First Watch is a fairly new brunch spot in the area, conveniently located next to the Bergen Town…read moreCenter outlets. I hadn't realized before visiting that it's a chain with locations in several states, including Florida.
There's plenty of parking outside, and the restaurant itself is bright and nicely decorated with a modern farmhouse feel.
When we arrived, we went to the front to ask for a table but had to wait behind a line of people who were paying their bills. Apparently, you can either pay at your table using a QR code or pay at the front before leaving. We used the QR code, which was convenient, but the setup at the front felt inefficient. We had to wait quite a while just to speak to the hostess even though the restaurant was about half empty and didn't seem particularly busy.
Once seated, we noticed that the coffee cups already on our table were dirty. Our waiter, Nicholas, immediately offered to replace them with clean ones. Nicholas was pleasant, professional, and very accommodating throughout our meal and was definitely the highlight of our experience.
He offered us coffee and left the pitcher at the table. It was around $4 and includes the pitcher, which I wish had been explained since we hadn't had a chance to look at the menu yet. The coffee itself was good, basic diner-style coffee. I would have preferred refrigerated cream or half-and-half to pour into it rather than the small individual creamers you typically get at a fast-food restaurant.
For food, we ordered one of the summer special, an omelet, carrot cake pancakes, and the loaded potatoes. Everything was seasoned well. The summer special was mostly potatoes, and I would have preferred less potato and more steak and vegetables. When we mentioned it, Nicholas and the chef were very accommodating and brought us an extra side of steak, which we really appreciated.
The carrot cake pancakes were good, but not particularly memorable. Surprisingly, the loaded potatoes with bacon and Parmesan cheese sauce were probably the most flavorful thing we ordered, although they're more of a side dish than a meal.
Overall, the prices were lower than many other brunch spots in the area, and the location next to the outlets is very convenient. There were some things I liked, especially the service from Nicholas, but I don't think I would go out of my way to come back specifically for breakfast or brunch. It served its purpose that day, and Nicholas's kindness and attentiveness definitely made the experience better.