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    First Watch

    4.1 (68 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 2:30 pm

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    FIRST WATCH ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - First Watch

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    Sunny Seoul Hash
    Keenan T.

    First Watch took over The Melting Pot. This one's closer to where I live in South Durham and easier to get to. My doctor's office is upstairs. Breaking my lab work fasts is more fun thanks to First Watch. I often meet friends from church here too. Expect a similar menu to other locations but a smaller, more cozy dining space. Opt for the dining room with a view to the kitchen or for the brightly lit bar. I enjoy their high-tops when the natural light is bright. I can drink my Morning Meditation and enjoy a good breakfast. Notable dishes I had here are their Korean style skillet hash special and their Trifecta with a large pancake.

    Table token
    Kayla P.

    Always a good meal. I had my born, the chicken pesto quinoa bowl and it was tasty. I love how fresh everything is (even the orders I spy in passing). My guy had the blueberry pancake and feels the chocolate chip is better. My Kale Tonic was refreshing. Service was busy. The place was bustling and filled with brunchers. It's close-ish seating but not impassable. Friendly and open.

    Breakfast skillet
    Tony F.

    First time we came here with the family, and this place was buzzing with energy from the moment you opened the door. I had the breakfast skillet that you could have two people easily share, but everything was delicious. Our waiter found out we were from Wisconsin and was very personable with us, and did an amazing job serving our table, A+! The food was amazingly fresh, delicious, and generous portions. You WILL NOT leave hungry. Everything from the coffee, to the fruit, to the bread was absolutely amazing. I would recommend to call ahead to get a seat as this place was very just and always had people waiting, but they did a great job continuously seating people . We will definitely come back next year when we are back in town, great job to the buisness and staff!!

    Menu
    Dan B.

    It was going to be a 15 minute wait, but we were offered the choice of immediate seating at the bar which we chose. This is the first First Watch I've been to that has a bar - half of which is inside and half of which is outside. Terry, our server, was friendly, accommodating, and efficient. He had our drinks within minutes. Their coffee is very good and I love that they bring you your own personal pot (the delight of true coffee drinkers everywhere, ha). I ordered their "Bacado" which consists of bacon, avocado, Monterey Jack, topped with all natural sour cream, and served with a side of house made pico de gallo. It was excellent!! Excellent healthy food choices, exemplary service, and reasonable prices will be a major reason why I continue to support and recommend First Watch. If you haven't experienced this place yet, give them a try.

    BLT Benedict!
    Smythe R.

    I was just wanting coffee and a small breakfast, but it's New Year's Eve and places are closed. But I always love the BLT Benne here, so rode a little further. Sat on the patio until it started getting chilly. Megan kept checking on me, made me feel very welcome. One of the managers also came by at some point. Great coffee, great food, great service, great WiFi. What's not to love?

    Eggs Benedict
    Jessica G.

    Came here because I really wanted an eggs Benedict. It looked pretty nice, and the eggs were poached well but the hollandaise sauce was a little bland. Service was good, pretty standard. It was also darker than I expected inside, but we were seated by the window which made it brighter. Overall not a bad brunch spot.

    Barbara scrambled eggs, black beans, and creama
    Chandra J.

    Haven't been to First Watch in a while, but I am so glad that I was able to check them out on Sunday with a friend. I received my birthday reward earlier than I thought and was blessed to do a BOGO! I decided to try their Barbacoa chlaquies bowl, and my friend got their own view on a trifecta. And wow, the Barbados bowl was thick, full, and amazing--literally. It felt like an enchilada with a splash of eggs and black beans exploded in my bowl. It was so full of flavor! Wow! This was not was I was expexting from First Watch. Even my friend mentioned that he wished that he would have ordered what I did as it looked amazing and was so full! I literally have made three meals out of this!! Minus one star for the lackluster service. A lot of other people OTHER than our server served us, which is sad as she was clearly helping others. I would get the same entree, but not with the same server.

    pumpkin pancake
    Tom H.

    The staff at this location has been great! Very friendly and makes an effort. The menu has a wide array of brunch and breakfast staples not especially unique but there should be something for everyone in your party. Some of the menu items such as the "Million Dollar Harvest Hash" use a few ingredients you may not have at home like Mikes hot honey (honey infused with chili peppers for kick) but generally you're not getting surprised here. They do try to create a seasonal menu based on what veggies are typically in season, I say try because being a wide reaching chain it's not possible to develop a menu for every region but they hit some of the main ones such as corn, asparagus etc. During the fall they grab onto the pumpkin spice trend which I took a picture of my pumpkin spice pancake that I would rate as good (yes you get just one per order). Ambiance is warm and inviting for the most part, maybe a bit boring but for a primarily breakfast/brunch location that can be a good thing as it gives a more toned down comforting vibe. I don't review a lot of chains but there's enough locations around the triangle now that some people are trying them for the first time. You won't get "wowed" most likely but it's also not going to ruin your day and you'll get a decent meal. I will say also that their website is amazing for being able to determine the nutrition information about your specific meal. Each ingredient is itemized and given it's own nutrition info and you can see exactly what ingredients are being used to create your dish. I wish every place did this!

    French toast
    Diana G.

    First Watch is a gem of a find! The decor is clean and classy - absolutely love the dropped tin ceiling panel! The staff is so friendly and efficient. The menu is diverse and delicious. I tried the French toast and lemon pancake. The pancake was so very amazing! Even the hot cocoa was above the rest. If ever in the area again, I will not miss the chance to go back. Highly recommended spot!

    French Toast Side Two Eggs Million Dollar Bacon Million Dollar Potatoes

    Top tier service, top tier food, top tier all around. First watch is a lovely place with open seating and even outdoor. Their breakfast selection is unique and I highly recommend the million dollar menu if you're feeling a little indecisive. They have some of the best French toast in the area.

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    4 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Good breakfast food with several interesting twists. Service was great esp sitting outside on this mid-summer morning.

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    2 years ago

    Mom and I love getting takeout here. I always add on one of their delicious drinks. The bacon is *chefs kiss*. They do takeout really well.

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    3 years ago

    Great service by Taylor. Good food and didn't have to wait long either. Will definitely come back.

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    3 years ago

    They have great food and amazing service. Our waitress Taylor was very nice, absolutely loved her personality!

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    Ask the Community - First Watch

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    4.4(412 reviews)
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    Ordered breakfast to-go because the reviews had me bracing for a 45-minute-plus wait to sit. Turned…read moreout that wasn't necessary, as there were plenty of open tables at 9am on a Sunday. The reviews were glowing, and repeatedly warned about the wait, that my expectations were probably set too high going in. I got the steak and eggs crepe and added avocado, extra steak, and kale. The eggs sit on top, and mine came closer to over-hard than the over-medium I asked for -possibly from sitting in the to-go box for 15 minutes, so I'll give some benefit of the doubt there. The crepe itself was tasty, and honestly I'd come back to try something off the sweets menu. But the fillings didn't land. The steak was a little chewy, and the mushrooms were cut too thick for a crepe -- they made it hard to cut cleanly and felt out of place. The add-ons I'll leave alone since those were my call. Overall the dish felt fairly run-of-the-mill against the hype. One note: this might be a dish better served by not allowing customizations, to keep it consistent to its intent. What threw me is that "steak and eggs" is the menu item, yet they also offer a carne asada crepe with no eggs ...so the only real difference is eggs placed on top, which doesn't change the crepe itself. Felt clear as mud after unboxing my meal. The latte I got was standard. Nothing wrong with it, nothing memorable. TL:DR this read as a solid fallback breakfast more than the must-try the reviews promised. The dogs I saw at the outside tables kept this closer to a 3.5 than falling on the other side of 3.

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    This is a decent four-star Southern bar near the Duke campus. We were driving through town, and we…read morestopped here before visiting the local botanical garden. There's plenty of paid street parking in the area. The interior is a bit dark inside, minimal ambient light from the outside, TVs around the bar. Lunch arrived quickly, I had the patty melt which was a bit over salted, but not too bad. Service from Makena was overall decent, nothing exceptionally bad or good. Pricing for lunch averaged just over $20 per person, including the "included gratuity." It's a fine Place to get standard bar food.

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    Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Sweet potato waffle, two drumsticks, peach schmear

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    I don't know how I've never eater at Parker and Otis before, man I've been missing out!!…read more I was the first in line on a lovely Saturday afternoon, but wow that quickly changed. By the time I placed my order, at least 10 other people had come in. Since it was my first time, I asked for suggestions, Randy was so helpful. I was so hungry and everything sounded really good. I ordered the Shrimp BLT, a Fluffernutter Latte and a Ham & Cheese Croissant (for breakfast tomorrow). Oh my stars, the Shrimp BLT was pure perfection, every bite. The coffee was so good. There's plenty of seating inside and outside! It's super cute inside. The store part has all the cutest and neatest stuff and the food part has so many options. They even have grab and go items. They serve breakfast until 2:30. I'm already planning my next visit!!! Shoutout to Brian for making sure I had a great experience as well!!

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