is our brunch staple. I feel that it is superior to Kekes.
My favorite things on their menu are the lemon ricotta pancakes and cinnamon chip pancakes. As you can see, I’m a big fan of their heavenly, fluffy pancakes. Also, the home fries are pretty good.

Great food and alternative to the normal chain restaurants. Would recommend for out of town visitors and locals.

Came in for the first time about 1pm on a Tuesday. There was a bit of a wait but since we were new, we spent the time reviewing the menu so that when we were seated we were ready to order. The gentleman covering the front was very friendly and engaged many customers in social conversation. When we were seated, the server was prompt in bringing our beverages and taking our order. I had a parma skillet which was very good. A little light on quantity but made up on the quality. The other members of my party also enjoyed their meal. It was busy but that’s a good thing for businesses. I would definitely rate the food above Cracker Barrel and Village Inn which are across the street. They only open until 2:30pm so you have to catch them early. They are a bit tough to find but if you can find your way to the LA Fitness then you shouldn’t have any problems finding it.

Disappointed with the food and the menu overall. The pancakes would be the only reason to come back here. Everything else is below average and possibly not cooked properly. The waffle was not crispy at all and a disappointment. Waffles should have some crunch and be different than a pancake cooked on a waffle iron. I ordered poached eggs and it was served in a little bowl of raw eggs. Usually the egg whites should be cooked enough to slice, these all fell apart with a fork and were not cooked properly at all and I was not able to eat them. The turkey sausage was nothing special and what I would expect from a Walmart brand frozen turkey sausage. I was extremely disappointed with the trip advisor certificate of excellence for this restaurant because of the lack of talent or caring in the kitchen.

I love First Watch. Breakfast with FW was been a favorite meal for nearly 10 years. …today was my first disappointment.
My meal was tasty but luke warm. I didn’t have the time to get it recooked and reheated eggs would not be choice either.
I will eat here again with my fingers crossed that I’ll have better luck.

I don’t see why I should give you a 4^th chance, as yesterday it happened again! Not only is first watch in sensative to dietary needs, they are also blatantly rude. I’m beyond irate. I called and was hung up on by whatever girl was answering the phones, I did not unfortunately get her name. So much for good service. This is not a good place.

This place is very homy and comfortable. Whenever you walk in the servers always have a huge smile on their face. I didn’t enjoy my experience the first time I went there but every time after that has been amazing. It’s a typical almost diner style restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch. Ive had breakfast there a lot and I usually go for the oatmeal (when I attempt to go on a diet) or chocolate chip pancakes with bacon. I also usually go there early and sometimes after a fun yet hard night of drinking but luckily they pretty much have coffee ready on the table when anyone walks in the door. This my favorite place for breakfast and I recommend this to anyone!

Today is my birthday, so I decided to treat myself and drive from Clermont to Winter Garden for breakfast here. I was disappointed. First, parking was ridiculous — it is in an outdoor mall, so parking is way spread out. The service was minimal — I saw my waitress twice: once when she took my order and once when she brought my check. I ordered an omelette which was good, hence the three star rating. I also ordered a side of potatoes and fruit. The potatoes had no flavor at all, and the portion size was small. The fruit cup had a total of 6 tiny pieces of fruit. This was definitely not worth the drive. I will stick with KeKe’s in Clermont where the portion sizes are huge (I usually take a box home), the food has excellent flavor, and the staff is extremely attentive.

I’ve visited First Watch for breakfast a few times and I’ve been satisfied on each trip. The service has been friendly and the food has definitely been tasty.
On our last trip I ordered their Chickichanga (eggs, chicken, chorizo, green chilies, cheddar and monterey jack, onions and avocado) in a tortilla wth fruit and potatoes, while my gf ordered their Pumpkin Pancakes which came with eggs and an apple/​chicken sausage. Absolutely delicious. The huge pancake was fluffy and wasn’t overwhelming with pumpkin flavor while the Chickichanga was one of the tastiest breakfast burritos I’ve tasted. I wouldn’t have minded more of their Vera Cruz sauce because it definitely worked perfectly with the burrito. The potatoes were sent undercooked, but they’ve been better on my past visits.
Other than the excessively long wait (on almost every visit) this is a restaurant that I do not mind going to.

I was very disappointed in my last visit to First Watch.
First of all, they have recently changed their menu. It is very cluttered and hard to read and there just doesn’t seem to be much good breakfast food.
Our service left quite a bit to be desired.
When we walked in the front door, there was a line all the way to the door. We waited in this line for at least 10 min and then saw 3 other people walk off to the side for something. I then went to the front of the line and asked if we were in the right line to check in for a table. We were told no and that we needed to go to the other side of the counter. No signs, no one greeting people as they walked in the door. In the end, 3 or so other people, who arrived after us, were put on the list before us. The thing that kills me the most about this is that the person was checking people in on an iPad. Why not take the iPad and to go the door to check people in as they enter?
Really just a very disappointing experience from beginning to end.

Always fresh, always incredible!
This is definitely out go-​to breakfast spot. The food is always so fresh. Their menu is eclectic enough that it caters to those with a more refined palate, yet they execute American comfort food better than any breakfast place around. I typically do not go to chains, but this restaurant doesn’t feel like a chain to me. The staff has a charm to them that’s unmatched in the area. They remember your name, and make you feel like family. (Tip: ask for Shelby, or Kathy)
As far as the food goes, you couldn’t ask for a better fresher breakfast. They have a seasonal menu that highlight fruits and veggies that are in season, as well as seasonal pancakes and waffles. My favorite dish right now is the avocado toast. It’s two thick slices of whole grain bread, covered in diced avocado spread with a hint of lemon zest, and two basted eggs. I typically put the egg on top of the toast and eat it Benedict style. Amazing. When fall rolls around they do some really fantastic pumpkin pancakes with cream cheese icing that are to die for.
We go as often as we can, it’s truly the best breakfast in town.

First Watch is an excellent place for brunch. Service has always been fantastic and the healthy options are a refreshing change. The smoothies are fAntastic! Only downside, ask for the butter on the side when ordering breakfast. It’s a hefty scoop. :(

dropped the ball today. I ordered the monte cristo that said it used french toast for the bread… unlike the classic one that the sandwich is completely dipped into an egg batter then either pan or deep fried. Well this so called «french toast» was the nastiest ive ever tasted. To me it tasted like it was a frozen product that was just thawed out and then used for the bread. Worst sandwich i’ve EVER had. The jelly they describe on the menu «used for dipping» was in a ramekin that was filled a couple of days ago and then hardened in the fridge and then served to me for ‘Dipping” I could barly even spread it on.

Excellent food, but our server «Joy» is anything but. First she challenged that it was really the correct name on the birthday coupon we received, then she reminded us that she was the same bad server when she was getting «hammered» last time and almost ruined our breakfast. Would definitely recommend asking for another server next time, her presence and odd comments kind of ruined our experience today.

Hold people for 30 minutes, when told a 10 – 15 min wait, and then seat other people ahead of us which voided our chance to be seated.
We left and went to Panera instead. How will I ever recover those lost 30 minutes???

Love first watch! Their chickichanga is pretty amazing. Wait for a table is always long, ALWAYS but well worth it! There are plenty of healthy options and the coffee is always good and once you get sat at a table, the staff is always attentive and quick!

I typically avoid First Watch because they tend to be super busy and the food has never really «wowed» me. I stopped in to First Watch this morning with my son for a late breakfast and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised at the additions to the menu and the service as well!
I ordered the fruit crêpe for my 18 month old and the avocado toast with poached eggs for myself. Everything was delicious and I had to fight my toddler off my plate so that I could get a little something to eat! He loved his crêpe, which was filled with berries and bananas and served with strawberry yogurt and granola. The avocado toast with egg rivaled my own, but I think it tasted a little better since I was not the one slaving over the stove. I noticed quite a few diners had it on their table so it seems to be a popular offering!
Jen, our server, was just so pleasant and attentive. My son loved her and she took such good care of us… and made sure that I had plenty of coffee!
I look forward to returning to this location again soon!

Just ok. I feel like it doesn’t compare to other breakfast chains in the area. I’d probably choose Cracker Barrel across the street instead.

My husband and I wanted to get brunch, and we were excited to find a First Watch nearby. I was a little hesitant to go because of a few negative reviews but decided to give it a chance.
FOOD: There’s a lot of options on the menu. Some options are healthier. I ordered the Swisshroom Omelet, and it was ok. It was big enough for me to feel satisfied eating half of it. The potatoes were a little bland, so I added hot sauce. My husband ordered the Floridian French Toast, and that was amazing.
SERVICE: We only waited a moment for the hostess to seat another group. Our server was fantastic. She even got me a cup to take my coffee to go.
ATMOSPHERE: First Watch is in the Winter Garden Village shopping plaza. It’s a little busy and hard to find parking sometimes, but you can’t fault them for that. The restaurant was clean. There were a few empty tables, but we came in after the brunch rush (around 1:15 PM).
I’ll definitely be back to First Watch.

Before a training session at the nearby LA Fitness I decided to try First Watch for Breakfast.
I kept hearing about how healthy the breakfasts are, and this chain restaurant goes south to Palm Beach and Broward, and read good reviews. This location also has Patio Seating outside, it looked relaxing.
Parked the car and saw couples walking in then back out. ohh no. I walk in and the host tells us there’s an expected 30−40min wait… ahh now I know why here are walk outs. No there are no RSVPs over the phone here, you must show up in person and wait… sad when it’s breakfast time, I’m Hang-​ry (a mix of Angry and Hungry).
We wait it out table for two comes up before we know it.
The waiter comes by asks us what we want to drink, me and my fiancé both want coffee and water. The waiter quickly comes back with a pitcher of Ice water with a couple straws, and a carafe of Fresh Coffee… mmm so nice! We both have our coffees Black, but there are also creamers and flavoured creamers by International Delight on the table for those addicted to the liquid plastic.
We couldn’t decide on breakfast just yet and I can see the waiter was friendly but impatient, in a hurry to go and be everywhere. I finally decide on an Egg-​White Killer Cajun Chicken Omelette and my man chooses the Hash bowl and we share a Whole Grain Pancake (all the Pancakes are Whole-​Grain).
I see the table that sat after us get their food cause they decided their breakfasts before me, so I know the food comes out pretty fast, big turnover especially when busy.
My Killer Cajun omelet was great. They don’t up-​charge at First Watch for egg whites which is nice, and it me with the Santa-​Fe sauce on the side, you DO Have to ask for your Bread (in my case English muffin) DRY if you don’t want butter. The Chicken breast was a small portion, but sliced really thinly so it’s easy to eat. The home Potatoes were okay, I like mine to be crunchy and crispy, but I guess there are soo many people who come here the potatoes are constantly being made so no time for Crisp.
My man got the Hash bowl and it came with eggs on top of the home fries, side of fruit and English muffin which did fill him up a bit.
The Granola pancake was Delish! I love the crispy crust, not mushy at all! Light and fluffy on the inside I really enjoyed this pancake with Granola. The bits of dried cranberry and rolled oats were yummy. The maple syrup on the table was pretty good too, no Aunt Jamima Yessss! I’m Canadian so we like the Real Stuff.
Overall good food, not the best breakfast ive had, but there are some good dishes.
Ide come back to First Watch, and try different locations too.