I'm a fan of First Watch and do seek them out when traveling due to their consistency of being above average. So when in Roanoke, Virginia I found they had a location. They also have another location in nearby Salem. I used the app for getting in line which typically works flawlessly. My time to arrive was 15-20 and upon arrival in that frame a table was ready. A host seated us with menus and silverware. Our group of four looked over the menu as a waitress arrived minutes later. She got the drink order and arrived back in short order. We were ready to order. I cannot remember what everyone got, but I had the Spring chimichurri special and added an avocado. The dining room was packed as was their outdoor patio. The noise was elevated, but not piercing. We had a table near the patio. I enjoyed my coffee as we waited for brunch orders. It's impossible to not be impressed with the hard working staff as they quickly moved through the dining room. After around 15 to no more than 20 minutes the food hit the table. The millionaire bacon is always a huge hit and recommend. Everyone's dishes were correct. My dish overall looked smaller than I've had before. Everyone enjoyed their dishes. The avocado add was two tiny pieces which was disappointing. When our waitress checked in I alerted her the avocado add on was underwhelming. She immediately addressed it with additional. She also got another water craft. Checkout was efficient up front. In my opinion First Watch offers a higher level service, good and atmosphere. I plan on returning with additional visits in Roanoke coming up this Summer. read more

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There are times when I wake up early in the morning feeling like having a special breakfast in a clean, inviting, and welcoming environment, with eclectic gourmet recipes that excites my taste buds. After having been selected as number 4 of the Top 50 most prolific Elites of 2025, a year when I also was awarded the Yelp Triad Squad Photographer of the Year Award at the Yelpies 2025 Award Ceremony, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, and where last year I was awarded the Yelp Triad Squad Yelper of the Year Award, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to uncover those found in hidden paths that for one reason or another have not reached the public in its totality. And First Watch, in Roanoke Virginia is a perfect example. Located in the Ivy Market Shopping Center, a small, high-end, new construction, outdoor shopping mall, in Southwest Roanoke, with other exclusive stores and restaurants such as Mellow Mushroom, Earth Fare, Taziki's Mediterranean Café, Walgreens, and Carilion Clinic Institute for Orthopedics and Neurosciences, First Watch is an award-winning breakfast, brunch, and lunch restaurant, serving a chef-driven menu of elevated classics and seasional specialties, always made to order. This morning, I woke up early and was at the restaurant as soon as it opened at seven o'clock in the morning. It was still dark out, but the bright light coming out from its windows was the best indication that it was open and ready for customers to arrive. As soon as I was seated at the table of my choice a friendly and very hospitable, young lady greeted me and asked what I wanted to drink..I asked for a cup of coffee and a glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice. To eat I ordered the Chimichurri Steak & Eggs Hash, with the eggs cooked over easy, and the steak medium-rare. I love the warm and welcoming ambiance of this place. Everyone is so friendly and kind. And the chef always comes out with culinary masterpieces. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the quality of the food. In no time at all my server arrived holding a plate with something on it that looked like a culinary work of art. The chef had once again overexeeded my high expectations of how the menu item would look, and as I would quickly find out, of how it would taste. My server came around at the appropriate times to see if I needed anything. What could have improved is that she brought me the bill and placed it on the table, without asking me if I was ready for it. I was thinking of having something sweet at the end, but because of this, didn't. Hope management takes this constructive feedback only as an improvement of their otherwise wonderful restaurant. Other than this, I had an extraordinary dining experience, and highly recommend this place for a top-of-the-line breakfast or lunch. read more

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We stumbled upon this place and glad we decided to stop on in. The food was hot, fresh and delicious. The menu - beautiful and so many options - it was hard to choose but I settled on the farmhouse hash - potatoes with cheese & bacon, topped with eggs and avocados, served with toast. I also tried the honey caramel crunch coffee - a bit too sweet for my liking and the cold foam was off seemed more like marshmallow fluff . My husband enjoyed the Barbacoa Breakfast Tacos. We had a very nice waitress - food came out quickly. I wish I would have gotten some inside pictures - I'm a bit nervous when it comes to that - but it's spacious and trendy inside! I already plan to come back - to try that lemon blueberry cornbread! read more

I have been to other locations and had a great time, but my time here was not good. Our server was not attentive at all. He forgot the creamer for our coffee (3 times - we reminded him twice), forgot to bring ketchup and hot sauce, and also did not bring out a cocktail I ordered until we were almost done with our meals and ANOTHER reminder. A bit sad cause I love this place, but this location was not it. The food was just okay, lacking flavor and was a bit cold. Hopefully it can be better sometime else read more

First Watch - Honey Chipotle Chicken Hash - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

We came here for an early breakfast and everything was so fresh and so delicious! Everything was cooked perfectly to order, and Grant, our server, was so kind! The restaurant was very nice and very clean, everyone was very nice. We will be back! Thank you, Grant! read more

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The restaurant is clean and modern with minimal but comfortable aesthetic and decor. We were greeted and seated after waiting briefly in line at the host stand. The food is fairly priced and portions were good. They offer a lot of nutritional information on the menu which was helpful. The seating is close so it is not private as you can hear all the conversations going on around you. I ordered a power quinoa bowl and it was tasty but the only disappointment was they used thin slices deli chicken as the meat and a few pieces of that looked questionable and low quality. The server (Angel) was very accommodating. I have a small child so I would have preferred to pay at the table rather than carry him and hold him to pay at the register on the way out but I'm sure this method saves severs the the of having to cash out their own guests. Overall a win for a birthday breakfast. read more

First Watch - Chicken pesto quinoa power bowl - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

A nice, after-church Sunday breakfast. We sat on the patio (had to talk our way on- it wasn't really open) on a hot but pleasant morning. Wait staff was very attentive, brought us all our requests (creamers, condiments, salt and pepper) that weren't on the table. With a smile! Had coffee, a veggie omelette and a ham and cheese omelette. Both with whole wheat toast and a small serving of fresh fruit. Food came quickly, was hot and tasty. Only one other couple on the patio, so conversation was easy. Cheese (Gruyère) was on the omelette, not inside, unique but not a problem. When it cooled, it came off in chunks. Veggies were salty, so additional salt wasn't necessary. Toast had butter swiped across one side, not spread across. Overall a nice meal. Waitress definitely made it very good, food was good, not spectacular. Recommended. read more

I was driving through Virginia and needed to stop and eat breakfast but I had my dog with me so that limits the places I can eat. I don't like leaving him in the truck. First Watch is probably the best place in the US to get a good breakfast so I detoured a few miles off the highway to eat there. The location could be more convenient to the Highway but the food didn't disappoint. The bonus was outdoor seating so my best friend could join me and we both ate well. He had bacon and sausage with a bowl of lukewarm water like he likes it, and I had eggs Benedict, my favorite. The server was exceptional and so I recommend this place anytime you want a solid, tasty breakfast. Bring your pup! read more

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

Kayleigh was so sweet. She was very attentive. The food was good. The drinks were plenty and I didn't have to ask for anything. She's a pro.

In town for our anniversary and this meal was everything we had hoped for. Establishment was very clean. The staff was super friendly and the meal was amazing. They were busy so we sat outside. It was windy but the food made up for it. read more

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i ate there.also ordered by door dash.i like everything.i tried.parking little hard due to sqeezing too many busineses together.so id say morning night.best bet.but they close early or did..recommend it. read more

I tried this place because I heard the food was good. The service wasn't great, and when I ordered, I felt guilty because of the way the made me feel. I ordered toast, a two egg and gruyere cheese, omelette, and sausage links. I received one piece of toast, the omelette, and one sausage link! I also ordered milk, orange juice and water. There were no prices on the menu, and when I got the bill I was shocked, to say the least! For that little bit of food, I paid over $20, with the tip. The omelette was amazing, but I would have thought that I would have, at least, gotten two pieces of toast and at least two sausage links with the omelette! I will not go back to this place. It is far outside of my budget and not worth it. I don't recommend this place unless you have a big pocketbook. read more

First watch is a great spot for brunch! The menu is huge and has so many great options, sweet and savory. The ingredients are high quality and you can find a lot of healthy options. There is usually a wait so put your name on the list! Servers are very friendly and the restaurant itself is big and bright. Good ambiance. I loved the breakfast tacos, would definitely recommend those! read more

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I usually love first watch! My wife and I decided to treat ourselves and go to what is normally one of our favorite places to have breakfast/brunch in Roanoke. The atmosphere is always wonderful and the service is normally spot on. This time, however it was lacking. I ordered the traditional, which is normally my favorite crispy bacon perfectly cooked eggs , beautiful sourdough toast, and hashbrowns to die for. This time the over easy eggs were hard and the toast was very disappointing. The bacon was undercooked and looked sad on the plate. I pointed it out to our server and she brought back perfectly cooked bacon and even less toasted bread. I thought it was a slight of sending something back. I guess I'm wrong because I want food to be always what's it's named "toast". Unfortunately, this time first watch you were more second watch read more

First Watch - The bacon was almost less done than the I dare call it toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

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went to First Watch Today for my birthday. Had the plerasure of having Brianna serve me and my family. she did a fantastic job. will request her service again she went above and beyond. Thanks Brianna E Watkins read more

Yuk! I went twice and the food was average at best and the service not that great. I watched as a server ate while working and without washing his hands wrapped clean utensils with napkins. I won't give them a third chance. There are a lot better breakfast places in Spotsylvania than this place. read more

We had a very nice family breakfast at this First Watch. Our waiter, Summer, was great!

I've yet to try something on their menu that I didn't like. Check out for their seasonal dishes! Stellar customer service. It's usually pretty busy specially on weekends, but definitely worth it. Family friendly atmosphere is added bonus. read more

Phone-in/carry-out orders here are very inconsistent and in my experience, rarely correct. I ordered a full breakfast and it came with very dry toast and only toasted on one side with no butter. I recently ordered the same breakfast and specifically requested the toast to be done on both sides and to add butter. I also requested crisp bacon. The toast came toasted on both sides this time but no butter and the bacon was obviously pulled from a pre-cooked tray and was not crisp at all. The bottom line for phone-in/carry-out orders is to check the bag BEFORE you leave the restaurant if you want your order to be correct. I will no longer order take-out from this restaurant! UPDATE: I received a phone call today from manager Jason Krueger following up on my review. The restaurant deserves credit for their efforts on this matter and Jason was very understanding and said he would set aside some discount coupons for my next visit. For the record, the food at this restaurant is very good when dining in and the staff is always responsive to any questions you might have about the food you receive. It should be noted that my complaint was about a call-in order, not dine-in. I'm updating the rating from a 2 to a 4 based on Jason's response read more

Be prepared on a busy day to be assaulted by a wall of noise when you walk in. High ceilings and no muffling elements like rugs or curtains help create this issue, which to be fair, is not the management's fault. As for the food, I've had better eggs Benedict. I figured the Florentine version would have slightly cooked spinach, but it was fresh, so with that and the sliced tomato, it began to "deconstruct" with the egg and sauce sliding off! I'd like to say the taste made up for it, but it was all a bit bland. The cheesy grits were also bland and did not need the heavy crust of melted cheese. One positive note - the staff is great - always cheerful and energetic even during a busy time! I will be unlikely to return, mostly due to the difficulty of trying to eat when my ears are being bombarded by deafening racket! read more

Morning meditation was the drink my son chose when we arrived, and he absolutely loved it. A refreshing beverage, it was a nice alternative to coffee. The coffee, however, was also top notch. A turkey egg white omelette was my selection on the Saturday I took my kids to breakfast here, and it didn't disappoint. Everyone at our table had something very different, and everyone left satiated. Older couples, families, and kids were comfortable in this restaurant. The aesthetic is very pleasing for this restaurant! The price point was higher than I would have chosen, but the food, service, and environment were fabulous. We would definitely go back. read more

Stupid staff! They make digital payments option and when client is leaving the restaurant they ask if the bill was paid! A bunch of idiot people working there! read more

Just finished having the summer special on the French toast with strawberries. Just enough quantities of everything it's my second time having it here. read more

We came here when the doors opened exactly at 7 am, we were the first customers of the day! Since the rush of the customers had not started, it was very quiet, the louder than normal pop music playing was perhaps playing to wake up the arriving sleepwalkers. It was a bit irritating to be perfectly honest! I wish they had something instrumental like jazz would have been okay or perhaps acoustic folk music. Something chill! I won't hold that against them! We were greeted by a very friendly waitress, who immediately set us at ease and asked us to sit where ever. She asked what beverage we preferred and of course, I requested coffee, which she immediately brought. The coffee was okay, nothing that would stand out. The waitress's service was stellar for sure! We placed our order, which was delivered under 7 minutes perhaps because there was no one else there at that time! The food was absolutely fresh and delicious in every way! I really enjoyed my first experience here! The restaurant decor was modern rustic and lighting was very inviting plus better yet the bathrooms were clean! I highly recommend this place if you want a fresh farm breakfast this may just be the place in Roanoke! I hope to be back again someday soon! Thanks for the memories! read more

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Came by here for a quick lunch recently, and was pleasantly surprised with the food and service. Funding a quick, tasty, and inexpensive lunch on a typical work day can be a real challenge, and I'm glad this place delivered on all three counts, except for the surprisingly (and disappointingly) modest portion sizes, which is usually not an issue. I walked in and was seated right away, and settled on the lunch combo with the Monterey club sandwich and the soup of the day, which on this day was Italian wedding soup. Food came out quickly, and I appreciated that the staff checked on me frequently because I was on a quick lunch break. The soup was spot on, and so was the sandwich, with the crunchy bacon being the highlight. I'd like to go back for breakfast. read more

First Watch - Lunch combo with Italian wedding soup and Monterey club - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

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We were seated very fast everyone for the most part enjoyed their food. However I asked for no sour cream on my omelette and there was sour cream they just took it to the back and scrapped it off. Luckily I am not allergic to it but it I was it wouldn't have been good as I could still see the sour cream. read more

First Watch - Pumpkin waffle eggs and chicken sausage - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

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FirstWatch is one of the few chain breakfast restaurants that repeatedly delivers quality service and food. Great omelettes and plenty of fresh hot coffee on a cold winter day. read more

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

Food is always good The Million Dollar Bacon is to die for People are always friendly and nice. read more

First: Indoor seating, social distancing, COVID-compliant. Mask required for entry but removed after seating. First Watch is a hipsters delight. Fresh squeezed artisan juice blends, avocado toast, cage free eggs, gluten free bread... Absolutely delicious. I now understand why the Sunday brunch wait times are so long. Generous portion for the omelette, packed with meaty-goodness. If you want to taste it all, get the Works like I did. The bacon is magnificent! Two $$ for sure, but if you're looking for a breakfast date place or an upgrade to your normal bacon and eggs routine. Head to First Watch! read more

Let me start off by saying that I absolutely love First Watch. I've gone to various locations and all of them have been nothing but great. My favorites have been the Farmstand breakfast tacos (I usually get fruit instead of beans though) and if I want to go a little more basic then the trifecta with a Belgian waffle or French toast is my go to. The staff are all really caring and the atmosphere is always welcoming. If I had to say a con (which isn't a deterrent in particular) to this particular location it would be that I wish they had outdoor seating. It would be nice to take the pup and sit outside and have breakfast (when it's not cold). It also get pretty crowded on the weekends so make sure to put your name on the list in their app. read more

horrible service sat there for 30 minutes and no server came over ,. but they went to everyone that came in after us

By far the worst experience I've ever had dining out. I'm from NY, frequently visiting my sister here in VA. I'm vegan and it's so difficult to eat out in a small town like Roanoke as there are little to no options, but my sister really wanted me to try First Watch in hopes we could find something vegan. Upon arrival, you could see multiple tables open but also quite a few people waiting. We, as just a party of two we're seated right away. First indication something was wrong was the fact that it took our waitress 10-15 before coming to the table. When she came she threw done the menus and said "what you want to drink?" just like that no "hello" no introduction nothing, so I actually don't know her name, but she was shorter and had blue hair. We ordered waters to start as we didn't even look at the menu yet to see what was there. I was instantly rubbed the wrong way by this as I truly have never experienced bad service anywhere in my life. Now, my sister and I are of middle eastern descent and I did question if this was why she treated us this way, as no one around seemed to be getting this type of service but also no one around looked like us. 10-15 minutes pass and at this point I began questioning where our waitress was and why she never returned with our waters. This restaurant is very open and you can see everything including the kitchen and I see her no water in hand standing there. But we let it go and wait for her to return another 7-8 mins. While looking over the menu, I found nothing necessarily vegan, but there was a veggie burger I could make vegan without its toppings. She returns back to our table aggressively places the waters down and says "so you decide what you want?" My sister goes "oh yes we're ready thank you" I said "I actually have a few questions about the menu, do you know or mind asking the kitchen if the veggie burger is made with egg? I'm vegan." She snaps "I don't know!! And it gonna take me a long time to find out" and continues by throwing straws at us!!! My mouth fell to the floor. I couldn't believe. Never ever ever!!! I was in shock and holding back my tears. I look to my sister and tell her we are leaving no way I could stay here. We go back up front to the server station and ask to speak to a manager. The server was very sweet and ran to the back. However the manager was worse the waitress and completely lost. He approaches us with a look of confusion on his face(probably need some custom service training or conflict resolution training), again no introduction so don't know his name either but longer shaggier hair in a hat. He says "I'm sorry, the waitress just came to me before you guys even complained to let me know what she did and that she snapped back at you guys and that I may need to talk to you guys because it looked like she upset you and she felt bad" What the actual heck- are you joking me, a. Complain in the wrong word to use talking to us. b. I'm in disbelief. I go through the whole story of what happens. He has no care whatsoever, literally not even phasing him. He did proceeded to tell me "look im sorry, she gets like this when she's flustered, it's busy and she's stressed so she took it out on y'all" WHAT!!!!! THE!!!! HECK!!!! This should not be her line of business at a busy restaurant if busyness flusters her! How does that even come out of the mouth of a manager! So I tell him that again looks dumbfound with nothing to say. My sister continues to say she didn't feel comfortable eating there anymore. Also mind you my sister and I are so calm so sweet, never raised our voices never freaked out again I'm almost in tears. But no compassion from anyone there at all. As a manager of 6 medical offices myself, we always encourage our team members to always do what's best for the customers and when incidents happen how can we resolve them and help the customer. He was fine with letting us go, wasn't even a "listen have a sit will make this right, we'll make you something vegan off the menu" it was poor customer service all around, poor management and that girl should honestly be fired if her manager knows she gets "flustered" doing her job. Even reading the replies from the company back to negative reviews is generic and not caring at all. What a real shame. Management needs to do better. Needless to say... i absolutely would not recommend and I wouldn't even give them a 1 star but yelp makes you. read more

I really enjoyed the food and service! There was a wait for the food but that was understandable with the crowd. I would go back. I am vegan. I had avacado toast with side of potatoes, and the kale juice. read more

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

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I've been to First Watch in other places before so I had high hopes about it. I wasn't disappointed. The quality of the food at First Watch is very high - it's breakfast food that isn't skimped on because of it being simple. Everything seems to be prepared with care and plated nicely. The environment is nice, casual but warmly decorated and seating spaced appropriately apart. It was busy inside for breakfast on a weekend, but there was only a couple minute wait and I didn't find it too loud or overwhelming. I do think it's a little pricey for breakfast food, though, to explain the lack of 5 stars. read more

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

On my recent visit to First Watch, we waited for a table outside. We were sat in the corner of the patio and completely forgotten about. After 15 minutes, I alerted the hostess that we hadn't been greeted yet. Immediately after that, a rude server followed us to our table and took our entire order drinks and food. She delivers a glass to our table with a used straw wrapper in the tea. After 30 minutes of waiting to tell her about the issue with the tea, people who ordered after us were now getting their food. Horrible service. This used to be my go-to breakfast place, and I will not be returning due to this incident. read more

Good food good service. Options range from , eat your heart out huge breakfast. To avocado toast, egg white protein bowls. Something for everyone. Specialty fresh squeezed juices and a wide range of coffees. Just a cool relaxing place to catch brunch. Come as you are, dressed up out of church. Or just got up from last nights happy hour. read more

First Watch - Chorizo omelette , enough said yum - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

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First impressions of First Watch: Quaint ( like an upscale Cracker Barrel in decor) Service was nice and polite. Food looks different than most places around. (Just ordered so stand by for review of food) Some other things I noticed while waiting for my food. The staff seem tired. Not necessarily in a run-down bad way. They're friendly, just tired. In my opinion, it's the patrons that make them that way. They aren't respected and aren't treated very nicely. The patrons seem, to me, to be a little elitist and entitled and demanding. Perhaps it was the time of day or I just happen to be in the eatery at the wrong time. I think people should treat other people with at least an ounce of respect. Think about it... they make your food. So be nice. Update: The food was delicious and they took care to prepare the food as asked. read more

The juice was delicious, the hash was delicious. The French toast was bread with some cinnamon and was supremely disappointing. I would go again but definitely skip the French toast. read more

Extremely poor service, extremely poor food hard boiled poached eggs, when I told the server about the eggs she says she didn't make them, well obviously because your are the waitress, then the excuse is they were busy. Isn't that the point of being in business. Busy good food and service means more money. Do not go to this location! read more

I really want to give more stars, but I just can't. I was eating by myself and seated at the common table, which I actually prefer to a table for two. Service: good. Waitress was attentive. When she learned it was my first visit, she helped with recommendations. Wait for food was acceptable. I did have to ask for butter for my "toast." Four stars. Food: Acceptable. I ordered the smoked salmon and roasted veggie frittata with a side of fruit and gluten free "toast." The frittata could have been hotter. In fact, it was warm but not hot at all. As someone who likes their food piping, this was a disappointment. The frittata itself was good, bordering on unique, but a bit salty. A more cautious approach seeing g as how the smoke salmon was salty enough would have been preferred. The toast seemed to be barely passed under a hest source and was not buttered or otherwise adorned. I had to ask for butter. Fruit considered of pineapple (a favorite), grapes and honeydew. No complaint there. Three stars. All in all, I might give this place a second try if someone else suggests it, but I likely won't seek it out on my own. read more

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