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    First Watch

    3.7 (67 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 2:30 pm

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    Chalkboard with specials
    Jacqueline B.

    Our hotel manager in Milwaukee suggested this place for breakfast, and a relative had eaten at the chain in Columbus, Ohio. They opened early, and on a St. Patrick's weekend Sunday, that was a plus. Everything else around us was closed til 11am. We drove here and parked out front. It's near a major street outside Milwaukee, in Glendale. We sat right away and waited a bit for menus to order. It was busy but tables moved quickly. I got decaf, my party got hot tea. I got a whole carafe to myself! I love, that, instead of relying on constant refills. I did have a spoiled cream situation from those portable mini creams like at 7-11. I think fresh half/half is much better suited for fresh coffee. The waitress replaced it and it was fine. the pancake with maple syrup was awesome, and the grits could have used some salt, but i'm ok to err on the side of less seasoning. They also offer pressed juices. My party got a green juice and salad. A bit of a health nut, but our diets over St Paddy's weekend can be really decadent! I treated myself to the blackberry sangria as well since I don't drive. It was good, kind of small really, but a nice treat. I'll have to look and see if this is the closest in the chain to Chicago. They could use one here, give IHOP a run for their money.

    Alano V.

    Tried another location for this restaurant (usually go to the one in Mequon) and was not disappointed!! Went for Sunday brunch with my mom and it was soo packed, definitely recommend getting there early to get a spot. Wait wasn't too bad cause it was just us two, about 15-20 minutes. We tried their specials the BEC, Chimichurri steak and egg hash, and blueberry and lemon cornbread--all of it was soooo delicious. Loved the cheesiness of the sandwich I had and the lemon dressing for the salad was nice and light, super good too. The cornbread was my favorite!! At first I thought the dollop was frosting cause it smelled sweet but it was like a butter with lemon infused and it was sooo tasty--crunchy edges and nice and warm and moist on the inside!! I don't care for hash dishes but my mom really enjoyed what she got. She's a big fan of chimmichuri. Service was great, she was busy with so many other tables but our food was so good we didn't mind waiting. Really big fan of their specials, would love to come back to try when they have new for sure.

    Chimichurri Steak & Eggs Hash
    Michelle D.

    Tried the steak chimichurri hash, a tad salty and stingy on the chimichurri sauce. The service was unexpectedly fast. Lower rating due to salt and inadequate chimichurri seasoning. I did love the pickled peppers. The juice did not disappoint.

    Avocado Toast with Eggs
    Sabrina I.

    I came here randomly for brunch after driving past a few times, and thought I'd give it a try. They were pretty busy, but the waitress was friendly and attentive. I liked that they offer fresh food, which is always a plus. Since I wasn't too hungry, I ordered their Bloody Mary--was surprised it didn't come with a beer on the side like some places do, but it tasted good and wasn't too spicy. I also had the eggs and avocado toast. Both were fresh and flavorful, and it was clear the food was made to order. The avocado toast could've used a little seasoning, but overall, it was a good experience. It didn't wow me, but it was a solid brunch spot. I'd be open to coming back and trying other options on the menu.

    Holiday Special Menu
    Laura P.

    First Watch is a national chain that had its beginnings in 1983 when the founders left the Le Peep organization to launch this innovative restaurant concept. i had many breakfasts and lunches in the '80's at the Le Peep on Wisconsin ave, always a great experience. Brings back memories of many Milwaukee restaurants long gone - remember Heineman's? Healthy menu options are their specialty. calories counts, gluten free bread, sustainably sourced ingredients. it's not cheap. Note the Million Dollar bacon option - 4 pieces of bacon priced at $5.99 and the Million Dollar Potatoes $5.69. The food is fancy, perhaps a bit pretentious. I overheard a guy at the next table using a lot of f-bombs to describe his breakfast, clearly unhappy with the ubiquitous kale and goat cheese. this older gent also castigated his wife for incorrectly saying "God Bless You" following a sneeze. it should be "God Bless You All Day" according to him. There's a-holes everywhere but he made the experience less than joyful. i ordered the Steak and Eggs hash. The 7 pieces of thinly sliced tender steak were delicious. the grilled ciabatta bread was great, but was the size of a large breadstick, and i wish there were more. the fresh mushrooms and grilled veggies were excellent. eggs were cooked too hard, potatoes were not consistently tender and were lukewarm. I ordered a side of grits with butter because I was still a little hungry and was trying to avoid the Golden Cinnamon Roll which looked scrumptious. server was ok - appreciated her replacing a sad bottle of hot sauce with a fresh one without prompting. coffee is delicious. It's a bargain - $3.89 for a whole pot. According to the internet, it's sourced from Hulia, Columbia since 2018, where funding supports women-owned businesses and their families. the ambience is weird. clean and minimalist to a fault - appeared to have a farmhouse theme but eschewing the usual dusty bric -a-brac. it's noisy. I shazammed their playlist and didn't recognize a single artist or song. It's intrusive music with loud vocals. they are rated as having one of the industry's top workplace cultures, and it may be because the music is curated by their staff. Pet peeve: this Gen X reviewer is constantly irritated when staff responds to "thank you" with "no problem." it should be "you're welcome." Your hostess is welcoming, has amazing eye shadow, and uses "no problem" incessantly. i was still trying to figure out the restaurant concept, and i checked out the story behind its name. First Watch has grown explosively since going public in 2021, and has 535 locations with 14,000 employees. First Watch is a nautical term for the first shift on the boat. The restaurant took the name because of its hours - 7 am to 3:30 pm. The nautical name, folksy attempts to evoke a casual farmhouse vibe, the noisy ambience and generationally monogamous playlist and healthy expensive menu is obviously successful. Personally, I'd save the healthy eating for how i cook at home, and indulge my occasional breakfast fix at a traditional mom and pop diner. They offer captive wifi, a really smart marketing tool. you can also pay by scanning the QR symbol on your check; however, no option to opt out of server tip. i prefer to leave cash, and you don't have that option if you pay by scan. so I'm heading up to the hostess station. I know lots of people will find First Watch to be a First Rate (Mate) experience and i'd recommend it. personally, I'll buy you breakfast at Two Brothers- just keeping it real.

    Steven T.

    I'm still amazed at all the chain pancake houses popping up all over the area so I stopped over for breakfast at about 9am on a Sunday morning and I got a table. The place was full but the service was ok and I had water and a menu right away. The place looks fresh and clean with a modern feel. I ordered the works omelette with potatoes which has sausage, ham, bacon, mushrooms, cheese, onions and tomatoes which sounded good. The toast was fantastic whole grain bakery style. The potatoes were cooked Al dente so a little hard/raw on the bigger pieces but good. The omelette was a little disappointing because the ham was mostly tiny diced. The sausage didn't taste or look real so I think it's turkey sausage. The bacon was only the few pieces on top and the tomato was the same. The works omelette just didn't have that American diner taste that you get from the better breakfast places in town and I felt it was like a diet omelette with no cooked in butter taste and kind of skimpy with the ingredients. Overall my breakfast was average with great toast but it didn't have the American breakfast taste so I will stick with my favorites for breakfast.

    Celeste L.

    I've always loved going to First watch in the other locations. This time, I went to a different brunch place and realized the wait time was too long, so low and behold First watch did not disappoint as they had minimal 5-10 wait time via the Google waitlist feature on Google maps. It has been several years since I've been to a first watch and was able To try something new from their limited edition me I. The cinnamon chip pancakes were amazing! I t was so good but also filling that I had extra leftover. The waiter was expedient in his service and polite, no issues. Order came in without errors and accurate!

    Hash skillet
    Anna M.

    Stopped by over the weekend because another popular brunch spot down the street had a 1.5 hour wait. It's a chain, so we didn't expect to be Wow-ed away and I'd say it fit the bill. As far as food, there is plenty of choose from. We ordered one of the hash skillets and an eggs Benedict with salmon. The food was prepared quickly, thought the eggs Benedict portions were tiny. I got a total of 2 tiny squares of salmon on a flatbread, which was a bit disappointing for the price. We also ordered the lemon pancakes for the table. What was particularly unsettling (and the reason for the 3 star review) is that underneath the pancakes was a piece of leftover, overcooked ham. As someone who doesn't eat pork, this really grossed me out. It doesn't seem like do a good job cleaning skillets between dishes, so others old food gets put on your plate too. Overall, this place is okay if you're in a pinch but there's a reason other places are busier!

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    3 years ago

    The food is amazing and the service is excellent! This is one of my favorite places for breakfast.

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    3 years ago

    We come here often. Always great food and friendly service. Healthy food choices and homey atmosphere. We love it.

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    3 years ago

    Always have had great service and great food! Love that everything is fresh and homemade!!

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Went fir Brunch, love the healthy food choices and the fresh juices! The wait was quick and the service excellent.

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Service was excellent. Food was delicious. Prices are ok . Definitely would go back .

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Food is always top-notch, and enjoyed the waitress we had at the last place immensely. It's one of our most favorite breakfast places.

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Food and ambiance superb! Best chicken salad sandwich ever! Wish they were open past three o'clock!

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    Jennifer G.

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Food was bland, service not great, ambiance ok.. we tried it when it first opened it was just ok. Have not returned since.

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    4 years ago

    So pleasant of staff, and food is amazing . Highly recommend to everyone for a Devine meal

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    4 years ago

    Horrible service and horrible customer service (rude). Save your money and your time.

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    3 years ago

    the drink tasted like fish and smelled like a live well.the eggs were very shmol and they go very skimpy on the bacon

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    The Eleanor Room - Dover Sole

    The Eleanor Room

    4.0(92 reviews)
    0.8 mi

    I have only stopped by for brunch and was excited to try more of the menu for dinner with my…read morehusband! We were delighted to learn about how they got their name and a little history about Greendale and Eleanor Roosevelt in the back of the menu. The space transforms a little for dinner, lower lighting for more ambiance dining. The menu has a good amount of options and the specials sounded delicious! I love that they start you out with an amuse bouche, it really elevates the experience. I went with the Peach & Herb Salad with chicken and my husband got the Short rib Bolognese. We both really enjoyed our dishes but sadly didn't save any room for dessert. Next time! Depending on when you go, downtown Greendale can get pretty busy, which makes parking challenging. There are a variety of shops and restaurants nearby, so it is a popular date night spot.

    Date of visit: April 18, 2026…read more A group of us try to get together every few months since we don't work together any more and this time around I picked The Eleanor Room. I so rarely get to Greendale (honestly, can't say that I had ever been to anywhere in the village besides the mall) and I liked that we could make a reservation, making it a nice change of pace. The decor is lovely, very Art Deco, a nod to Eleanor Roosevelt, the namesake of the restaurant. I was very pleasantly surprised at how wonderful the interior was given that the exterior is essentially a strip mall. What's that old saying about books and their covers? Service was great, both attentive and timely, and everyone very much enjoyed their food. Monte Cristo is one of my favorites and this one was done very well. My coffee was also good and she kept it coming, which I also appreciated. Really the only sour note in the entire experience was being asked to vacate the table. While it was not handled terribly poorly, I would have recommended they offer us something to shift to the bar to not end the meal on a less than positive note, but that's just me.

    Photos
    The Eleanor Room - Dining room

    Dining room

    The Eleanor Room - Pumpkin Tiramisu

    Pumpkin Tiramisu

    The Eleanor Room - Peach and Herb Salad with Chicken

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    Peach and Herb Salad with Chicken

    Mimosa - Crepe Ganache with Strawberries

    Mimosa

    4.6(480 reviews)
    5.8 mi
    $$

    This is the cutest little gem. Highly recommend getting on their waiting list while you are getting…read moreready at home, though. This place gets packed, but the process of holding a spot in line makes it so easy. The staff were so so sweet and accommodating. They were so good with our toddler. I love how this spot focuses on local eats, made from scratch-- the use of olive oil on a lot of their dishes was a huge plus. I got the surf and Turk breakfast plate with eggs whites and potatoes. This dish was SO good. The steak was cooked perfectly medium rare. The shrimp were super flavorful with garlic. I love their breakfast potatoes, very crispy and so tasteful. My daughter got the mini pancakes, which were technically just regular sized pancakes and she loved them! They had an amazing vanilla flavor. The next person got a meaty omelet that was HUGE and he ate it so quickly. The side of pork sausage links were a fan favorite. Lastly, the next person got the Grandmas Benedict which was so tasty! I love that they used biscuits as the bottom vs English muffin. Highly recommend this spot. It's a family favorite!!

    My wife & I came here on a weekday brunch after a doctor's appointment. My wife grew up in the area…read moreso we've gone here a time or two. Also, have gone to one in Brookfield which was amazing. The place inside is far larger than you'd expect from looking on the outside. I got the Chicken & Chorizo Skillet (Choricero). It was delicious & very filling. They have sourdough bread, which is a plus. The skillet was far deeper than I expected. It is always a toss up between skillets and omelettes for me. The waitress said the skillets are the fan favorites. My wife got a Pancake on the special with chocolate & strawberry. She is 37 weeks pregnant so having something sweet was really hitting the spot for her.

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    Mimosa - Apple Cinnamon French Toast

    Apple Cinnamon French Toast

    Mimosa - Crispy Chicken Ham Sandwich

    Crispy Chicken Ham Sandwich

    Mimosa - They have the best hand cut fries!

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    They have the best hand cut fries!

    The Explorium Brewpub Greendale - Buffalo chicken flatbread

    The Explorium Brewpub Greendale

    3.8(419 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    We've been coming here for some time and enjoy the food, beer, service and atmosphere. It's our go…read moreto Friday night spot as a family, since we live/work in the area. They do get busy, so consider a reservation. It's American pub food for the most part. Cheese curds are delicious. I love the pizzas and salads. They had a previous pizza guy and his pizzas were the best, sorry he's not there anymore, but they're still good. My husband likes their burgers and specials. My adult children like the sandwiches. Fish fry is excellent except for the coleslaw, it's spicy and I prefer either creamy or vinegar. We have tried many of the beers and enjoy them all. I typically get the crusher. Bartenders are always attentive when we sit at the bar. Servers are great, they are all so nice and remember regulars. Hostess is warm and welcoming, we even saw her at the grocery store and she said hi. They seem to have very little turnover of staff. Whenever we had any issues, we let the staff know and they corrected it promptly. They have a rewards club so we save on meals and a mug club to save on beer. The patio is a great spot in summer, there's a fire pit and you can bring dogs. They have trivia and other events regularly. We have tried their other Explorium locations and Wayfinder on the east side before a show - we had excellent service there too. The owners seem dedicated to the community and their staff. We'll keep coming back.

    We stopped in for dinner before heading to an event at the botanic garden down the road. The…read moreExplorium is in the Southridge Mall although it has it own entrance. We were there on a Saturday night and while we weren't the only people there it was far from busy. The service was friendly and attentive. The dining room is casual with a view of the beer tanks. Basically what you would expect at a craft brewery. The menu had the basics - appetizers, soups, salads, burgers and sandwiches. They also make pizza and calzones and some other main course dishes like fish and chips. We ordered the cheese curds as an appetizer. My husband ordered a sandwich and I ordered the boneless wings. For drinks my husband ordered a ginger beer and I ordered Diet Coke. The check before tip was $62. Normally I'd be okay with that but I thought it was a lot given the quality of the food. The cheese curds and boneless chicken wings seemed like items from a restaurant supply place that they fried up. Unfortunately next time we are in the area we'll go somewhere else. A fast food restaurant would have given us the same quality food for a fraction of the price.

    Photos
    The Explorium Brewpub Greendale - Brewing area

    Brewing area

    The Explorium Brewpub Greendale - Fish Carnitas Tacos

    Fish Carnitas Tacos

    The Explorium Brewpub Greendale - Cocktails!

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    Cocktails!

    Qamaria Coffee - Pistachio latte

    Qamaria Coffee

    4.7(119 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    The coffee is good! They have a good selection and their pastry options are also delicious!…read more The cafe is spacious and has wonderful natural light. The coffee is good! They have a good selection and their pastry options are also delicious! The cafe is spacious and has wonderful natural light.

    Caramel Tres Leches Cake: Ethiopia is where wild coffee plants originated on our planet, but Yemen…read moreis where coffee was first harvested, roasted, and brewed back in the 15th century. Coffee is now ubiquitous with daily life in America, which brings me to Qamaria Coffee. Hatem and Munif are two Yemeni entrepreneurs with a passion for Yemeni Coffee and the joint goal of wanting to share it with the world. They founded Qamaria Coffee in 2019 to accomplish this task and in January 2024, they opened a location near Milwaukee in Greenfield, WI. Qamaria offers a variety of dessert options, including a Chocolate Tres Leches, Pistachio Tres Leches, and Caramel Tres Leches cakes. I went with the caramel version, which is described by the cafe as "A decadent caramel treat inspired by tres leches cake, creamy, sweet, and irresistibly smooth". If you've never had Tres Leches Cake, it's a light sponge cake soaked in three types of milk (evaporated, condensed, and whole) that's popular in Latin America. The cake originated in Nicaragua during the 19th century, so on first glance it's not exactly a Yemeni dessert. Doing some research, Middle Eastern variations exist that feature cardamom or rose water and some Qamaria locations do have a Rose Tres Leches. It's fine that the Greenfield location did not have that variety as I honestly would have got the caramel version anyway. My slice was perfectly moist as there was plenty of milk soaked in, but not so much that it made a mess or compromised the structure of the cake. The bottom layer was soft and Tiramisu-like in texture, while the cream on top was rich and thick. Personally, I found the caramel flavor to be mild, but delicious. As it is served chilled, it paired nicely with a hot cup of coffee (which they have a plethora of options to choose from). Doughboy approved Doughboy_Food_Reviews

    Photos
    Qamaria Coffee - The cute little cart!

    The cute little cart!

    Qamaria Coffee - The counter and about 60% of the available seating space.

    The counter and about 60% of the available seating space.

    Qamaria Coffee - Inside disply

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    Inside disply

    Open Flame - My request for American cheese fell on def ears because I still got the Swiss

    Open Flame

    3.3(199 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    My husband is Italian and we will not get Chicken Parmesan or Bellagio Chicken anywhere else…read more Friendly staff, great prices, and huge portions; cannot beat it! The complimentary bread makes it a great choice when you're starving and need a little something before the entrees come!

    My wife and I went to Open Flame on Valentine's Day. It was decorated to fit the occasion. Balloons…read moreand red everywhere! We arrived for our 6:00 reservation a little late, but were seated immediately. Upon being seated, we noticed it was quite crowded and were prepared for a few bumps along the road. Our waiter came to our table relatively quickly. Gave us waters and asked if we wanted any drinks. My wife went with a Diet Pepsi and I ordered the Wisconsin old fashioned. When the drinks came we were ready to order and put in our food order. My wife always gets the New York strip, but wasn't positive how she wanted it prepared. The waiter suggested to get it a step lower because they could always recook it but you can't bring it back. So she went with medium (she later stopped the waiter to change it to medium well). She also noticed on the menu that she could get a Grecian side salad instead of the house side salad for $2.95 extra. She went with that and a side of French fries. I had never been to Open Flame but my wife was raving about their steaks. So I decided to follow suit. I got the New York strip steak cooked medium. I always get French onion soup with my steak, and I also decided on French fries. A few minutes later we get our salad and soup. Except that she was brought the dinner sized salad instead of the side salad. After mulling this over when the waiter came back to ask how the first few bites were we told him about the mix up. He said that he told us it would be an up-charge and we knew that going in. We told him about the fine print on the menu where it said it'd be a side salad. He went and found a manager and they went to the serving kiosk. The came back to the table and said that it would be adjusted on our bill. The salad was gigantic and had lots of feta, onions, bell peppers, and pepperoncinis. The French onion soup was very delicious as well. After looking around I noticed that all the tables around us had bread baskets and we didn't have one. When the waiter came to clear our plates and give us a box for the salad I asked for one and he said he'd get it. Shortly after that we got our steaks. One of them had a white stick in it to tell which steak was cooked which temp. I cut into the steak without the stick and told my wife we had to switch, and we were very glad we did. Her steak was cooked a wonderful medium well and the medium steak was cooked very well and the center was still warm. The fries were quite delightful and the vegetables were cooked very well too. The vegetables just needed a touch of salt and pepper. The bread came at the same time as our dinners and it was welcomed because it was warm and pillowy inside but the crust had a nice firmness to it. It was great to sop up the steak juice on the plate. The experience was pretty good all things considered, it was a busy night with a lot going on. We both took some food home to enjoy later one. When the bill came we were anxious to see how much off they took from the dinner salad. They made it right and gave it to us for the price of the side salad upgrade. It was a 30 minute drive for us and we talked on our walk back to the car that we would indeed be back, but not at such a premium time or date.

    Photos
    Open Flame - Saganaki

    Saganaki

    Open Flame - 5 Cheese Fried Mac

    5 Cheese Fried Mac

    Open Flame

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    First Watch - breakfast_brunch - Updated May 2026

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