First Watch

First watch what more can you say— I know– how about that delicious food and the wide variety menu!!!
How about those experienced servers, polite, efficient
And their Professional mannerism. The great atmosphere!!! and a manager who is professional and diligent and who is well versed in customer care. This is my breakfast place always and forever.

The did get it right… the second time.
I stopped by on Saturday morning at around 10. The place was packed, as I expected.
I was seated quickly at one of their communal high-​tops. (It was that or wait 30 to 40 minutes for a table.
My order was simple enough, scrambled eggs, bacon, and a waffle. The food was delivered very quickly. surprisingly so, and I just as quickly discovered why. The eggs were nearly raw, the bacon was on the warm side of raw, and the waffle was uncooked. I’m all for helping First Watch flip tables when they’re busy but not to the point where I would risk salmonella.
I sent everything back and the «re-​do» was, understandably, on the overdone side of OK. Still not great but at least not a health risk.
For me, a 2-​star rating means I will never return on my own and recommend alternatives if others suggest it. I may go back to another First Watch but never this one.

This place has become my favorite breakfast spot. It has your typical breakfast items, and more. The food is always delicious and I love their healthy menu options.

First Watch came highly recommended. I looked at the menu online before going because I was on a diet. I was certain there were many things I could get there. Arrived, we were sat at our table by one of the servers. She stopped another employee and asked if our table had been cleaned, it was clearly dirty. The other employee said yes. It came to my attention throughout our meal as people left their tables, that they didn’t refresh the glasses that are left on the table for coffee and water and only cleared plates, I didn’t see one table wiped down. Megan comes over with a pot of coffee, it’s between 12:00 p.m. and 1 p.m. Went neither of us wanted coffee, Megan made a sarcastic comment and left. She comes back to take our order, it went fine, the food was delivered as ordered. Another server brought us our food and then Megan brings us our check, I did say we just got our food. So it was clear we were not going to see Megan again. I kept smelling something. It turned out to be the balsamic that my greens were swimming in. After removing the undercooked bacon from my sandwich and realizing it had been given a slathering of butter, I began eating one of the most unhealthy and tasteless turkey sandwiches I had ever had. Fully loaded this sandwich is 1020 calories, mine from removing the bacon and no dressing was just over 700 calories. We will never try first watch again. It’s not healthy, the service from Megan was minimal (I enjoyed watching her talk to her friends in the kitchen though) and the food is off. I have attached pics of the dirty glass left on the table from another meal, it was unused but the outside was clearly dirty. I wish I had taken a pic of the dirty table before I used my menu to clean off the crumbs. The other pics, our tab to prove we were here and my yucky, butter filled, high calorie turkey sandwich.

Food is over rated. Presentation was alright. Quality of the food, I could make it at home. It’s not bad but it’s not spectacular. It’s just alright, service though didn’t keep up. We asked 3 servers for water! I wouldn’t go here again.

This place has wowed me every time I’ve been here. Delicious food. Good service. What more could I ask for?

3.5 stars
I came here the day after Christmas for a hearty brunch.
First Watch is like an upgraded IHOP. They have a big menu with really delicious-​sounding items and also a «healthy option» section. I ordered their florentine benedict and my dad ordered their lunch special of half a sandwich and a small soup. We later ordered one plain pancake. I also got their kale tonic (cucumber, apple, kale).
I thought the the florentine benedict was alright, but it all lacked salt or more depth of flavor. The pancake was big and crispy on the edges. I’d come back just for the pancakes. My dad said, «these are better than IHOP!». So, there’s that. The kale tonic was way more fruit than vegetables, but that was OK. Too sweet for my taste.
Two things I didn’t like:
1) Lack of flavor. Their food needs more salt or more seasoning. This is coming from a girl who usually thinks most foods are too salty.
2) Slow service. They can get busy, and it takes a while for the food to arrive.
Other than that, I’m on board.

This place is actually five stars! Great service, great food, and such a steal with portions and price! I got the trifecta for $ 9: a multigrain pancake, two eggs, and your choice of turkey sausage, regular sausage, or bacon. I don’t eat meat, so they let me replace the meats with potatoes at no additional cost.
Make no mistake, the pancakes are very much the size of your face and intimidatingly large. They are also incredibly fluffy and full of promise with a side of preserves, so I am confident I will be coming back here to try the rest of the menu!

Great breakfast, fairly healthy, good service even when crowded. Sometimes you can wait over an hour for a table on a weekend morning. This restaurant is only open for breakfast and lunch and by 3 pm each day it is closed. Usually you are in there no more than an hour once you’ve been seated and started looking at the menu. They are very fast and continue to check up on you throughout the meal even though they have many tables and once the table turns over, new diners sit down. Really a great neighborhood place to eat, especially when its hard to find breakfast restaurants, apart from diners, serving you during the week.

I really enjoying the food and service ! I like that they have healthy but tasty food. I had the veggie grill sandwich with pecan dijon salad and it tasted very good. I also had the grapefruit juice!

This place is always busy, but it’s definitely worth it. Their hashes are delicious, make sure to get your eggs over easy so they run all over the potatoes. And their pumpkin pancakes are so good, but they’re huge, you could definitely split them without a problem.
Also, download the «NoWait» app and you can reserve your spot in line without having to leave your house. I saved myself an hour of waiting in the restaurant for a table yesterday, I «got in line» before I left my house and then when I got to the restaurant, I still had some time to kill so I did some shopping until my table was ready.

Fairfax is one of the areas I visit quite often. That shopping center is my favorite because it has all the places I love to shop at in one place. It’s so convenient.
I always pass by wondering what First Watch is. I assumed that it was a fitness kind of restaurant. I was never curious enough to try it out until one day, my boyfriend insisted and so we went to have lunch here.
To my surprise they sold breakfast food and I love breakfast! They had my favorite item on the menu from when I used to work at a restaurant serving breakfast Sunday mornings. It was… Eggs Benedict! So of course I had to get that my first time. And it surprised me because the taste was phenomenal. My boyfriend got this quinoa chicken bowl which tasted good too. They have such a wide variety of food on their menu. I’m going to have to come back a lot more often to try them all. The last time I came back I tried the Bacon Avocado Hash. That was pretty good but made me realize I’m not so. Much for bacon or potatoes. Their tomato soup is amazinggggg! Definitely try it if you are a soup person. Pricing is fair and reasonable and great service from servers.
Love First Watch now

Very good breakfast with a heathy twist. How healthy can you make bacon?
Pleasant service. Quality food. Nice options and selections. Had the avocado hash and son had a very nice fruit and yoghurt crêpe

I went there for a free birthday lunch. Any entrée is free. I ordered Quinoa Chicken dried cherry salad.
Food: Delicious. They have many healthy breakfast and lucy type dishes.
Drink: Coffee, tea, healthy fruits and vegetables juice,…
Staff: Some are bad, some are sweet. Fast!
Interior: Very simple. Nothing special.
Customer: Families, house wives, some business persons.
Parking lot: Tons of free spots.
They close at 2:30pm. Hurry up!

I normally go to the First Watch in Chantilly but we stopped in at this one in Fairfax instead. We got there around 1pm but they were completely packed and on a wait. I was surprised by this especially on a Monday. But the manager, Jeremy, and server were both extremely kind and helpful. The place is filled with fruit and breakfast paintings and the menu seems older than the ones from Chantilly. But, I’m not there for the menu — I’m there for the food.
Difference between this place and another breakfast place is their healthier options and choices. Oh, and it also tastes like real food rather than all GMOs. I tried their new kale juice, which is apple juice, kale, cucumber and lemon. It was really good! According to the menu, it is freshly made there — but that is TBD.
Now for the good stuff — the food! I ordered the trifecta, which includes pancakes or waffles, eggs, and choice of meat. I decided on blueberry pancakes, medium eggs and bacon. It comes with a blueberry sauce and I use that rather than syrup which is equally good. Also, it has a slab of butter on top, which I’m personally not a fan of. My friend got the steak and egg florentine and I will say that the piece of steak is tiny. I recommend getting it if you’re not extremely hungry or ordering something else on the side. We got potatoes and bacon on the side but the bacon wasn’t as crispy as I would have liked. I’m sure they would have made it more crispy if I had asked.
You pay in the front of the restaurant before leaving, it’s pretty easy. But there was a line when we got finished so we waited for it to die down. Pretty good place but might stick with the one in Chantilly for the sole fact that it is not as packed. Still great food though!

First Watch is the healthier alternative to IHOP and other similar breakfast joints. I mean this in the most complimentary way. So you woke up bright and early and you have a monster appetite? Come here!
Service is warm and friendly. From the moment you step in the door, you’re greeted by big smiles and promptly seated.
The menu is a one bag piece of paper, front and back. The front consists of traditional breakfast offerings and the back lists lunch entrees, drinks, and sides. They offer seasonal items like avocado toast with basted eggs. And they also have non-​egg options, like Belgian waffles and assorted pancakes. For the super health conscious, there are dishes like cranberry nut oatmeal or protein-​packed wrap.
I tried the smashed avocado toast, and it was satisfying and wholesomely decadent. Just so you know, First Watch seasons their food on the milder side. Tom N. guessed that they do this to please all kinds of palates. Plus, you can always add more salt and spices. You can’t really take out. If you tend to like heavily seasoned or powerful flavors, then this may not be the best brunch spot for you.
FirstWatch’s food is very fresh and has this homemade appeal. Don’t expect something extraordinary, but know that most menu items will satisfying your craving – whether you’re hankering for pancakes or a loaded omelet.

After my second visit here, I can definitively say that I’m a big fan of this place! The staff is super friendly, the food is solid, and the service is lightning-​quick for the most part.
First Watch specializes in breakfast and lunch only, which means it opens at 7 AM but closes at 3. The first time I came here, I had the Chickichangas, which were a twist on chimichangas (shocking given the name, I know) and were delicious. This time I had the Key West Crepegg and it was also very good — though I think the Chickichanga takes top dollar. I tend to like more savory breakfast foods, so both of these were hits with me.
First Watch is also a very child-​friendly place, which is nice because I had my two-​year-​old niece with me this time around. They gave her a kid’s menu to color all over, a booster seat, a cup with a lid and straw (SO necessary for this particular little one), and the environment just seems very conducive to children. She got a chocolate chip pancake off the kid’s menu and it was enooooormous (and I got to eat her bacon, so win-​win!)
You pay your bill up at the counter, IHOP-​style, so it’s got a very casual vibe, and I think the coffee in particular here is very good. Plus, they have flavored creamers! Bonus!
First Watch is definitely a great place to come for anything in the breakfast/​brunch/​lunch range… but as I’ve only ever come here on weekday mornings, I can’t testify as to how crazy it likely gets on the weekends. You have been warned! :)

Sent bacon back because it was ice cold, burned, and with congealed fat on one side.
The next batch was worse. Half raw, half burned.
Seriously disappointed. I thought this kind of thing didn’t happen at First Watch.

This is one of my favorite places to munch after a long night of working and/​or drinking. I don’t know if it’s the awesome endless coffee, the cute old couples seated everywhere, or the food, but I just can’t get enough of this place. It actually makes me feel better that there isn’t a Cracker Barrel in the area. I kind of don’t need it with this place on the radar.
Honestly, I know this may sound crazy disgusting, but the best option on the breakfast menu is the Cranberry Nut Oatmeal with a side of bacon and toast. Crush up the bacon, mix it into the oatmeal and spoon it onto the toast. Yummmm!
Quiet haters! It’s good! ;)

My husband and I stopped here for brunch since we were in need of a good meal before heading out for errands and shopping. I turned to Unilocal and saw I had bookmarked this place to check out.
Upon arrival we were told it would be about 25 minutes. I was happy their estimate was wrong and only took maybe 10 – 15 minutes. We we’re promptly sat at the table and given menus.
We ordered coffee & water for the table. I loved like many others the fact I could could keep the good coffee pot & water jug at the table to refill. I wish more places did this.
I ordered the fall special harvest hash. I wanted my eggs sunny side up. My husband ordered the beef eater sandwich with tomato bisque soup. The harvest hash was decent but I think it would have been better with a difference sauce. On top was hollandaise sauce and it made it too sweet. I do appreciate the healthiness of sweet potatoes, turkey sausage, zucchini and crimini mushrooms.
My husband meal was okay. His words. Hahaha. He loved the tomato bisque soup. However the beefeater wasn’t that great. The sourdough bread in my opinion had a strange taste.
Overall I think I would give this place another chance.