I have no idea how this place ever got a bad review. We were greeted with a smile and taken to a window booth. The staff were fast and the service was excellent. But the best part was the food. Generous portions, fresh and everything was tasty. I was raveling but if I was ever back in town, this would s must stop. The decor was excellent, it was very clean and again the service and food were great. read more

I have visited First Awakenings several times over the years, mostly for breakfast, but today my son and I decided to try lunch instead. I ordered the tuna melt and he got the chicken Caesar salad. The tuna melt was honestly really good. The sourdough bread was toasted nicely and I loved that crispy layer of cheese on the outside because that is a special tray and my favorite part of any melt sandwich. The tuna salad itself was flavorful. It came with potatoes that unfortunately were probably the only miss for me. They seemed like they were not reheated all the way, so they had that slightly cold, rubbery texture. They also serve this little cucumber and tomato salad on the side that was absolutely delicious and honestly such a nice fresh side to my sandwich. My son wasn't too impressed with the Caesar salad because he said the dressing tasted watery, but other than that everything else he liked - the chicken was flavorful and nicely cooked, the salad was fresh and crunchy. Service and atmosphere were nice. Overall, I would definitely come back for lunch again. Breakfast is also great here, so I would recommend both. read more

First Awakenings - Menu - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salinas, California

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I only ordered a fruit bowl, but what I got was a bunch of grapes, 4 smaller pieces of pineapple, and a diced banana. They threw in a 1 sliced strawberry. $12 dollars read more

First Awakenings - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salinas, California

My family and I have been coming to First Awakenings in Salinas for the past six years, and it never disappoints whenever we're in town. The place is always bustling, even on a Monday morning, which says a lot. Despite how busy it gets, the service has consistently been excellent and never feels rushed. It's the kind of spot where you can relax and enjoy your meal. We always start with the fresh-squeezed orange juice, which has become a must for us. I haven't strayed from their corned beef and hash since trying it two years ago. It's perfectly cooked every time, and they're always happy to swap out the eggs for bacon, which I appreciate since I'm not an egg eater. My daughter loves the biscuits and gravy. The portion is huge, and she never manages more than one biscuit along with the potatoes that come on the side. First Awakenings is always a breakfast or brunch treat we genuinely look forward to. It's a staple for us anytime we're in town and well worth the stop. read more

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It's in the heart of Salinas downtown area. As you walk in there's a ton of hosts but as you continue to dine you realize there are not a ton servers which makes no sense. It was so hard to flag down our server, let alone any of the hosts. The food is average, nothing crazy but given the town location it was one of the better options. A ton of vegetarian options, and pretty spacious. We got the farmers skillet! It was okayyyyy read more

First Awakenings - All hosts that are not attentive - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salinas, California

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First Awakenings in Salinas has everything their sister restaurant in Monterey has and maybe has a leg up on a couple other aspects! Whether you're passing through, visiting from the Bay Area, or driving from SoCal to the Bay, this place is worth checking out. Early birds get the worm. That saying could not be more true for their Salinas location. Located in downtown area, their hours are 7am-2pm daily. Metered parking starts ticking from 9am-6pm Mon-Sat. If you're early enough, chances are you'll nab a spot pretty close by on the street. With the restaurant having such fast service, you could be in and out without having to feed the meter! A bonus plus is that the Salinas location does not have as big of wait times compared to their Monterey location, so your overall wait time should generally be shorter. While you wait outside, take a look at their daily specials written on a board outside by the main entrance! Unlike their Monterey system, you cannot put your name on the waitlist through Yelp ahead of time. You'll have to arrive, speak to the host to put your name down, and wait close by while the host comes out to announce names when your table is ready - like old times! Thought it might look small from the outside, the inside has many rooms for additional seating in addition to the ones in their main room. Upon entry, I thought this place gives a true diner feel with counter seating available right in front of the kitchen. If you're familiar with the Monterey location, the menu and portion sizes here are the same! I ordered the blueberry wheatgerm pancakes, which are ordered by count of how many you want. I ordered just one. Sounds like a small amount, but the portion is huge! Bigger than my plate! My husband who hasn't been to First Awakenings ever was so surprised. Start small, and if you're hungry, add more pancakes later! SO ordered the Huevos Rancheros and he said it was solid! As mentioned earlier, service was very fast. Upon being seated, we were greeted with menus in hand and brought waters immediately. Food came out super fast. Our waiter constantly checked up on us for water refills. We were in and out within 35 min on a Saturday! If you enjoy great tasting breakfast/ brunch, love the diner feel, and fast service, definitely go to First Awakenings! Only about 50 min away from Monterey, I'd argue that this place is even worth the drive from Monterey because that location will certainly have more than a 50 minute wait if you go do not beat the rush. read more

First Awakenings - One single blueberry wheat germ pancake - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salinas, California

Classic American breakfast done right. I ordered the oatmeal, and it was absolutely delicious. The portions were generous, and I left feeling full and satisfied. The omelets were great, but the waffles were even better. They also welcomed my dog, which was a huge plus. My dog was happy too! Highly recommend this place for a tasty breakfast and a friendly atmosphere. read more

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dont come here to regularly, but when i do ive never had an off time. i love the food, most specifically the CAPS. love the mushrooms, i get them every single time i come. staff is amazing and always attentive when i come. if im ever stuck in salinas old town i will absolutely always end up here for a sit down to work and eat a good meal. read more

First I want to say PLS SPECIFY THAT YOUR HOLLANDAISE HAS SPICE TO IT! Nowhere on the menu does it say anything about the hollandaise being spicy and if it's just a "iykyk" there needs to be a better system. My hash browns are burnt but undercooked/hard at the same time? For $20 for just one meal I'm pretty disappointed. I did have a takeout order but that shouldn't change quality IMO. Host was nice and quick. English muffin is good and toasted well! read more

First Awakenings - Turkey dill crepe and hash browns - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salinas, California

Food is always fire!!! Customer service is great every time the waiter is so attentive and checks on you frequently. The ambience is great as well. I'll definitely keep coming back. read more

First Awakenings - Omelette - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salinas, California

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We stopped here for brunch last weekend when we were in Monterey. It was busy, but there are a lot of tables and places to sit so it didn't take us long to get in. Since we generally split a meal, and everything on the menu looked wonderful, it was hard to decide what to order. We narrowed it down to two dishes and asked the server to secretly make the decision for us. Not only were they a great sport and playing along, they brought us a breakfast. That was a combination of our two choices. And, wow, was it delicious! Although we don't generally go for fancy-pants pancakes, we decided to split a stack of the berrylicious pancakes, which were on the special board that day. It was the perfect dessert for breakfast. I should also mention that the cup of classic coffee-flavored coffee was good in the most classic way. And a big plus that they left the whole pitcher at the table for us to refill ourselves. The price didn't break the bank, either. One meal, the fancy-pants pancakes, and two coffees came to $38. read more

First Awakenings - Fancy-pants pancake specials. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salinas, California

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Came here about a year ago. They had us seated right away. Friendly service. Ordered the Rodeo Benedict, which comes with onion, sausage, and mushrooms - all my favorite things. The eggs were perfectly poached, the country potatoes were well-seasoned, and the hash browns were delicious! Definitely a go-to brunch spot if you're in the area. read more

Sadly I'm going to be the bearer of bad news and say that First Awakenings is highly overrated. I grew up in Salinas and always remember this place being busy and thought of in high regard by pretty much all the locals. Being back in town, I had to give it a try after 15+ years being away. What a let down honestly. We were seated right away which was appreciated. It was about 10am on a Wednesday and we arrived just before the big rush it seemed. To drink, we ordered waters and orange juice and coffee. A whole coffee carafe was left on our table which was a bit of a surprise and the orange juice as advertised tasted freshly squeezed. Before ordering our food, my husband began asking the waiter about gluten free pancakes or waffles (since such was advertised online in a review from 11yrs ago) and before he could even finish the question the waiter cut him off to explain all the pancake and waffle options. My husband kindly asked again and was told they didn't have any specific gluten free options. That's ok, he ordered their Bacado omelette and instead of toast on the side he asked for a side of fruit. I ordered their Cinnamon Bread French Toast and a side of 1 scrambled egg and 1 sausage. I was told the sausage only comes in 2 or 4, and so I chose 2. When the food arrived, I immediately thought this all looks ok. And the taste was just the same. The omelette was not fluffy like you'd expect a highly rated restaurant omelette to be. The side of fruit came in a condiment cup and had 1 grape as well as 3 pieces of other fruit. The hash browns were sad looking, pretty pale and absolutely no crunch. My husband even added salt which was sad and rare to watch him do. My French toast was ok, kind of soggy and didn't have any caramelization or crunch on the outside whatsoever. It's definitely cinnamon toast vs a cinnamon roll French toast and was nothing special. The sausage was the best part which says a lot. I wouldn't come back here because there's infinitely better options minutes away. read more

There was a bite taken out of our stack of toast! Gross! The one in Monterey is definitely better! read more

First Awakenings - Used toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salinas, California

Heartland Frittata - fresh spinach, diced bacon and cheese - so good and all evenly distributed. Sausage and cheese omelet - great French Toast Combo - good read more

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We really enjoyed brunch here which was our first stop on a road trip through the Central Coast. Our party of 4 enjoyed the food very much not just for its flavor & freshness, but also for the undeniable pride of the server as she described the dishes to us. If she can speak so highly of the quality of their menu, it has to be that good. It was. She was very friendly, & patiently answered our inquiries about the restaurant. This must be a stop if you're ever in Monterey County. It'll feel like you're visiting friends. read more

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comfortable place. breakfast was good. our server was very attentive. great biscuits. read more

First Awakenings - country fried steak with eggs - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salinas, California

It's been a long while since we ate here. We had the wheat germ and banana pancakes, Acapulco express omelet with bacon, and the avocado bacon omelet. Also their mushroom caps with cheese were phenomenal. Our waitress Isabel was very nice and helped us out with whatever we wanted and more. The orange juice was absolutely delicious and so was the coffee. Well designed and clean restaurant with some very talented chefs in the kitchen. Great location on the corner of the street. Lots of parking to choose from as well. Just go and try them out, you will not be disappointed. read more

The poor service my party experienced during our visit today. We arrived and were seated by 11:15 am, greeted promptly, and served beverages. However, after 15 minutes, our "annoyed" waitress finally took our order and then provided no further assistance. Meanwhile, guests who arrived after us received their food before us. When we inquired at the front, staff went to the kitchen, but no apologies were offered- only a vague "they're working on it now" while our server sat eating within our view. We chose to pay only for the orange juice and coffee we had while waiting- because it was the right thing to do. We have never had issues at your establishment until today, and this experience was unacceptable. We left and went to Villa Aztec a couple doors down read more

This my 3 time coming here and every experience, except this one! Has been nothing but amazing. The ambiance gave fall vibes and are server was Isabel. She was very friendly. Replaced my bad experience with blueberry pancakes, that are the best In town. I will most likely never eat here again. Due to finding WOOD in my ( DC VERDE OMELET ) that they told me, it's from the can of tomatoes they get to make the sauce like it's not there fault. Luckily I chewed my food and tasted wood and took it out before swallowing it. Choking hazard avoided. Don't let my bad experience dictate your decision on eating here. The foods is still very good just avoid anything with green chili. Unless you want to choke. read more

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I'm glad to see that the food here is very similar to the First Awakenings in Monterey. Ordered the pesto turkey omelette to share with/the hubby. In Monterey they will plate an order on two plates when you tell them you're sharing. Here, they brought us an extra plate. Also had the raspberry coconut granola pancake and blueberry wheat germ,huge as ever. We always over order pancakes so we can enjoy them at home the next couple of days. Enjoyed our breakfast! read more

First Awakenings - Turkey pesto omelette, count potatoes and English muffin - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salinas, California

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Little pricey but worth it, the potatoes are amazing. Excellent service. Great orange juice. read more

First Awakenings - Breakfast Menu for First Awakenings - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salinas, California

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A decent spot for a weekend brunch if you want to fill up. Pretty busy and got seated within 30 minutes, accurate to what we were given. Big portions and got half to go. Food was fresh and came out pretty fast, but the pepper sauce did a lot of carrying in terms of flavor. To be expected that breakfast/brunch items are milder in flavor. Had to knock down some stars for service, however. The host and busser were really great, but our server was on the ruder side. Didn't catch her name. read more

First Awakenings - Full order of Eggs Benedict for $19.29 as of November 2024. Comes with a complimentary side of potatoes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salinas, California

I Highly Recommend. Took my son to breakfast amazing food gotta try the DC Verde. Great service very busy sometimes but the kitchen moves fast I think its the best breakfast spot in the area read more

First Awakenings - DC Verde - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salinas, California

As a local, I do not recommend this place if you are looking for a good breakfast. The wait time is extremely long and honestly, the wait is not worth the food. The service is not bad, but it should be improved. read more

My sister wanted to meet up for breakfast and raved about this place so of course we had to try it together. We arrived around 10:30 on Sunday and the place was PACKED. We placed our name on the wait list and our table was ready within 15 mins. First awakenings is located in downtown Salinas and there are plenty of shops to peruse while waiting. We were placed at a booth which was very spacious for the two of us. The menu has all of you staple items you'd expect when going out to breakfast/brunch. I decided on the BACADO omelet, which came with a choice of an English muffin or toast, as well as hash browns. My sister ordered the two eggs and meat, which also came with a choice of an English muffin or toast, as well as hash browns. Our eyes were larger than our stomachs that day so of course we had to order something sweet. We went with the chilled fruit crepes to split. Additionally, we ordered two coffees which was serve diner style with a carafe left at our table. One thing I noticed was the menu does not have any pricing for beverages and lid bill at the end was not itemized, therefore, I'm not entirely sure how much our coffee cost. Our bill came out to $54.32, which in my opinion is pricy for a fairly basic breakfast. Overall, the meal was good and I would come back. read more

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Nice large place to eat in Salinas for a warm meal. Seated quickly and was busy. They charge more for credit card usage and shown clearly on bill. read more

I had the eggs Benedict one time I came in recently and it was really good. Hollandaise sauce was hot very nice but last week I came in and had the eggs Benedict. However, the hollandaise sauce was cold so they put cold sauce on my eggs which changed this whole character with the extra sauce was cold too. Shouldn't they heat the sauce up when they serve it on eggs Benedict's instead of cold sauce read more

We LOVED our breakfast and will definitely be back!! We decided to have a Monday breakfast date and my guy recommended this spot. We were sat right away and had our drinks. It did take a bit for our server to greet us and take our orders but the food was so good it made up for the wait. My guy ordered the bacon skillet with carnitas added and I had the Blue Shroom omellete. We also ordered the wheat germ banana pancake with strawberries and whipped cream. The food came out quickly and OMG everything was amazing!! I honestly kept saying how good all the food was and was perfectly cooked with great flavor. I can't believe we hadn't eaten here before. I can imagine on the weekends they probably get very busy, but we will be back either way. read more

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It took me a while to post this review because I was pretty apprehensive about writing it due to ALL the positive however, after thinking long and hard, I realized it was the right thing to do lol a few months ago, my mom and I went into this location to grab lunch/brunch . I know they are known for their breakfast, but I do know that they have tons of options for brunch it was a very warm day when we went and it was pretty empty in there however we stood at the front for about five minutes before someone acknowledged us, even though there was two young ladies at the service station, but they were too absorbed into their conversation to even notice us They told us we could sit anywhere we did we sat close to the door because of the heat and it was about another 10 to 15 minutes before someone came back and asked us what we would like to drink, but because I was on my lunch break I quickly asked him if we could just place our full order And order 30 minutes later our food came . Remember, I mentioned it was slow like one other couple in the building. If you're getting anything like a sandwich or non egg like they do not have a fryer . So fries or hashbrowns are not served here so I had my mine with breakfast potatoes as well as my mom. No bueno The food was not great like not at all. I don't even remember all the way what we had. I just remember being extremely disappointed and not even eating half of my meal and I didn't take any food with me to go. Like I said, just the overall experience was disappointing. Oh yeah the fountain drinks were out of service I guess so there was no soft drinks. It was just water or tea and then when I asked for a bottle of water, they said they didn't have any I get it that places are out of things and machines break, but your customer service should never be broken My mom and I have dined here before with my dad my man and I have ate here before as well at the Monterey location and had a wonderful experience. I don't know what's going on, but it went extremely downhill because again the service aside (that was atrocious). The food was really not up to par. Overall, I was late back to work. It was disappointing to see them just chitchatting and ignoring us, and I know they saw us because they made eye contact and even at one point said I'll be right with you before she finished her conversation)(when I say, we could literally see them talking at the service, stand the whole time, - while we were waiting to be seated,for our check for our drinks for our food... Left still kind of hungry and really sad that taking my mom out to a lovely meal turned into a super disappointment read more

Don't miss out! Came back from Santa Barbara and I made sure to stop here again. The only problem is deciding what to eat because everything sounds so good. I had the Blue Shroom omelette wish is loaded with blue cheese, mushrooms and other goodies. The country potatoes were also excellent. The servers are always pleasant and efficient. Just wish there was one closer to my home in the Bay Area. Easy street parking. read more

First Awakenings - Delicious omelette Blue Shroom - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salinas, California

good food. decent service. great ambiance. i recommend going as it doesn't break the bank too much read more

First Awakenings - triple bogey and homemade belgium waffles - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salinas, California

Portions are HUGE and tastes amazing. I ordered a single pancake and it was so big that it could feed two people. Service was great, our waitress was very fast, and food was great read more

Horrible tasting coffee. Bitter as heck. Potatoes were burnt and not appealing to the eye. . Pancake was delicious and service was great! Average tab per person $35. read more

First Awakenings - Potatoes. Burnt and dry. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salinas, California

Poor service. No vegan options other than potatoes and muffin for breakfast. Wouldn't return and it's misleading to say they have vegan options at all read more

I wanted to reach out and ask for a refund for my order this afternoon. I dined frequently when working in Salinas at the courthouse and fell in love with your southwest salad. First awakenings has always been my go to and also my most recommended. However my last two trips haven't been the best and I tried going back this time and was completely disappointed- I ordered two things to go today. The southwest salad with celery seed dressing instead of the regular dressing with my chicken on the side and the prime dip. Just bread, meat & cheese with hashbrowns and the jus. First the woman on the phone could not understand me asking for the celery seed dressing (which is the house dressing) and kept repeating "celery seed ranch" and I said no. Finally I let her know that my partner got onions on his order last time and can't eat them and I only wanted meat and cheese confirming that there was nothing else on the order but meat cheese and bread. When we got the order back home the prime dip was piled with mushrooms and they couldn't just be picked off because they were stuck all in the cheese. My salad had no avocado on it and the chicken had 4.5 small pieces of chicken - also the dressing was spilled all over the bag and no Utensils were inside either. I called when we discovered the mushrooms and the man on the phone said "you said you didn't want onions " he offered to make it again but I was already back in Marina and the location would have been closed if I tried to return- I asked for a credit to be recorded and he said he couldn't do that and he would have to call and find out how to do a refund in the system. He took my name and said he had my number but my number is wrong on my order too. I just want a refund. I paid $40 plus tip for food that can't even be eaten and a salad that wasn't even complete. I'm so disappointed- this used to be my favorite place. Sadly I don't think I will be recommending it anymore read more

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We arrived around 8:15 and cars were just rolling and so I was surprised when we checked in they said, go ahead and find a seat, we will follow you. I was pleasantly surprised. My husband and I both ordered coffee and they brought us our own pitcher of coffee. It was kind of cool but at the same time, the table quickly became crowded with all the pitchers. Lol. The kids ordered Mickey Mouse pancakes and it came with eggs and 2 bacon strips. So much food. Two kids could have easily shared 1 order. The staff was super friendly and nice. There is a reason they have so many positive reviews. Check it out! read more

First Awakenings - French toast using Texas toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salinas, California

once again, we have re visited first awakenings and take out on a sunday and had all our favorites ty!!! we called ahead to go orders and even with restaurant being so busy and lots sitting our order was ready!!! as always great service good food and fast.... this restaurant is and has been a part of our history starting with my child in pre school... got to meet owners workers and it's been well over 20 years of having brunch and recommending first awakenings to our friends.... my youngest niece used to love the mickey pancakes ty!! see you again soon regards , Corina L. read more

First time here and if I could rate it higher I would it's exceptional. I took one bite and I had to pull out my phone to review it. I had the chorizo eggs Benedict with a side of potatoes. It had chorizo, avocado, bacon, jalapeños, and they put they foot in it! The potatoes were also amazing. The service was great everyone was pleasant. They were quick to get out my food. Where I was sat, I had a great view of main st. It was truly a phenomenal experience. 10/10. Salinas is truly a great town. P.s it was a special, but I bet they can make it for you if you ask! read more

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I've eaten here many times over the years and consider this a decent restaurant. Today I had a vegetable omelette. It was fine, but the hash browns weren't crispy. They were slightly burnt and the coffee was bitter. The service and atmosphere were good. Just wish I could have enjoyed the coffee and has browns. read more