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Okay, I'm rounding down on this location and our recent visit, but overall, I would say 3 1/2 stars. Let's begin with the positives: Our server was very nice, inattentive, and friendly. I do wish I remembered her name. The meals were as good as you would expect at a First Watch location. Now let me touch on the not-so-positive: For some unknown reason, the two over-medium eggs came out separate from all the other items and came to the table about 3-4 minutes later. I have no good reason why that would have happened. Although it did not happen to us - we saw folks after us wait 5 minutes or so before the greeter met them. It happened to two different sets of folks and yes the place was busy but not like that. Now something that is a way I look at places and their possible cleanliness. Since I can't see into the kitchen. What do I mean - the restrooms. My wife used the ladies' room and said it had issues. Yes, the toilets and all were clean-looking but she said it had dirt and dust that had been there for a while. She described it as someone only doing "quick surface cleaning." When she said this and as someone who prides themselves on my Yelp presence and went to the men's room. It wasn't like what she had seen in the ladies' room. But it had a ton of use that morning and no staff had touched it up. Lastly, and what makes me sad about my visit. How I was treated as I left and paid our bill. I (absolutely my fault) misread my check. I thought it was about $5 less than what the fella checking me out mentioned. I was absolutely polite when I was like "Oh I thought it was less." When in a disrespectful/slick tone the fella said "I don't make this stuff up." I was totally taken aback. I don't know who he thinks he was talking to. So with all this said - I will suggest this - there are plenty of great food places in the Williamsburg area and I am fairly sure I will not visit here again. Just too many little issues.
My wife and I were leaving town and decided to give First Watch a try before heading back home to Maryland. They're actually building one near where we live, so this was a good chance to check it out before it opens. The restaurant only serves breakfast and lunch, but it's a nice size with plenty of tables and even a bar area for seating. Once we were seated, our waitress greeted us warmly, explained a few menu highlights, and mentioned some popular items to try. We had just missed the early bird special, but it was nice to know they offer one. My wife ordered the Sausage Gravy over a Biscuit from the small plates menu. I went with the Maple Bacon Croissant Sandwich, which comes with million-dollar maple bacon, sausage, eggs, cheddar, apricot jam, and jalapeños. It was very good, though next time I'd skip the sausage and stick with just the bacon to let the flavors shine more. Overall, we're excited to see First Watch coming to our town, and when we're back in Williamsburg, we'll definitely stop in again.
My rating is solely based on the service, not so sure it it was also the 100% the server. Nonetheless, the service was SLOW SLOW SLOW! Luckily, we had time to burn prior to our movie beginning otherwise, we would've left. We waited a good 20 minutes before our server came to greet us and take our drink order, so of course by that time we knew what we wanted to order. Once she finally took our order it was another 15 minutes before the drinks came out, so of course soon after our food came out. The waitresses all seem to have to clean their own table so the tables on both sides of us remained dirty the entire time we were eating which was off putting. I think this was done as a strategy for her not to be given any new tables, but there has to be a much more cleanly and sanitary way to communicate that. Our waitress eventually slipped the check and said, "I don't want to be the reason you have to wait so I'm going to slip you this now but no rush." My thought, "oh so now you don't want to be the reason we have to wait, hmmm. " Anyway, I asked her for a box as she slid us the check. The box then took another 15 minutes to come out. By the time our dining experience was finished, I was beyond over it. I can't say I'll never go to First Watch again, but what I can say is I'll never be back to this location again. Cheers to a great time!
We had the blazing dragon drink, honey chipotle chicken hash, Monterey club, and the million dollar bacon. Our server was great! Friendly and attentive. The dining area was clean in spite of it being crowded. Can't say the same for the restrooms, completely trashed. The drink was too tart, my son just ate the dragon fruit out of it. He wasn't a fan. He loved his hash though. He enjoyed the different flavors. I was not a fan of the bread that was used on my club. It was dry, stale and fell apart. I ended up eating it mostly open faced. Took one star off because of it. The ingredients were fresh and the portion size was generous. I didn't even finish my food (ate about half). Best thing I had was that million dollar bacon. It's definitely one of those crave-able items.
Came to First Watch with my family (10 of us total) for brunch on my sister's graduation day. The restaurant wasn't packed, but I could tell they were short staffed. There were several tables with open seats and dishes left on the table. 20min a prior to getting to the restaurant, we used the online get in line feature. Once we got to the restaurant, we had to wait an additional 20 minutes to get seated. Once we ordered, the food came quick, however it was difficult to get water refills. I ordered the salmon frittata with salad. Overall the dish was filling, but expect actual salmon, not smoked salmon. Pancakes, hash, and power bowls are pretty good here!
Food was delicious and our server was attentive and kind. The only issue is there are basically no meat options other than turkey. I should have done more research before going, but you'd think they'd at least have a few options or the ability to switch things out given not everyone likes turkey.
Food was amazing. Well prepared and tasty. Menu is robust with plenty of choices... but well organized and not overwhelming. Service was great overall. But you will want to know your order when you get seated if it's busy... because they will check on you frequently but once the order goes in you still may wait a bit for food. Which leads to the only downside - on a busy weekend morning your wait may be extensive. No reservations but you can add to a waitlist. Do so online before you go. We were quoted 45-60 mins online... got there at 30 mins just in case but waited a total of 55 mins to be seated from being placed on the waitlist. Unfortunately, despite all four of us looking at the menu beforehand. Once we sat down, there was a little bit of a discussion regarding several items. So we first placed our drink orders. When the waitress came back with drinks, we were not quite ready, and asked for a few minutes. This was a mistake. A few minutes turned into 10 minutes. By the time, she finally came back to get our order , we had been there for 20-25 minutes already. No big deal... Or so we thought. A full 45 minutes later she came by to explain that because there were "a lot of go orders "our food was delayed. This is poor kitchen ticket management in my opinion. The people seated in your restaurant should be the priority, and have a separate queue from take out orders. Take out and delivery orders should not force customers waiting in your restaurant to wait even longer. Especially because that exacerbates the wait for people sitting outside waiting to be seated. Bottom line - great food, good service but sometimes slow, long wait to sit and eat. Plan ahead and you won't be starving by the time your food arrives!
First Watch is a go-to breakfast place no matter where you are. When we arrived, we were sat right away. This is not the case for the people who came in around when we were finishing up. You have to get to First Watch early in the morning to avoid the wait. But even if there is a wait, the staff are very efficient. They are making sure everyone is taken care of and happy. We chose the Steak & Bacon Breakfast Burrito and the Sunny Seoul Hash along with some coffee. My husband thought the burrito was on the spicy side, but the avocado helped a lot. The hash wasn't their best one. It was a little lacking in flavor. Also, the eggs were over cooked, but not bad. I'll probably give this one another try later in the season to see if it has improved. If you're looking for an absolute amazing hash, come for the spring/summer seasonal menu and try the Tacos Al Pastor one. It did get very busy towards the end of our meal so we did not order any of their juices to go. Our server looked extremely busy but was able to give every table his attention.
We loved First Watch in Kansas City, so we came here during our Virginia stay. We had a very different experience at this location. I was very excited to try their fall menu. Parking is easy, they have a large lot. We got on the waitlist ahead of time on their website, but this Monday morning they were not very busy. So we had no wait time and were seated immediately. The kind hostess sat us at a very wobbly table, so we asked to move, and she was happy to accommodate, and later I saw the staff trying to remedy the table. I appreciated that. Our waitress greeted us but didn't seem too cheerful to be working that morning. She offered us coffee and to take our drink orders. I ordered their fall drink, the Mint Mocha. I do not recommend this drink. It was mostly ice and foam, and it took a few sips to get used to the artificial mint flavoring. No coffee flavor. I wouldn't get it again. She then took our food order. My husband asked for their fall menu's hash, the million-dollar something hash, and she informed us that as of yesterday's Sunday rush they were out of the important ingredients that make it special, the bacon and the sauce. That was disappointing. I was going to order the breakfast tacos and received a similar response. I don't remember her being too apologetic about it either, which put me in a mood that resulted in short responses to her (sorry waitress :( ). We ended up needing more time to look at the menu and try again. I know running out of ingredients is not her fault at all, but the disappointment was still there, and the delivery of the news could have been more empathetic. My husband enjoyed his chicken sandwich and really liked the potatoes. My tri fecta wasn't anything special, but the waffle was yummy. Please note that it is a $2 charge to get cheese added to eggs... that was unexpected. The place was clean and well-decorated, I just left disappointed with the interaction of the waitress.
Highly recommend the French toast ! So good, came with warm syrup as well. I ordered a side of seasoned potatoes as well and they were tasty. I went at 2P and was empty as they close at 230. Friendly waitress and host. Food came out quick. Chill vibe. Had a nice outdoor seating area too
7 years ago
7 years ago
First time visit with a friend. Had a pesto chicken quinoa bowl. The portion and the taste are good. The waitress was nice. However, there is one thing that I'd like to mention is that the music inside was a bit too loud that I had a hard time having a conversation with a regular volume. Other than that, I had a good time. read more
8 years ago
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Opening day and wow, great job! The restaurant is very comfortable and clean. Service was very friendly and responsive; manager checked in with us as well. The food was great - had the veggie burger, which is massive, and my friend loved their chicken chimichanga. Price is nice, location is good but I worry about parking if it gets too popular read more
7 years ago
Delicious, this was our first time eating here and didn't realize it was a chain. We wouldn't have known if a friend hadn't told us. It has a great small business feel and delicious food. The bacon with brown sugar and Cayenne pepper is the perfect blend of sweet and slight spice. We really enjoyed it and look forward to going back soon! read more
7 years ago
Great food and great service. Food is fresh and the restaurant is very clean and neat. We are here from out of town. Apparently there are other locations. Hopefully there is one in SC! read more
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Amazing breakfast food! My favorite breakfast dish is French Toast, and this place ALWAYS gets it right! The sides are a very nice add on as well. read more
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Business owner information
Jennifer G.
Tyianna, we appreciate you stopping by and letting us know how your…
8 years ago
Delicious, fresh food served by friendly staff. No alcoholic beverages though. Reservations can be made through their "Nowait" app where you can also see the wait time, which I highly recommend as there is always a wait at any First Watch I've visited. read more
5 years ago
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8 years ago
My sister and were driving through Williamsburg and decided to stop through to break up our 3 hr drive. It was our first time there. The check-in process to get in was quick and efficient. I like the tracking capability (they text you a link and you can monitor progress). During the waiting period, there are a few areas to sit down, enjoy some infused water. I saw a coffee station with creamers, stirrers, etc. but no actual coffee - that would have been nice during the wait. We were seated with little delay despite the restaurant being pretty busy. Our server came over to the table and offered to bring us coffee, doing so promptly. The coffee wasn't bad. We mulled over the menu for a few minutes and we went with the Tri-fecta with the Banana Crunch Pancake and the Carbonara Benedict. The Tri-fecta order came out in a timely manner but mine was incorrect - there was seemingly a miscommunication between the person that took my order and the kitchen - I had specifically requested no parmesan cream on my eggs and nothing on the mixed green salad. When it went back to the kitchen, there was further miscommunication which resulted in another delay. I found some utensils for the table and had my sister start eating at this point. We had already been at the restaurant 45 minutes, and I still didn't have my food. I asked if I could just get it packed up when they came back around the third time to confirm it was being taken care of, as we couldn't wait another 20+ minutes for it to get to the table, eat, reconcile the check and head out. Our server was really gracious. She apologized, removed the charge for the Carbonara Benedict and gave me a courtesy card for a future visit, which was thoughtful. First time at First Watch wasn't what I had hoped for, but I will go back not because I found the menu all that remarkable, but because I really did appreciate how genuine our server was and how she carried herself. In this day and age, I don't take customer service for granted. PSA: Poached eggs, thick-cut bacon, and toast DO NOT travel well. Saddest sight I have encountered on a plate in a while! read more
8 years ago
First time here and it was delicious! I had the avocado toast for breakfast and it was a perfect portion I finished every bite! Coffee was nice as well and I appreciated they had flavored creamer out as an option. It was pretty busy but I came alone so I was able to just walk up to the bar at eat immediately which was nice! read more
5 years ago
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Business owner information
Jennifer G.
D, thank you for this amazing share! We are excited to hear that you…
8 years ago
First time eating here, so my sweetheart and I decided to share, splitting the roast beef sandwich and the SoCal breakfast burrito. Sandwich came with fresh salad greens tossed with just a hint of lemony vinaigrette (nice to not be dripping with dressing). Also a horseradish sauce that was not particularly horseradish-y. Burrito came with side of fresh fruit ( grapes, honeydew and a few strawberry pieces) and salsa verde which was quite good and could have used a more generous portion. Both sandwiches were delicious. The burrito was piping hot, so be careful not to burn your mouth if you get it. He got coffee, declared it good. I got hot tea, and they brought a small selection plus honey and lemon (sugar in the raw and stevia in the raw were on the table). Best of all, they left the small carafe of hot water so I got a second cup! (Pet peeve that coffee drinkers get refills but tea drinkers usually get only one cup). Drinks and meals came to $25 for the two of us together, so good deal! read more
5 years ago
Business owner information
Jennifer G.
Micki, thank you for stopping in! We are powered by pancakes and are…
5 years ago
8 years ago
4 years ago
Business owner information
Jennifer G.
Monica, thank you for the five stars! We look forward to seeing you…
6 years ago
Business owner information
Paige T.
Gary, we are honored to have earned your five stars and more…
4 years ago
Business owner information
Jennifer G.
Elizabeth, thank you for your recent visit and for the feedback. We…
Absolutely amazing!! Wish I wasn't visiting because this breakfast/brunch spot it bomb. There was a 30 min wait but I joined the yelp waitlist and literally walked in greeted the hostess and got seated! Besides a few dirty looks from waiting guests I was totally #winning!!!! Our waitress was super friendly and accommodating, the food was fresh and flavorful. I ordered a frittata which was so fluffy and regretted not being able to finish it all! I ordered a fruit crepe for my little and was so jealous it looked, smelled, and tasted delicious. The Crepe was super thin and filled with fresh fruit, definitely not skimpy. Let me not forget there fresh juice! I had a (morning meditation) and it was so flavorful. Had a wonderful experience and I highly recommend this spot! Check in using yelp to hold a place in line because the line was out the door, not sure if it's normally that busy but it's great to check and get a live update :) read more
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More info about First Watch
5212 Monticello Ave
Williamsburg, VA 23188
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(757) 603-9020
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http://www.firstwatch.com
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