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    First Watch

    4.0 (36 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 2:30 pm

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    FIRST WATCH ATMOSPHERE

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    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Strawberry Tres Leches French Toast, Smoked Salmon & Roasted Vegetable Frittata
    Hannah H.

    I would honestly given the Athen's First Watch a 4.5/5. I'm so glad I was able to try the new location. My friend and I came on a Sunday, in the early afternoon. We used the Get in Line feature on the website, which was great to get quickly seated. The restaurant is very open and even has a cute bar in center with plenty of seats We started with getting some of the fresh juices, our sever was sweet enough to give us a sample of the Watermelon Wake Up which I thought was delicious! My friend's go to is the Morning Meditation, so she went with that. Next for food, we decided to share two plates (Strawberry Tres Leches French Toast & Smoked Salmon Roasted Vegetable Frittata). The food came out fairly quick and I'm glad we decided the split the plates, since the French toast doesn't come with any sides! Both were delicious, I will say I expect my French toast to be a little more on the sweeter side and the Strawberry Tres Leches was not. Without the whipped cream, I need syrup and did not taste the cinnamon that I associate with tres leches. Overall, I enjoyed visiting the new First Watch location and will most likely be back.

    Brunch after a fantastic couples foot massage experience
    Cindy C.

    We had a fabulous fun filled morning followed by delicious brunch at First Watch. You must try the million dollar bacon and their bowls and plated meals are ample amounts and the service we received this day we went and each time is amazing. we enjoyed the ambiance of the patio where it was quieter from the clatter and noise inside the restaurant as when we walked through we immediately knew we made the right choice to sit outside as the noise was serene even with the cars and people out and about ok such a beautiful day.

    Maple Bacon, egg, sausage, apricot bacon jam, pickled jalapenos croissant sando. Trust me, it works
    Brian H.

    I'm from the West Coast and have never been to this restaurant. Everything was firing on this visit, service, food quality, cleanliness. The restaurant seemed very well cared for, which translated into a positive experience. Pictured is a maple bacon breakfast sandwich from the seasonal menu, it was so so good. I was nervous about trying a "juice bar" style juice, as those can be loaded with sugar. I had a kale tonic despite not liking kale and it was fantastic. Cucumber, apple and lemon flavors. It was great. Server left a carafe of coffee on the table for us, checked in a couple times. Really like the open kitchen concept, there's no need to hide it if it's clean, orderly and making damn good food. This would be my spot if it was in Portland!

    Blueberry cornbread seasonal menu

    The online list, the host, and the seasonal menu was wonderful! Food was delicious and we waited no time! Great guven athens always has a wait for brunch.

    Waffle  Eggs  Bacon Cheese Grits
    Mdot M.

    Went for brunch. Had to be back at work and all worked out. Service was good and the food was great. Will return.

    The Tri-fecta
    LeKwame B.

    The food was delicious HOWEVER the grits have chicken broth in them . The ambience was great and the server was fantastic. If this was out of 10 I'd rate it a 7/10 only because of the broth in the grits. Worth a try if you take account to that.

    Brad K.

    The place was nice inside our waiter was very nice the prices seem a bit high and the menu is trying too hard for a breakfast / lunch spot I had the three egg tacos and potato's Everything was good just a bit too pricey

    Honey Crunch Iced Coffee
    Shaquana T.

    As always, everything was amazing! The atmosphere, the customer service, the music, and most of all the food. My son got 'The Works Omelet' which came with ham, bacon, sausage, mushrooms, onions, cheese, & topped off with sour cream. He also had the option to get grits or seasoned potatoes with it and chose grits. Of course, I got the 'Shrimp & Grits' (It's only available summer time every year) which came with shrimp, sausage, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, scallions, cheese, and toast. (chefs kiss) The honey crunch iced coffee was so delicious. And a visit to First Watch isn't a visit without a pancake which we shared. Of course, we're going back & you should too. We love First Watch

    Elevated egg sandwich

    Got the Elevated egg sandwich. 10/10 service. And great staff to be around! .

    Oatmeal
    Jadira M.

    Went with a friend to check it out and they had a nice place but food and service was not the best. They were nice but after having a whole conversation about gluten options with the server she still brought my friend's plate out with non gluten friendly toast. Her grits were more butter than anything and just not good. My sugar was rock solid and not the best oatmeal. Glad I went but would not go back.

    Kenneth L.

    Food was good, but being my first visit to first watch it will be difficult to come back based on the server providing plastic wear with no explanation for what appeared to be an elegant breakfast when there was plenty of the real stuff available . Still scratching my head. Nor did he offer any napkins. $18 pancake experience will be remembered for the wrong reasons unfortunately . sorry

    Ambiance: lovely. It is modern, open, light and elegant...the best-looking brunch spot in town, so far as I know. One small issue: there is a glass entry way that looks like it could have doors on both sides but only has them on one side, with the effect that the host stand is pretty close to the cash register, creating two streams of traffic that cross each other at the front of the restaurant. Service: Excellent (with one quirk to be described later). I went in the early afternoon on a Wednesday. The place was about 2/3 full. I sat at the bar and got instant service. My food arrived less than ten minutes after I ordered it. The Issue: I ordered a classic Eggs Benedict. It came out with just one egg, which I managed not to notice right away despite snapping a picture. I didn't say anything. About ten minutes later, someone came by and said "We heard that one of your eggs slid off, so we made this for you." They gave me an entirely new entree (with two eggs) to go. While this is a generous solution, it's also a strange one -- if they knew without my telling them that they had served me an Egg Benedict...why serve it at all? Note also that the second one looks better than the first one overall, not just because it has an extra egg. If someone had come out and said "Sorry for the delay -- we cooked your dish but it wasn't up to our standards, so we're remaking it. Can I get you anything else in the meantime?" I would have found it entirely acceptable. Food: I thought it was fine but far from delicious. The potatoes were slightly too hard and tasted mostly like salt. As for the Benedict: the half with the egg was good. The other half wasn't: looking back at the photo I can see the Hollandaise sauce making a path where the egg must have slid off, so it basically a saucy tomato on top of dry ham on top of dry bread. Overall, I definitely could taste that I wasn't getting their best effort. If they had served me the second Benedict the first time, I would have found the food to be good but not great, probably a half step below Another Broken Egg and the Epps Bridge Flying Biscuit. As of now, they are not standing out even among Atlanta brunch franchises that have come to Athens, but I'll give them another try in a month or two.

    Waffle
    Jennifer W.

    This is a nice restaurant, the service was excellent. The food was delicious. The restaurant is new with great lighting. I will recommend this spot to friends.

    - Avocado  toast & fried eggs . - I had the pancake , bacon , & fried eggs ! - We added an order of home fries  .

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    1 month ago

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    16 days ago

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    1 year ago

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    8 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    5 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    4 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Amazing food and service. The eggs were perfectly cooked and there wasn't a wait to be seated.

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    2 years ago

    Amazing food, really good, friendly service. I eat here whenever I am in the area. Alex is especially great! Highly recommended.

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    2 years ago

    I really enjoyed the Eggs Benedict, and the waitress was efficient, helpful, and friendly. Our group will definitely return.

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    Mama's Boy

    Mama's Boy

    4.3
    (1k reviews)
    2.6 mi
    $$

    Mama's Boy was always one of my favorite restaurants when I lived in Athens, so I had to stop by…read morewhile I was back in town this weekend. It had been a couple of years since my last visit, and while they've switched to counter service now, the service was still fast and friendly. The biscuits are just as good as I remembered--soft, thick, and fluffy. I always get a side of apple butter with mine, but the raspberry jam is also worth trying. The food was every bit as delicious as I remembered. It's a restaurant that's definitely worth checking out if you're in the area!

    There is not much parking, we parked at the nearby walking trail. The staff was very friendly and…read morewelcoming. When you arrive, you order at the counter before you are seated. They got a table ready for a party of 6 pretty quickly which was great! They have two dining areas inside and outside seating available. I ordered the peach french toast with potatoes, another person ordered the cinnamon roll to start and the a biscuit with gravy. My husband ordered the pulled pork bowl on grits and a side of fried chicken . The kids had french toast with fruit. My potatoes I can tell were from a bag and not fresh cut potatoes. They were tiny and probably what you can purchase at the grocery store, so they were crunch and hard to eat. The french toast didn't have the best taste, and the peaches seemed canned. Presentation was nice but I wouldn't order that again. My husband did not enjoy his pulled pork bowl either, he said it lacked a bit of flavor. The cinnamon roll was a little hard like it had been sitting for a bit. Now for the good, the fried chicken was some of the best chicken I had tasted so whatever is being done there keep it up! The biscuits with the jam available on the table were amazing! The kids enjoyed their kids meal as well. If in Athens again we would definitely get the chicken and biscuit but skip the other items we previously ordered.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Benedict eggs with salad for brunch
    Benedict eggs with salad for brunch
    Biscuits and gravy, cinnamon roll, yogurt parfait, peach French toast

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    Biscuits and gravy, cinnamon roll, yogurt parfait, peach French toast
    South Kitchen + Bar

    South Kitchen + Bar

    4.2
    (523 reviews)
    2.1 mi
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    We had the privilege of being served by Kayla at this wonderful restaurant in downtown Athens. The…read morebuilding is stunning and Kayla was most helpful with the history. Food was delicious and well presented. Prices were affordable for a lovely night out. Trest yourself to a special night out and ask for Kayla... she can help you with all your good choices.

    I'd give this a 4.5 if I could! I had a few hiccups with timing, but the flavors and the proactive…read moreservice recovery made it a place worth returning to. The ambiance was also a vibe. The food: I went with the Fried Chicken Blue Plate. Between the regular and the Nashville Hot, the Nashville was the winner--flavorful and moist without being overwhelming with the spice. Huge shoutout to my server for suggesting the brussel sprouts; that glaze is incredible and they were easily my favorite part of the plate. The mashed sweet potatoes were unique--I'm still debating if I liked them or loved them. The jalapeño cornbread was a bit sweet for my taste but on par with most restaurant cornbread. The mac & cheese wasn't bad, but also didn't do much for me like most restaurant mac & cheese. The cocktail: Do not sleep on Nana's Naissance. I wasn't sure what to expect from the ingredients, but it's like an elevated take on Rumchata. The service: I was seated at the bar and experienced a noticeable delay--a group that arrived well after me almost finished their meal before mine arrived. However, the waitress acknowledged the wait before I even had to mention it and made things right. I really appreciate that kind of proactive service. We're all human, and they handled the situation very professionally.

    Photos
    Inheritor
    Inheritor
    Beignets
    Beignets
    View from the bar. Guinness on tap.

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    View from the bar. Guinness on tap.
    The Flying Biscuit Cafe

    The Flying Biscuit Cafe

    3.8
    (88 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    We always visit the Flying biscuit every time we are in Athens! We love everything about it, the…read morefood, the atmosphere, and the staff.

    NOTE TO SELF: DO NOT PICK FLYING BISCUIT! They do NOT have gluten free anything. Last visit, 9…read moremonths ago, I chose to eat gluten. I do that sometimes when I just can't decide but I pay for it for about a week. I don't try to do that anymore. lol I did notice many similarities so the sweet gluten must be what is good there. I consider all that processed sugar and the gluten filled garbage GMO flours to be horrible for our bodies. That happens as you learn how these foods actually affect your body and DIS-EASE! Now, I am weeding out the restaurants I will no longer eat at. If you don't care about the wellbeing of your customer's health, then you only care about $$$! I will no longer be eating at establishments that don't use quality ingredients and will focus more on Mom & Pop Locally owned places that do! These businesses need to do better so we aren't constantly sick and medicated beings! They have brainwashed us to eating garbage that other countries do not allow! The ONLY positive thing I can say is the hostess was on point! She was constantly working, bouncing around, handling things, completely pleasant with a smile on her face. She is the reason for 2* and not 1. She was the only 1! I'm only giving a description of her so she is recognized because I do not know her name. Cute dark skinned woman with her hair pulled back with a head band/wrap. She deserves a raise and employee of the month! Everyone else seemed pissy or too concerned with whatever gossip they had to chat about. Waitress literally said, "They just consider it gluten friendly by taking the bread off". Not even grits or potatoes are listed as "GF". Manager came out to explain why grits weren't GF. Idk why they try to appear "healthy". They offer alternatives to pork, but that's about it. Manager said the grits company doesn't claim to be GF so therefore they don't. Well, if the company isn't claiming it, they are most likely using the cheapest of the cheap GMO'd corn! Obviously, just my opinion, but I'm so tired of these restaurants charging so much for garbage food. Waitress is extremely pleasant! lol That is sarcasm for anyone not tracking. Brought the hubs unsweet tea when he ordered sweet! Lol Asked if we were ready to order 3x in less than 5 min while our heads were still down staring at the menus. Then, when we were ready, she was taking money for a guy at the bar, serving another table a beverage, and serving another table their food, while 3 other employees stood around a cleaning station chatting. An elderly gentleman and his caregiver came in but the hostess was outside for some reason. He sat himself at a dirty table. They ignored him until he started waving his arm at staff. I saw the interaction prior. 1 employee saw what he had done and told the others but they ignored the dirty table and the people until he got agitated. Then, they moved him to the table behind him, that they did clean while he was sitting there waiting to be acknowledged. We needed a quick bite in between Dr appts. I wish we had driven a bit further rather than coming here. I'm not hopeful for the cheese grits with turkey bacon I selected because nothing else was appealing and wouldn't destroy my stomach. Guess I'll deal with inflammation today from the gmo corn. The hubs got an egg and cheese biscuit. She didn't ask him how he wanted his eggs cooked or what kind of cheese. It's a mystery what he will get lol. Yes! I am writing this while sitting here! lol It's been 10+ minutes since the old man moved tables and the table he sat at is STILL dirty with dishes. Waitress just came to inform us, after waiting 20 minutes already, that they put pork bacon in my grits so it's going to be a few more minutes. I'm confused??? Why is my husband's food not being brought out? That means his is sitting back there waiting on my GRITS! Come on! 5 more minutes and the results???? Absolutely the most disgusting thing I've ever seen brought out. Check out the picture! lol what on earth is that even? Tasted like generic cheese soup dumped on top of a tiny bowl of semi good grits with half a slice of bacon cut up in it. They called that "Loaded" grits. Lol It was disgusting and those grits are NOT creamy or dreamy! They are so cheap they don't even get the GF tag. lol The hubs biscuit was horribly dry, so little egg you couldn't see it, and the "moon dusted" potatoes tasted like yesterday's home fries, with no dusting or even salt. Quite literally the worst food and service I have seen in a long time! Watched 2 servers NOT sit a family with a girl on crutches, waiting for the hostess to finish dealing with a to-go order. It was like no one helps anyone in there and the customer is last on the priority list!

    Photos
    The bar
    The bar
    Biscuits n sage chicken sausage gravy with scrambled eggs, home fries (didn't have magic dust and tasted old)
    Biscuits n sage chicken sausage gravy with scrambled eggs, home fries (didn't have magic dust and tasted old)
    The Flying Biscuit Cafe

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    First Watch - tradamerican - Updated July 2026

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