First Watch — Restaurant in Raleigh

I did not like the menu, I did not like the atmosphere, I did not like the service, and I did not like the food.

Menu... this was not my kind of restaurant. I prefer simple food. This menu cares mostly about giving a stylish description of the food. The prices set expectations for an above average experience.

Service. Our waitress was absent and unavailable most of the time. We had a party of 14 but water bottles sat empty for 10-15 minutes at a time. Our food took about 30 mins to prepare, which seems long for breakfast offerings. The orders did not arrive at the table at the same time, meaning some at our table had a long wait with their dish until the last was served. Also, she didn't know what "eggs over well" meant.

Atmosphere. This venue has the modern style of high ceilings with exposed structural beams and duct work. Unfortunately this lends itself to a noisy room. It was difficult to have a conversation or even hear anyone who wasn't seated next to you.

Food. I ordered the traditional breakfast with scrambled eggs. When it came, the eggs were cold, overcooked (very firm), the potatoes were over seasoned (salt and pepper), and the toast had barely seen the heat of the toaster, so much that the butter on the slices never melted.

The one saving grace in all this was the pork link sausage that was cooked perfectly, had a full natural casing, were nice sized links. I thoroughly enjoyed the sausages.

All in all I'd been happier at Big Ed's or The...

I had a few early morning appointments across town and needed to grab food in between. Due to my mindful lifestyle and autoimmune issues, I’m very particular about the quality of ingredients, preparation, and nutrients, so I don't eat out often. I ordered the "Triathlete" plate with a side of chicken sausage and gluten-free toast.

The first plate came out with old-looking fruit, no tomatoes, no toast, no pico, and no mushrooms—half the ingredients of the dish were missing. Essentially, it was just an egg white omelette with canned green chili and onions, a few grapes, and the chicken sausage I ordered. I had to call the server over, as she hadn’t checked on me. I pointed out the missing items, and she took the dish back to be remade.

She mentioned they were out of mushrooms initially but were now cooking more. It seemed like they hoped I wouldn’t notice the missing ingredients. About 10 minutes later, the server returned with the dish, which still lacked pico and had only one piece of diced tomato. They did add more fruit, which was nice. Again, I had to call out to the server, who was hanging out at the hostess stand. I told her I was over the experience and wasn’t going to send the food back again. She brought me a box for my fruit and handed me a gift card as I left.

Overall, it was a lackluster experience and a stark reminder of why I’ve been avoiding eating out post-c0vid.

The photo is...

When I walked in the door the decore was soo nice with the tall ceiling and pleasant colors and decorations. Lots of windows to let good amount of sun light in, not direct sun light.. The wonderful host, Jasman, who met me at the door with a nice friendly smile. She also took my order and served my food in the same friendly and pleasant way she met at the door. The food was EXCELLENT! The food was cooked nicely, tasted wonderfully well. I enjoyed the coffee as well. It has a nice mellow flavor. They gave me a pot of coffee in a metal pot that keeps the coffee hot, which allows me to not only get another cup of coffee without waiting for my server to come back around, but also allows me to warm up the coffee I currently have in my cup! The portion of the food was also great! I was able to enjoy the Inspired Italian egg omelet as well as a blueberry pancake and didn't feel the need to request a wheelbarrow to help me get out the door! It was one pancake of which the size and thickness was just right to satisfy my craving for a pancake to go with the rest of my meal. To sum things up. I enjoyed my FIRST ever visit to a First Watch restaurant so much that I looked up and found one closer to where I live AND entered the location in my phone book before leaving the one I just are in. I HIGHLY recommend FIRST WATCH to ANYONE looking for a good place to ENJOY a really...