First Watch — Restaurant in Lauderhill

My recent visit to First Watch left me with mixed feelings, largely due to the disparity between exceptional service and disappointing culinary execution. From the moment we arrived, Taylor, our server, set the tone for a pleasant experience with her attentive and friendly demeanor. However, the overall impression was marred by several shortcomings in the kitchen.

Despite a relatively short wait, I found it puzzling that we had to linger at the podium after receiving the "table ready" text. Furthermore, the decision to charge for coffee, particularly when it falls short in quality, struck me as an unfortunate oversight for a breakfast spot.

My order of Biscuits & Turkey Sausage Gravy with Eggs arrived with burnt biscuits and improperly cooked eggs, despite requesting them over hard. Similarly, the Holey Donuts were disappointingly greasy, as if they had been sitting in oil for too long. Even the French Toast, a seemingly simple dish, was undercooked and cold upon arrival, hinting at a lack of attention to detail in the kitchen.

However, amidst these culinary missteps, Taylor's exemplary service shone through. She promptly addressed the issues with my dish, demonstrating genuine concern and ensuring that our dining experience was salvaged to the best of her ability. Taylor's professionalism, coupled with her genuine care for her customers, elevated our dining experience from merely satisfactory to truly memorable. It's rare to encounter a server who embodies hospitality with such grace and sincerity, and for that, Taylor deserves the highest commendation.

The ambiance of the restaurant was relaxed and inviting, with thoughtful lighting and decor contributing to a pleasant atmosphere. Yet, it's undeniable that the heart of any dining establishment lies in its kitchen, and in this regard, First Watch fell short of expectations.

While the exceptional service provided by Taylor compels me to consider giving this establishment another chance, the subpar quality of the dishes leaves much to be desired. For a dining experience where every element should harmonize, the inconsistency in food quality remains a significant concern. First Watch has the potential to excel, but improvements in kitchen operations are imperative to ensure a consistently satisfying experience...

So I normally dine in at this location but decided to get take out this morning instead. Dining in here isn’t nearly as good as the other locations but it will make fue because it’s the closest location to me. Well pick up was way worse. I went in to pick up and handed my gift card and then was asked if I’ll be tipping on my card. I was a little taken back as now I felt pressured to tip on a pick up order which I hadn’t originally planned to. Then after handing over my gift cards, the hostess is having an issue because she doesn’t know how to enter them into the machine. Then I see she has charged my card but still looks very confused. I let her know I’ll just rip cash and to just hang back th gift back. At this point it’s PACKED as it’s a Sunday morning at 10 am. Also she handed me my fairly heavy bag of food PRIOR to even taking my payment, so I’m holding this food for the 10 minutes of her trying to figure this out. After telling her I’ll tip cash to just hand me back my card she mumbles “it’s not about the tip” and doesn’t give me any clear answer as to what’s going on. Manager comes over, helps and I’m handed my drinks and am on my way. I had to ask for a drink holder as this hostess tries to hand me two individual drinks while my hands are clearly already full. Then I get to the car and realize I was given the wrong size OJ and the two soups are balancing in the bag. I had to drive with the soup in my lap so it wouldn’t spill. Quite frankly, that whole thing was a disaster. That hostess not only needed to smile more as she looked frazzled and panicked, but needed more training and more help from her colleges as they just watched her fail and struggle and only the manager would help. And the kitchen needs to do a better job of packing to go orders and reading the ticket to make sure it’s correct. I didn’t even get an itemized receipt, only my gift card receipt so I can’t even give you an order number to refer to. This was just a bad experience compared to Deerfield and Boca location and it seems like every time I come here they care less and less. Giving 3 stars because the...

Sunday Morning 5/30, Breakfast during Memorial Weekend. I normally go to the First Watch in Coral Springs but lately they have been too packed and the waiting period is more than an 1hour wait. I decided to go to the one on Commercial Blvd that I hear you don't have to wait so long. On this day a lot of the staff decided to call in and they were short handed. The waitress who was serving our table her name was Hanna. What I did like about Hanna she did tell my husband and I that we would encounter a little delay being served as they were short staff today. I would like to remind all the "Walking in Customers" please pack the patients when you do visit any restaurant. I feel the waiters and waitress don't get enough credit for serving us. I did witness a couple who acted irate as he received his food cold after waiting for 1/2 hour. As my husband and I witness, The Manager did come over and apologized and explained the situation but this couple did not want to hear any explanation. We also had the same situation where my husband received his pancake cold. The Manager approached out table and we explained he listened yet we understood what was happening. The Manager Andrew Pennerman and his staff were excellent in responding and jumping in and also assisting his staff to get the food out as soon as possible and he did compensate the irate couple who had a very low tolerance level, and he brought my husband out a hot pancake that he was able to enjoy. We as customers have to learn to have an open mind and pack a little patients when going to our local restaurants. Things do happen on a daily basis and I want to give KUDOS to The Manager Andrew Pennerman for going above an beyond with his team in providing excellent CUSTOMER ECCENTRICITY!!! Shout out to our waitress Ms. Hanna and the rest of the staff for keeping it together while the majority of the employees did not make it to work on Memorial Weekend. My hubby and I enjoy coming to our favorite breakfast place and being served by awesome people. Wanted to Share...People do forget to be KIND to other people. ...