After church, (11:45 am) my husband and I stopped in at First Watch, Oleander....Wilmington, NC. I wanted Decaf Coffee. Waitress said coffee was brewed when they opened this morning. She brought me some to taste. Was bitter to taste.... I asked if she would make a fresh pot. She suggested I get regular coffee because they make a fresh batch like every 5 minutes". My reply, "I can't have caffeine because of my medical condition ". She then told me, "Maybe it is not a coffee day for you today". I was a LITTLE upset. Just water please. The blueberry pancake was good. Chicken Sausage patty was good. Hubby had a delicious salad and sandwich he said. I was really wanting my coffee with my breakfast meal. My sweet husband said to me, "I know a place where you can get all the fresh decaf coffee you want". NEXT time dearI told him. read more

Patrick is great , very friendly! Food is also excellent as always! Million dollar bacon has great flavor with maple syrup?(not sure), but it is delicious! My avocado toast has perfect texture ! read more

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The food was delicious, fresh, and came out quickly! I loved the menu here with tons of options to choose from. Laid back, casual brunch spot with good service and fair prices. I will be back to try more! The market veggie omelet was loaded with fresh vegetables and goat cheese - such a nice change from the greasy southern breakfast that is common in these parts! read more

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Very good food and good service. I had the 1/2 club sandwich and 1/2 Cobb salad. Very tasty but a tiny bit small for my appetite. I'll just order a little more food next time. The breakfast options look amazing. read more

For all intents and purposes, this is a 5 star review but let it be known that I have grievances. You may be confused by my 5-star rating . . . . I gave what I did because I am not an a--hole, nor am I a qualified critic, and don't want to bring down a local business's street cred for one average experience. But, the general public needs to know that the menu flaunts how the pancakes are "humongous" and "beyond big" yet they are so thin even a starved P.O.W. would complain they were still hungry after eating what I received. At the table, feeling taken advantage of and feeling the need to discuss, adjectives such as "paper-thin" and "tortilla chip" were thrown around. To be clear, the food was actually quite good it's just that when I take my lady out to get coffee and a sit-down breakfast, I'm not counting out the possibility that we will be wheeled out on a stretcher or, at the very least, brought to the hospital to be put into a medically induced coma to allow for our breakfast to digest. We left only slightly full. A travesty of an experience? Surely not. The food we received was quite good, we just didn't get enough. A subpar breakfast experience? You decide. read more

Horrible experience. Food was cold. They tried to avoid eye contact. Asked for food to be heated. That took 20 minutes. We had finished. Should have told us it was too late for hot food. We went at 2pm. read more

Best breakfast , lots of choices definitely a must every time we travel with the family

I was wondering where to go for lunch and decided to give it a try because I have a gift card. Oh my, how I wish I discovered this place sooner! I knew everything is going to be great as soon as I entered. Great decor and great vibe! Then the food makes me fall into love with this place once again. I got the chickichanga, and I loved it! It's also very reasonably priced at $12. I also ran into a group of friends and I sat with them for a little longer. It's such a wonderful place for friends and family to hang out and have fun! I sincerely recommend to anyone in town looking for a nice and neat place for breakfast/brunch/lunch. read more

First Watch - chickichanga - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

The food was so good I forgot to take a picture. I had the eggs Benedict with spinach and it was delicious. The hollandaise sauce has some type of lemony taste to it that was absolutely divine. My poached eggs were cooked beautifully and broke just like when would want. read more

Overpriced! I understand that it's "fresh" but everything being high is insane. $4 for a cup of coffee is ridiculous. Not to mention both of our plates came with potatoes that needed to be cooked longer. Our waitress seemed like she didn't want to be there and we only saw her a couple times the whole visit. Cute restaurant but definitely not worth the price tag. $44 for 2 people to have breakfast, no alcohol either. BTW almost $4 for a glass of milk...wow! read more

This time we went to First Watch at 11:30 to try to beat the lunch rush, but with the tourist gone for the fall there really was not a line. Which was a pleasant surprise. We had a very nice waitress who knew everything to do and treated us very nicely. There were a lot of appealing things on the menu and we loved everything that we got. The food came quickly, if I had to complain about something it would be that the check came very quickly. We were nowhere near done eating and we hadn't been at the table more than 20 minutes so it felt like we needed to leave even though we weren't even there an hour. I didn't like that feeling. There wasn't a line so it seemed a little unnecessary to rush us. But overall the food was excellent, the price was acceptable, although much higher than previous visits. But it was a good place to go for lunch. read more

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Food was great, service impeccable, ambiance terrific, the bread alone is worth the trip!

This was my first time here and will definitely return. From the line upon pulling up I assumed the food must have been good because there was a wait. Like definitely a "Hot Spot". We had to wait a lil but it was worth the wait. The service was wonderful. I forgot our waitress name but she did a great job. Good was delicious came out quick. Lil complaint make sure the utencils are cleaned. We dipped ours in some hot water and they were fine after that, but make sure the utencils are clean. Other than that no complaints lol. I'd come back. There was also lots of healthy options available as well. read more

The food is delicious and the staff is super friendly and helpful. I will definitely be coming here again. We tried one of their juice drinks, the market hash, biscuits and gravy, a chocolate chip pancake, and million dollar bacon. Their multigrain toast and homemade preserves are also wonderful!!! There was a couple beside us who was unfortunately very rude and attempted to cause a scene. We felt horrible for the staff because they were all wonderful. If they leave a negative review mine will hopefully cancel theirs out. read more

We went for brunch on Sunday of a holiday weekend. There was a 45-60 minute wait but communication was on point from the hostesses and we wondered the mall for a bit while we waited. The food was great- service was friendly and everything came as expected. It took a little while to get the food, but the place was packed and when we did get our drinks and food, everything tasted fresh made to order. The server checked in with us, so we were never neglected. It was refreshing having a breakfast/brunch that I couldn't make better at home. I probably wouldn't bring the kids when it is that busy just because they don't have the patience to wait, but for my friend and I, it was time well spent catching up. I had the lemon ricotta pancakes and my friend had breakfast tacos. I will definitely go back. We both had fresh juices also. read more

First Watch - Kale Apple cucumber juice and Carrot Tumeric coconut juice - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

The service was poor likely due to insufficient staff and the coffee was terrible. Had to send back my sons hot chocolate because it was basically hot water. Food was okay. read more

I've been to first watch twice now! I've ordered the biscuits and gravy, grits, and Bacado Omelet. Both times the food as been great! Unfortunately the service has not been as good as the food. Both times I felt very rushed to checkout and leave. The waitress asked several times to take the plate out of my way, but I wasn't finished. The first visit, the waitress took the plate without asking, but I managed to stop her, lol! The second time I visited, I went to checkout (you actually pay upfront after you finish eating) and I waited for about 15 minutes for someone to help me. No one was at the front counter everyone was busy. I'm not sure if it was a staffing issue or if they couldn't see me trying to pay. Things to know: - you can get the "side" of biscuits and gravy for a cheaper price than the entrée. It's just a good sized portion too! - their house coffee is about four dollars (which is kind of ridiculous because it's just bunn burner coffee, nothing special at all) read more

We got to the restaurant at rush time of 11:30 on a Sunday. Had to wait a little over 30 mins for an outside table. The service was excellent when we had our seats. The food came very fast and it was delicious! I had the avocado toast and I couldn't eat all the avocado on it! The eggs were cooked exactly like I like them. The only negative would be checking out. A line of about 6 in front of us. With most businesses going to touch free systems, First Watch is behind the curve. Cashier had to take our card, and we had to sign with a pen everyone was using. So that meant a slow process with a bunch of people very close together in a tight space. The food and service was excellent! I'll bring exact change next time. read more

Breakfast done right! Great staff and management that are very customer focused with a quality setting and table fare. Excellent! Ken read more

We're from Ohio and we have First Watch there. I was so happy to see they were here also. Delicious food and drinks. Never had a bad meal! Kaitlyn was a great server and funny too! read more

First Watch - Farmhouse Skillet hash - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

This is the only chain restaurant we eat at. Healthy options reasonably priced and good!!

This is a wonderful restaurant with great food and wonderful service!! I have never had anything I haven't liked.

We usually enjoy First Watch, but maybe it was because we went to the Oleander location and not the Mayfaire location we normally go to. Our visit started normal enough with the enthusiastic greeting when we walked in the door. We were seated at the booth of our choice as there were only three other small groups. That is where our good experience ended. My wife and I sat and looked at menus for at least ten minutes until my wife grew impatient and walked to the host stand to ask about the waitstaff. When our waitress finally showed up her comment was "I'm sorry, I just walked in the door". We laughed out loud as we had watched the very same waitress serve a group that was seated after us, and then wander around the kitchen. After we placed our order, our food came in a reasonable time and was of the quality we expected. After we ate the waitress gave us the check, but when we went to pay it was the wrong check. The host had to go find our waitress and get the right check. If the restaurant had been full I might have attributed the service to being busy, sadly that isn't the case. Next time we decide we want to eat at First Watch, we'll drive to Mayfaire. read more

After striking out at our first choice for Sunday brunch, we decided to try First Watch for the first time today. We were able to secure our name on the waitlist through First Watch's website, stating a 25 minute wait. It took us about 10 mins to arrive and the place was hoppin'. We checked in and were told that it would be approx. 25 minutes. Interesting. Time must have stood still during our commute so we're officially time travelers now. We agreed to wait since the food presentations coming out of the kitchen, looked great and it appeared that everyone was enjoying their meals. After 10 mins, we were approached by another staff member, asking if we'd like to sit outside. We agreed and headed to our table on a bright, sunny day with 30 mph wind gusts. Our server, who I thought was named Sarah (receipt reflects Xiola) arrived soon after to take our drink order. She was the highlight of this experience bc if I'm being completely honest...the food was not good...at all. At all! Anyone who knows me in Wilmington, knows that I'm on a mission to try everyone's shrimp and grits entrees around the city. So, of course I ordered it. My wife ordered the crab cake benedict and our son ordered the biscuit with turkey gravy and an egg, over medium. Both of their dishes came with home fries and onions...which was the best thing any of us tasted today. The shrimp and grits needs to be renamed jambalaya and grits. It was loaded with fire roasted tomatoes, chopped bell pepper, larger chunks of andouille sausage and green onions. So loaded that I could barely taste the shrimp and the grits had soaked up the flavor of these ingredients. It was powerful, pungent and set aside after the second bite. I simply could not tolerate the overall flavors of this dish and sent it back. With that honesty piece in play again...it was either the worst or second worst shrimp and grits I've tasted in Wilmington. But hey.. if you like a jambalaya, bell pepper and tomato cornucopia to feast on...go for it. Just don't expect a true, NC-inspired shrimp and grits dish. Our son only ate his egg (which was prepared well) and the home fries. When asked about the biscuit and turkey gravy, he said it was not good at all. I tasted both. The biscuit had some sort of cinnamon or nutmeg blended in it which turned me off quickly. The first bite of his gravy seemed ok at first, then the bitter aftertaste of something followed up. I can understand perfectly well why he didn't eat it. As for my wife's crab cake benedict went...the sauce was nice. The egg was poached perfectly and the crab cakes were decent. Where all of it was all ruined was how First Watch marinated the sauteed spinach in an OVERABUNDANCE of lemon. Seriously...they must have soaked the spinach in a tub of pure lemon juice then added more lemon zest. Each bite was completely overpowered by lemon. In your face and personal with lemon. 1 hour and 30 minutes later, as I type this review, she is belching nothing but lemon over and over again and is just miserable. I wanted to enjoy some part of any of these 3 dishes but all of them were a disappointment. I'm sorry but this food was not pleasing to our taste buds. It's as if First Watch is trying too hard and going all mad scientist with their ingredients in the kitchen. Sometimes, less is more and First Watch needs to go back to basics. On a bright note, our server removed the shrimp and grits from our bill, was extremely apologetic and was on her game during our visit. Her service? 5 STARS. As for the food...I'm going to be very generous with 1.1 STARS. Will I return? Most likely not with 3 brunch entrees being barely edible. Also to note: GM, Jordan Newman, sent me a friend request on Facebook the same evening and I ONLY accepted after noticing on his profile that he's the GM of First Watch. Reluctantly, I approved the friend request and sent him a message yesterday morning, asking how I could help him. No answer or reply back. I waited a few hours and sent a "?", which was seen but...no reply or answer. Finally, feeling as if Jordan Newman of First Watch was trolling and stalking my profile on Facebook, I sent a final message to him at 3:45p in a direct, but professional, manner. He immediately saw it and then blocked me. Yeah...not very cool at all. SCORE: 0.7 STARS (the tableside service was very good). read more

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We will be the first to admit that some locations are better than others. First Watch will always be our first choice. Our breakfast was delicious and their staff were energized and ready to serve us. #tipyourwaiter read more

First Watch - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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I'm not a fan of chain restaurants but this one surprised me. The waffles were delicious, kids portions were a good size, healthy options and coffee was so good! read more

Britt was an amazing server, definitely goes above and beyond for the customers!!! The food came out super fast and was amazing as usual! This is my favorite location!!!!! read more

Britt was a fantastic server! Very attentive and quick service. Food was delicious! Will definitely be back!

BEST PLACE EVER!!! If you're a fan of sweets like me I highly recommend the Purple Haze drink with the French Toast :)

Our server Noel was excellent. She was attentive but not intrusive. Food was served hot and delicious. Great breakfast location. Highly recommend. read more

This place is great. Same experience every time. The food comes out very fast and it's always good! Especially great for little ones...

EXTRAORDINARILY UNDERSTAFFED. After waiting 40 minutes to place an order, an extremely apologetic and overwhelmed hostess told us it would take another 45 minutes for the kitchen to make our food. We just left. The management should be ashamed of trying to run a place this busy with a skeleton crew. How cheap can the owners be? Terrible experience for customers and workers alike, I'm never again eating at a chain that treats its employees like that. It was embarrassing to watch. read more

I don't know who these people are that are giving this place high reviews, but they need their taste buds evaluated. They clearly eat only kale and spinach for breakfast. The slogan here is "yeah, it's fresh" ... just because it's "fresh" doesn't mean it should lose flavor and seasonings. I mean, the food isn't even salted! The grits they advertise are flavor cheese grits, but what I got were grits with melted strings of flavorless cheese. YUCK!! I love grits, but these went to the trash. Truthfully, the only flavor this place has is the flavor of microwaved food. I should have skipped the $40 spent and just used my own microwave. read more

The food is good. I definitely recommend the Million Dollar Bacon and the French toast. However, the water jar we were given was so full of trash that we asked for plastic cups to drink out of. I will be back but I will ask for a plastic cup to drink out of. read more

I took my friend here this morning hoping for a nice birthday breakfast for her. Unfortunately, even though she specified that she needed gluten free toast due to a bad allergy, she was given regular toast. The waitress did not catch the mistake until my friend had already eaten half of the toast. Let's just say we had to wrap up the rest of breakfast rather quickly. read more

Food is good but the prices are too high. 2 pieces of french toast, 3 bites of eggs and 2 pieces of bacon for $20? The portions are nothing crazy either, it also came with "2 eggs" but like I said earlier it was literally not even 5 bites. this place needs there prices dropped! read more

I have been here with family and with friends probably about 5 times since it opened in Wilmington. The food was ok when it opened and has worsened since. I haven't wanted to finish my meal each of the last 2 visits and service last time was terrible. My server was rude. I won't be back. read more

Just had a great breakfast at aFirst Wat habout an hour ago. The food was absolutely delicious, but what makes First Watch special is their servers. We were lucky enough today to have DJ help us make our selections. Not only was he personable, but he made great suggestions on what to eat. Thank you first, First Watch for a fantastic breakfast and thank you to DJ for injecting your unique personality into our experience. Looking forward to coming back again and again. read more

Have dined there 3 times. Kinks of a new restaurant being worked out. I have eaten at many of the first watch locations. Banana pancake was awesome as ever. Chickichanga was excellent. Roast beef sandwich solid. Potatoes needed a few more minutes on the griddle. read more

Absolutely best service and breakfast food I have had in a while. Always smiling and friendly staff. Coffee is excellent by itself or with the assorted creamers. Food is brought out quite quickly even with as much as I order for myself read more