First Watch — Restaurant in Arlington

The food was absolutely divine, no surprise there right! But service was not on same level at all. It definitely was busy, as to be expected giving where it is located. This shopping plaza stays busy all day, with lots of traffic coming and going through out the parking lots. After being sat, I waited 15 minutes and still hadn't even been asked for my drink order. I was sitting outside and the other tables even noticed, making comments such as "I think they forgot about you!" Which they obviously had because when a waitress finally did come out, I had to get her attention and she seemed surprised that no one had came to me yet. She was the person who sat me so she knew how long I'd been waiting. This is a very busy area and it is expected that any businesses, especially RESTAURANTS, are capable of keeping up with the demand, with great service. Once I finally got my food, I sat thirsty for quite a while as no one had come to refill my drink.

Another side note that I'd like to add and maybe it is in the plans since this location is newly open, there DEFINITELY needs to be more sidewalks/walkways leading to side and back parking. From the looks of it, they are only putting vegetation and flowers in the area where more walkways could be. If you park in the back, you will have to walk through the lot, to the front entrance. I don't mind parking further and walking, I actually prefer it. But to have no sidewalks in an area that has parking behind the building makes zero sense! All other restaurants in this shopping plaza have walkways leading to back and side parking. Also worth noting, the wifi service was horrible, idk if it was just issues at that particular time or if it will be ongoing so I'm noting it...

This place is really fantastic! The food is delicious, the coffee is done well and you get an entire pot to your table (!!), there are a few vegetarian options (which are really delicious), and the fresh juices are just perfect. My bf had the pancakes and said they were light and fluffy (not heavy and dense like some places). I had the AM super foods bowl, which was amazing and filling!

The wait can be long depending on when you come and your group size, but the service is fast and efficient and the food comes out quickly. Everyone is super friendly and the entire vibe exudes neighborly warmth. Even though it was incredibly busy, both times our servers managed to check in on us throughout our meal. That makes a huge difference.

Con: no non-dairy option, other than creamer, for coffee, wait times can be long, not a lot of options if you are vegetarian or lactose intolerant (not really a con, just an observation), some inconsistency in how food is made (my power bowl was significantly different one day from the other...not in a better vs worse way both were delicious but it was enough to seem like a different menu option), the food is so good you will forget to take pics to share for your review!!!

Pros: affordable delicious food, great coffee, fast service, unique menu options, fresh juice, convenient text method to inform you of when a table is ready, conscientious servers, detailed nutritional information for menu items, nice area to walk around while you wait for a table, lots of parking, easily accessible, patio seating, free drink 'bar' while you wait.

I look forward to many...

I used to love First Watch and the Arlington location. I used to drive 35 mins to this location instead of one closer to me because of how great it was. Well the last few times I’ve been there, the service and food just got worse and worse. Today, my husband and I went for brunch. I ordered the farmhouse skillet hash with no tomatoes with my eggs over medium. When my food arrived the eggs weren’t cooked. I kindly told the server that the eggs weren’t cooked and asked if I could have it remade. She asked me, “you don’t want to just eat it without the eggs?” Um, no. I’d like my eggs, just how I ordered it. But I responded nicely with “no, I’d prefer to have it remade please.” I anticipated them remaking the whole dish because the raw egg was now all over the rest of the hash. I waited 10 mins. Another lady comes with just a side of eggs, dropped them off and left, without even saying anything. So I’m left with a cold dish, with raw egg all over it, that I had to scrape off in order to eat. Since initially delivering the food the first time (not the eggs remade), the server never checked on us. Never asked if we needed anything else, how the food was, nothing. MIA. Then she comes to drop the bill of and has the audacity to charge me for the extra side of eggs. I told her I’m not paying the eggs and she said “oh I forgot to take those off” mhmm. Anyways. I left hungry and irritated. For being First Watch regulars of 4 years, it’s sad that this is what...