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    First Awakenings

    4.2 (1k reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 2:00 pm

    First Awakenings Photos

    FIRST AWAKENINGS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - First Awakenings

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    Omelette
    Tucker S.

    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.

    All hosts that are not attentive
    Soneya S.

    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

    One single blueberry wheat germ pancake
    Cynthia T.

    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.

    Used toast
    Nan C.

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

    Fancy-pants pancake specials.
    James F.

    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.

    country fried steak with eggs
    Minnie R.

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

    Through the outside window
    Debra R.

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

    Bowl of fresh fruit
    Leonor R.

    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.

    The wood in the DC Omelet
    Raymundo C.

    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.

    Turkey pesto omelette, count potatoes and English muffin
    Janet S.

    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!

    DC Verde

    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

    triple bogey and homemade belgium waffles

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

    Breakfast Menu for First Awakenings

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    4 months ago

    Good service,food and lovey location provides nice ambiance. Good family friendly great variety breakfast all kids enjoy

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    6 months ago

    the food and the service is always great here! been here multiple times and ive never had a bad experience.

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    3 months ago

    always my favorite breakfast place I love pancakes with the blueberries there big great environment, friendly relaxing

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    Ask the Community - First Awakenings

    Do they offer gluten-free pancakes?

    Are dogs allowed on patio?

    Does this place validate paid parking?

    How's the coffee?

    Expensive

    What are the vegan options?

    I don't know but I know they have veggie omelette

    Are there any vegan options?

    Yes

    Are dogs allowed?

    Only certified service dogs allowed.

    View All 10 Questions

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    Portobello's - Rib eye

    Portobello's

    3.8(282 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$

    I stopped by Portabello's for a Sunday brunch and overall, I had a very nice experience. We were…read moreseated right away and provided menus promptly, which is always a good start. We ordered avocado toast, French toast, banana pecan pancake, house potatoes, and an Aperol spritzer. My avocado toast was served on a single very thick piece of bread, which had a very generous amount of avocado smash and was topped off with this delightful and fresh arugula salad. I added an over easy egg for an extra charge that was the perfect balance. The house salad was simple with butter lettuce, cherry tomatoes, radish, cucumber, with a light lemon house dressing that brought the salad together. It was refreshing. The French toast is pretty standard. Nothing that particularly stood out. The banana pecan pancake was delicious and shared with everyone at the table. The house potatoes were extra crispy on the outside but soft on the inside, which I found particularly satisfying. Overall, we had a pleasant experience and found Portabello's to be a good brunch spot in Salinas. The service was fast, the food portions were big, the food tasted fresh, and it was a nice ambiance. I would definitely return for the avocado toast and potatoes. Side note - I noticed Caesar Salad was misspelled on the menu as "Caeser"

    Mother's Day breakfast was 65$ dollars for food that is regularly 25$. Maybe the 65$ was for…read moreunlimited mimosas lol NOPE!!!!!!! 65 dollars for mid food and horrible music. Don't recommend this place at all.

    Photos
    Portobello's
    Portobello's - The most delicious dinner ever!

    The most delicious dinner ever!

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    Caffe Soleil - Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese on a Bagel

    Caffe Soleil

    4.6(24 reviews)
    0.0 mi

    Here's the complete list of everything I disliked about Caffe Soleil:…read more Please note the generous white space above, there were no complaints. Even arriving close to closing, we were met with exceptional customer service, a thoughtfully designed menu, delightful pairings, and truly outstanding espresso. All of this unfolded in an intimate, charming setting that basically transported us to a European bistro. It's a rare and wonderful experience to feel so completely taken care of, and this café delivers it effortlessly.

    First time trying Caffe Soleil, and overall I had a good experience. It's a very small café with…read moretwo counters and a few small tables, but the inside is adorable. The atmosphere feels warm and welcoming, with trendy décor that is very appealing to the eye. When I arrived, it was a little challenging to find the full menu, and I wasn't greeted right away. However, I understand places can get busy, so I didn't let that affect my overall impression too much. I ordered the Panini Caprese sandwich, and my son ordered the Caesar salad wrap. My sandwich didn't look quite as full as the photo, but honestly, the flavor made up for it. It was delicious with great texture, and I loved every bite. I also appreciated that it came with pickled jalapeños on the side, which was a nice extra touch since I love adding those to sandwiches. My son rated his wrap a 3 out of 5. He felt there wasn't much chicken inside, and there also wasn't much Caesar dressing, so it mostly tasted like a wrap with lettuce. It would have been a much better experience if they had included more chicken and Caesar dressing on the side to add more flavor. Overall, I'd definitely come back and try this place again because I really enjoyed my sandwich and the café itself has such a cute, cozy vibe.

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    Caffe Soleil - Interior Sign

    Interior Sign

    Caffe Soleil - Pain au chocolat

    Pain au chocolat

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    Macarons

    First Awakenings - breakfast_brunch - Updated May 2026

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