First Watch — Restaurant in Oro Valley

It was so good, my family and I ate here two mornings in a row...yes that good. We visited Tucson to attend my cousin's wedding and being the big foodie we all are, I did some online research on great brunch places....A picture of the avocado toast at First Watch was what caught my eye and after showing my family members the rest of the photos, I knew we had to go.

We showed up on a Saturday morning and there was about a 30 minute wait. My dad was reluctant to wait, but I told him, if there is this much people here on a Saturday morning in Tucson, it MUST be good! haha.

Well to our very own surprise, everything we had was amazingly delicious and flavorful! Each item on the dish was so fresh as well, from the avocados to the strawberries...yum! The next morning we were thinking we should try a new place, but thinking about how great of a meal it was the first time, my family and I came to a consensus to try something new on the menu at the same restaurant! DEAL! haha.

Most Memorable Dishes: Chickichanga - this is a definite must! Loved this so much and I wish I got it again on my second day there! Instead of a tortilla wrap, the wrap was made with eggs, kind of like a crepe, and it was filled with a bunch of flavorful southwestern ingredients...yum! Definitely worth trying.

Million Dollar Bacon - not sure if this is a special, since it's only the blackboard, but it was delicious! Four strips of bacon topped with maple syrup and brown sugar and cooked just right. The sweetness really balanced out the saltiness, perfect combo!

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes - definitely get this if you are a sweets person! The pancakes were so fluffy and light and topped with that sweet and tart lemon ricotta with strawberries, definitely a great end to an amazing brunch!

Sourdough Toast - I mean, it's just bread, but dang, that bread they use, toasted with some butter, my mom was fighting me for it from my plate! I literally had to guard her from taking another slice! hahaha. Being the good son that I am, I surrendered and gave her the last slice. lol.

Mediterranean Baked Eggs - aka "shashuka" - it was actually pretty good! Not the same as the shashuka I have had in NYC, but their rendition of the Mediterranean breakfast dish was pretty good! The tomato based sauce pairs very well with the ciabatta bread it comes with. Super flavorful!

Things I did not really enjoy - the chicken melt, the club sandwich, and the french toast. The french toast sounded really good on the menu, but when we got it, it was just okay, not terrible, just no wow factor for me. I also tried the biscuit and gravy, also just okay.

Overall, I would highly recommend this breakfast and brunch place to anyone visiting Tucson! It is a local chain (I think) but you will be getting a really good meal at a very good price (compared the East coast prices that I am used to) haha. Go...

*Sorry so long!

First of all, I absolutely love this place for the food and have written good reviews for them in the past. Having said that, I left there feeling angry this morning.

We were seated right away, which was nice. Then, we sat there. We sat there for over 10 minutes and there were probably a dozen employees (and very little customers) standing in different groups talking, plus a couple walking around & taking orders. I went up front and asked if any one of them (who were not busy) could please get us some coffee. A few minutes later I hear the loud voice of Tiffanie, our waitress (that's what receipt said). She was talking VERY loudly (from approx 2 tables away), as she crossed the dining area saying, "I hear someone needs a caffeine I.V."! Then when she gets to us she says, " I was waiting on the coffee and I have at least 2 minutes before I have to get to a table", insinuating that we sat down and immediately started complaining. I tried to tell her we didn't know that, but she just talked over us.

After that, all we got from her was short, curt answers and replies. Even though she was incredibly rude, We continued to be very polite to her and the rest of the staff (who were all very polite, as well), as we always do when dining out. We felt very uncomfortable - the other employees were looking at us, and customers around us were staring. It was disappointing, as I have always had exceptional food and service at this establishment. 😑.....

Let's hope this review makes a difference b/c there are too many other options to put up with this behavior. Happy New...

My wife and I visited our friends for four days. We went to this particular First Watch for breakfast the first morning and every morning after until we left. The food is really good, I have had it in our hometown and it is just a good place to eat food-wise all of the time. What is different was the staff. We had four different servers and they were all amazing. They were attentive and took the time to talk with us and it became evident that they all loved their jobs and working for First Watch, particularly at this location. On our last day, a man came over to help deliver our food and I asked him if he was the manager and if not, could I speak with the manager. The man said he was the manager and I took a few minutes to brag on his staff, and what a good thing they had going there. The manager was super friendly as well. These folks had a genuine caring and positive attitude which poured over into their work and made our experiences wonderful. Nowadays we are all pretty quick to tell someone when they are not doing a good job or if we are unhappy for some reason. If we are going to be that way, then we should also express our gratitude and appreciation when things are done right, and in this case done above and beyond. So, a sincere thank you again to all of you for a job well done,! We look forward to coming back to visit our "old" friends, and now our "new" friends as well. John...