First Watch — Restaurant in Newark

Edit 03.25.25 with updated rating: After my initial review in February, I was personally contacted by the general manager/owner, Robert, who went above and beyond to make things right. He apologized for my first visit, offered a recovery experience, and even mailed me two gift cards to return. His hospitality and effort were truly appreciated!

I finally visited this past Sunday, and as expected for brunch, it was packed. I ordered an omelet, and my daughter had a waffle. While my omelet came out a bit deconstructed (which the on-duty manager, Jeremy, confirmed wasn’t how it should have been served) and my daughter’s bacon arrived cold, the team quickly corrected things. Our server, Candice, brought out fresh bacon, which was delicious once hot. The grits, however, were the real standout—absolutely amazing! My daughter’s waffle was also great, and I have to mention the mocha mint iced coffee—it was superb!

Jeremy and Candice provided 10/10 service, making the experience enjoyable. While the food overall may not be my personal favorite, I still appreciate the effort and hospitality shown. The cornbread I saw at another table looked fantastic, so I might give that a try next time.

Huge thanks to Robert for the invitation back and to Jeremy and Candice for their excellent service. I’d definitely recommend First Watch to others!

Original Review: I'm on a mission to try avocado toast from as many local spots as I can and today I tried First Watch. Unfortunately the food was underwhelming. The avocado toast seemed like an after thought. The avocado was freezing cold and the toast fell apart when I tried to pick it up as if the bread was already broken before the plate was dressed. I asked to add a side of bacon to the order, and while the bacon came out warm, it was incredibly hard and not fresh, and difficult to bite, which was a first. The eggs I had on the side were not hot, as if they had been scrambled in bulk and left to sit. While my plate was sitting on the table, there were fruit flies also eating my food. The atmosphere is great (aside from having to clean my own seat upon arrival), but if this is the highest quality of food...

Food was okay, nothing to write home about, and certainly not worth the price. The coffee was weak and tasteless, with a limited quantity of half and half provided (4 little coffee mate pods). Plastic waste is through the roof which is insulting. There is zero issues with a little pot of half and half that can be washed and reused (see model at Olive Garden). Single use straws…… clearly the focus on energy efficiency and waste reduction is lost on this establishment.

But the service was atrocious. I made a collection of the various trash items (coffee mate pods, used napkins, straw wrappers) at the end of the table for easy collection. The waitress looked directly at them twice, didn’t touch them, so we ate our meal with them sat there being ignored by her. Our 2 young kids went through all 4 of the napkins provided, so I asked for more, she brought 2 and walked off. She never once asked if we needed more coffee (our cups were empty). She never asked if we needed more half and half to replace the very obvious pods at the table end. She didn’t clear the kids empty plates away. She didn’t ask if the food came out ok, or if we needed anything, she said “it looks like the food is good,” and walked off….. Literally the least possible effort. She didn’t even serve the food, the kitchen staff did. Unapologetically, this lack of effort on her part was reflected in her tip.

We will not be back. Over priced...

Had a very disappointing experience here that I feel compelled to share. We started outside but moved to the bar because it was too hot for our party of three. That’s when things went downhill fast. Our server Sherry had an absolutely terrible attitude about us moving to the bar. She was rude, disrespectful, and completely unprofessional. What made it worse was watching her trash-talk us to her coworkers right in front of us, like we weren’t even there. Her behavior seemed discriminatory when she passed us off to another server. This kind of treatment is unacceptable and frankly embarrassing for the restaurant. Rye saved our entire experience. She was professional, attentive, and provided excellent service from the moment she took over our table. She’s exactly the kind of server who deserves recognition and a promotion. Without her, this would have been a complete disaster. Sherry’s behavior was completely out of line and needs to be addressed by management. However, Rye showed what good service looks like and is the reason we didn’t walk out. Management needs to train their staff better and hold them accountable for treating customers with basic respect. Would only return if I knew Rye was working. The restaurant has potential but needs to address serious...