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    First Watch

    4.0 (123 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 2:30 pm

    Order First Watch Takeout or Delivery

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    FIRST WATCH ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - First Watch

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    Reviews With Photos

    A good summer special
    Bryan P.

    We visited on a Sunday morning during the breakfast rush with a larger group. Despite having some food allergies in our party, the staff was accommodating and handled everything well. The food was as good as always. Even though the location was busy, they seated us quickly. This remains one of our favorite upscale restaurants and locations.

    Tres Leches French Toast
    Adriana P.

    This is a great breakfast/brunch place. The staff is always personable and helpful. We like their menu, and the food usually comes out quick enough. We have food allergies in our family, and we feel comfortable eating here and have never had a problem eating here. I ordered the Ham and Gruyere melt with the soup of the day which was cheddar broccoli soup. The sandwich was delicious and filling. The Dijonnaise sauce was a nice addition to the sandwich and the soup had great flavor and nice size chunks of broccoli. My oldest had the Tres Leches French toast which is currently a seasonal item that I thought looked amazing and she really enjoyed it. If you have not been here, you should try them out!

    Chickichanga
    Cheryl S.

    We have enjoyed previous visits to First Watch restaurants in other areas so held high expectations. Unfortunately, our experience was only average. We were greeted immediately, sat at a table for two, and received our drink order right away. It was nice to have a carafe of coffee and a pitcher of ice water. Off to a good start. We drink decaf, which can be risky if the coffee has been sitting around too long. This coffee was fresh but had an unusual flavor, as if it was a coffee concentrate and not fresh brewed. Each cup was close to $4.00, a bit steep, in our opinion. Our server was friendly and attentive five throughout our meal. Very good service all the way around. A big plus. I was interested in the lemon ricotta pancakes yet also wanted some protein. Our server recommended the Trifecta, which came with meat and egg. Perfect. She said any of the pancake and waffle items could be chosen with the Trifecta. The entree was good, but not wonderful. We were also surprised when paying our bill to be charged an additional $3 per pancake (lemon ricotta cake with two pancakes), totaling close to $20 for the breakfast .... Unexpected, steep and not a great value for the quality of the breakfast. My husband ordered the chickichanga. It sounded great, yet looked odd.... Like a wrap with gravy. It was warm, not hot. It lacked flavor for a Mexican-inspired entree. The seating is ample and the dining room is modern and clean. The open, high ceiling atmosphere is also quite loud as the dining area was full when we were dining at this location. Fine, yet a bit stimulating for our taste. Not sure we would choose to return for another visit with all the great dining choices in the area. The food was only OK and the price point seems high.

    Lynn R.

    We had a great server today as FW was very busy. We were seated pretty quickly as we got there just after nine. They are offering a few additions for the Holidays right now but I ordered off the traditional menu. I ordered the biscuit with turkey gravy and two eggs and seasonal potatoes. The biscuit was cooked the way I liked it. It was soft and delicious and the gravy had a thick consistency. For me personally, the meal tasted heavy on the salt and pepper and the potatoes had a somewhat spicy different flavor to them. For my palette it's a bit strong but for others it's probably fine. I had plenty of food and next time will get the pancake as it's my favorite place for a pancake.

    Menu
    Jillian S.

    TLDR: Healthy, flavorful meals. Ample menu options. Friendly employees. I've been to other First Watch restaurants in the past and am a fan. Our experience at this location was about the same. The restaurant was busy as expected on a Sunday afternoon. We made a reservation online in advance (since we had a larger party) and checked in when we arrived. I appreciate how they allow reservations and let part of the party check in. They prepared a table right away and the rest of our party arrived soon after. I've enjoyed each item I've ordered from First Watch. This visit I ordered the quinoa power bowl. It was surprisingly not filling. It tasted great but I was still hungry afterwards. A side of bread or fruit would have accompanied it well. It can be pricy, however, the meals are usually portioned well and nutritious. First Watch is a great option for a balanced, delicious meal. Our server was welcoming and attentive. The dining area gets loud and our server recognized this and made sure she understood us. Our orders were accurate and arrived in a reasonable amount of time. After the meal we paid at the front counter. Checking in and paying in the same area can lead to the front becoming crowded. Chairs are available and the wait time is short. Overall, First Watch is a good option for a nutritious, flavorful meal!

    Morning Market Veggie
    Elisa A.

    This omelette was so good! Service was quick and amazing! Everyone in our table loved our food and the server!!

    Tres leches strawberry French toast
    Christine W.

    Seated quickly on a Friday morning! I got the tres leches strawberry French toast. Pretty tasty! Service was good, and the ambiance was open and casual. I always love the quality of food at first watch.

    Mango Passionfruit fresh juice
    N2 V.

    Don't miss this place: I give First Watch Apex five out of five stars! This fun breakfast spot is our go-to place when we are wanting to celebrate a milestone, a holiday, or when we just want to enjoy a tasty and satisfying breakfast or lunch! We can always count on great service with a smile here, along with creative breakfast and lunch offerings, which change with the seasons. They even offer fresh-squeezed juices!

    Floridian French toast

    My favorite breakfast spot! The food is delicious and the service is fast. The Floridian French toast is my go to meal. We tried the Holey Donuts which were to die for! I will always recommend this place!

    The Trifecta, plus a side of toast and side of bacon
    Emma N.

    Saturday morning are busy but we were seated pretty quickly. I don't love that coffee is offered seemingly free when it's actually almost $4. We had to flag the waitress down to remember our drinks but again it was a busy Saturday. The food was very tasty however on this particular day they were down to 1 waffle maker so it came later in the meal. Seems like a miss not to have more than 2 waffle makers. I would probably go back again because they do have a constant rotation of seasonal menu items and cocktails. Make sure you are in the mood to relax and not rush when you eat here. They also have a lot of tables in a single room with an open kitchen, which means it will be noisy.

    Coffeeeeee
    Tammy M.

    We stopped by on a Friday morning. Noticed this place had opened and it's closer than the one over off Davis Dr so here we are. Their coffee was delicious (but pricey). Wait staff was friendly and helpful. Not crowded at all this morning. Overall our food was very fresh. The ingredients were top notch. The fruit on my French Toast was delicious. Syrup was served warm as was the side of fruit compote. Hubby went on and on about the ingredients in his omelet. It was a top notch breakfast. You may pay a few dollars more here but the quality of the ingredients makes it worthwhile. Give them a try. Their menu is extensive and you will be able to find something you like.

    Market Skillet.  The server had his thumb on my bread
    Surelyne L.

    I've always loved First Watch for the food and the service. I understand the difficulty in finding help and always give businesses grace during these times but our experience at this location left a lot to be desired. We were seated promptly but waited a long time time before anyone would come to the table to acknowledge us to take our drink order. After the host (no server ever approached although several walked around multiple times scanning the dining room and completely overlooked us) took our orders, we had to wait yet again and ask again for our beverages. Drinks finally came out...My hot tea service looked like it was clearly recycled from previous customers. All the teabags were rumpled (thank goodness they were individually sealed) and the lemons were well dried out. They should not have been served. I also observed a server bringing plates out to patrons with his thumb clearly in the food. That was the case with my buttered toast as well when my food finally came out. One of the servers tried juggling too many items for a to-go order and ended up toppling the to-go drink, spilling it right by the entry to the kitchen. No one took care of the spill. It was still there when we left after at least 30 minutes. That was a trip hazard to staff and to customers. Very disappointed in my experience here. While the food overall was good as usual, the service is lacking. Have always had great service at the Cary High House location but clearly staff was not well trained nor were they empowered to look after each others' customers.

    Outside
    Kathy K.

    This was the first visit for the hubby and I to First Watch. First impression when I opened the door was this might take a while. But thankfully it was a line checking out and I was the only one waiting for a table. Got seated quickly. The vibe is farm to table meets industrial. It's an open space with booths and tables. We came on a Friday morning at 10:30. I wanted breakfast and the hubby wanted lunch. That worked out well. The menu is quite large. We had the Million $ Bacon as an appetizer. The hubby had half sandwich (Monterey Club) and Squash Soup with a Coke Zero. I had the Million $ Harvest Hash and coffee. The coffee was good and there was a selection of international delight coffee flavorings at the table. Service was fast. Our server was delightful. The food tasted very fresh. Because it was an open area it did get loud at times. Overall good experience and I would definitely come again.

    Potatoes were way under cooked, tasted like a soggy apple.

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    Food was good although coffee needed to be fresher. Service was outstanding and prompt. Well spaced and opened room.

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    2 years ago

    Super yummy! Great service ! Brianna did a great job! Highly recommend! Definitely going to come again soon

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    Scratch Kitchen & Taproom - Pork Skillet Hash

    Scratch Kitchen & Taproom

    3.9(610 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    Got there early today for lunch and tried today's special. It was a really good meal and the…read moreexperience was positive. Staff were nice and the location has a great look. The building itself really looks cool and I've always enjoyed eating here. The food always has a weird array of foods and options but it's always been good.

    AWARENESS: My daughter and I were in the Apex area and…read moredecided to find a nice place for dinner. After opening the Yelp app, looking at reviews and pictures, we decided to give Scratch Kitchen & Taproom and go. NARRATIVE: Due to construction in the parking lot behind Scratch Kitchen (Temple Street), we ended up entering the restaurant from the N. Salem Street. And before going in, I noticed the signage above the building says; Tobacco & Mule Exchange. I'm not sure of the buildings history but the buildings interior has a story. Entering from the Salem Street side, you'll pass several shops and a unique bar / barber shop and Scratch Kitchen is located at the end of the hallway on the left. When we arrived at the podium, just outside the restaurant, we were promptly greeted and seated and within the minute, our server and his "shadow" server greeted us and introduced themselves. And after going over the menu and special meals for the day, our drink orders were taken. We ordered the Spicy Tuna Sushi Round as our appetizer; "Spicy ahi tuna with avocado, cucumber and wake over a seared sushi rice patty with edamame and fried green tomato. Topped with wasabi-miso crema and mirin-soy glaze." It was presented and tasted just as good as it sounds. For the main dish, I had to get the Shrimp & Grits; "Cheddar stone ground grits with seared shrimp and pork belly, peppers, onions and a creamy gochugaru sauce. Topped with green onions." And as you can see by not only my photos but others on Yelp, it was an amazing choice and amazing meal. I don't recall what my daughter had as her main but she said it was really good. SCENE: Scratch Kitchen & Taproom is located in the downtown area of Apex. Parking, especially when city workers are doing construction in the rear lot (Temple Street) can be a challenge. I also noted a man, who had too much to drink did order and get a ride from either an Uber or Lyft which is great if you don't want to drive or worry about parking. RECOMMENDATION(S): Scratch Kitchen is quant with that small town feel. Service from the staff was top notch and genuine and could be felt during our interacts with them. The food and its presentation were exemplary so yes, I'll highly recommend a visit. I know I'll be back.

    Photos
    Scratch Kitchen & Taproom - Seating area, Oct 2024.

    Seating area, Oct 2024.

    Scratch Kitchen & Taproom - Smokehouse

    Smokehouse

    Scratch Kitchen & Taproom - Drinks

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    Drinks

    Mustang Charlie's Diner - Meat Lovers Trash Plate

    Mustang Charlie's Diner

    3.9(58 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    Grabbed lunch from here recently and had a decent experience…read more First, a warning! I ordered my food online using the website, and I received an email and text confirming my order. My pick-up time was set for 5 minutes after I sent the order, which was pretty solid. Unfortunately, when I walked in to get my order, the cashier apologetically told me that they hadn't seen the ticket because it doesn't automatically print from website orders. If you do use the website, you should also call them to let them know that you ordered something, which kind of defeats the purpose of using the website I guess. To their credit, the cashier did offer me a free drink while I waited, so I appreciated that. I was a little worried that the location would be confusing since it's inside the Ford dealership, but it was actually really easy to find. Just walk in and look for the sign :) I grabbed a red hot and white hot (which are hot dogs, for the uninitiated!) and macaroni salad for my side. Despite the snafu described above, the food was prepared reasonably quickly, and I took it home to eat. Overall, I thought the hot dogs were pretty decent, but the macaroni salad lacked flavor. It tasted pretty fresh but needed salt or something else to elevate the taste. Overall, I would probably come back here, but maybe for an in-person meal, and I'd try something else. The turkey pesto panini sounded pretty good!

    Amazing Diner fusion to the Original Garbage Plate of Nick Tahou's. Food is extreme comfort food…read morethat hits the spot

    Photos
    Mustang Charlie's Diner - Counter

    Counter

    Mustang Charlie's Diner - Peak City -Garbage Plate with 2 Hamburgers plus 2 White Hots

    Peak City -Garbage Plate with 2 Hamburgers plus 2 White Hots

    Mustang Charlie's Diner - Counter area (retro).

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    Counter area (retro).

    Peck & Plume - Spring Dinner Menu

    Peck & Plume

    3.8(329 reviews)
    5.8 mi
    $$

    My husband and I have come here twice, and we have loved it both times! Great selection of wine and…read moreexcellent dishes! They even have a couple of vegetarian options, which is rare! I highly recommend checking this place out, and try sitting outside while the weather is so nice!

    Peck & Plume is located inside The Mayton Hotel in downtown Cary, overlooking the main park. The…read moresetting alone makes it worth a visit. The hotel property is charming and thoughtfully designed, with a mix of tables, sofas, and comfortable chairs that create a relaxed and inviting atmosphere. We arrived 3/4 past noon and chose to sit in the study/library area rather than the main dining room. I would strongly recommend this option. The study is quiet and comfortable, while the main restaurant area was noticeably louder. The proximity allows you to enjoy the ambiance without the noise. The menu offerings felt fairly typical for this style of restaurant. We tried the skillet cornbread. It was served room temperature and on the dry side. However, the whipped butter that accompanied it was excellent. Unfortunately, the cornbread was not warm enough to melt it, which would have improved the experience. The Italian wedding soup was very good and served properly hot. We also ordered the local lettuces salad with chicken. The salad itself was fresh, but the chicken was visibly dry and tasted the same. Interestingly, placing the chicken into the soup made it more enjoyable. The double cheeseburger was average. The bun struggled to hold together under the two patties and cheese. The flavor was acceptable but not memorable. Our server was exceptional. Attentive, professional, and gracious throughout the meal. The service elevated the the mediocre experience. Overall, Peck & Plume offers a beautiful setting and excellent service. For a quieter meal, request the study/library seating. While the food was satisfactory, it did not quite match the charm of the surroundings. Would we go again? Maybe. If we did, we would order different items. But, we would request Brian as the server.

    Photos
    Peck & Plume - Dining view.

    Dining view.

    Peck & Plume - Pork BBQ & Mac & Cheese Sandwich

    Pork BBQ & Mac & Cheese Sandwich

    Peck & Plume - A view.

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    A view.

    First Watch - breakfast_brunch - Updated May 2026

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