The food is good, but it just isn't worth the price. As a Villanova student I would go here a lot with friends for brunch but the quality of the food could never justify the prices or wait time. The biggest appeal to this restaurant is that it's such a typical Main Line restaurant. You'll see a lot of pastel colors, golf attire, an church attire. People tend not to be very friendly to one another, and the wait staff rushes groups to sign the check so they can get another group in. read more

So proud of FW. My friends, and I came back to this location after 10 months solely because we wanted to see if the staff got their act together. To our pleasant surprise, they really have. Two people in our party of 3 ordered eggs benny, and the eggs were poached [almost] perfectly. Mine were slightly underdone, but it's much better than last time, where I was served literal boiled eggs. The potatoes weren't still cold in the middle, and our food was out in a record 10 minutes. We timed it, for giggles. Staff also seems much kinder. Our waitress was superb, and paid us great attention from the time we walked in. Nobody miscommunicated this time, and nobody tried to undermine their coworkers to us. The million dollar bacon wasn't 90% syrup this time, it was actually edible, and it didn't come out an hour after the meal. Also super proud that they taught their host staff how to split checks, because apparently last time they didn't know how to do it. Or just didn't want to. Who knows. Overall, very impressed. Thank you, FW, for not ruining our brunch a second time read more

I keep coming back because I want it to be a great experience but each time I get let down. The last few times I've gone they mistakenly took our name off of the list and simply forgot to seat us. They take forever to turn tables over i.e. there is consistently a wait, meanwhile 3-4 tables will be sitting there with leftovers from a party for 5-10 mins before they get bused. The congestion and wait times in the lobby area are easily avoidable with a bit of guidance from an accountable manager. As a side note, the service is also poor, at best. With all of that said, the food is great. Their pancakes and skillets are outstanding which is what keeps us coming back. They are lucky they're the only decent breakfast place in a few miles radius otherwise they certainly wouldn't have my repeated business. read more

The interior of this establishment is bright and clean. A lot of spacious seating with natural light streaming through. Their iced sweetened coffee is really delicious. I like sweet coffee and it fit my taste. Nice and creamy from sweetened cream. I got the pick 2 option for lunch for 7.99. I chose the soup of the day (chicken and rice) and the Cobb salad. It was a good portion for the price. The soup was creamier than expected but for nice and hot. Not much chicken, but that's alright. The Cobb salad had plentiful toppings and dressing on the side to taste. Definitely yummy. We never felt rushed to leave which I appreciated. Would come back! read more

Pros- breakfast is always great especially the avocado toast. I always have a great time there with friends and the ambiance is so cute. Cons- service isn't great and food takes forever to come out. I love the food and going with friends, but the service always brings down my experience. read more

This review is in reference to the takeout experience I just had. I have been to First Watch multiple times and love the food. I ordered a BLTE sandwich for pickup; it is ready when I arrive. I ordered it for takeout as I was in a rush, and I open it up to find no egg in the BLTE - the one thing making this sandwich special. Disappointing. The takeout ticket said BLTE. Where is the "E"? The small side salad that came along was also not dressed whatsoever. Just plain mixed greens. From now on, I know First Watch is a place I will only return for an eat-in experience. read more

Always provide the best service and food. This is my family favorite place to go to as we know anything we order is going to be delicious and served with kindness. My daughters favorite are the chocolate chip pancakes. I love the waffles but also the pancakes. Their bacon is unbeatable. My husband will order something different all the time and is always satisfied. read more

I love coming here for breakfast. Their food is always so fresh and made to order. The avocado French test is my Stephan. I have not had better elsewhere. read more

My food is always amazing at this location. And the best part about this First Watch location is the service. compared to other first watch experiences, my server Christine (I think that was her name) and employee Rosie made my experience over the top amazing. I can tell that the employees really care about the service they provide to their customers, no matter how busy their dining room gets. read more

Tried this spot out with a couple of friends. We were greeted and seated right away. It was super busy so we were ok with being seated at the communal table. Service was very friendly and fast. Our drinks and food come out in a timely manner. I got the Summer Blush which was a limited edition summer drink and it was very refreshing. I also got the Tri-Fecta which included your choice of pancake (I chose the Banana Granola) and a side of sausage links and eggs. The pancake was huge! But as for flavor, it was mediocre. One out of two of the sausages were a little burnt and eggs were ok. But since the service was great and they have a wide selection of food, I will be back to try more! read more

First Watch - Summer Blush (Seasonal Drink) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Villanova, Pennsylvania

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An ideal spot for breakfast or brunch although the wait times for a table and your order could take a while. It took us 15-30 minutes to find a table and another 30-40 minutes for our food. The food is great though and the portions are perfect. We tried avocado toast, chocolate chip pancakes and chickichanga. All of them are excellent options. I'd also recommend millionaire bacon, which is sure to tantalize your taste buds. This is a must for bacon lovers! read more

First Watch - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Villanova, Pennsylvania

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So.... we live right down the street and have been anxious to try this new spot. We arrived this morning at 9:10. Sat down by 9:13. Were not greeted by a waiter/waitress by 9:33. REALLY! 20 minutes before anyone even came over to offer us water or drinks. We have 4 sons. 13 and under. You get the point. Finally we order food. Around 9:40. Get our food around 10. REALLY! Once we finish our meal, we get our bill. We wait to pay.... about , you guessed it 20 minutes later. REALLY! Finally walked up today front counter and insisted that we pay as we needed to leave. Understaffed totally. Sunday morning breakfast near a college??? Food not bad. Service absolutely unacceptable. Last time for us at FIRST WATCH. read more

First Watch is not your typical Northeast diner so if you're looking for a huge low-cost plate of greasy bacon, home-fries, and eggs head down the street to Minellas. First Watch offers friendly service, beautiful decor, excellent coffee, and a modern farm-fresh menu. It's a little pricey for the size of the entire but considering the quality of the food I suppose it's worth it. I go to a local university and my friends and I love coming here on the weekends but I recommend coming either very early or for lunch because you could end up waiting 40 minutes to get seated. Fortunately they supply complimentary coffee while you wait. I HIGHLY recommend the avocado toast. The artisan multigrain bread is unlike any other and they are very generous with the amount of avocado they put on top. The sea salt is an excellent addition and the eggs are cooked to order. read more

Waited 45 min to get breakfast after we were seated. No warning about the wait until after we were seated and had gotten coffee and ordered. People coming after us to hostess not warned about wait for food. Very poor management. Will not return on a Sunday morning. read more

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, three times, etc. shame on me. Had a cold bland omelette today. Was ignored by the server, and when she finally did come to my table she just handed the check and took my mostly full plate! I was never asked how the was or if I needed anything! Very rude service. Just go to Starbucks and get a panini from their fridge. You'd get better food AND serviceNot worth the $10 here. ** was contacted by customer service for my phone number and was never called as of 9/10/18. read more

Excellent food and a great selection. I had the BLT eggs Benedict and million dollar bacon and they were excellent. There was a bit of wait for the food and this the 4 star rating but I highly recommend this location! read more

have been to many first watch in the neighborhood: wynnewood, here and new town for example. Last Sunday We got seated at 1：36 and had our meals served at 2：30. Kids were really hundry. We were polite all the time. However, the waitress and the manager were not. The waitress said the lateness was due to sudden increased online orders while we saw only one bag was handed from kitchen to reception. The manager asked us not come on weekends to avoid waiting time. He said the longest waiting time is four hours with a sense of proud, which to me means room to improve - compare with other first watches. read more

One of the worst service, below average food and very loud. Some of the staff need to be replaced. The Newtown Sq and Wynnewood are better, if you must go to this chain. read more

I came here for Sunday brunch. It was super crowded but I only waited about 10 minutes. I ordered the Florentine poached eggs and an order of chocolate chip pancakes. The poached eggs were terrible!!! They were completely hard inside and not runny whatsoever. The salad that came with it had no dressing even though the waiter told me there was lemon vinaigrette on it. I am giving this place 3 stars because the chocolate chip pancakes were amazing! I wish I had just gotten that. There are other brunch places in the area that are worth spending the same money. I paid $23 for hard poached eggs, pancakes and an iced coffee... A lot of other local places are even cheaper and well worth spending the same money else where. read more

Great summer specials, friendly staff! The food was served fast and the portions were very reasonable. Nice atmosphere, pleasant music and refreshing AC. Couldn't ask for anything better in the summer. read more

I had originally written a negative review because they frequently messed up our takeout orders. However, I'm pleased to say that problem is a thing of the past! We bring in breakfast from First Watch virtually every Saturday morning, and we haven't had an issue in months. The food is great, the value is great, and when we do dine in the actual restaurant, the experience is great as well. Highly recommended! read more

Decided to come to this location after having visited another First Watch in a different state. This location was cute and inviting, but the quality of the food and service at the table didn't compare to the other location we have visited. The food was okay. It tasted fine, but the eggs were a little rubbery. I asked for gluten-free toast, but I am not sure if they actually gave it to me (seeing that it wasn't listed on the ticket). I have a gluten-intolerance, and I felt quite ill after my meal. On top of this, my husband who joined me for the meal also felt very ill afterwards. We both suffered for an hour or so after the meal. He doesn't have a gluten allergy like I do, so we are guessing that there was something in both of our meals that did not agree with us. Can't say that we will be back here again. We wish that we didn't have to see a $40 lunch literally go down the toilet. read more

Alright, Y'all. Must check out First Watch in Villanova!!! Freaking fantastic fare!! Had the Carrot Crush, Million Dollar Bacon (OMG!!), & Braised Short Rib Benedict. Food was near perfect! Many of the reviews stated that the service was slow. Our experience wasn't too bad. However, on a bad night I could definitely see long wait times. We waited just about 8 minutes for our server to speak her 1st words to us. Luckily, the menu was intriguing enough to keep us occupied for that time. I may not have noticed if I didn't start the stopwatch (I like to time service sometimes especially at a new place). Anyway, when she finally got to us, she was friendly and did what we asked of her quickly. The food was out in good time. I like my poached eggs a bit more runny but they were good. The girl at check in could've been quicker to acknowledge us, too! All in all, a good experience. The food alone was enough to bring us back. Service 3.25 / Food 4.5! Recommend!! read more

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Came here after a recommendation from my uncle for breakfast on a Saturday. While the place was consistently busy, we were seated right away. I love their menu! I think they really have some unique items. I'm a huge Mexican food fan and I loved that they had Mexican inspired omelettes and breakfast chimichangas on their menu. I'll have to try those next time! They had a banana granola pancake on their menu that I just had to try. I ordered one pancake and couldn't even finish it. It was HUGE! I thought it was such a nice touch that they brought out the syrup in a warmed glass container. We also ordered a side of their seasoned potatoes and million dollar bacon. The million dollar bacon is a must try - candied bacon seasoned with brown sugar, pepper, cayenne, and maple syrup. It was chewy, but so unique and delicious. I also enjoyed their specialty coffees- we ordered a cold brew and an iced coffee. But, they were served in small glasses that were mostly ice so we opted to just get a pot of coffee for our second cup. I love that each table gets their own pot so you don't have to hunt down the waiter/waitress for a refill. My only complaint about our experience was our waitress made us feel very rushed to get out so she could serve another table. She didn't ask us if we needed anything else, just said "I'll leave the check here." A few minutes later when she came back over she started clearing plates and finally I had to say "we'd actually like a box". I understand it's busy on Saturdays but you should always be more concerned with who you are serving in front of you. Aside from that, I loved their menu so we will be back! read more

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Thanks for making my first First Watch visit a great one, Cristina! I love the Morning Meditation juice and enjoyed an amazing veggie frittata. Awesome vibes, service, and food! See you next time. :) read more

Food was average but the atmosphere was great! Good place for brunch with your girlfriends and lunch dates in general! Will definitely be back! read more

I recently took a trip over my lunch break to the local wine and spirits store and noticed this new-ish restaurant in the same shopping center. Upon viewing the menu from the outside window, I decided that I would stop in and give it a shot. I hadn't planned on dining in but there was a crowd of people in the front, both attempting to pay and attempting to be seated. The hostess eventually got to me and asked, "how many?", to which I replied "uhhh... one?". My fault, but I guess I was dining in now. They seated me in the corner and I began to peruse the menu once more, deciding on my meal and beverage choice. I scoped out some fresh juices that sounded yummy, and also the perfect sandwich. I saw they had a soup & sandwich special, and had some questions about the soup options of the day. Unfortunately for me, I would never get to taste that yummy juice, sink my teeth into that perfect sandwich, or even hear the soup options of the day. After a few minutes of waiting, watching servers and bussers scurry past me to other tables, I started to wonder if anyone saw me. It had become apparent that I had been waiting too long for service; I hadn't even received a hello, let alone a drink order. I knew I had to pull out all the stops, so I put down my menu and cellphone and I looked up with my hands clasped in front of me. I was trying to lock eyes with a bus boy, server, manager...anyone. Eventually a young man who was clearing tables saw me, and I believe he pointed me out to a server. Yes! The time had finally come...or had it? The server, upon learning of my existence, returned back into the kitchen. I waited a few more minutes to see if she would return and there was no sign of her. This is when I did something that I don't often do; I left. There was a certain satisfaction, walking past the hostess who had just seated me, but who was the joke really on? I had, in fact, just waited alone for 10+ minutes and was now leaving empty stomached. So, unfortunately for me, I was never able to taste a single offering from First Watch. I am unable to make claims to the quality and flavor of the food they serve. However, despite never tasting a thing, I am almost certain that I will not return. Such a shame...the food sounded tasty. read more

We absolutely love First Watch! The million dollar bacon is out of this world delicious! The pancakes are huge, fluffy and oh so tasty! Rafael was the best server: fast and efficient. I would give First Watch ten stars if I could. read more

5 stars for food! Unfortunately the service was not very good :( The 1.5 hour wait we didn't mind because that happens but once we sat it took forever to even get the waitress to come over and ask what we wanted to drink. By the time we even received our food we were ravenous! Maybe they just need some more servers? Again, we totally understand that brunch/lunch rushes are crazy but this wasn't exactly a positive experience. Definitely recommend on a week day when it is less crowded. read more

I have tried time and time again to give this restaurant a chance - the only consistency is a substandard experience. The service is abysmal; I have had exceptionally bad service with multiple servers on several different occasions. The individual who appears to be the "onsite trainer" of the waitstaff (I believe his name is Jeff) has a lousy attitude, is disinterested in his customers and often times blatantly rude! During my visit today, the restaurant was not particularly busy. There was no wait (as their often is) and several empty tables. My work colleagues arrived and left - due to an inattentive waitstaff (no recognition of their presence for 10 minutes). The soup my father ordered was luke warm at best (and the waitress described the always available option - as "Basil soup" - Basil I inquired?, Yes, she confirmed. Hmmm... all I can envision is a green concoction!). My party of two ordered two egg dishes which took over 30 minutes to arrive at our table, and neither were hot. My eggs were inconsistently cooked - one was so runny that it has exploded all over my plate as it was transported from the kitchen and the other was over-poached with a solid center. I'm pretty sure the white part of an egg is not supposed to be runny. The heap of greens that accompanied my eggs were not dressed. Our table did not receive water although empty water glasses were present on the table the entire meal. $45 is a lot to pay for such a mediocre experience! Just to confirm that this was not a one-time experience, I'm including a list of previous interactions. -The accuracy of your takeout orders is non-existent. I paid close to $10 for a tiny takeout container of oatmeal once and didn't realize until I ordered it onsite that the price included a muffin. -How hard is it to cook eggs?! Especially at the price that is being charged. -The service is extremely SLOW -Several times I attempted to use the "no wait" app that is advertised on your walls with no accuracy to it at all. I'm glad to see it is no longer offered I wish you the best as you continue to expand. I will not be visiting again. read more

First Watch has become a staple of mine when visiting Villanova. I love there ever-changing menu, there pumpkin pancakes are the bomb! Seating can be a little bit dicey on the weekends, so make sure you get in early and grab one of their amazing fresh squeeze juices, while you wait. I love the kale tonic!! Another hit is the avocado tomato bacon egg sandwich, or my standby is their avocado toast with a side of cage free eggs. I'm telling you this place is amazing, you can also grab an order to go. But I think it's definitely worth the wait everything is Farm to Fork and delicious! read more

Great atmosphere, my husband and I been coming here almost every weekend for brunch, they served fresh ingredients you can count on. The wait usually 10 to 20 minutes. read more

The Resturant itself is nice. Great ambiance and great location. What they lack is a sense of urgency. Management needs to remember it's only lunch and breakfast. Too many managers standing around "training" staff. We had to wait 11 minutes to be seated and there were many open tables. I get management wants to create the "people are waiting to get in" appearance but remember it's only breakfast and lunch two hurry up meals. Prices were ok. $2.59 for a glass of ice with some Diet Coke is what I paid. $2.79 for coffee. All in with a tip, eggs and pancakes we paid $30.00. Same meal at a local well established location in Wayne would be less. Overall I'd rate the food a 5, establishment an 8 and lack of urgency (service) a 3. That's a 16 out of 30 do the math and it's not a high grade. Good luck management but remember it's only breakfast and lunch. I travel all week and know a good eatery when I see one and you guys are close but not there yet. 2nd Visit: Ok, so everyone gets a second chance. We came back and ate here again. This place is a MUST. Portions are off the charts. I had the ham and cheese on a very nice bread. It was delicious. The bride had a salad with warm chicken and nuts. She loved it. I would HIGHLY recommend the place to eat. We will be back. The service was fantastic. This has evolved into a cool place to be seen and see others. Very LA or West Side NYC. Good job management you have a place to be proud of. By the way my first visit I gave them two stars. read more

Love First Watch. Best breakfast in Villanova. Always made to order means they accomidate my vegetarian and vegan requests. Took my son this morning for some quality time. Our sever Jeff was great. He was friendly, checked in on us just the right amount and brought us drinks and napkins as needed. Ask for Jeff, he is an amazing server. read more

We've been here 4 times in the last month and have had solid experiences each time. I'm a bit concerned that once Villanova is back in session later this summer that the wait times here are going to skyrocket. It's right next to campus and one of the better breakfast eateries in the area. The first time I actually dined at a First Watch was almost 10 years ago when I was visiting friends at University of Cincinnati. At the time, FW was my friends' go-to brunch spot and was obviously the top choice for breakfast in Cincinnati-area. I had totally forgotten about the place until I noticed a restaurant with the same exact name opened in Villanova a couple months ago. I had no idea it was such a growing chain, but apparently there are lots of locations around the country. I love that they offer healthy/fresh menu items and that I can get fresh pressed juice for much cheaper than anywhere else in the area. I've had the breakfast tacos, the biscuits and turkey gravy, the avocado toast, and the chocolate chip pancakes. Everything has been consistently delicious, however, I think the avocado toast comes out on top since i can't think of another place in the area that would offer that on the menu (the main line is not quite SoCal). Despite this being a great new addition to the area, I still don't think it beats out the locally grown breakfast spots in the area. There is something a little too corporate about this place for me to give it top billing. read more

I walked in this morning with a very special request, and the staff at this location were so incredibly helpful. My server Matt was able to take care of all my needs and was a delight to chat with. I also spoke with the manager Mike and he was able to help accommodate a future request for my family. I usually frequent other locations but will definitely be coming back here. read more

Loved this place! The service was outstanding, nothing but friendly faces and smiles. The food was delicious, I live in the area and will make this my weekend breakfast spot! read more

(4.25) ~ Very good Food & service. NOTES: You pay your Bill at the Front Counter after eating. And the Breakfast Menu is much better than the Lunch Menu;) FAVORITE DRINKS: ** Pear Cider(Seasonal) = (4.25) Very good...Hope they keep it year round:) ** Coffee = (4.25) Very good and they bring a pot to your table too;) ** Kale Tonic Juice = (4) very good & refreshing ** Water(tap) = (4) very good...must be filtered;) They also leave a bottle at your table for refills. FAVORITE FOODS: ** Eggs Benedict-BLT = (4,25) Very good & My favorite Savory;) ** Belgium Waffle w. Berry Compote = (4.25) My favorite Sweet;) Note: For an additional charge, ask for 100% Pure Maple Syrup;) FAVORITE SIDES: ** Millionaire's Bacon(Seasonal) = (4) very good...Hope they keep this year round;) ** Turkey Sausage(links) = (4) very good read more

First Watch Cafe- Villanova! Super Seed Protein Pancakes. These multigrain pancakes not only delicious but also filled with goodness! It has Rolled oats, cottage cheese, Kasha, sunflower seeds, flax and chia and topped with fresh fruit, maple almond butter, warm berry compote and super seed crunch! I would definitely recommend this place. It is large space, clean and very nice staff. read more

First Watch - I loved the super seed pancakes! First Watch Cafe- Villanova! Super Seed Protein Pancakes. These multigrain pancakes are on point - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Villanova, Pennsylvania

I have been to first watch Villanova many times and loved everything about it. The Wayne location is terrible. The staff is very unorganized, slow and not very friendly. We had pre put in our name but when we arrived it was not in the computer. The host said 10 min wait but we ended up waiting for 40 min before being seated. We waited over 5 min for a server to great us at the table. They are clearly understaffed as there were many tables that need to be cleared The wayne location needs some seriously help and leadership. For someone that works in the food industry I can be very understanding but this was just ridiculous. We stayed to see if the the experience could change around but the salty taste was already put in our mouths and didnt change. I will never be returning the the wayne location again. read more