First Watch — Restaurant in Virginia

Had a delightful brunch with a friend at First Watch in South Riding. Pro tip: we used the app to get on the waitlist ahead of time, which really cuts down on the wait during morning rush.

Plenty of parking in front. Waiting area and vestibule is a little small, so in the winter you’ll want to use their app (per tip above) so you’re not crammed in like sardines.

We were seated at a 2-top in the corner by the windows. Great spot. But word of caution: the din is quite loud during weekend brunch, esp with kids at tables with larger parties nearby. It was hard to hear each other seated directly across from another at times.

We started with coffee of course. The bowl of creamers was overrun with vanilla and hazelnut flavored creamers, and just one sad unflavored one. We asked for more unflavored when our server returned. Also asked for more ketchup later in the meal, as our bottle was tapped out and spitting last remnants onto our plates.

My friend ordered the Purple Haze juice combo (see pic), which I tried and concurred it was very tasty. I stuck with straight orange juice. Their juices, no matter what you get, are a must try. Haven’t had a bad one yet. Ask for a sample if you’re wary of the unique combo; they’ll bring you a tiny metal tin of it to try!

We ordered the smoked salmon frittata (as recommended by our server) and the classic eggs Benedict, both with seasoned potatoes rather than salad. We also ordered a French toast to split like an appetizer because we are total gluttons.

We sat for several hours and never felt rushed. Our server was excellent and came back to refill our coffee pot about halfway through our visit.

Solid brunch option with plenty of variety on the menu for all diets and dietary restrictions. Excellent meal with just the right amount of “extra”....

I like the concept, the fresh ingredients, made me feel better about eating here as opposed to another popular breakfast place down the street. We ordered take out. Online ordering wasn't working, maybe because it was about a half hour before they closed, but that was a mistake. My husband waited about an hour for 2 meals and 2 drinks, we probably won't do that again. I got a turkey sandwich, which I would say is not a specialty of a breakfast place, so it's probably my fault. The picture made it look so good, but it wasn't the turkey I expected, or what the picture showed (I thought it was a different kind that I prefer more). It was ok, but I only ate half. There was a ton of turkey and I liked the mixed greens on it rather than just lettuce. I appreciated being able to get soup or mixed greens as a side, but "mixed greens" is apparently just that. It caught me off guard there were no salad toppings, just greens and dressing. However, the greens tasted delicious. Hard to explain, but they were so flavorful, like JUST picked. My husband got some French toast and his was really good and I don't even like French toast! I'm not a big breakfast person in general, but I'll probably try breakfast next time. We want to dine in and try it that way. I guess my biggest complaint are the juices. They're pretty good, although you don't get the sugar rim on to go juices. The problem is the amount of juice you get. It's sad. I should have measured it before my husband accidentally chugged them both. I'm guessing it's about 1/4 cup, if that, of liquid and the rest is ice! My picture is one of the juice cups, showing all ice, and this was about 30 minutes after my husband...

Swung by this spot for an early morning breakfast. I had the French Toast, on a whim. Overall, decent spot (nothing great, mind you!)

I came by here as I was in the area. I had just finished a workout at a gym nearby, and this was close to there.

Hostess was not that kind to me, and seemed kind of out of it, if you'd ask me. I didn't stop to ask questions as it was bit early in the morn to start getting testy, at any rate.

Dined in, got a table near the window. On a whim, I decided on fresh Orange Juice (OJ) -- the small size -- and just plain French Toast (FT), hovering at around 600 calories. I know, I know. What was I thinking? I probably gained back the same calories I'd lost as part of the workout.

Long story short, OJ was decent but not the greatest OJ in all the history of ever. Go figure. The FT itself was rather bland, not too tasty or flavorful. Came with some raspberry or fruit syrup, went decently with FT but not over the top. Actually, there was a pitcher of Maple Syrup that the waitress brought over, but I promptly forgot about it and never used it on the FT. What a waste. The FT was only decent by itself though.

As far as ambiance, lot of blue walls the same color, and over large posters were not engaging to me. I performed the hypothetical yawn.

Overall, decent spot for breakfast, nothing like seeing a green man riding a paper-mache cow on the moon. I think that would be pretty cool, yeah? Anyway, dope. I might be back if I'm ever in the area. Gotta watch those calories tho, friend. Those will get...