I felt like our waiter was a bit pushy it seemed... Food was pretty good however. The restaurant and food were expensive looking but that could be, because it was an expensive side of town. I feel like the restaurant could've been a bit bigger with how many people ere showing up. read more

Bri is amazing!!!!! she always makes sure our food comes out hot and fresh. ask for Bri when you come in!!!! the GM Devin makes sure tables are taken care of. noticed he did table touches and that shows he cares about the Matthews Location. Matthews location is the best!! read more

I eat breakfast here about every other month or whenever they have a special item that looks good. Today I ordered the BARBACOA QUESADILLA BENEDICT because it looked so good on the website. The plate I received looked nothing like the pretty pic. However, I absolutely LOVED the lemony hollandaise sauce. The side of black beans were bland and lukewarm. They definitely needed more seasoning. The quesadillas were good, but I left wishing they had a bit more filling in them. Maybe it's just me but I left feeling hungry still. I generally enjoy my food here, but today was just OK. The server was very pleasant and attentive and friendly . I'd still eat here again. I rated 3 stars today because of the beans, the plate ( see the pics for comparison) and the light filling in the quesadilla. The taste was great though! read more

First Watch - BARBACOA QUESADILLA BENEDICT I received - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

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Great place for lunch and brunch. When we got there, they had a 20 minute wait. In the waiting area they provide self service coffee and cold water. They also had the daily newspapers. They call your name if sitting near by or text you if you are waiting outside. The time was about 10 minutes. I got the Super Kale Salad: Kale, organic mixed greens, maple roasted carrots, warm chicken breast, dried cranberries, slivered almonds,shredded Parmesan cheese and tossed with maple lemon vinaigrette dressing. All the flavors just blended together , making it taste delicious. I loved it, however if you like a cold crispy salad or chicken that is spicy hot, this salad is not for you. I enjoyed the way it was it was made. They did not skimp on any of the ingredients. My granddaughter had tomato soup and a vegetable sandwich. She also loved it. This is one of her favorite restaurants in the area. read more

First Watch - Tomato soup and vegetable sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

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Never my choice for breakfast or lunch but family members made the choice. The eggs were delicious but the waffle was cold. Waitress was excellent. read more

A really good breakfast chain where you can't go wrong. I'll admit, the price tag is a little hefty for breakfast food but I'll also compliment the portion sizes. I always go with the avocado toast and lately I've opted for a sunny side up egg on top. A little sloppy but worth it! Service is always great and I keep this place in my back pocket list of really good and dependable places. read more

First Watch - Avocado toast with poached eggs. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

Love the freshness and variety of this place. Now it is super expensive so my daughter and I share a breakfast.they even split the juice in two cups for us. I love the specials and wish they had them on the regular basis read more

Our server, Bri was amazing! Even in the midst of a busy rush. Our food and server were great! Thanks Bri!

I usually go to the one in Concord but we were shopping and went to this one. We used the app to get on the waitlist, which said it was a 30-45min wait. 30-45 minutes later we checked in with the hostess and she said she would call us when the table was ready (did not give a timeframe). I was expecting since we had already waited it would be immediate once we checked in. We waited another 1hour before I went back inside and the hostess said we were next. We finally got to the table and ordered. By the time we had got our food it had been another hour. I've never had an experience like this at any of the other First Watch locations I've been to. The potatoes were not fully cooked but I wasn't going to send them back to wait again. read more

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I can't ever seem to eat breakfast at First Watch without overindulging. Once again, that was the case this morning, as I stuffed myself with their traditional breakfast combo only to follow it with Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with strawberries (or what I like to refer to as "breakfast dessert".) Needless to say, I did not require lunch afterwards. I have tried most everything on their menu and particularly enjoy their apple chicken sausage, rainbow toast (when available), waffles and huge multigrain pancakes. This was my first visit to this location and was more than a little disappointed in its sanitary score of 90. Due to that fact, and because I simply enjoy the overall atmosphere more, I will return to the other Waverly location on my next visit. Service is friendly and attentive at both, but parking can also be treacherous at this one. Everything considered, this one is okay but the Waverly location is a Gotta Try. read more

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We really enjoyed our food, despite mine not being hot. My husband's and daughter's food came out a good 10 minutes after mine. We were patient, it was Father's Day and it was extremely busy. We did the online app to save a table. It said 60/90 minute wait. We put our name on the wait list at 9:50am and we were seated at 11:39am. read more

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What happened to first watch? Poor service slow forgetful No brisket in the brisket hash I tell my server and nothing taken off my bill not even the coffee I think I'll only go to the one in Waverly from now on This used to be a great spot The "morning meditation " was very good And I love that they leave the pot of coffee but $14.59 for a plate of potatoes is preposterous . read more

I had a omelette with bacon mushrooms cheese etc was great my wife had the roast beef sandwich which was also great. Highly recommend for food. Service was a little slow but the waiter was very friendly. Definitely will be vack read more

We are a huge fan of this First Watch location. The food is always delicious and consistent, my husband always gets the trifecta and I get something different almost every time. They always have fun seasonal specials and I have yet to be disappointed in any of them. Staff is friendly and attentive, we had Nina today and she was wonderful! We will continue to make this location a frequent stop for breakfast. read more

Omg love this breakfast spot ! Definitely recommend & 10/10 went with my girlfriend for brunch was so good and the service was so good ! We will be back soon ! read more

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Went here on Monday about 1 PM. Since it was just the 2 of us there was not much of a wait. First time First Watch diner here. Place is cute and always wanted to try it. Food was fresh. Love the Holey Donuts and my Caramel Crunch coffee drink. I had the eggs Benedict with salmon and I thought the hollandaise sauce was too lemony. Service was good and friendly. Place was quite busy but people were coming and going. A little pricey for breakfast food and sandwiches but again the food is fresh. read more

Bri, our server was awesome. Beautiful, witty and engaging. Food was average but its a fun place to people watch. I would definately go again. read more

It's unfortunate to read other reviews. My experience was quite pleasant, especially for being the first time visiting. We were greeted and seated immediately. They were very cautious with seating and we sat more than 6' from anyone. Our server greeted us and had our drinks out within minutes. Love the coffee at the table so I can refill myself. The server said the French toast over the eggs Benedict so my husband ordered that and said it was a great choice. I had the 2 eggs, waffle and meat meal which was quite a bit of food. The inky suggestion I have is be a little more generous with the syrup! As you see, totally minor and worth checking out! read more

First Watch - French toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

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A family favorite, particularly this location which is well kept and has an overall friendly vibe. Child-friendly -- and belly friendly for people of all ages. Love their fruit drinks, omelettes and the fact that they introduced my 1.5yr old daughter to bacon. She spent the entire meal dancing in her high chair and repeatedly hugging me. Also, kudos to our server West who was attentive, friendly and efficient serving a party of five. We'll be back (as usual). read more

I've never eaten at a bad First Watch until this one. The food is ok at best. If you eat at the restaurant it's slightly better, but I don't recommend picking up an order or having it delivered. They really don't care unless you're in the restaurant. They leave out half the ingredients and don't think people will complain. The food is too overpriced to be skimped on. read more

We love First Watch! It's the perfect casual brunch spot. They're always friendly and accommodating for dietary needs. It's a family-friendly spot with absolutely delicious food and awesome seasonal specials! I love that you get an individual pot of coffee or hot water to keep refilling as needed and the fresh juices are on point. During my most recent visit, my server, Emilee, was super friendly read more

I had been wanting to try out First Watch for a while. There was finally a weekend that worked for my parents & I, so I checked on yelp to see the wait time & it said there was none... I was so shocked, & knew we had to meet there asap. Upon arrival, there were people standing outside, so obviously there's a wait. I came in with my mom as she asked the host how long the wait would be. The host said 30-45 minutes. We said that makes sense, & briefly & GENTLY mentioned that their yelp page says that there's no wait. The host very rudely responded saying when they get busy they don't update it. Maybe that should be his new job, since he seems to be so passionate about that topic. The food was delicious. I don't even know how to explain how amazing it all tasted. So fresh & delicious, EVERYTHING. even the broccoli cheddar soup. The restaurant itself was not very clean & our table had crumbs & sticky stuff on it & the seats .. I get that it's a weekend & it's busy but I feel cleanliness should be prioritized. The overall experience was definitely improved because we had a very nice server. I'm not sure if i'll be back, but I may order out. read more

The only reason I won't give this location a 1 star is because of the server. For brunch, my sisters and I went to First Watch after not seeing each other in months. First thing we see when we enter is a fat cockroach next to our feet. We simply ignore it cause it can happen at times. Our server was kind and patient. We got our food and everything was fine. I got a side of mix greens. I was almost done with it until I found something with dots. It was a ladybug. We asked for the manager and her reaction was just not it. She said "oh a ladybug... sorry... we will get you a discount, anything else wrong?" Excuse me? This isn't enough? Even the server had a better reaction to the problem and he apologized for something that wasn't his fault. She simply comped my side salad and pineapple juice. It was disappointing. I was mixing this lady bug all over my salad. I understand when a fruit fly or a fly falls in the food but... this... they are simply not cleaning after their vegetables and fruits at this point. Unsanitary. Definitely won't see myself ever going back here. read more

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

Had the inspired Italian omelet. Server John was great! Will definitely visit again soon!

So excited to have a First Watch nearby! I used to go to breakfast at First Watch all the time when I lived in Orlando. Their menu is completely different from my last First Watch visit, though -- for the better! We arrived a little after 9 a.m. this past Sunday and there was already a line. I checked in with the hostess and learned that we could have joined the waitlist on the First Watch app. Good to know! Next time, we'll definitely do that. The 45 minute wait ended up being only 30 minutes, so that wasn't too bad. And they offered complimentary coffee while we waited. Let me just note that a LOT of their breakfast items have mushrooms in them. I, myself, am not a fan of eating fungus, so I usually ask them to leave them out and/or substitute something else, like greenery (e.g., spinach, kale). I ordered the Inspired Italian omelette this time around (and, even though it didn't start with mushrooms, I added spinach anyway). It was delicious, but I think I liked even better the Skillet Hash I had previously. I look forward to trying one of their Eggs Benedict options next time, or perhaps going back to one of the Skillet Hashes. The toast that comes with many of the breakfast entrees is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. It's so flavorful. It's a whole grain artisan bread, and I even saw a woman walking out with a loaf! The decor inside is awesome. It has a fresh, modern farm vibe. The layout, though, in this particular location leaves something to be desired. They have a small waiting area when you walk inside the door, near the check-in stand. Then you can walk a little further around the corner and there's a large waiting area where the cashier stand is (and exit door). It seemed to us that First Watch could somehow condense these two areas and provide more seating to accommodate the crowds. Plus, someone was always running over from the host stand area to the cashier area. Maybe combine these two as well? It all felt a bit odd and offered nothing but too much wasted space. First Watch is an awesome addition to the Matthews area, which already has two of my favorite breakfast places -- Metro Diner and Stacks Kitchen. read more

First Watch - Two entrances/exits. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

I have really enjoyed my first experience at this restaurant. I came in about 9:40 and was seated right away so I didn't experience a wait. I ordered lemon ricotta pancakes with million dollar bacon and water with lemon. My pancakes came first then shortly after my bacon. Everything was delicious. The bacon has a kick to it. The waitress Lauren was nice and attentive. It was a little pricey but you have to pay for quality and portions were pretty decent. I will be back but I will come before it gets crowded. read more

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Not terrible, not great either. Somebody dropped both the salt shaker and the pepper shaker on the potatoes. Two orders of eggs Benny means 4 eggs each differently poached from runny all the way to hard-boiled. Service was great but the kitchen was incredibly sloooooooooooooow, it wasn't all that busy either. read more

We had breakfast at the Matthews location yesterday and Bri was our server. She was amazing and so was the food. If you go ask for Bri - she was excellent! read more

Great spot for breakfast, good coffee and salmon Benedict was delicious. Friendly staff, clean and inviting space, must try spot:-) read more

First Watch - Inside is cute! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

It's been months since I've been there because each experience has gotten progressively worse. Today takes the prize though, and my husband and I won't go back. We were seated immediately, our waitress seemed lovely, brought coffee, but then completely forgot us. We were sitting at a table that was next to the kitchen entrance! How do you not see us and forget we're your table?! It was probably 20 minutes before we finally got her attention. She was very apologetic, owned that she forgot us, and took our order and said she would rush it. I did get my kale tonic. 15 minutes no food. I had a chia seed and yogurt bowl and my husband had pancakes. How long should that take?! At 50 minutes, we were putting cash on the table for the juice when a completely different waitress came over and said she was sent to check on what we had ordered. We said that we were paying for the juice and forget the food. No apologies, no offer of comping the juice or coffee. When my husband said that he was paying for the juice, she reminded us that we needed to pay for the coffee as well. Well, of course! Worst service and then worst customer service. If I could leave this review with ZERO stars, I 100% would. read more

This was truly my first time trying this place. I enjoyed having brunch with one of friends from home and my daughters. The menu offers some very different choices for brunch ( the healthier choices) and some traditional. I had the biscuits and turkey sausage gravy with a side of seasoned potatoes and fresh fruit. Best choice ever!!! The biscuits and gravy was amazing and filling. It was seasoned very well ( I don't like salty food) and it hit the spot. My potatoes were just right and the fresh fruit was wonderful. To top it off I had my own pot of coffee. Yes I can drink coffee like water, it's my favorite beverage. This place felt so relaxing and made our Saturday brunch that much better. To tell you how truly filling this was, since eating there today at 11 am I am still full and happy. read more

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I was very underwhelmed. We did the "joint the wait" about 10 minutes to arrival. The wait time was 12-27 minutes. I guess we were on the 27 minute end because we had to wait about 15 minutes when we got there which was fine. On to the service and food. The food was not bad but it was not great either. My potatoes were not cooked enough which sent my meal into a downward spiral. My frittata was just ok. I probably should have chosen something different and will if I ever give this spot a second chance. The best part of my meal was the buttered ciabatta piece that came with it. It took 30 MINUTES for our food to come out and only 2 of 4 of us got food. Another 5 minutes for the other two and the bacon and grits were left off one of their orders. Jeez. After waiting that long the food should have been top notch. But it was not. The waitress was also a little all over the place. She was not the type that could give a first timer solid recommendations and didn't appear to be interested in lending an honest opinion about the food. I don't like appeasement-I prefer honesty. That's a thumbs down trait to me. Overall this is not on my list of re-runs. Maybe I will go to a different location to see how they get down. read more

First Watch - Pale potatoes= not cooked enough in this case. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

I dislike leaving negative reviews for businesses, but First Watch needs some help. We waited for almost an hour for breakfast food that I could've made from start to finish in less than 30 minutes at the house. When it finally did come out, my food was brought out 10-15 minutes before my wife's. I'm not going to eat while a hungry, pregnant lady watches me eat. I value my life. My food was cold by the time hers came out. When I finally cut into my pancake I realized they had burned one of them, and it was almost black on the bottom. Everyone's food was taking almost an hour to to come out of the kitchen...and we are talking about breakfast and brunch food. That's about the easiest food to make. Portion size was small...2 pancakes, supposedly 2 eggs (looked like one), and 1 chicken sausage patty for $11.99. I'm not one to complain, but the burned pancake after an hour long wait was enough for me to call the manager over. I explained the situation but didn't really get an explanation but was just told they were working through it, whatever that means. In his defense, they did bring out a slightly larger portion of egg whites and pancakes well over an hour after we ordered. I won't be back. I'll cook at the house...faster, cheaper, tastes better, and appropriate meal size. I think I might've had to stop somewhere on the way home if they had not brought a slightly larger portion size. $25 for two small breakfasts and one coffee is a bit steep if you have to wait an hour. It's breakfast. A dozen eggs is about $1. read more

First Watch - Lemon Ricotta Pancakes...a bit on the small side. 1 sausage patty and supposedly 2 eggs? - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

Mike and I loved this restaurant. We had a delicious breakfast there and the service was outstanding. The restaurant itself is very nice and nicely decorated. The white stuff all wear masks. Mike ordered the French toast which was excellent. He also got a side of bacon that was cooked perfectly. I got the lemon ricotta pancake. I think it was the best pancake I ever had. It had a delicious lemon curd on top and the pancake was so light. We actually bought the rest of it in the leftover bacon back to the grandchildren and they loved it. Definitely a place that I would return to the next time I go to North Carolina read more

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I've been here a few times. As a rule the food is pretty good. Today I tried the biscuits and gravy. Since the restaurant is located in North Carolina you would think they would have good biscuits and gravy. It was nothing short of disgusting. The worst biscuits and gravy I've had in the 20 years of living in the south. The waitress told me a lot of people complain about the biscuits and gravy but that the company is not located in North Carolina And they think it's OK. Heads up corporate headquarters you have to come to North Carolina and try real biscuits and gravy. This restaurant is pleasant enough but my recommendation is don't order the biscuits and gravy read more

I'll start by saying the food and the staff at FW are superb! Sunday morning we had a group of 6 hungry ladies, but where to go??? I went on my yelp app , joined the waitlist at First Watch for about a 20-30 min wait and headed over. We arrived a little early, checked in with the welcoming hostess and within 5 mins we were seated! Annalise was our waitress (super sweet and informative), Josh the GM (really nice guy) was out at almost every table checking in on guest that was a nice touch! As I mentioned we were hungry and the menu was very extensive, almost overwhelming. So we took Annalise's suggestions with the lemon ricotta pancakes, waffles, French toast and the freshly made juices. Every plate was piping hot and fresh! One friend wanted her bacon super crispy and that didn't meet her standards but otherwise, everyone was very impressed and have plans to come back soon. I promise this place will feel like and taste like home! read more

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To be fair let's start by saying my cousin recommended this restaurant since she's eaten here a few times and was never disappointed. With that being said I gave them a chance and let's just say...first impression was not great. It was 3 of us and we walked inside to be seated and no one was at the hostess area. About 10 minutes later we were seated outside. Our food came out in a reasonable time but unfortunately my cousin's food had a strand of hair. Our waiter immediately apologized and came back with a freshly made order. Everything they cook seems to be freshly made and you can tell by the ingredients they use. Their menu boasts of cage-free eggs, and I'm guessing locally grown vegetables and fruits. Don't quote me on that but it's just a guess. Everyone has an off day and this was their off day. Despite the mishap, the waiter was kind enough to take a percentage off the check. Overall, the food was delicious so if you're in the area, please stop by. read more

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The service here is inconsistent. For example, the greeter would tell people it was a wait, but fail to ask if they wanted to be put on the waiting list. My server was excellent and very attentive, but she had a lot of tables. This is my second experience at a First Watch. I didn't find the food atthis location to be as good. It came down to minor details. My grits had way too much cheese, although they were cooked to Perfection. My scrambled eggs were inconsistent in texture, a little wet at times. However, I could tell they were fresh eggs. The chicken sausage was not good at all. That may be a brand issue. The seasonings were not complimentary to breakfast foods. My pancakes were excellent and the homemade preserves had me wanting more to take home. I think it's absurd that there is an up-charge for warm syrup. The building is just beautiful open and airy. I don't think I'll return to this location. However, I enjoyed my experience overall. The other location I visited was just better and worth driving a little further. read more

First Watch - Dining Room - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

Wow!! This place is awesome! They have multiple locations and tend to get quite crowded, so my boyfriend and I added ourselves to the waitlist through Yelp. This is such a wonderful feature on Yelp! As a result, by the time we arrived and checked in, we only had to wait approximately 5 minutes before being seated. When we first walked in, the waiting area was small and cramped. They have a small coffee section for you to whip up a complimentary cup of coffee to make the wait more enjoyable. However, there were no coffee stirrers available. We went outside to wait because there was no space to sit down and we felt that we were in the way by standing. As we rounded the corner outside, we noticed a much bigger waiting area. Seems more practical to wait here, but people are unaware that it exists because it is out-of-the-way from the entrance and none of the staff informed us about it. The venue is clean and is farmhouse in style. We were offered to sit at the community table initially, which is great if you are here alone or otherwise wish to share the table with strangers. It seats about 10 people. We ended up sitting by the kitchen area, which is wide open to the public eye. I had the Market Skillet Hash (roasted Crimini mushrooms, zucchini, shallots, red peppers, baby spinach, melted Mozzarella and herbed goat cheese with potatoes, 2 eggs, a side of mixed fruits, and toast for $10.89). The ingredients are incredibly fresh! I could taste so many flavors and textures in each bite - sweet, savory, crunchy, cheesy. My palate was thoroughly satisfied. The bread was dry, but that was my only complaint. My boyfriend had the Chickichanga (whipped eggs with spicy chicken breast, chorizo, green chilies, cheddar, Monterey Jack, onions, and avocado rolled in a flour tortilla and topped with Vera Cruz sauce and sour cream and served with a side of fruit and potatoes for $10.89). I only tasted a bite of his meal, but his meal was just as fresh and flavorful as mine. What a fantastic meal! I definitely recommend this place. read more

I knew I'd love this place as soon as they sat the coffee carafe on the table!! They use fresh ingredients, seating is in an open space! So you can see everything! Kitchen is viewable as well! What to try? MILLION DOLLAR BACON!!! (Check my pictures) $4.99 MORNING MEDITATION Orange, lemon, turmeric, organic ginger, agave nectar and beet. (140 Cal) 3.99 Breakfast: $12+ Fresh juices $4+ Amazing coffee read more

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