First Watch — Restaurant in Athens-Clarke County Unified Government

I want to love this place. The location is great, the parking is convenient, the menu is outstanding and the atmosphere is lovely. However, the service is just not where it needs to be.

Where is the manager? There is no designated greeter who is responsible for seating the parties and assigning the table to servers. So the servers aren’t sure which table to take. On Thursday morning my guest was told that she could not get a clean knife because the dish washer had not come in yet to wash the dishes. Twice now I have been seated and a server never came to greet me or take my order. Several passed by me but no one looked my way. The first time I left because I didn’t have time to wait. This morning I had to go seek someone out. (Again, I am trying to be a good guest.) I found two servers sitting at a back table eating and chatting. One of the servers agreed to wait on me, and I was appreciative. I received my breakfast, and it was a bit cold. I didn’t complain. I paid my check - with tip - and as I was walking out I saw 4-5 tables with dirty dishes as people were lining up to be seated. (I have pictures, if the owner or manager would like to see.)

Who is managing this establishment? I feel like these young servers are not receiving the support they need. I sure hope they find it. From reading the other reviews of the past several months, it appears that I’m not the only customer who has had issues getting service. Once again - who is managing this establishment? It seems either no one is reading the reviews or no one cares to address the...

UPDATE 7/6/2025

I came back after my last really bad experience, and it was much better. I sat at the bar and the service was relatively quick. Great staff experience and the food was the usual good quality. I asked for eggs over medium and they were cooked perfectly.

— Came alone about 45 minutes before I needed to be somewhere. It’s a Saturday, so I knew it would be busy and I might be a few minutes late to my meeting. I got seated right away, and the waiter came up after about 5 minutes. I asked him if it was okay to go ahead and order everything, and he said “yeah that makes things easy.” After he took my menu, I looked down at my watch at the time.

After about 25 minutes, my food had not come even though the couple next to me ordered at the same time and was halfway through their meal. The waiter noticed and went to check on my order. Then he came back and said “it’s almost ready.”

My food came out a little over 30 minutes after I ordered. The eggs were overdone, but I just ate them anyway because I was in a hurry. I went to cut the sausage and the butter from the plate flung the berry preserves into my lap, completely ruining my favorite shorts. And I had no napkins so I just had to sit there for about 5 more minutes.

I ended up not eating the rest of it, paying, and running to REI to buy a $40 pair of shorts.

Some of this I admit was a perfect storm of events, but overall I’m very frustrated with my experience and don’t...

We got an early sneak preview of First Watch in Athens. It's a great location with plenty of parking . It's in the old Jason's deli building, but it doesn't look anything like Jason's deli anymore! It has a nice clean look that is welcoming and very comfortable. We were seated very quickly, and our server, Richard, took good care of us. The menu has a wide variety of options that are unique and interesting. The traditional breakfast items are all there, but there are some things you should definitely try! We tried the juice selection. These are delicious, fresh juices. I had the kale one and though I am not a kale fan I have to say it was delicious. Brisk and refreshing. The coffee was hot and they put a pitcher on the table for easy refills. I ordered a salmon frittata and my wife ordered a more traditional two eggs over easy. Both were delicious. I substituted cheese grits for the greens and they were amazing! They're very cheesy and hot. As I said, the food here is unique. It offers a delightful alternative to traditional breakfast fare. There's plenty of seating. And it feels very spacious and comfortable. It would be a great place for a casual morning breakfast or a group event. I think they close after lunch, around 2:30. My wife commented on the decor. It is very modern and yet comfortable. There's sort of a beachy feel but in a crisp...