FIRST WATCH
17789 Tamiami Trail
North Port, FL
What started out as a failed outing to test the Menudo (a Mexican breakfast soup-like dish) at a local Mexican restaurant, which didn’t open until 11 am, turned out to be a massive win in the end for us.
We have only been here in Florida for a week and a half, and we have tried a couple of local restaurants already, but to be fair, my tastebuds have been off due to my recent bout of Covid. Now that my buds are in full force again, I’m going to get down to finding our new favorite dining establishments throughout the Sarasota and Charlotte Counties.
I find it fitting that my FIRST review is the FIRST WATCH. It appears that this is a chain restaurant, as there are four near us, but tons of locations in Florida. They also appear to be in Georgia, and North and South Carolina as I have friends in two of those locations who were quick to share their love for First Watch with me once I mentioned we ate there.
WEBSITE 10/10
I have two bachelor’s degrees, one in web design and multimedia, so I tend to begin my critiques the moment I visit a business’s website. Granted, I consider the establishment owners and their ability to hire or purchase quality work. A mom and pop’s place will obviously not be able to afford as much as a place such as First Watch which cares for 150 restaurants and I totally understand that, but I also know what great things can be done on a budget with the right designer or template.
The First Watch site uses great imagery, and it is easy to navigate. The colors match the coolness of their brick-and-mortar sites as well. I am so thankful when I can see images of the dishes a place serves. The reason for this, is we eat with our eyes first then our sense of smell and until they come out with sniff-o-sites, images are where it’s at. I was a little bummed that the restaurant menus didn’t have pictures, but now that I see the dishes on their website, I’m satisfied. I get the cost of adding images to printed material, so I can understand the omittance of them, especially if they are on the website. The site is also far from busy or overwhelming. Too much information can push me away as well. It is just as balanced as their establishments.
PHILOSOPHY 10/10
I also appreciate that they put quality work and love into the preparation and ingredients of their dishes. I have owned my own cupcake shop and I share in their love of quality ingredients from start to finish and I love that their site mentions everything is prepped fresh that morning and no frying or heat lamps. I am so happy we found them.
LOCATION 10/10
Nearly everything we need is located on Tamiami Trail. For us, this location is only two minutes away and opens at 7:00 am. I just saw the restaurant as we were driving, so it stood out nicely.
I love how close everything is for us here. In Colorado, we had to drive 15 to 20 minutes or more in either direction to get to something worth eating and breakfast establishments like this? Thirty minutes or more. So, to say the least, the location is AWESOME!!!
DÉCOR 10/10
Simple and sweet. The colors are earthy, calm, and refreshing. Provides a natural feel with woody textures and soft lighting. The seats were comfortable, and the table and seating space in our booth were spot on. I really don’t like feeling like I haven’t any room to breathe, or I have to scoot up to meet the table, not the case here. The back of the booth was high enough to make us feel secluded but low enough to not make us feel forgotten. The theme was a simple barn feel without going overboard with trying to actually look like a barn. One simple hanging rafter with Edison lights hanging overhead and a simple layout. I love Edison lights by the way (sidebar).
SERVICE 10/10
We were sat promptly, mainly because we got there at the perfect time. I believe we showed up about an hour after opening. The outside patio was almost half full and inside, the same, but plenty of open tables for us to be sat straight away. When we left, the waiting area was starting to fill up.
The host was pleasant and our server, Christal, was even more so. She was genuinely nice and quick-witted. We always love humor and personality in our servers. She didn’t disappoint. She was also there before we needed her. I should never get to the point where I am wondering when our server is going to check on us, nor should I feel like I am constantly being interrupted. Twenty percent tip worthy for sure!
THE FOOD 10/10
We were given the seasonal menu and regular menu to order from. I chose from the seasonal and my husband ordered from the regular, and in the end, neither of us was disappointed, from start to finish.
BUT FIRST COFFEE (10/10)
I am a picky person when the flavor is involved, and coffee is no exception. First, we received our water in the typical country carafe. I actually love having my water brought to the table so that I can refill it at my will. We drink a lot of water, and I just don’t like waiting for a refill. I’m also thankful that the water didn’t taste like chemicals. Now, the coffee… SCORE! I only use two creamers and no sugar, so the flavor of the actual coffee will stand out more. It wasn’t bitter at all, or tasted burnt, which I am sure we can all agree is a plus. I am usually left feeling meh or disappointed with the coffee of most places. They tend to taste as if the pot had been sitting on the burner too long and I end up forcing myself to drink that one cup. This time, I was hesitant to reject taking some home when our server offered. Yup, it was that good.
PUMPKIN PANCAKE BREAKFAST (10/10
As I mentioned before, I ordered off the specialty menu. I decided on the pumpkin pancake breakfast which comes with one very big pumpkin pancake topped with a dollop of butter, two cage-free eggs my way, and a chicken sausage patty, which I swapped out for bacon. When it arrived, it was on a very nice, large rectangular plate. My bacon was slightly overcooked on one end and perfect on the other. Even though it was uneven inconsistent doneness, it was still super good. I love crispy bacon with a slight give and at least half of the bacon did just that and the overcooked side, still tasted great to me. Sometimes it is what it is. Thickness changes even in the same piece and cooking consistency can’t be helped. I’d rather have slightly overcooked than under. The eggs were topped with minced chives and cooked to over-easy perfection. My last over-easy egg from a breakfast joint was over-hard and rubbery. Seriously, a breakfast joint should be experts at cooking eggs. When I was a line cook it was necessary to get the eggs down and don’t get me started on allowing such disastrous eggs to leave the kitchen. The pancake was a great texture and even had a little crispiness to the edges. The flavor wasn’t really pumpkiny but I still enjoyed the subtle flavor provided. Sometimes overly flavored tastes fake and probably is, so I’m good. Good enough to order it again… and maybe again.
One serious bonus with my dish was the syrup. It came in a cute glass bottle with a pour spout, but the best part was that it was heated, as syrup should be. In addition, it stayed warm till the very end of my dining experience.
850 kcal (more than I would normally have at any particular meal, but it’s Sunday sooo who cares?)
CHICKENCHANGA (10/10)
My husband ordered the Chickenchanga breakfast from the Egg-Sclusives section of the main menu. This filling dish came with seasoned country-style potatoes and a ramekin of fresh fruit. The burrito was filled with spicy white-meat chicken, chorizo sausage, green chilies, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, onions, avocado, and whipped eggs, all wrapped up in a flour tortilla and topped with a Vera Cruz sauce and sour cream. Of course, I HAD to try his, and I wouldn’t have been disappointed if I ordered this either. I may have needed a wheelbarrow to take me back to my car, but it was packed with flavor and had a nice bite of spice, not too much, but just enough to make your tastebuds dance. The country potatoes? These are now my favorite and I will be sure to at least order aside. So much flavor and just the right amount of give and crunch balance. The fruit? It’s fruit. It wasn’t under or overripe.
1310 kcal (good thing we took a walk afterward)
THE PRICE IS RIGHT (10/10)
Our bill came to $31.31, which to me, for the coffees and the amazing, flavored dishes, was more than fair. I have spent close to the same if not more at other multiple establishments and have been disappointed, from start to finish more often than I care to mention. The quality and the price have made this an instant favorite place for us and possibly our new weekend breakfast hotspot. Perhaps next time, we will walk there and back.
OVERALL EXPERIENCE 10/10
I don’t usually have such a balanced and fulfilling experience, something is usually off, so to say I am highly impressed with FIRST WATCH, is an understatement. They truly demonstrated their philosophy from beginning to end. Thank you for such a wonderful Sunday meal.
Stay Salty and Stay Connected,
Kelley
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Such a great review of a restaurant! It makes me want to give this place a try.