Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    First Watch

    3.5 (211 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 2:30 pm

    Order First Watch Takeout or Delivery

    First Watch Photos

    Business Info

    FIRST WATCH ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Outdoor seating

    You might also consider

    More like First Watch

    Recommended Reviews - First Watch

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Eggs, chicken sausage
    Regina K.

    First time at first watch! The seasonal French toast was very yummy. The juice was so delicious. The seasoned were pretty good too. Our server was really nice. Helped us out, especially with some of the hiccups. Cute spot and vibe.

    Burnt pancake and mediocre bacon.

    Service was great, however the food was mediocre and not in comparison to any other chain I've visited. Also the cockroach seated next to me made me lose my appetite.

    Paul M.

    They have wacky seasonal stuff on the menu! I wouldn't choose it, but I liked the idea. I saw a family of small children enjoying regular pancakes.

    Main cabin
    Marc K.

    The set up reminds me of like a Chilis or Fridays sort of age but the booths are not as tall. The service was a little sluggish but acceptable. The corn bread was special and the dollop of butter much appreciated. It was nicely crisped and moist inside with he right amount of bite. My egg white omelette was good-- but c'mon-- not a lot of room for anyone to make it special. That said, there are some ways. For instance, if you just dump the veggies in the egg white mixture verses cooking them first so they are soft and (when appropriate) caramelized. They did the latter so big hat-tip the FW! The potatoes were just fine-- not noteworthy but ok. In short, a fine place that i would come back to.

    Sad shrimp and could you even call that grits
    Nia D.

    I DO NOT RECOMMEND!!!! I literally got good poisoning here and had d*arrhea. It was the worst pain I had in my life. My friend got the shrimp and grits but the grits were overcooked. My other friend got avocado toast and the avocado was brown AND their eggs were undercooked (yes she asked for over easy BUT the whites of the eggs wasn't cooked on the bottom). I got the biscuits and gravy, I wish I took a picture. As I was eating I realized that my biscuits were overcooked and a little bit burnt. Our server also sucked. It took like 30 mins to order our drinks and another 30 for food. IT WASN'T EVEN BUSY! (They also had enough staff) The food took almost an hour to come out, honestly we were so hungry we just ate the food. I wish I could give this place zero stars.

    The wrapper for the cutlery tells it all!
    Smythe R.

    Wow, why have I waited so long to visit here?! I stopped in at noon after a morning full of medical stuff, so I needed the comfort food. A BLT Benedict really hit the spot! Some type of sour-dough-ish bun with full slices of bacon, tomato, and salad greens anchored by possibly the best hollandaise I've had in years! It was just enough, and with a never-empty coffee cup was still below $20 before tip. Service was fast and efficient without hovering. There wasn't much of a crowd this Monday, but I imagine it could get crazy in more popular time slots. Jasmyn checked back with me and several other tables regularly, bussed plates, and generally kept me feeling welcomed and well fed! Highly recommended! Looking at my bill, apparently, they have an app that will let you get on the wait list or order online. I need to check that out.

    Traditional Breakfast  Eggs Cold Sausage Cold Potatoes full of Crumbs Potatoes very hard
    Annie M.

    Not Happy At All With My Breakfast. Scrambled Eggs Arrived Cold Potatoes Hard And Surrounded By Hard Fried Particles From The Pan. Sausage Cold Ordered Coffee pot arrived like warm and almost empty. Usually a good breakfast, not sure if it's short staff or what. Extremely disappointed and plan to never return. This chain has always been our go to for breakfast.... To Make It Worst, NO ONE IS EVER AT THE REGISTER. we waited for a while to pay. Just awful, I think they short staffed. Just disappointed

    gluten free power bowl for me and lemon curd pancakes for him
    Stephany L.

    My last two visits to North Carolina I have been able to visit the Pinehurst and Durham locations, both were an enjoyable experience with excellent service, tasty eats and delicious coffee! Love that they offer gluten free options as well!

    The Farmhouse Hash.  Has potatoes, onions, peppers, cheese, bacon with eggs and avocado on top.  Comes with toast and jam.
    Scott J.

    A great spot to grab breakfast! My wife and I decided to hit breakfast before a meeting. We were a little concerned about time, but they got us in and out fast. Great food and great service!

    The Bacado and Elevated egg sandwich

    See all

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Great food and great service. They definitely fill a much needed gap in durham/chapel hill re: good breakfast / brunch spots!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dub K.
    7
    14
    0

    8 years ago

    Just awful. Tasteless, overpriced food, poor service, not clean, uncaring attitude. This is Durham. There are much better options.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Emily M.
    482
    27
    37

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Cody C.
    1
    33
    44

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Wonderful place for brunch. They decor was very inviting. Definitely worth the trip .

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    1 Star from me because of bad service and how they treated me and my Hispanic family. I wish I could put 0 STARS

    Business owner information

    Photo of Paige T.

    Paige T.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Amy F.
    4
    158
    62

    5 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Paige T.

    Paige T.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Linda R.
    555
    23
    5

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    I eat here often and the service and food never disappoint. The atmosphere is unlike any other restaurant around. I love it .

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Paige T.

    Paige T.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Patty M.

    Patty M.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Patty M.

    Patty M.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Patty M.

    Patty M.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 5 of 6

    Ask the Community - First Watch

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Breakfast & Brunch 4,187 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    It's a Southern thing: Kitchen and Bar - Waffle Bites, Cheesey Grits

    It's a Southern thing: Kitchen and Bar

    4.0(719 reviews)
    5.6 mi
    $$

    So I asked yelp to recommend a place for a birthday dinner. This was the first on the list. So…read moresince I couldn't get a reservation on my birthday to the place I originally wanted to go, we decided to come here. There is plenty of parking on the backside of the building, paid parking out front, and be careful not to park in the apartment spaces on the side...they sounded pretty serious about towing. I had made a reservation but it was probably unnecessary as it was pretty empty when we arrived (it was about 5pm on a Saturday.) The waitress brought a bottle of water to the table and took our drink order. And I know that this place is literally call it's a Southern thing but can I mention how much I dislike drinking out of mason jars? I ordered the chicken n biscuits, my husband got the country hamburger steak plate, my BiL got wings, and my SiL got the crabcakes. We also orders charred jalapeno & sweet corn hushpuppies and frickles as an appetizer. I was VERY excited about my food. Y'all...the only thing that impressed me were the Frickles. Everything else was distinctly underwhelming. I also ordered Blackberry Betta Have My Money which was not that great. My SiL ordered a espresso martini that they said didn't come from a mix but she said it tasted like it was. The bathrooms were very clean. The decor and the vibe were great. Cute even. I really enjoyed that part of it. After dropping off our food, we never saw our waitress again unless we flagged her down for drink refills. It was especially frustrating since there was automatic gratuity added. And since the place wasn't that busy, it felt like she didn't feel the need to earn her automatic tip. Overall I was disappointed in my birthday dinner. I won't be coming back here.

    Came here last night and what a wonderful experience. Was in town for the Duke lacrosse game and…read morestayed the weekend. Party of three started out with the frickles and a crab dip. Both were warm and flavorful. We had an abundance of pita bread to dip in the crap dip. The sauce with the frickles was fantastic. I ordered the Dr Pepper wings as my entree and they were fall of the bone tender. Something so different about smoked wings versus fried. I washed everything down with a Bull Durham beer and it was flavorful and a perfect pour. Parents got the smoked chicken and shrimp and grits. See the attached photos.

    Photos
    It's a Southern thing: Kitchen and Bar
    It's a Southern thing: Kitchen and Bar - Fried Green Tomatoes

    Fried Green Tomatoes

    It's a Southern thing: Kitchen and Bar - Dinner menu

    See all

    Dinner menu

    Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Sweet potato waffle, two drumsticks, peach schmear

    Dame's Chicken & Waffles

    4.0(2k reviews)
    6.6 mi
    $$

    Dame's is in a new setting, serving tasty food and kind service…read more Maria was a helpful and friendly server who brought me the Buff Brahamas dish. Two large slightly-spicy and well-breaded chicken cutlets sat on my good waffle. The whiskey cream drizzle (syrup) added some gentle, earthy sweetness and I put the apricot shmear butter to brighten my waffle. I also got some collard greens to balance my flavorful meal. I also tried the Orange-Speckled Chabo chicken and waffles dish on sweet potato waffles with honey Dijon mustard that added mustard tang to complement well the chicken. For a treat, (we had lamented that we hadn't tried the gingerbread waffle), a kind staff person brought us some yummy gingerbread waffle for dessert. Yum!

    The restaurant is in a new location. It's easy to miss after crossing the railroad tracks. Parking…read moreis in a dirt and gravel fenced in area. I had to was my car after leaving from the restaurant. The restaurant is small. There is one bathroom for each gender. There is a separate section for Togo orders. I waited longer than expected for my food (45 minutes). I ordered two cutlets and one sweet potato waffle. The cutlets were salty and over seasoned. The waffle tasted ok, but was nothing to brag about. Staff had a flat affect and were moving like robots. I did not feel welcomed. Prices were affordable, and the restaurant was almost filled to capacity. Tables are close to each other with little elbow room.

    Photos
    Dame's Chicken & Waffles
    Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Macaroni and cheese

    Macaroni and cheese

    Dame's Chicken & Waffles

    See all

    Aaktun Coffee & Bar - Bacon egg and cheese

    Aaktun Coffee & Bar

    4.4(158 reviews)
    5.9 mi
    $$

    We visited Aaktun on a Sunday morning for brunch. We had made a reservation the week prior and were…read moreseated right away. The inside of the restaurant is gorgeous and feels like a trendy spot in Mexico. They have a DJ playing music during brunch time. We were initially concerned it would be too loud and hard to talk over, but it was actually the perfect volume and only enhanced our experience. Food was excellent! We got a breakfast sandwich, loaded tater tots, and poke. All were very fresh and well made - especially the fish dish!

    **Update 5/12/2026 - I made a reservation to take my mom to brunch on Sunday at 10:15. When we…read morearrived, the hostess said the reservation had been made for outside. I explained and showed her that I booked standard seating and she said that meant outside, which I thought was strange because I was very careful not to book either option that was clearly labeled outdoor. I told her that we wanted a table inside and she said "I have a table that has a reservation for 11:30, can you be done by then?" I laughed and said "sure" but thought to myself that would be up to them! She asked another hostess to seat us, and after we were seated, we waited about 15 minutes and watched staff walk by our table multiple times and no one came by. The original interactions had already put a bad taste in my mouth, so I called another restaurant downtown and asked how long the wait would be for two. They could seat us in the bar area right away, so we got up and left Aaktun to head there. The first two experiences that I had at Aaktun were great. I'm glad I got to try their food because I won't be back after Sunday's experience.

    Photos
    Aaktun Coffee & Bar - Iced autumn blaze latte with cold foam - lifewithhanny

    Iced autumn blaze latte with cold foam - lifewithhanny

    Aaktun Coffee & Bar - Iced dulce de leche latte with cold foam - lifewithhanny

    Iced dulce de leche latte with cold foam - lifewithhanny

    Aaktun Coffee & Bar - Jerk chicken

    See all

    Jerk chicken

    First Watch - breakfast_brunch - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...