The food was good as was the service. I'm not going to say that this is the best breakfast place in CBUS but it's certainly quite palatable. It's what you would expect from a good breakfast place that is not Denny's or IHOP or the like. Their food is pretty run-of-the-mill so you won't find any holy grail type dishes that will make you go back over and over and over. I had some omelet with bacon and avocado which was pretty good. I'd eat it again. Hell, I'd have no problem going back here and eating something else, it's just not super special like some of the other places you can go to. It's just a good breakfast joint to eat at in a pinch. read more

What a great place! First Watch is always my choice for breakfast. I have never had anything there I didn't like. My family and extended family meet here for brunch occasionally and always enjoy it. The last trip in, about a month ago was great. As soon as my husband and I walked in we were greeted by the hostess. We had a party of 8 and had arrived a little early than everyone else in our party since we expected a wait. The manager set up our table immediately and sat us right away. We even told him it would be a little while until the rest of our party arrived. He still sat us and brought us drinks any way. I was so impressed to see the manager so involved with how the restaurant was running and really helping out. If you are looking for a health breakfast, First Watch is such a good option! Try the Fruit and Yogurt Crepes, they are really good! read more

My girlfriend and I are staying in the "lovely" strip of hotels and malls in the area for a good friend's wedding. We adventured out this morning to escape the continental breakfast of our hotel and ended up at First Watch. I had high hopes based on previous Yelp reviews, but our overall experience could be summed up as "urban sprawl average." Neither of our dishes were noteworthy (chicken breakfast burrito, chicken pesto sandwich.) Service started out great, but dropped the longer we were there. It was better than the hotel breakfast, but not a special place I would go back to. read more

Solid breakfast! Great kids breakfast Selection with huge pieces of French toast. The bacon is great. I had the yogurt bowl with the homemade granola and it was delicious. Great, somewhat healthy way to start my day! The wait was long but I appreciate the coffee in the lobby to tame the crowd. Third or fourth time visiting and it's great every time. read more

I love this little place for breakfast! Healthy options and affordable. My kids love it too, which is important for my sanity. read more

First Watch - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Don't order take out. They give you half portions...also, they have a tendency to give you blackened spoiled avocados in the hash. If you dine in...it's one if my favorite breakfast places. Plus you'll be there to send back the crappy avocados ;) read more

This used to be our "go to" for breakfast. Always appreciated ability to get in line before leaving the house. Understand that demand hasn't changed but staff may be lighter, but waiting 25 minutes upon arrival when you've checked in at home doesn't seem to be much of an advantage. My real complaint is that the last two times food hasn't been hot when brought to the table. If you can't properly service tables, then don't seat them all- keep your table to server ratio reasonable or get hostess and cashier involved to run orders out when ready. There are too many other options, including a newer first watch in Westerville so this Polaris location is likely off the rotation despite its very convenient location for weekend errands after breakfast. read more

This is the first time I've been here for breakfast, and it is super good. Got the avocado toast, toast was thick and delicious! Also shared the million dollar bacon with my husband- also super good. We will definitely be back to try more options. read more

Honestly can't rave enough about this place. Great breakfast, great service just always busy. Everything here is good, made the way you like it. Their iced coffee is out of this world. A must try if you have never been here read more

This place is what every Waffle House HOPES to be one day. It is the adult version wanna-be restaurant that ONLY SERVES Breakfast and Lunch. Okay, okay...so it might not be the BEST restaurant in history, but I can guarantee you this: You will come back to this place time and time again. It is almost as if they put heavy narcotics in their food and when you leave, you just think about when your next fix is going to be. You try to overcompensate by trying "another great breakfast place" the next day and just tell yourself "Hey, at least this place is a little cheaper"...but it does't work...and it never will. Get here before the Zombie Apocalypse so you know what the sweet sweet breakfast of the gods tastes like before being forced to eat cat food. read more

Great environment. We checked in with the app and were seated quickly. The waitress was nice and she did a good job keeping our drinks full. The problem was the food. The eggs Benedict came out nice and hot but the two eggs and pancakes meals were not hot at all. It was obvious to me that they had waited for the eggs Benedict to be ready. It's frustrating because for $10/plate,I expect them to time the food right so it all comes out hot.... Or I'm just picky... read more

We eat breakfast at this location at least once a month and never had a bad experience. Never more than 5 mins wait time if checked in online and food is always AMAZING. I'm sure there were 'oops' here and there, but none that I can recall bc the service is always outstanding. read more

Exited to try this place because their menu looked really good online. I went with some friends but unfortunately I don't think we made very good choices for brunch. The food selections are very healthy, but not very filling. I got the fruit crepes, which was a cold dish. I might come back in the future to try more breakfast items, but I'm not a fan of that dish. read more

First Watch - Fruit crepes with strawberry, banana, and watermelon filling. Side of homemade granola & muffin of the day. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

First time this location; had the Veggie Grill, which I've had at other locations and is great comfort food paired with their soup. I had the broccoli cheese, which was good, but then wished I'd had the tomato basil. It's good food, good service, close to work. read more

Free coffee while you wait which is a good touch since it does seem to get quite busy for Sunday brunch. The omelette was delish. The service could be bit more prompt. Had to ask couple times for coffee and water refills. Ask for extra crispy potatoes. read more

Once again, a Columbus-area restaurant that I didn't realize was part of a chain. Despite the two reviews (one 3* and one 1*) I figured I would give this place a shot because a) there didn't appear to be many other places serving breakfast around and b) the prior reviews seemed to be upset more about the service/wait time than the food. Since I was visiting on a weekday, I figured that the service/wait time would be a non-issue. I was correct. No wait - seated right away and the service was fast (although less attentive than I care for). Had to ask for water repeatedly. Finally, the waitress dropped off a pitcher which I appreciated. I ordered hot tea $1.99. They brought me a lovely tea carousel with my choice of flavor, but it was a little sticky. Not a big deal. The tea ended up tasting awful. I could only stomach down a couple of sips. Could have been the mug or could have been that I steeped it too long. Ordered the French Toast. Menu said, "Choice of sourdough or raisin bread cooked in a batter made with vanilla, cinnamon, brown sugar, cream and eggs, then topped with creamy butter and powdered cinnamon sugar." The waitress said she had not had the raisin, but the sourdough was "amazing". In retrospect, I shouldn't have trusted her. It was good French Toast, but nothing special. Three big pieces for around $5 if my memory serves me right. Ordered a side of scrambled eggs which wasn't on the menu (eggs were, but not as a side). They were cooked okay for how I like eggs, probably cooked too long for egg connoisseurs. Not seasoned at all (which was rectified with salt/pepper on the table). Lots of funkier breakfast options on the menu - maybe you'd have better luck with one of these? If that's not your cup of tea, move on. read more

my friends and i went here on a day off. we got sat immediately. yummy and quick. good portions

On the road and looking for a filling and healthy breakfast (read not typical chain) and found First Watch on Yelp. I wasn't sure what to expect with the wide range of reviews. There was a short wait since it was a Saturday morning, but well worth it. It was apparent that First Watch is frequented by runners and triathletes, as there were several tables occupied with people that had just finished events that morning. And, with good reason, the menu was filled with healthy options. Though busy, the staff was prompt and attentive. The food was delivered quickly and exactly as ordered. We had the Killer Cajun and Tri-Athlete omelets and a couple of "The Traditional". Everything was very good. I would make this a regular breakfast stop when passing through. read more

Stopped in for a late lunch with the family. Ordered a variety of different items from both breakfast and lunch parts of menu. Everything was outstanding and attentive service. Avocado toast was very good. One thing the was appreciated, was walking in 20 minutes before the stated closing time of 2:30 PM and feeling welcomed without being rushed. As someone who despises the reminders of we're closing in 30 minutes" from some big box stores - you won't get that treatment here. Nice place for a Sunday family lunch... read more

I'm not really sure what happened to those folks that provided the lower ratings, but each and every time I've gone to any First Watch it's been very good. I've eaten at various First Watch restaurants over the years, and the consistency from one to another is always reliable. This one is the closest to home now, so we've ventured there a few times over the years, and I can honestly say it's always been a pleasurable experience. Is there a wait from time to time? Sure. Ya know why? Because First Watch has really good, quality food for the price that you pay for it!! Pretty simple to figure that out. The kids & I took Momma there today after church, on Mother's Day, and guess what happened? There was a wait. No big deal, we waited, enjoyed a complimentary coffee & newspaper, got seated after a bit, and had a great meal!! Oh, and our waitress was fantastic too!! With two squirmy kids that could only be occupied by the crayons & coloring place mats for a limited time, our meals were out promptly, even before we expected. My bride loved the Grilled Turkey sandwich & Tomato Basil soup combo. My Killer Cajun was delicious as always, with just the right amount of kick to it. The kiddos both gobbled up their respective selections of Chocolate Chip Pancakes, and Sourdough French Toast. I get to eat out at a wide variety of places due to my occupation, so therefore it's tough for me to give out a perfect 5 to anyplace. However, I'd say that for the quality of food, matched up for the cost of the meal, First Watch is top notch. 4 out of 5 for sure for the Polaris First Watch. Keep up the good work. read more

Two of us had breakfast here 3/1/13. Service was attentive and prompt. It is nice that they offer several healthy options and allow you to substitute items if you so desire. I ordered an omelet with a side order of blueberry pancakes which were tasty but a bit dry. My wife had a Belgian waffle with a side of scrambled eggs. Both were substantial portions and a good value. We would definitely go back but I would probably go with the waffle over the pancakes. read more

All the employees are friendly. The food is delicious with nice presentation. We did stay and talk a little after finishing our food. Even though they were busy with a waitlist, no one makes you feel rushed. read more

AMAZING FRESH FOOD! Great fast, friendly service! Millionaires bacon was delicious!! Menu options are endless with choices for everyone!

This is definately our "go to" place for breakfast in Columbus. Quality fresh ingrediants, good service & a very clean atmosphere make us come here again & again. Favorite dishes include the Key West Crepe - perfect combination of light, fluffy "crepe eggs" paired up with avacado, bacon, tomato & topped with sour cream. The Wheat Germ Pancakes are excellent & make you feel slightly better about ordering pancakes. And the Chicken Salad is excellent. Never had a bad meal. The only complaint would be there could be a long wait on the weekends. There is not much standing room - so it's a bit cramped if you have to wait for table. Otherwise - this place is outstanding. Keep up the great work. read more

First Watch is a solid choice; however, this location lacks in the service. I've been to a couple of First Watches and I'd have to say that the food is consistent among them. I met my cousin over here about 10am on a Sunday. It was crowded but we didn't wait long for a table. The coffee came as soon as we sat down, but no water until after the food had arrived. The waitress looked overwhelmed and we saw her maybe twice during the entire visit. I ordered the Tri-Athlete omelette, which is an egg white omelette with mushrooms, spinach, and green chiles. It is served with fruit and an english muffin. It was very good. I especially love that they add green chiles in this omelette. Again, it was consistent with what I've had at the other locations. First Watch isn't a bad choice for breakfast but there are definitely other places I'd try before coming back to this location. read more

Fist time here and it was great. There was a bit of a wait but it was worth it. The waffles and potatoes were amazing.

Not very happy. The staff was great. However they got my order mixed up with my mom's. The Hot Cocoa was really good and they had good Wi-Fi. The place was clean. What annoyed me was the fact that tour server had to serve 6-8 tables and then seat people and check people out. She shouldn't have to do all of that. read more

Love first watch! But it's so hard finding a time to go when it's not busy! Guess it's just that good ;)

Very loud atmosphere. Food was ok. Service very very slow. Felt neglected by our server like she was too busy for us. Second time we had the same waitress and once again you had to hunt someone down. read more

First time at this First watch location. We typically do breakfast at other options in Westerville. After this experience, we will definitely be sticking to our regular place! Walk-ins came in and sat themselves immediately while my party sat and waited patiently to be seated. Nobody ever explained this policy to us. The tables were not marked as 'walk-in' friendly. When we finally were seated separately (at different tables) the manager came over and argued with me over the seating arrangement and their lackluster 'attempt' to seat us. When we finally got our food, shocker, my wife's omelet had a brown hair about an inch long in it! The waitress apologized and brought out another dish. After a few bites my wife saw a small black hair about 0.5cm in length that was resting comfortably underneath her omelet only to be revealed by her taking a bite. The manager, Ramone, NEVER came to apologize or address the issue of the hair in both my wife's omelets. He avoided our table completely. He didn't show up after the first hair incident and continued to avoid our table even after a second hair in food incident he didn't show up. When we asked why a manager hadn't come to address the issue, he sent out his kitchen manager! Amazing! She was very apologetic and actually seemed to care. I'm not sure what goes on in this place but two servings of human hair in one sitting? It makes you wonder if there is some sort of retaliation going on. Stay away! read more

This USED to be our favorite "eat breakfast out" place -- even at 1:30 p.m.!! HOWEVER it's gone downhill in our opinion... I've been there several times with friends recently then my husband and I went this past week also. He hadn't been there for awhile and commented on how it had changed -- and not for the "better"... Apparently this location (on Polaris east of I-71) is redoing their entryway...and it was QUITE torn up/messy when we entered... No signs of apology (excuse our mess type thing), no indication what was up -- just a mess... So right away the "ambiance" took a HUGE hit... The booth we were seated in was NOT clean -- the seats had crumbs on them and the table had several spots that were "sticky" -- although it did look like the table had been briefly wiped with something wet ... We were served water and coffee fairly quickly -- BUT then the waitress must have forgotten our existence because it got to the point where my husband looked at me and asked if we should just pay for the coffee and move on... We were there about 9:30 a.m. -- and the place was practically EMPTY -- so it's not like she was tied up elsewhere! Which brings me to another point... It USED to be that when you'd try to go to First Watch -- no matter WHAT time or WHAT day -- you had quite the wait... The past 4 or 5 times we've been in there, that has NOT been the case -- which is nice in some ways BUT I think it's indicative of the downward slide of quality, service and pricing... We opted to stay put and the waitress finally took our order. We both ordered from the part of their menu labeled "Healthier Side". I'm extremely puzzled HOW they can advertise it as such because I later found out from THEIR own online nutritional facts that what I ordered had OVER 600 calories in it -- if I had eaten the whole thing - plus 24 grams of FAT!!??!!! And my husband's had 710 calories and 23 grams of fat!! I personally do NOT call EITHER of those "healthy" -- wish I had looked at those "facts" PRIOR to ordering! YIKES!! When our food arrived, my husband's "Cranberry Nut Oatmeal" was "good" but the brown sugar served with it was HARDER than a ROCK... I opted to stray from my "usual" -- the Tri-Athlete Omelet -- and ordered the "Energy Bowl" -- which was "housemade" granola with low-fat organic yogurt. And while my food was very tasty -- -- some of the granola was in hard, large "chunks" that were very difficult to break apart with just a spoon... The previous time I was there, my toast was served to me burnt and the "fresh fruit" I ordered wasn't so much "fresh"... The prices at First Watch have continued to go up also... It used to be that you could get a really nice breakfast for a "decent" price there... Nowadays though MOST of their dishes are between $8 - $10 -- then you have to add beverage costs, tax and tip to that... Meaning breakfast can run upwards of $30 for only two people -- which seems high to me....for breakfast anyway...! I mean, for about $5, we could have grabbed a couple of donuts and been further ahead -- money wise -- AND calorie wise, apparently!!!! After our most recent experiences, we both agreed we won't be returning to First Watch again any time soon... I would no longer recommend them... read more

This is on of my favorite places to go for breakfast. Always great service and fresh high quality food.

LOVE the baconado omelette and they have great coffee! Only downfall is that it is a little pricey and they kind of rush you out the door but I would definitely come again! read more

Hot mess. We are First Watch regulars. We LOVE the location in Dublin. Polaris needs some work. The restrooms are a mess. It's 33% the size and the wait staff is awful. read more

This used to be a great place. Today, I found a small cone-shaped piece of plastic under my BLTE. Asked the server what it was and whether I needed to be concerned with cross-contamination. Was told it was from the top of one of their sauce containers. Received apology only from server. No offer to replace my sandwich with a new one. No manager came by either. Bacon well done to point of tasting burnt. Lots of large groups meeting there for business tying up lots of tables for long periods of time. Never got my requested to go drink as server moved on to a five-seater and began taking their drink orders. Seemed to only be 2 servers working with one man standing at the cash register. Likely will go to another location in the future, or just buy the tomato basil soup at Gordon's since it is the one thing consistently good because it isn't made by first watch. read more

My favorite breakfast spot in my area. Always have excellent service and really good food. The portions are awesome and they have plenty of menu options. Highly recommended by me. Stop in and enjoy the awesome servers and great food. read more

Always crowded! Ordered the waffle - a little too hard for my liking (like mine soft & fluffy). It came with powdered sugar on it - could do without. Have to ask them to bring you warm maple syrup. Butter didn't really melt on the waffle (that's why you need the warm syrup). Veggie burger is amazing! read more

Well folks, I did it again. I went to a breakfast joint in Ohio and ordered Mexican food, then was disappointed. When will I stop doing this to myself? Just order pancakes or maybe some eggs or waffles or something dude. The Chickichanga (I don't know if that spelling is correct, and I honestly can't be bothered to check) was tiny. Plus if you want to order it you actually have to speak that ridiculous portmanteau to another human. Next time (who am I kidding, I'll be back) I'm totes getting something normal and midwestern. read more

So I'm okay with a Saturday wait but bad service is no good! Who is my waitress...idk, maybe she forgot I was at her table. Someone else dropped off my food and she never came till it was time to drop the check. Am I okay....umm it's kinda to late I had to shout at someone else to grab condiments and forget napkins we need those. Sad sad sad. I normally frequent the Worthington Mall location and have nothing but great service. Someone may need to send someone to go get some tips. read more

In town, you have many chain style breakfast options. Cracker Barrel, Bob Evans and IHOP to name a few. I really enjoy my experience at First Watch. From their omelets to pancakes, they truly have a unique rich flavor. The coffee and sides are always fresh. The good family atmosphere and reasonable prices makes this a great place to enjoy a meal with family and friends. read more

First Watch - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

See all