Our go-to breakfast spot whenever we come to visit family in the area. Nice atmosphere, super friendly, and delicious food. We've tried many things on their menu and they are all good! The pancakes are perfectly fluffy and the hash options are always great. Kale tonic is always a great choice. You taste a lot more apple than kale which I prefer. read more

First Watch - Italian hash, multi-grain pancake, kale tonic - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

A typical brunch establishment in terms of atmosphere and layout, however, what sets them apart is how good their food is and the selection. They tend to have healthy and unique options. My favorite item to order is the "morning market veg." The melted goat cheese is so amazing and it includes a nice variety of fresh veggies. The entire meal is very well balanced with some delicious seeded bread and a salad (or you can opt for potatoes). The pesto chicken quinoa bowl is also a great choice for a lighter yet filling meal. Although, the dish does need a little more kale. It is a tiny handful. I've been numerous times between the Cary and Raleigh location and it is great to know that they both provide the same great food and service. read more

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I was meaning to try this place for sometime. They do not take reservations but their app does tell what the current wait time looks like. The app was good to add ourselves in the queue. We were seated quickly enough and the service was also good. We ordered the veggie burger, Florentine eggs Benedict and fresh fruit crepe from the kids menu. The food was excellent. I especially loved the eggs Benedict. I will surely visit again. read more

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I enjoy coming to First Watch because I like the food combinations they have here. I usually try to get to the restaurant before 9 am on the weekends because it tends to fill up quick and there will be at least a 20 minute wait. They're only open until 2pm everyday so try to make it before then. You can definitely taste the freshness in their food. They use cage free eggs here and buy most of their food from local vendors. I do like that they post the calories for each meal on the menu and there's options for those who have restrictions on their diets. The only downside is that it's a bit pricey for a breakfast place. You're looking to spend around $10-$13 per dish and about $4-$5 for one individual pancake. You can get a stack of pancakes or an individual pancake. Their pancakes are all speciality made so it's not like you're getting a plain pancake. They have matcha pancakes, carrot cake, banana oatmeal, blueberry etc. I highly recommend getting a banana walnut cranberry pancake to share with the table. It's pretty tasty and one of my favorite things to get here. The plus is that the staff is friendly and attentive and the food is tasty. read more

First Watch - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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Great food and excellent service! Kayla S, our server was awesome!! Personable, caring and attentive. Couldn't ask for more!!!

Great service. Kayla was a wonderful server. My family and I will be coming back again!!

Awesome place to have brunch! We had the best time and the Hibiscus tea was amazing!! Courtney was a fantastic server, made ordering from the GF menu super easy! read more

They make great food here. I particularly like their skillets - I get the market skillet usually. It's hot a filled with potatoes, mushrooms, onions (which I believe must be cooked in Sherry to give them a sweet flavor. They also make a pretty great salmon omelette. It's a pretty loud place, there's nothing soft to absorb the sound waves, a friend called me and there was no way I could hear her. The waiter was friendly, fast and kind as were the other staff. We appreciated this and the warm yummy food. One thing I get annoyed about is the way restaurants sell tea. Coffee is unlimited but they want to charge you for second cups of tea (or they charge you for a large tea with only one teabag...). They serve you a huge pot of hot water and many tea bags here - totally avoiding my pet peeve. It's not dirt cheap but worth the money. read more

food was delicious! just long wait times. Our waiter was friendly and great service. Listened to what we wanted and delivered. Will come back. read more

The foods are really good. The outdoor seating area is very nice. The waiting time is not long at all. You can register to be placed on the waiting list and check in upon arrival. The portion is just right. read more

First Watch - Carrot pancake and chickcichanga - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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First time here! I came early(around 9) which is good because it became very busy, very fast. My waitress was quick to come over and chat with me. I ordered the Bacado with potatoes, toast and strawberry preserves. Everything about it was delish. Waitress was attentive with checking on me. I will be back very soon!! read more

First Watch - Bacado omelette. Yummmmmm - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Our most recent visit here really disappointed us. The service was incredibly lackluster - not once were we asked how our meal was. Maybe for the best, as it was not very good. My fiance ordered their seasonal special of pork belly bacon with a poached egg and cheese grits. It was incredibly bland and disappointing. The bacon had no flavor on its own, the cheese grits were just filler without any sort of flavor, and the egg was over easy, so it kind of just blended into the eggs to create a soupy mess. No idea why a plate like that was served in a bowl. It came with the lemon arugala salad which was ok, but the toasted bread was disappointing and had 2 little smears of butter as an afterthought. You'd think something offered on their seasonal menu would have had a bit more thought going into how the flavors come together and interact. I ordered the elevated egg sandwich again, this time with some red onions added on to help give it some crunch that I mentioned last time it so sorely needed. Little did I know, but when we got the bill the 3 slices of onions were $1.50! Well, first of all, we were never told there would be a charge when I ordered it and it is nowhere on the menu (I looked). But, more importantly -- $1.50 for 3 slices of onion on a sandwich! Absolutely ridiculous pricing. They took it off the bill after we requested it, but that's more than a pizza joint charges to top a pizza. Service was bleh, food was bleh, pricing was ridiculous. We won't be coming back again. read more

First Watch - Pork belly bacon - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Decent menu, good service, nice seating areas-inside and outside. The staff was polite and the food was served quick. A very bland typical breakfast place- nothing fancy, new or different. read more

We went here for breakfast on Sunday morning. We ordered Coffee, Morning Meditation ( its a fresh juice ), Smoked Salmon & Vegetable Frittata and Chickichanga. Food was good. We loved their fresh juice, it just wakes up all ur sleepy palates. Only thing I didn't like about this place was, it's toooo noisy there. You couldn't even hear the person sitting next to you. read more

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Great experience. Recommend the super foods bowl. Lots of flavor. The restaurant is very new and well kept. Service was great. Laura was our server and she did a great job. read more

Courtney is always super sweet every time we come in! A hard worker and love seeing her when she's there!

Courtney is great! She was super kind and caring. Food also tasted great and came out fast!

I don't know what all the hype is about. We were extremely disappointed. Let me say the reason that I am giving it two stars is because of the service. Our waitress gave us water around the clock. The food was mediocre at best. I had the yogurt and granola - it was all granola! Disappointing. The fruit was fresh. It was mostly pineapple. So definitely ask about the fruit if you aren't a pineapple fan. The muffin was ok-wished I had asked What the muffin was before I ordered because it doesn't specify on the menu. I'll take fault for this although it would have been nice for the waitress to tell us that there were nuts in it. For the quality of food and how much you get, the price isn't worth it. The wait to get a seat on a Sunday is ridiculous! We were told 20 minutes and it took 45 to get seated. Paying is annoying too - you pay the same place people are waiting for a table. There are a lot of people waiting in the front of the restaurant to either pay or get a seat. Hope they change this! read more

First Watch - Eggs Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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What can I say but Yum!! I had a quinoa bowl Which was amazing, and my girlfriend had the lemon pancakes which were also amazing. We will be going back in the future. read more

Great food and great service!! We ordered the French toast and the traditional breakfast! It was more than we could eat , so we had some leftovers! Really nice location! read more

Courtney was a great waitress and very attentive, I highly recommend when you come to first watch to eat ask for her!!!

Great brunch place in the Cary area! Definitely get on the waitlist if you're going over the weekend -- you should be able to register for the waitlist through Yelp. My friends and I registered for the waitlist at 11am on a Sunday and it suggested that we arrive at the restaurant around 11:25. Once we arrived, we were second on the wait list and were seated within 5 minutes. There was a huge line of walk-in customers by then, so we were glad that we got to reserve beforehand! They also have free coffee by the front, in case you do end up waiting for a while. I ordered the Tri-Fecta ($9.99) which is a very customizable variety plate. I got it with two poached eggs, a Belgian waffle, and bacon. Everything was cooked perfectly and it was just the right amount of food for me. The Belgian waffle was delicious and about the same size as a normal waffle. I got to try a little of my friends' dishes, which were the Floridian French Toast ($9.79) and the Tri-Athlete ($8.99). While the Floridian French Toast was pretty good and covered with fresh fruits, my friends and I agreed that the Tri-Athlete was a bit lacking in seasoning. The egg white omelette with mushrooms was kind of bland and definitely needed some cheese or something salty. Plus my friend said that something on the plate tasted similar to wasabi and was throwing off the overall plate -- maybe the chillies/pico? Ultimately, two of the three dishes were great and they were all plated very beautifully. I think that the Tri-Athlete may have been more on the bland size because it's under the "Healthy" menu, but who knows. Overall service was decent. They provide a large vase of water for each table to refill their individual cups, but our vase itself was never refilled. The restaurant was super busy when we visited, with every table packed full and least 4 parties waiting by the door. Because of this, some of the orders may have gotten mixed up because we had a server come to our table with the wrong food, and then had our food brought to the table next to us. However despite all of this, it's really good brunch food at a good price and I definitely want to come back! read more

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I really wanted to go out to breakfast.. really wanted a waffle... I have been at First Watch before and really enjoyed their food. I decided this past Saturday to get take out and it was bomb! It was as good as when we ate within the restaurant. I also appreciate the free coffee(not pictured) with my online order.... read more

First Watch - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Welcome to Cary First Watch! This is almost West Cary as its close to Davis Drive, either way it's a welcomed addition to the breakfast scene as this part of town needed more. My visit was a rather casual meeting with another couple and we were pleased with the laid back setting. The menu wasn't crazy ingredients, there were items like avocado toast which aren't "traditional" but a new trend. Our server had a new employee training with her but that didn't take away from our experience. She was knowledable and said things can be changed. The oatmeal was good, the lemon curd pancakes were a pleasant option, as well as the breakfast tacos. Coffee is a little pricey but other than that, I can't complain. read more

Very busy restaurant and loud. You can get on Yelp and be put on the wait list. Very similar to the one in Raleigh. Great food and good prices for the portions. I love the morning meditation, full of healthy juices and spices. Servers are busy and attentive. Vegan options available. Calorie count available too. Great place for breakfast and lunch. read more

First time here. I came here to treat myself to breakfast after needing to fast for a medical procedure earlier in the morning. Needless to say, I was VERY hungry. Long story short, after being seated and waiting several too long minutes to get a cup of coffee, I began to rise and leave. It was only then that a kitchen worker, not a server, noticed this, and quickly came out himself. Shortly thereafter, my server and her trainee appeared. There seemed to be some confusion as to whose table it was amongst the servers. While drinking my coffee (very good), an entire teenage boys baseball team was seated around me. The same two women busied themselves serving this table, very quickly appearing at the table (no waiting for coffee or other beverages for them BTW) and ignored me. I had to flag them down once again to place my order, which they seemed reluctant to take. After having eaten my food (BLTE sandwich, very fresh and quite delicious on a very empty stomach), once again, I had to flag down my server(s) for the check and only after I made a motion to get up and leave. Over the course of the past two years, I have made compensation especially for restaurant service due to staff shortages and the like. But it seemed to me, that at least two other factors were involved here - 1) confusion over table assignments on the wait staff; and 2) serving a possible undesirable single customer. There were no obvious signs of staff shortages and there were plenty of other servers busily working the other tables. I would return to First Watch but not as a single diner. read more

The food was excellent, and so was Courtney! Great after-workout breakfast and was a reasonable wait.

Best first watch I had in town (went to a few other ones but love this location the best). Nice ambience/layout, great amount ( larger quantity than other stores), friendly service, and tasty food! read more

First Watch - Super food kale salad and wedding soup (2 for 1) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

My husband and I had breakfast at First Watch this morning. $2.79 EACH for coffee !! That is outrageous !! We will bring our own next time. UGH !!! read more

First Watch - Eggs Benedict Florentine - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

If you're going on a Saturday or Sunday for brunch, make sure to call ahead or be prepared for a small wait. Well worth it though, and the only thing it is missing is a mimosa or bloody mary! Unfortunately they don't serve alcohol here, but the yummy juices make up for it. The first time we came we each got healthy breakfast burrito type things and they were scrumptious and filling. The second time, he got the same thing he had (liked it so much) and we were pleased they still had the maple bacon special we wanted to try from last time. I tried the pancakes and although they were good I will be back again for the waffles. Definitely go here for a great breakfast! read more

First Watch - Blueberry and a choco chip pancake, spicy maple bacon to share - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

The food was amazing! I got the million dollar harvest hash and so did my mom, and our server Emily was amazing and took great care of us. 12/10 read more

The food is good, but avoid the outdoor seating. When I went, there were ants on most of the tables.

The food is always good, never had a bad thing yet. Food is decently priced. Service is fast for how crazy busy the place always is!

i had the rustica frittata and black coffee. Without tip it was over 16 dollars!! The table service was good but the kitchen was slow at 1030 on a weekday. The frittata was dry, overcooked and had a brown crust all over it . The lettuce salad was nice but mostly curly and large pieces so difficult to eat without cutting. A frittata should be light, flavorful and moist but not runny. It also had a human hair on the plate under the frittata. Dont they wear hair coverings in the kitchen??? We used to go to first watch all the time in California...the franchise is now disappointing here and not good food. I am not a fan, there are better choices in Cary. read more

I would definitely come back to First Watch. The food is always delicious and we had the great fortune of having Monet as our server. She knew the menu well and gave us great options. The service has never been better and it's always good! read more

True to form this restaurant did not disappoint. I had a really awesome breakfast of salmon Benedict with homemade grits. The service is fantastic and the place is very warm and inviting. Every time I come here is a new experience and there is always something new to try as there are always different dishes that they constantly change up. read more

First Watch - Salmon Benedict with cubed home fried potatoes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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Food was great and Jordan was fast and efficient!!! Recommend First Watch in Bradford Square.

Love this place! The food and staff are excellent. I love that they will bring a pot of coffee to your table. They also get bonus points for their dog friendly patio. They always make a huge fuss over my puppy and bring her treats and water. read more

Oh what an awesome brunch place in the Cary area! First watch is right next to publix. Our GPS struggled finding it. We split the lemon ricotta pancakes. See my picture! They are massive!!! Easily could be split 4 ways. My husband had the elevated egg sandwich as is and it was seriously wonderful. The brioche bun was delicious and arugula added to a harty sandwich was so refreshing! I look forward to coming back and diving into their HUGE menu read more

First Watch - Lemon ricotta pancakes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

[[Just a side note first: At the time I'm writing this, Google Maps places the location of the restaurant on top of an apartment north of it's location. First Watch is located in the Publix shopping center across the parking lot from the other restaurants. I sent in an edit request, so maybe the marker's location will be fixed soon]] When my wife and I first walked in the place for breakfast, I was immediately struck by the modern look of the place. But alas, my next realization was that the seats closer to the front are placed so that you would sit right beside other people. Sure enough, we were seated so that I was sitting at a long booth with a stranger within arm's reach. This other woman was closer to me than my own wife who sat in a chair across the table from me. The voices of the people beside me, mixed with that of the others nearby, were so loud in my ears that it made it difficult for my wife and I to cary on with a regular conversation. Something I noticed about the prices is that while this is rated as one $ here on Yelp (denoting a price under $10) both our meals were over that. We decided to come here because we didn't want to spend over $30 on breakfast, which we ended up doing. (It has since changed to $$ since I posted my review.) Though the waiter was nice and not offensive in any way, he never smiled. My wife originally thought he was mean before deciding that he was just new to serving, since the place opened not too long ago. I thought he was nice, but he looked so serious! Maybe he was just being "professional", but the place isn't THAT classy. We ordered Millionaire's Bacon, which is candied bacon like you'd now get at Bob Evans, except it costs a dollar more, you get one less piece, and they put black pepper and maple syrup on top of the already sweetened bacon. It was good, but not really worth the price, given that we could get the same sort of thing elsewhere in a better atmosphere for cheaper. My meal was the "The Works" omlette, which came with potatoes (or a salad) and thick toast that was already buttered for me. What if I didn't want butter? The omlette is described on the menu as having "ham, bacon, sausage, house-roasted Crimini mushrooms, onions and tomatoes with Cheddar and Monterey Jack. Topped with all-natural sour cream." Sounded exciting to me. Well, the inside was barely filled with those ingredients, leaving me to feel that the $10.99 they charged me was way too much. The bits of meat and mushroom that were in there did taste good though.... My wife had ordered the Smoked Salmon Benedict, described thusly: "Two poached cage-free eggs atop toasted ciabatta piled high with Wild Alaska Smoked Sockeye Salmon, red onion and vine-ripened tomato and covered with hollandaise. Served with lightly dressed organic mixed greens." We forgot to tell the waiter that she doesn't like hollandaise sause, so when her eggs came drenched in the stuff, she couldn't eat them. That was our fault, of course. The salmon was a very thin pink slice that didn't look cooked, had a tough texture, and didn't taste like much of anything. Also, when we had placed the order, she was asked if she wanted salad or potatoes with it; she wanted the salad but got just the mixed greens that came with the meal anyway. She ended up picking at her meal and eating the bacon, looking much like she was disappointed in her food. This cost us $12.99. When we went to the front counter to pay, we were asked (by the manager?) if everything was okay. Being the sort of non-confrontational person that I am, and not wanting to depress my wife further, I just smiled and said "Yeah!" I know, I'm a pansy. Overall (if you're still reading this long review), it was a place that showed promise, but the seating arrangements were terrible and the food was overpriced. You should know the food is overpriced when they don't show the prices on their website. I see no reason to go back. My wife had wanted to go to IHOP (our usual jam), but I encouraged her to try something new. So I then had to cheer her up by taking her to Goodberry's and then Walmart afterward. read more

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