First Watch — Restaurant in McCandless

I usually never write reviews for restaurants but I just had a really bad experience at this place. We wanted to place an online order for a pickup but the online ordering did not allow to use the gift card we had. So, we called the store and placed a phone-in order and they said that we can pay in-store with our gift card when we pick up our food. When we got there, the cashier told me that their gift card machine was broken and we cannot use it. She told me that they found out recently (?) and can't take the gift card (we had ~$80 worth in our gift card). We were frustrated that we did not get this informed via phone before we placed the order. We ended up paying with our credit card and we were sent off with just a "sorry". Then, I also wanted to double check my order to make sure I have everything and as I was going through it in my car, it was missing some of my orders. Went back inside, and the cashier took my receipt and told us they are making the order now. Waited another 10 minutes, our food was already cold. When we finally got the missing order, we realized there was another order missing. The cashier then found out that there was a second bag on the shelf that she forgot to give it to us. We were really displeased with the overall experience and was not satisfied. All we got was our cold food and an insincere apology from the employee. (+ The food was okay. Potatoes were heavily seasoned with salt and pepper, bacon was burnt in the sandwich.)

++ sent email to the owner for follow up. No response. Really disappointed for their poor customer service. Will...

This was my first time at First Watch. I've resisted stopping here for years because, as a general rule, I only eat at chain restaurants as a last resort.

Let's start with the good. The service was very good and the staff were friendly. The restaurant seemed to be very clean and kept in good shape.

I ordered a BLT Eggs Benedict, which is what you'd expect, plus avocado and spinach. It was one of the best Eggs Benedict that I've ever had in my entire life, second only to the Borderline Cafe on Detroit Ave in Cleveland, OH.

Their lunch menu is sadly very lackluster. My daughter's turkey sandwich looked like something I made at home on a day I was too rushed to cook. She rated it as "just ok."

Like all corporate chains, the ambiance is fake and cheesy. There is a giant wall of cast iron pans and shelves of spices meant to look like a home kitchen. Neither the spices nor the pans are ever used; it's all for show.

I will always go to locally owned places first, but as far as corporate chains go, First Watch still gets ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. I'm sure I'll be back from...

Fantastic and unique menu in a charming setting. Service is always polite and attentive . I personally recommend the AM Superfoods Bowl. Prices are fair across the board and the coffee they serve is wonderful .

A few things to keep in mind. As a person with sensory issues, this place is quite loud almost always, and it can be a little overwhelming. The decibels do reach a level that management may need to look into.

Secondly, you're going to wait no matter if you use the app to check in or not . Any place this in demand means you have to plan ahead or be prepared to wait patiently if you arrive without planning ahead first.

Lastly, I called ahead specifically to buy a bag of their amazing Decaf coffee and was told " yeah we have that " only to find out the next morning that they don't even sell bags of Decaf like they do with their other coffee . It's a minor point , but make sure the staff all know what you sell and don't sell . No...