I had the absolute pleasure of celebrating my birthday at First Watch with my older sister who was visiting from out of town, and the experience was phenomenal from start to finish. There's a young lady named Amani who I had already been telling my sister about before we even walked in. The moment you meet her, you'll understand why. She's attentive, enthusiastic, patient, kind, and has a natural gift for making every customer feel valued. Sure enough, as soon as we arrived, she came walking through with her warm smile, greeting everyone, and I had the joy of introducing her to my sister. Within seconds, my sister was floored by Amani's customer service and genuine energy. When I mentioned that it was my birthday, Amani went above and beyond to make sure we were taken care of. At one point, my sister's plate had a small mishap (an eyelash landed on the dish). Instead of it being a negative moment, it turned into a blessing. Amani handled it with such grace--she brought out a fresh plate, gifted me a handwritten birthday card, a $20 gift card, and even comped the meal. None of that was expected or asked for, but it showed how much she cares about her customers. She truly turned the moment into something special and memorable. As I'm writing this review, I'm still sitting here enjoying my Trifecta breakfast with medallion potatoes, smiling at how incredible this experience has been. Amani continuously brings the same level of attentiveness and kindness to every guest she interacts with, not just me. That's what makes her stand out. If you want more than just a good meal--if you want to feel genuinely welcomed and cared for--this is the place, and Amani is the reason why. She made my birthday unforgettable, and I couldn't be more grateful. read more

I went to this location because it was closer to me. I have visited the Bowie location last year and it was amazing. Upon entering the location I was greeted and immediately seated. After being seated it did take about 15 minutes to be acknowledged by the server and she said she would be over soon which took another 3-5 mins. She came but didnt come with water (first thing you're supposed to get) that's my opinion. But she was nice and did apologize for her tardiness. I ordered one of their famous juices and this one was a new and it was amazing. But I was disappointed with my food. I ordered the biscuit and gravy with grits. My biscuit was dry and cooked way too long, the gravy was salted, my potatoes were also salty that I needed more water. I only ate my eggs. The girls were draining in butter. I attempted to take the top part off but it was sooo much butter soaked in the middle and bottom I couldn't eat them. I sent the food back and told them I would pay for the eggs and juice. The server was understanding and I only paid for my juice. I was understanding as well because we all have off days. I will definitely give them another try. This location is big and very clean. read more

First Watch - Grits - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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We went here for lunch last Friday. It was pretty crowded and loud when we first arrived, however it died down shortly after we were seated. Even for as crowded as it was, we were able to be seated immediately. They were serving their breakfast and lunch menu so there were lots of items to pick from. We ordered the trifecta, which included a waffle, eggs, and sausage. We also ordered their half sandwich and half soup deal. I had the ham and cheese sandwich with their clam chowder. The ham and cheese had an unique sauce that made it very tasty! Their clam chowder was also pretty good. My sister enjoyed her trifecta breakfast as well. We have always enjoyed going to First Watch for breakfast and will continue to come back! read more

First Watch - Tri-Fecta - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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My husband and i's go to place. We actually came here the next morning of our wedding too. Everyone is always very friendly. Service is quick, food is so delicious, literally our fav breakfast place that has it allllll. Love their carrot pancake and chicken sausage. Yummmmm Although the restaurant is spacious and has lots of seating but it always get pretty busy so make sure to join the waitlist ahead of time. read more

I get it now. Every time I pass by here or have attempted to eat here, I see the longest line and a packed restaurant. My husband and I finally had a Friday off together and went in late morning, which was good "down time" for the restaurant. I was still surprised to see how many people were! The food is delicious and fresh. Their juices are healthily-tasty and the ambiance is cute! My husband ordered the Salmon Eggs Benedict. The Salmon wasn't too salty and the egg was perfectly poached. Great sauce underneath. I ordered the Skillet Hash. Carb-y & mushroom-y but not overbearing. I was good full! Also, If you're into beets... please order the Morning Meditation juice. That ishh is on point. read more

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The food was immaculate. Our experience was elevated by our server Marlon. The pancakes were of massive proportion, my hopes of fire and brimstone were quelled by the bacon and eggs. My desires of nuclear winter have been eradicated by the environment around me. read more

Six of us had to wait for table for over an hour! Two persons can get easy seats faster! Alot of noises Excellent meals and drinks read more

The heavenly breakfast scents hit your nose immediately upon entering, and gets you right in the mood to eat! Start off with the bacon appetizer; it will not disappoint! Wash it down with their breakfast cocktail, the Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal milk! My entree was the special, egg, steak & potato burrito. Though a packed house, service was quick. Waiter knowledgable with recommendations, and paying at the counter on our way out was a breeze. read more

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Excelente! This is the only way to truly describe this place. We got there as they opened, because we didn't know how packed the place would get if we got there at a later time. As we sat there and ate we saw families and groups coming in non stop. So I assume the earlier the better when coming here to avoid waits. The food here is fresh and packed with flavor. They have a seasonal menu, from which we tried the pumpkin pancake, which has the perfect punch of pumpkin and spice. This comes with eggs and flavorful sausage. We also tried the chikichanga, which is a chorizo and chicken chimichanga with that eggs bennedict sauce on top. The pico de gallo was super fresh and the avocado too. We got the pomegranate pear juice and iced coffee, both of which were amazing. One thing to note is if you get a refill on the juice, they do charge for refills, which sucks bc the juice is so good and fresh, you can't have just one glass. read more

First Watch - Chikichanga - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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After a welcome by an attractive receptionist with an excellent smile, two of us were seated at a quiet table and served a delicious late breakfast for about fifty bucks Nice, comfortable experience. I'm not a fan of their coffee, opting instead for a health drink afterward there's a Peets nearby read more

Return visit. New server (for us) Amanda, was phenomenal. Tried the new gingerbread spice donuts: amazing. It was so so busy, we put our name down online, and despite the site saying an hour plus wait, we were sat within ten minutes! Very clean. read more

First Watch - Gingerbread Spice Donuts - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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I came for breakfast alone about 7:50am 12/9/25 after volunteering as a poll greeter at Woodson High School from 5:30-7:00am. The temperature was 17 degrees and I was very cold. Alejandra, my server brought me a thermos of coffee and kindly told me that I could stay as long as I wished when she brought me my check. I left at approximately 9:15 after drinking lots of coffee and eating a tasty omelet. I appreciated her kindness very much. read more

Awesome experience and food was good, although it could have been hotter... it was just warm, but still yummy.

First Watch excels at what they're known for - which is brunch. They've become a brunch staple over the years because of their classic brunch menu and variety of simple flavors. However, the service could use some work. I've been coming to this location for years and the past couple of times, I've had waiters/waitresses that would rush me, ask what my order was before I even had a chance to look at the menu (literally 1 minute after being seated), and would hand us the bill before we were even halfway through. The ambiance is calm and family friendly. Overall, it's still one of the better brunch places for food. read more

First Watch - Breakfast Carnitas Tostadas (June Menu Item) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

When the food is good here, it's so tasty. And dishes are always beautifully styled. We experienced a hiccup with very coarsely chopped onion making its way into an omelette. We picked out some huge pieces of onion there and more from the leftovers at home. Unfortunately, service was rushed when my friend and I visited (but that was understandable given the weekday crush onsite). Overall, we would definitely visit again because we loved the pancakes and the pieces of the omelette and sides (without onion). We need to figure out slow times to visit First Watch so that we don't feel rushed out the door. read more

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We've been here a bunch of times but this was our first time since the beginning of the pandemic. The waitlist was just as busy as it was before the pandemic as well, about 45-60 min for a table for 2. We did get seated shortly after checking in though so at least the waitlist did help. We started off with two cinnamon toast cereal milks, truffle mushroom hash, and the biscuits and turkey sausage gravy with eggs. We tried to get the pumpkin spiced donuts but were informed that they ran out? Don't know what's up with that but it's ok, it was a lot of food anyway. The cinnamon toast cereal milk was the perfect pick me up, nice mix of rum, coffee, and cinnamon on ice. The biscuits and gravy was nice and hearty, good amount of turkey chunks and somewhat crispy potatoes. The truffle mushroom hash was also good, same potatoes, lots of mushroom and a little truffle flavor. Service was great, our server specifically was super friendly and helpful. I definitely prefer ordering in restaurant as opposed to takeout since I had some issues previously. I'll be coming back when I'm craving a nice breakfast/brunch place in Fairfax. read more

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Am a fan of this restaurant and company. One thing I admire is consistency. They deliver this each and every time. That is a rarity, and this is my favorite location. Nothing beats their waffles or French toast. This with a cup of their strong brew, makes this even better for breakfast! They have some strange hours, but eclectic outside the box thinking is a good thing. You always will feel welcome and valued here. Am very impressed by the wait staff. They've always gone the distance, and they seem to hire extraordinarily well. Sometimes due to its popularity and small size, there could be a wait, but patience is a virtue. I love this place. Will always consider this the spot to get breakfast and start the day out right. read more

Ambiance was good. Service was good. I have eaten at First Watch numerous times and have always liked my food. This time, I didn't care for the way the traditional eggs Benedict was prepared. On a ciabatta roll? Didn't even seem to be toasted (almost like cutting into a hot dog bun). With what looked like deli meat ham. I needed a little crunch. And the consistency of the ham (deli meat style), especially on that roll, didn't work. To top it off, the coffee wasn't very good. Messing too much with what is a traditionally solid win. read more

My new favorite breakfast spot! This was one of the freshest breakfasts I've had in awhile (courtesy of ubereats). I went with the smoked salmon and veggie frittata with a side of chicken apple sausage. Everything was great, including the mixed greens. Perfectly seasoned, light, filling, and fresh ingredients was a great midmorning pick me up during work today. Although smoked salmon can border too salty very fast, that was not at all the case with this smoked salmon. I was also expecting the sausage to be the links with a casing, so when it was patties, i was pleasantly surprised. I will probably be in to dine tomorrow or this weekend and can't wait to try more/frequent First Watch more often! read more

Overall I've liked my experiences at First Watch restaurants. I've reviewed each one three stars or better and typically a four. This was my first visit at this location in Fairfax and also it's a very tardy review. The business is deep inside a strip and cannot be easily seen from the road. I used the app feature to get ahead of the wait, but it still listed over and hour at 9 AM. Our party of three checked in short before 10 AM. A female staff was friendly and ultimately could not locate our check in the app. It was quickly realized we incorrectly checked in another location. Totally our fault, however without batting an eye our party was seated in minutes. WOW! The restaurant is located in a strip around the center. Signage was not seen at the road. Surface parking was in great shape and no debris in sight. The walk up was tidy as well. My son, myself and his friend received menus prior to being seated. We had a full set of menus with lots of food and drink options. The dining area was clean and all tables not in use cleared and reset. Our male waiter brought us out waters quickly and gave us time to review the menus. My son and friend just came from a swim meet. Swimmers eat a lot, so they were looking large! First Watch has a really solid line up that encompasses breakfast and lunch, however I always gravitate to breakfast and my son the same. Service up front, during and checkout is typically strong and today started out very good. I ordered the Lemon Ricotta pancakes with side of millionaire bacon which is an all time favorite. I also got a craft of coffee. Overall great meal and I do enjoy their coffee. My son ordered a scrambled egg combo with home fries and chocolate chip pancake. He enjoyed everything and it came out hot. His friend French-toast, eggs with side of potatoes, chocolate chip pancakes and bacon. Nothing was left so presume it was enjoyed. The extra star goes to our waiter who was over the top attentive with water refills, coffee refills, extra napkins and was a delight. He engaged with us even though the dining room was busy. I likely will never be back in the area. But this location has received my first 5 star for the chain. An extra star for service was well deserved. I also recommend use of the app, just be careful of choosing the desired location. read more

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Man this place has gone super downhill. This used to be the goto spot for brunch for my friends and I. Or if we were feeling a lil more fancy than Ihop. After this experience, I dont plan on coming back here anytime soon. We came to celebrate a friends birthday and was looking forward to this. However upon arrival our server was already super snappy and rude and seemed irritated as we stumbled on what to order for drinks. We overheard her talking to another table, that was a family and she seemed super friendly? (Context: we are all young women) Its completely normal to have an off day, but please dont take it off on customers...This is super unusual for first watch as I always remembered the service here to be super bright and friendly. Afterwards, she gave us water cups that clearly looked dirty and needed to be wiped again. We worked in the restaurant industry and know the courtesy to wipe down silverware and glasses before handing it to the guest so this was extremely disappointing. Everything from our table seemed unclean, including the sticky floors. To make matters worse. I LOVE the potatoes here. But all my friends who got the potatoes had them undercooked. I usually finish everything, but we had to leave the potatoes because it was simply... not good read more

First Watch - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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KALE TONIC FRESH JUICE Kale, Fuji apple, cucumber and lemon. *very refreshing and was a nice hangover pick me up CINNAMON TOAST CEREAL MILK Rum Haven Coconut Rum, cold brew coffee, coconut milk and agave nectar. *creamy, milky and only slightly boozy, didn't remind me of the cereal at all BLT BENEDICT Two poached cage-free eggs atop toasted ciabatta piled high with bacon, vine-ripened tomato, avocado and lemon-dressed arugula and covered with hollandaise. Served with lightly dressed organic mixed greens. *the toppings are on one slice of ciabatta which is a bit of a pain to cut down the middle without all of the toppings falling off and the eggs exploding, the mixed greens were a huge portion with no flavor at all even with the dressing, next time I would opt for potatoes instead of greens PARMA HASH Two cage-free eggs any style atop fresh, seasoned potatoes, Italian sausage, house-roasted Crimini mushrooms, onions and tomatoes with melted Parmesan, Mozzarella and fresh herbs. Served with whole grain artisan toast. *this dish had a little bit of everything in every bite and very flavorful, would definitely get this dish next time MULTIGRAIN PANCAKE We've gotta warn you: these beauties are beyond big - they're humongous! Choose your stackage accordingly from: Plain, Blueberry, Chocolate Chip, Banana Granola Crunch, Carrot Cake. *I opted for a single carrot cake pancake which was the size of an entire plate with large dollop of whipped butter accompanied by a heated bottle of maple syrup. The pancake ate very sweet so I'm glad it wasn't my main entree but it was a tasty ending to the meal. SERVICE: Our server was extremely attentive and checked on us frequently from beginning to end. read more

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Very rude front desk ladies. And very arrogant attitude! We came on a Sunday afternoon at about 12:15 then was told to wait for about an hour. And then we got our place online and thought everything should be fine. After an hour of waiting I went back to check again and was told because we did not wait inside it did not count. What's the point of waiting online and in store for 2hours for just average food and not so good service?? They were very rude, too. Looks like they were the owner of the company and were trying to kick everyone out. It was very ironic that when we left for another restaurant, after just 10 minutes, I got the text from online waiting telling me it was ready! The date was May, 21st, 2023. Rude, rude, rude. I'm a regular for about more than 4 years and I got tones of photos. Never coming back again to this brand. read more

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Solid visit to another First Watch establishment. Our server was so friendly and gave us her recommendations of the seasonal menu. Food came out quickly. Our coffee pot was refilled without us having to ask. Lovely visit. We will be back!! read more

First Watch - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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I LOVE BRUNCH. First watch is the perfect place for breakfast/brunch. I've been obsessed with this place since I first tried it and all the locations I've been to in VA has been so awesome with both service and food quality. My bf and I spent the weekend in NOVA so naturally on our last day, we wanted a nice breakfast. Now, I've mastered the art of the first watch waiting list so I only had to wait 5 minutes before being seated. This place gets pretty packed so get there early or join the waiting list and be prepared to wait. I tried something different this time, I got the French road and then a side of two over easy eggs. My bf got the Sunny Seoul Hash, this is supposed to be a Korean inspired dish. It tasted more Mexican inspired to me haha. We got coffee and also the gingerbread donut holes. Now, those "gingerbread" donut holes tasted exactly like the regular donut holes they have year round. Idk. I wasn't impressed with those. The dishes were great. I was satiated. The service was great. The ambiance was great. I definitely never had a bad experience here. read more

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Have I really never written a review for First Watch Fairfax?! We've been to this location many times for brunch with friends and family. You'll definitely want to get there early to minimize the wait time. They get packed on the weekend and we typically try to get there within the first several hours of opening. The million dollar bacon is a go to for our family. I think I've tried almost everything on the menu by now. I am a big fan of the hash, omelets, and soup/salad/sandwich duos. This time, I tried something off the seasonal menu. I got the Barbacoa Breakfast Burrito (I'm more of a savory vs. sweet). To be honest, for the first time...I didn't really like it. I think just something in the ingredient didn't agree with my tastebuds but that's okay because there are a ton of other things to choose from! Typically, the servers are great. This time, I felt like I didn't get many of the things I had asked for (e.g., lemons for my water), had to continue to remind, or had to ask other servers to pass the message because we couldn't find our server. The manager was working all aspects, and had come around the restaurant to check in with diners. Overall, I would recommend (although I'm hesitant to because I don't want to wait and compete with others for a seat haha) and I will return! read more

Met a friend here for breakfast at 8:30am. Asked for decaf, had to wait for them to make it. When it finally came out it was the color of tea. But that's nothing compared to what happened next. Ordered the Tri-Athlete. I took one bite, and was about to take another, when a whole ass German Cockroach fell out of the omelet. I immediately spit out my food into the napkin, and pushed the plate away from me as far as possible. Thought about taking a picture, but they whisked my plate away pretty quick. They asked if I wanted anything else and I said no. Then they offered two gift cards and said I could go to another location. Then I called the health department. No customer should ever see a cockroach on their plate. Horrifying. read more

Great food and atmosphere for breakfast meetings or just a long breakfast! Highly recommend.

I ordered the BLT eggs Benedict and my husband the Parm Skillet Hash. We both enjoyed our meal. My husband requested over easy eggs and they were over cooked, so Rachel our server kindly got them replaced. Great service and food. read more

First Watch - BLT Eggs Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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First time back in a while. The tri-athlete omelette was ok, better in the past. The onions which were abundant seemed to over powered the dish. I was looking forward to the kale tonic, but it was not good. Lemon was super prevalent in the drink, I could not taste a hint of apple. It was just poorly balanced. The coffee was ok but not how I like it. I seem to gravitate to darker roasts which this coffee was not. Service as always was very good. Think it was just an off day. read more

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It's mediocre. The eggs Benedict blt was ok, but the sauce was bland. Also make sure to get in line on the website or you have to wait 30 min read more

First Watch - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

Best place for brunch that I have ever been in my 72 years. Great service, food and location. The options are many and everything the 3 of us had was fantastic. read more

Meal was delicious and fresh. You can tell all the ingredients were natural, even their ketchup! We were waiting 'in-line' online but got seated right away when we got there. The decor was pretty, inside was busy and packed, but was able to get service when needed! We ordered French toast but we never got it, so we had to ask the waiter to remove it from our order. Everything felt fairly priced read more

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My first time going to First Watch and it will definitely not be my last time going. The aesthetics were really nice giving a rustic look and feel. Unfortunately the floor was dirty which we get it because of the business...but when the worker came and swept by our table we were happy our food was not there yet. The food was definitely a 10/10...our waiter was nice in his explanation of the selections. read more

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I will admit I have an undying love for breakfast so you can understand how I found myself at First Watch for breakfast. First things first, if you know you are coming here no matter the day and especially early morning, keep an eye on the waitlist and add your name as soon as you are withing 15 minutes of arrival to lessen your wait. You can send me all your thanks later :) (P.S. ~ You can do this right from yelp as well or via their handy dandy app) The best seat in the house has to be the two top table right in front of the window so you can enjoy your meal with a view as you can see the entire shopping center for the most part right from your seat. Our waiter, Asher was fab!! He gave us time to review the menu and pointed out the specials as he poured me a piping hot cup of coffee. It did not take long before we knew what we wanted, two Steak and Egg Hash with one slice of French Toast and one Carrot Cake and Pecan pancake. The Steak and Egg has is the best of both worlds!! Thick, tender bite sized pieces of steak partying with sauteed mushrooms, spinach, has browns and onions. I like that you can have the egg of to cooked to your hearts desire which for me is fried hard, like hard hard! The signature sauce brings it al together for the ultimate flavor party!!! French toast is a thick piece of brioche bread sprinkled with sugar and a dollop of butter that melts so eloquently upon arrival. Wrap your hands around that syrup bottle too as it is warm to the touch! If you like carrot cake you will like the pancake as it tasted like a flat version of its cake like self, raisins included with plump pecans generously within. Did I mention there were shavings of carrot within too? Service was impeccable as Asher checked on us frequently and made sure we had everything we needed and or wanted. Food came out fast and it was hot on arrival. I do like that you can square up your check at the front so you do not have to wait to cash out. read more

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absolutely enjoyed our first experience to the location, our waitress Catherine was amazing. She offered great recommendations, which we tried all of them. Look forward to visiting again!!!! read more

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We went for breakfast with the kids at 7am last Sunday. Theres a lot of parking in the huge lot so we were able to find parking rather quickly. I got the pecan salad and the kids shared a yogurt granola and a chocolate pancake. Everything was soooo good. My kids inhaled their food. Our waitress kept the coffee pot filled. We were happy. The ambiance was casual, the place was packed by the time we were leaving. Will be back hopefully sooner than later! read more

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I placed a to go order only to get all the way to work to spoiled fruit. The food was ok at best. I have dinned at other locations and had great food but this morning after spending $45 on breakfast for 2 the food was not worth it. You would think that even the fruit would be freshly prepared and this fruit look like it's been old for days. read more

First Watch - Rotten Fruit from breakfast!! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

I thought First Watch was a solid brunch place in town. Despite a slightly larger group, we were able to get seated almost immediately. Among the things we ordered were classic eggs benedict and the breakfast sandwich with bacon. I think the flavors were solid with both. The only thing was that it was too busy in the restaurant and small orders or follow ups (water, condiments, etc.) took just a tad too long to come around. Overall, I would give the place a solid 3.5-4 and round up to a 4 read more

First Watch - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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This place never dissapoints. I love the fact that you can reserve your place in line in the app while you're at home. I ordered the Ham and Gruyere plus the Banana pancake. Everything was cooked to perfection and flavorful. The service was on point too, he always kept my water full and left me with the carafe. Definitely come here for brunch any day of the week. You won't be disappointed. read more

First Watch - Ham and Gruyere Multigrain Pancakes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia