First Watch

I love this place!! Just saw this place randomly on my Ulta trip. I’m a breakfast/brunch fanatic. I was so pleasantly surprised. I never stepped foot in the noodles & company that was in the space previously so I was blown away by the size of the space. It’s shockingly light & bright (bc you barely notice it on the corner of Harlem & Lake!). They have counter space for 10 diners & it’s a great place to people watch :) I have had the servers Danny & Levi thus far. Both are top notch humans, so friendly & remembered my name! Damn. Nice mix of all types of people - families, couples, business meetups…it’s family friendly, but I sat at the counter & was able to study & drink my coffee. Host is adorable & welcomes me back in always. It is a chain, but don’t hold that against them. Some places S

Time of arrival: 9:45 Monday Items ordered: Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict, side of biscuits and gravy, "Purple Haze" lemonade with health booster. tldr; Pros - Great first experience. Polite staff. Delicious food. Gives complimentary dessert on birthdays. (Not as delicious, but this is a breakfast establishment, after all) Cons - Silverware could use more attention and be polished better. Experience could have been different if I came 30 minutes later. Verdict: Would come again. Upon entry, I was greeted at the door, asked how many people were in my party. I was by myself, and they followed up if I wanted a table or would like to sit at the bar. For their convenience (by my own choice; they insisted politely that it was up to me), I chose the bar. At this time, it wasn't very crowded, a

I'm usually reluctant to try new breakfast places around the OPRF area since they seem to come and go constantly. I can honestly say First Watch is the real deal. Nice and efficient staff, great food quality, and their prices are awesome considering the portions. Highly recommended.

I was excited to see that First Watch was finally open and we did not have a long time to wait before we got a table. The place was packed so we chose to eat outside where the wait was shorter. The food was amazing in the atmosphere was very chill. I had a meal full of sides that were all delicious. And my cousin had one of the specialty meals. Everything was seasoned and cooked to perfection. I highly recommend First Watch.

We had a wonderful first experience at First Watch this morning! Since it was the Tuesday after Labor Day, we were seated immediately. Our waiter, Levi, was fantastic, and we even had two managers stop by our table to ensure we were enjoying our meal. The food was delicious and came at a very reasonable price. We ordered the caramel honey crunch iced coffee, the mint mocha iced coffee, blueberry pancakes, and million dollar bacon. Our top two recommendations, however, are the lemon ricotta pancakes and the million dollar potatoes—they were incredible! Located in a prime spot in River Forest, we will absolutely be back and highly recommend this restaurant to friends and family.