First Watch — Restaurant in Columbia

This was my last trip to First Watch. I’ve always known they were overpriced, but lately the prices have gone up even more — and now they’re even charging a fee for “bagging materials.” That would be easier to swallow if the service matched the price point, but my last three visits have all been bad enough to seal the deal for me.

Strike One: A couple of weeks ago, I placed a pickup order for breakfast before work. It said it would be ready at 7:15. I arrived at 7:12 and stood there waiting. No one else was in the restaurant except one man seated at a table. After waiting far too long, I finally walked back to see what was going on and found the employee in the kitchen trying to bag up three different orders at once. None of those other customers were even there to pick up their food yet. Instead of handing me my order (the only customer physically present), she made me wait while she bagged everything together. That makes no sense. She should have bagged mine, given it to me, and then finished the others. I ended up late to work because of it.

Strike Two: The following weekend, I ordered again — and found a short brown hair in my food. They did refund me, but it was gross and unacceptable.

Strike Three: This weekend was the final straw. I placed an order for pickup, and it was supposed to be ready at 11:04. I showed up, couldn’t find my bag, and asked two different employees about the status. One never followed up, and the other said it was “still cooking.” Then suddenly, my bag appeared out of nowhere — 15 minutes later than the quoted time. By the time I got home (a two-minute drive), the food was cold. I had no condiments, no jelly, no utensils, nothing. For $22 for a Farmhouse Hash and a side of bacon, the least I expect is not to have to reheat my own breakfast and eat dry toast. And let’s be honest — $22 is already extremely expensive for what is basically potatoes, eggs, bacon, avocado, a little cheese, and four strips of bacon. To add insult to injury, I had to stand around waiting while staff had no idea what was going on, then go home and heat it myself. At that point, what’s the benefit of eating at First Watch instead of cooking at home? There isn’t one.

When I first started coming to this location, they were on top of everything — accurate orders, hot food, fast service. Now, it feels like they’ve completely gone downhill. Between being made late for work, finding a hair in my food, and having to reheat a $22 breakfast that didn’t even come with condiments, I’m done.

If I’m going to wait this long, I might as well cook at home for cheaper, with my own condiments, and without the frustration. First Watch has officially struck...

My recent visit to First Watch left me deeply disappointed and frustrated with their abysmally slow service. I had heard positive things about the restaurant's ambiance and cuisine, but unfortunately, their inefficiency overshadowed any potential enjoyment.

Upon entering the restaurant, we were seated promptly, and our hopes were high. However, the initial enthusiasm quickly turned into frustration as we waited an exorbitant amount of time for a server to approach our table. It seemed as though the staff was understaffed or simply unmotivated, as the lack of attention and urgency was apparent throughout our entire dining experience.

The agony continued as we ordered our food, which took an agonizingly long time to arrive. The kitchen seemed to be moving at a glacial pace, and our hunger only grew with each passing minute. The slow service made us feel neglected and undervalued as customers. It was evident that the restaurant did not prioritize delivering a timely dining experience.

Even when the food finally arrived, it was clear that the prolonged wait had affected the quality. Our dishes appeared rushed and poorly presented, indicating a lack of attention to detail in the kitchen. The flavors were underwhelming, and it seemed as though the kitchen staff was more focused on rushing out orders rather than ensuring a satisfactory culinary experience.

The absence of attentive service persisted throughout our meal, with empty water glasses going unnoticed, and requests for condiments or additional napkins taking an eternity to fulfill. This level of negligence only compounded our frustration and made us regret choosing this establishment for our dining occasion.

In an age where customers value their time and expect efficient service, it is disheartening to encounter a restaurant that falls so far short of meeting those expectations. The slow service at First Watch not only tainted our overall experience but also made us question the establishment's commitment to customer satisfaction.

I regret to say that I cannot recommend First Watch based on this experience. Until they address their glaring service issues and improve their efficiency, diners should be wary of the frustratingly slow experience they...

HORRIBLE experience. I ear at First Watches often. Kansas City experience’s only. After a morning running cross-country the wife and I took out son for a healthy refueling session. We used the app to ‘get in line’ . Once we arrived and checked in we were told it would be about 15 minutes longer. WELL - wrong. Try 35 minutes longer. So technically we started the process 20 minutes before we arrived. We understand and are very patient in these strange post-covid times with limited services. However, when you watch people constantly leaving because the wait being told to potential patrons is now ‘at least’ 45 minutes. Not one did I experience a manager onsite walking around “managing “ the staff like I often have seen at your other restaurants. We literally stared at a 3 dirty table that sat for, not imagining time here, for 28 minutes. The seating hostess , pictures with menu, could have easily cleaned a table to expedite seating process for ALL. Long story summary- AVOID this location if you are time conscious! Staring at 4 empty tables (yes stayed empty entire time) and 3 dirty tables while you are constantly turning away customers is not a very successful model for...