First Watch — Restaurant in Montgomery

I am so disappointed to say I will probably never go back to this location again, if I can avoid it. My husband and I love First Watch and we were happy to have one closer to our area. We have eaten here many times mostly without issue. But the last two times have been unpleasant with the most recent time being absolutely unacceptable. I placed an order online via their website. Without getting lengthy and going into great detail, my order was not prepared as stated on the website----in fact it did not meet the description at all and was inedible. At least 2 key ingredients were completely missing from the salad. The toppings for the salad, were cooked ALL TOGETHER, WITH THE DRESSING, and placed in a cup. This was chicken, bacon, candied pecans, and salad dressing, all cooked in a skillet until it was unrecognizable mush. When I say it was horrific---we could not even eat it. I have never seen salad dressing cooked into ingredients---like sauteed---it was absolutely disgusting and just downright weird. The description (and photo) of the salad on the website read and looked absolutely nothing like what we received. It was so bizarre. We threw the entire thing in the trash. To make matters worse, when we contacted the store and spoke to the manager, they denied any wrongdoing and borderline argued with me on the phone. They kept insisting that this was how it was supposed to be served (again the description on their own website clearly stated otherwise). After I insisted we be given a refund, the manager finally agreed. A week later I received an email stating I would receive a refund. A month later, I have yet to receive a single cent of that refund. I will never see it. I am done arguing with them about it. Its not worth $12 and my sanity, but its a real shame. What was once a favorite spot has declined so much that we will not return and we will tell everyone we know about our bad experiences. I honestly hate to be "that person" complaining and writing a bad review, but it was really and truly THAT BAD. Beware. You'll get hit or miss service and zero accountability...

First Watch is an exquisite addition to the dining scene, taking over the space previously occupied by Panera Bread. The establishment is beautifully decorated, featuring a stunning painting of the Alabama State Capitol by Angela Delaplane from Delaplane Studios. The ambiance is inviting and aesthetically pleasing.

Our waitress, Mariah, provided excellent service, recommending a healthy breakfast Healthy Turkey that was absolutely delicious. The food presentation was impressive, served on beautiful plates instead of paper, styrofoam, or standard dishware. The coffee was rich and flavorful, a pleasant departure from the watery and bland brews often found elsewhere.

I also ordered the blueberry cornbread to go, and it was so delicious that it didn't last the journey home. The flavors were simply outstanding! The fresh fruit was crisp and not mushy, a testament to the quality of the ingredients used.

The atmosphere was great, and the restaurant was impeccably clean, including the bathrooms, though it’s frustrating when patrons don’t use the trash cans properly. There's ample parking available, and outdoor seating is an option, perfect for a pleasant day.

Additionally, First Watch offers the most convenient payment method I've encountered. You can scan your ticket and pay, including adding a tip, right from your phone. This ease and efficiency make the dining experience even more enjoyable.

First Watch is only open for breakfast, brunch, and lunch, making it an ideal spot for morning and midday meals. This is a top-notch establishment, and kudos to the management and staff 👏🏽for their outstanding work. I can’t wait to...

We were invited to a soft opening event for a complimentary meal. The food was okay. The omelette was fairly bland and the mixed greens in lemon dressing side for breakfast wasn't good at all. We appreciated the invite, which mentioned in small print that they would be accepting donations for a charity at the event. "Accepting"- not coercing, not mandating.

We attempted to order an extra side of pancakes off the menu and were told that we could only order one meal each with no extras. We offered to pay for the side because we wanted to try the pancakes but were told no (by a "trainer" helping the new staff) and that the registers were not even operating, and that the credit card system hadn't been set up yet. So we ate what we were allowed. We wanted to leave a tip and were told to leave cash on the table because, again, the credit card machines were not operating.

At the end of the meal we were given a bill and told to take it to the register. We assumed this was simply for tracking purposes. At the register we were immediately asked "What amount will you be donating to our charity today?" Not "Would you like to donate?" but "How much?" Super tacky. Then they proceeded to process our CREDIT CARD payment for the amount we chose, with the option to charge a tip as well. Sigh. Not a...