First Watch — Restaurant in Bel Air

UPDATE 12/20/24

I gave it the college try and I'm so glad I did. I've been back at least 8 times since my initial visit and I'm very happy to report that all the kinks have been worked out. Great food, great service, and greeted with smiles on the reg. The "friendly lady" mentioned below, Kay, is a manager and she is absolutely amazing. We've developed an awesome plutonic relationship and chat frequently. My faves are the PowerFoods Bowl, Chorizo Omelette, and the Biscuits and Gravy. Well worth the wait!!

Initial Appearance 11/24

Oiks...not a good start. I came in on a Monday and sat at the bar/counter area. A friendly lady wiped my spot down (and dried it), gave me a menu, smiled, was polite, etc., told me the server would be right with me, and it went downhill from there. Instead of greeting me, the server (not sure of her name but I think it started with a "K") stood at the POS for a good 5 minutes poking around on the screen. After that, she started picking up dirty plates/bussing the counter rather than greeting me or the other couple who sat down next to me around the same time. She didn't even bother to look up or take notice of her new round of guests. After another few minutes, she came over to me with a not-so-pleasant demeanor and took my order. I then waited another 5 minutes to get a cup of coffee (after asking another employee to get it for me). Other than the first lady who gave me a menu, the only highlight was the short time it took to get my food. I got some Turkey Omelette which was subpar. It had a thin layer of deli meat and a shortage of feta cheese. The caramelized onions were the star but everything else came up hella short. An older lady eventually sat on the other side of me and had the same experience I had re: waiting for coffee, waiting to order, etc. The server replied "I'm just doing my best" and my immediate thought was "Sheesh...if that's your best I'd hate to see your worst." The lady wound up sending her food back upon arrival because it all came out cold. My expectations were high given all the hype so this was a huge disappointment. I'll bring the fam, give it another try, and update my rating accordingly. Until then, I'll direct my business elsewhere. Two...

TLDR: Overhyped and not worth the wait. Chain restaurant profiting off of high-volume breakfast. Business savvy location and operation, but lacks the charm of any small local options. I won't be back.

Food: I had the Eggs Benedict (classic style) with a side of seasoned potatoes. My daughter had the chickichanga with a side of pork sausage. I had coffee, and she had a kale tonic juice drink.

The eggs benedict was good overall. The hollandaise sauce was lemon forward, which was a nice contrast to the richness of the yolk. The poached egg was cold though, and the ham lacked flavor. The ciabatta bread was ok, but I honestly would have preferred an english muffin. The mixed greens had no flavor, despite being advertised as "lemon dressed".

The seasoned potatoes were slightly better than your average diner. The coffee was pretty weak, even by diner standards. Think Perkins coffee.

My daughter enjoyed her meal and the juice drink, particularly the side of sausage. I tried the sausage as well, and thought it was good.

Staff: Waiter was friendly and attentive. Kitchen was slow in production, but this was expected. The restaurant has been mobbed since it was opened.

Atmosphere: LOUD. I'll say it again... since after eating there you may be hard of hearing... LOUD. Place is packed, and has the typical industrial unfinished ceiling. No sound absorbing pads, dividers or anything. Very unpleasant, and my tween daughter remarked that she was overwhelmed and had a knot in her stomach while eating due to how loud the restaurant was.

Wait Time and Process: I checked in online with an estimated 35-50 minute wait. Text message said to check in when you arrive to confirm your place. I arrived 30 minutes after the online checkin, to wait in a 20 minute line for the on-site checkin. After the on-site checkin, we waited for an additional 10 minutes before we were seated for a total of a one hour wait.

Walk-in potential customers inevitably walked out after spending significant time waiting in a long line, only to be told that there was an hour plus wait...

Yes, you will have to wait, because it was busy, unless you want to sit at the small 'bar' where there may or may not be seating. The table for two had two mugs for coffee waiting with refills provided by a small caraff. Thank goodness I did not have to use a phone to see a menu. I ordered the 'Traditional' breakfast with no changes for a good comparison. It came promptly carried by a person dedicated to bringing the food as rapidly as possible to your table! The potatoes were HOT! not so much the other items .. why? hot food waiting on a cold plate = warm food and warm plate. The eggs were light, fluffy and fully cooked as requested. The bacon was plentiful and good with one piece VERY overcooked but all others done great. The bread was provided multigrain, toasted but not too toasted, and buttered. They provide a little cup with jelly (not too sure if a choice of jelly types). The waiter service was all business, not pleasant nor welcoming but acceptable. The table next to me had a waitress which made the folks at their table feel welcome. The menu choices were varied with traditional, healthy and other options. ASK your waiter for options! The environment was open much like a warehouse, noisy with people talking to be heard, and much going on like folks and servers walking, coats on/off, etc. Peaceful: not. You can take your coat off since the temperature inside was pleasant. Yes, I will come back and I do recommend especially for folks with parties with varied food wants/needs. Update: a week ago i brought my wife and she ate a breakfast. Today , I asked her if she wanted to go back or go to the 'normal' place we go. Answer: when did we go there? I replied with the date and what she ate. She honestly did not remember the meal she ate. (No she is not ill!) The meal made 0 impact on her. She did remember me being unhappy with my eggs Benedict but her meal it was if she did not eat. Well at least I got my answer, we eat at the...