Decided to give this place another try and the service was so much better! Just be wary when going during super busy hours. But the food will definitely NOT disappoint. It's always amazing read more

First Watch - Omelette with greens and toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

I am a person that can eat breakfast/brunch food all day every day. First Watch is a very nice restaurant, and the service was good ( waitress was pleasant) . However, the food was not good. I ordered French toast with a side of bacon, and my husband had the full breakfast ( eggs over easy, with ham , potatoes, and toast). FIRST issue was the food was not hot. When returned, still not as hot as food should be, the eggs were super well done and the bacon was BEYOND done. So, I came, I saw, and I left... Never to return. read more

First Watch - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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I almost didn't visit this location because of the reviews. I came on a weekday morning and everything was great! (9am-ish) The only downside is their coffee. Don't bother. But the fresh squeezed orange juice was amazing. And I will definitely come back to try something else on the menu. I think avoiding weekends or their busy rush-hour is the best solution. The omelette I ordered was fantastic and they even let me substitute the meat. The preserves for the toast was amazing! Great service. I was pleased. read more

First Watch - Egg white omelette with chicken sausage - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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Smooth breakfast/brunch spot off of Dobbin Road. I highly enjoyed my tri·fect·a /trīfekt/ . I chose the waffle, scrambled eggs w/ cheese and the turkey sausage patty. I was pleased and I'm looking forward to trying other things on the menu. Make sure to use the app to get in line on busy days. read more

First Watch - tri·fect·a. /trīfekt/ Fresh Waffle, scrambled eggs w/ cheddar and a Turkey sausage patty!! $10.50 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

It was a very nice place for a late breakfast early lunch meal. The food was very good and the service was fantastic, no pressure on us to leave or anything like that. I look forward to returning. read more

I'm done with this place. It's a shame since the food is decent when not cold and so is the hot chocolate. However, the staff keep getting ruder and ruder. I went a few weeks ago and the two hostesses with shaved heads, tats and piercings were seating people they felt deserved to sit before seating those who checked in online because they waited a long time. How do I know you may ask? Because I heard them saying oh let's sit so and so before because they've been standing there. Yet me and another person were next in line because we got in line "online" but I called them out and they told me to "chill" and sat us down with an attitude. I'm sure they did this all the time. Why have an online check in then. I decided to take a break from the attitude and slow service. After a few months, I finally went back and again used the online "get in line" tool and when I arrived we were seated right away. However, it went downhill from there. When I tell you it took an hour from the time we placed our orders till the food arriving I am not lying. I looked at the clock. An hour during a weekday morning. It wasn't full or packed. Despite my rants on yelp, I am very sweet and nice when asking about our food or extra napkins. Our server was annoyed that I asked him twice for napkins and our food. If he would of brought the napkins the first time, I wouldn't have asked again. And I shouldn't have to wait an hour for my food and not ask about it. The audacity of that guy. When our food did come, the hostess brought it out and she slammed the plate down and all the fruit salad spilled all over the counter and she was not sorry and did not bring a replacement. Honestly, forget this place. Roggenart, IHOP and Eggspectation are way better and within the same vicinity. Do better First Watch. Hire people with professionalism and that want to work. read more

The food was excellent and so filling! The portion sizes were great. The wait time, on the other hand, was a bit long but I suppose since it's COVID time and making sure to space out tables, it's to be expected. All in all, this restaurant is a place I will definitely revisit. read more

No, no, no. This place misses in a couple of ways. The food was edible, but not really prepared well. Scrambled eggs should not be hard as if fried. They should be scrambled before cooking. If you still see the whites that's wrong. The bacon was thin and hard as a rock. I think jerky is softer. The pancake was the savior of th plate. It was good except it should not be decribed as "huge" -.or whatever word was used on the menu. A large diameter does not make huge, they also should be thick. The service was fine, not extraordinary just fine. Oh, how can I forget, it was very loud. I should have just trusted the prior reviews. I belive I am being generous with my rating. read more

Always good service. Great food. Great dishes with a great variety. Just always packed. I suggest going early. And don't skip on the coffee!

So First Watch asked me to come back and I took them up on their offer. I have to say the second visit was a big improvement. We ordered the french toast with eggs and potatoes which was very good all around. I enjoyed the elevated egg sandwich sans bacon. But my favorite was the farmhouse hash sans bacon. I think I would love it if they added the roasted tomato, onions, and melted cheese from the hash to the elevated egg sandwich. That would be ideal. The morning meditation juice has a nice gingery kick to it. I appreciate that they have a constantly changing seasonal menu and unique drink options other than the usual coffee and soda. They won me over this time and I've added this place to the breakfast rotation. read more

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Need vegan options. My husband and kids loved the breakfast items. The waitress was phenomenal.

The just might be the leading location in the chain. I've been a customer since theColumbia location opened, even through the pandemic the dining experience that includes customer service and food presentation and quality exceeds my expectations. After being served splendidly by Bria, our party of 4 had to share appreciation to John, the Manager. Two members of our party dine at First Watch in another state but was impressed by the difference. John's warmth and enjoyment of his profession is evident throughout the resturant. He represents the company well. We enjoy our experience at the Columbia First Watch and recommend this restaurant!! read more

Food was late. Stood at the front door for 10 minutes as wait staff walked by and never recognized someone standing at the desk. First waitress went to get my order and just never came back leaving it on the counter in the back. Second waiter that talked to me actually picked it up and brought it to me. The phone does not get answered when calling. read more

Horrible take-out experience. No social distancing in the restaurant for dine in or takeout. We placed our order on the app and when we arrived were told it would be an extra 45 minutes. We asked if they would text us or email when our order was ready. They said no. After waiting inside fir 15 minutes they kicked everyone out of the restaurant. Still wouldn't say how we would know when our order is ready. We tried calling from the car to cancel our order and the hung up on us. Terrible customer experience. read more

Came here for my son's birthday breakfast and we had a great visit. We were seated at a large table for even just the 3 of us and seen right away. The waitress brought my son a birthday hot chocolate and my mom was pleased it was cool in the restaurant. When our breakfast was served, the waitress informed me that my pancakes looked overdone so she asked them to make new ones, which I appreciated but did have to wait for. Food was yummy, especially the potatoes. It is quite loud in there which is great when you have a screechy toddler, but if it were just my husband and I, I might be annoyed. #1 critic: they need better coffee!!! Wayyyy too bland. Overall though, good experience and we will be back. read more

Sooo good! It's a small restaurant tucked away off of rt 175. FYI-They close at 2 pm. The portions are good and friendly waitress. Way better than Panera across the street; quality of the food cannot be compared! read more

Best breakfast and brunch spot. The servers are great, and always energetic. Great atmosphere and hustle by the crew, thanks for everything!

Excellent brunch place. Food is delicious and I like their rotating seasonal menu. I also like their wait-in-line feature in their app, because the place is super packed on the weekends. Hands down, one of the best brunch restaurants in Columbia. My only wish is that this location was as large as their Laurel location. read more

First Watch - Cornbread Carnitas Bowl (from seasonal menu) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Delicious breakfast. Friendly staff. Lots of fram fresh options to choose from. I highly recommend. read more

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Overall, a good option given how few choices there are in Columbia. However, I called ahead to see how long the wait for 2 people would be - to which they just said "30 minutes." After arriving at the restaurant 5 minutes later (10:30AM) they said the wait would be between 45 mins to an hour. Thinking this was an overestimate, we waited. However, it took the entire hour to get seated, even though there were many tables that were open - it was clear there were not enough servers to wait on all the tables. Once we were finally seated, it took 20 minutes for any waiter to come to us (he said "have you been waited on yet" so don't even believe he was supposed to be our waiter). Once we ordered, it took an extra 30 minutes to get our food. Finally, once we were finished it took 20 more minutes to get our check. Overall, this breakfast that should've taken one hour turned into 2 hours for no reason. Resulting in longer wait times for others. Will likely not be going back even though the food was pretty good. TOTAL SHAME because the First Watch locations in rockville are run significantly more efficiently and better. Would rather drive to Rockville then go back to the Columbia location. read more

Man, I was so looking forward to the first time I got to sit down at First Watch! I mean The reviews for all of the locations are fantastic! Then when you take a look at their menu, any good food he becomes inspired, excited, and begin to salivate. However my experience was solidly mediocre. I will say that my biggest complaint was the service. We had to wait five minutes after walking in before anyone even acknowledged that we existed. I do think they were understaffed, I certainly hope so, considering that staff just walked right by us multiple times. We asked to be seated outside because the lunch rush was in full swing and it was very loud and echoey inside. We took a seat outside and glanced over at the other outdoor tables which were empty, but had not been bussed. We made a bet as to how long the old dishes and trash had been sitting there. What was even more striking to me, was that none of the staff seemed interested in clearing those tables throughout the entire time we were there. So we get seated and take a look at the menu. Because I take my yelping very seriously, I had already scoped out the menu and reviews dependent point the best meal for me today. I decided to get the chicken avocado chopped salad sans feta. My wife decided to get the turkey sausage biscuits and gravy which were also calling my name, but luckily I got to have a bite of hers. She got the sunrise drink and I got the hibiscus limeade. Da Food: My chicken avocado chopped salad was very flavorful and satisfying. However, all salads are supposed to come with a side of chiabta bread, but I guess they decided that I was on a no carb diet today, because I didn't get any :( #gimmemybread Biscuits and turkey sausage gravy was nice. The wife really enjoyed the crispy browned potatoes that were well seasoned. Her only complaint was that the biscuits were a bit to dry. Dranks: Hibiscus limeade was tart, but refreshing on a hot day. The wife enjoyed her sunrise drink, when I gave it a sip I could really taste all the vegetables and fruits that had gone into it. The deal: we will be back because this is a fun new spot in our neighborhood. Also, despite the poor service experience, our waitress was very nice, though not too attentive. Like I said, I am going to assume that they were understaffed and very busy. Being seated outside is something we might skip next time, because it kind of felt like we got put outside and forgot about. read more

First Watch - Un-bussed tables ain't a good look. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

This location seems small compared to others. Seem crowded all the time. Wait staff was ok could tell they were new

This was so good! I ordered the Floridian French Toast and got it to go. I know it looks a mess but that was my doing and the fruit was fresh. I'll be returning before the end of the week I'm sure read more

First Watch - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Excellent place for breakfast. Very spacious. Great for bringing kids. And I would definitely recommend the avocado toast. read more

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I've been to a number of First Watch locations, and its one of the most consistently tasty and efficient chains I've had the pleasure of visiting. All the breakfast items are done very well, and the menu has a diverse array of healthy options and indulgences alike. The service is always quick and the coffee's good. What more can you ask for? read more

The Food quality was spotty before it shut down because of coronavirus. Honestly, I was a bit tentative about ordering from them but now, I'm just not going to bother with them. I called to make an order and they wouldn't even accept the order. He told me I HAD to order online. Even though, what I wanted was special order. But, the guy on the phone couldn't bother to listen to what I wanted, he just told me I need to order online. Way to make it real customer friendly first watch! read more

only waited 20 minutes before leaving without anyone saying anything to us. won't even comment on the food because we were never seated. won't be coming back to try again. read more

This place is great! We had to wait a long time and the service wasn't that great which is why I only gave 4 stars. Our meals were great. We both got power bowls which were naturally gluten free. I wish this place was open longer than for just breakfast! read more

First Watch - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

The food is decent. I ordered the salmon frittata. It had plenty of salmon, which I consistently enjoyed with each bite up until the final few. Then I tasted other ingredients that I hadn't previously tasted. Hmm seems like the ingredients need to be evenly spread throughout the frittata. I didn't like that the whole grain toast came prebuttered. I was trying to eat healthy, so had I known they'd be prebuttered, I'd have asked them not to do so. But the jam was good. I need for them to fix the waiting area/paying customers exiting. It just seemed to be a big mess by the door with some folks waiting to pay and others waiting to sit down. One lady was handling both, and it just seemed like too much going on. I noticed several groups of people leave opting not to entertain the mess of a wait. My waiter was pretty cool. The food was decent, so I'll go back to try some of the other options. read more

I had never heard of this restaurant until recently when a family member ranted and raved about their lunch experience. As recommended, I ordered the Market Veggie sandwich and Tomato Basil soup for lunch. Let me say....this was such a flavorful sandwich for it to be composed of only veggies and no meat. The artisan multigrain bread was buttery and grilled to perfection. It had the perfect crunch which led to this deliciously melted cheese over a beautifully seasoned melange of sauteed vegetables. Next time, I will just ask that they go a little lighter on the mayo. Other than that, it was perfection. The soup was a good accompaniment to provide a little warmth on a chilly day. I will definitely return soon to order this same meal or maybe try some of the other highly recommended breakfast menu selections. read more

I ordered the ultimate chicken nachos and got chips with a little bit of toppings. Granted I know it was near close time but I know it's not hard to put cheese on NACHOS. I've worked customer service and understand it can be busy but this literally an easy order. Really disappointed and hope they improve for the next customer. read more

First Watch - Ultimate chicken nachos - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

This is one of the best places for breakfast . A great selection of items the staff is always friendly and the prices are competitive.

Tim was great! While, I regularly dine here, I wanted to try something new. He recommended the French toast and that's exactly what I ordered. I stepped away from the table for a business call and when I returned I found my food covered with paper towels. It was such a nice gesture and the French toast was SOO good. Thanks Tim! read more

Good food. Very VERY slow service and I am not talking about the wait. After we were seated, my Dad and I had to flag down two waitresses and STILL had to wait before our waitress appeared. Once she appeared, there were intermittent waits... IDK what the deal was, everyone seemed distracted. Anywho, the food was good and I loved my table company. I know you guys can do better First Watch! You just have to!! read more

This is out third time at this location and while we LOVE the brand this particular location is always a challenge. We follow the rules and appreciate the app to add to the list but every time we are seated and order the wait time from ordering and getting the food is at least 30 minutes. Today we witnessed another family complain to a staff member who we think is the manger on duty as they had been waiting over 45 minutes. It seems that the manager is never proactively greeting customers and mitigating issues. I hope they can get their service together soon! read more

First Watch - There was a line toward the back of the place just too pay! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Great food can't complain. Me and the family enjoyed. The only reason why we couldn't rate a 5 is because we've traveled and been to stellar brunch places that we consider 5/5. read more

Just tried this place out today! They offer a lot of breakfast options and they also offer some very healthier lunch items as well. I got the kale salad and tomato soup and both were delicious, I also got a biscuit on the side and the biscuit was very fresh and good. The wait was quite long though, we waited about 45 minutes for a table-BUT they offer free coffee which made the wait more tolerable. read more

First Watch - Kale salad with tomato soup - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

The food here is extremely good. Started off with a delicious juice, then had a delicious hash and million dollar bacon. The million dollar bacon is really worth a million dollars. Overall a very good breakfast option. Just make sure you reserve a table as the wait is long. read more

First Watch - Million Dollar Bacon - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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Great new brunch spot in Howard County! We went during peak Saturday brunch so we downloaded the app to get on the waiting list as they do not do reservations. We got seated 10 min after our wait time was up. Service was great and food was delicious. The pumpkin pancake was a hit and the potatoes were nicely done! read more

First Watch - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

The food here is good. Not outstanding but perfectly fine. They did have good COVID practices in place, including spacing of tables. I appreciate that! read more