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✔️Breakfast ✔️Brunch ✔️Lunch ✔️Dine in ✔️Take out
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First Watch is an award-winning breakfast, brunch and lunch spot, serving a chef-driven menu of elevated classics and seasonal specialties, always made to order using the freshest ingredients. We greet the sunrise by slicing and juicing fresh fruits and vegetables, whipping French toast batter from scratch and brewing pots of our single-origin Project Sunrise coffee. Freshness is never comprised, which is why we welcome each season into our menu with ingredients and flavors inspired by the position of the sun. All year long, you can enjoy craveable favorites like Avocado Toast for breakfast, Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict for brunch and Lemon Ricotta Pancakes for lunch. Whether you start at the crack of dawn or not, we’ll leave that up to you!
Cafe chain for health-minded breakfast, brunch & lunch options such as omelets, salads & soups.
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Best Breakfast at First Watch River Forest, IL
Visit your local First Watch at River Forest for breakfast, brunch or lunch located at 7215 Lake Street. See our hours, view menu or join the waitlist.
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Reviews
Michele C
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 SHOULD be cloned to allow as many people as possible to experience it. First Watch is a great addition to OPRF area!
… moreKoza The Kat
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, and the restaurant was at about 1/3 capacity. (It filled up pretty quickly soon after; it had only 3 empty 2-top tables and 2 empty seats at the bar by 10:30)
The countertops were clean, and there was a menu ready and waiting. Levi was very friendly and gave me plenty of time to order, and my order came out within ten minutes, which was really nice.
The biscuits were crispy on the outside and flaky on the inside; I was pleasantly surprised since most other places they seem undercooked and mushy, and not because of the gravy. The sausage gravy itself was also pleasantly balanced; not too salty, and the pepper wasn’t overpowering.
The Salmon Eggs Benedict was delicious; the eggs were perfectly easy, as it rested on top of the pieces of salmon, red onion, tomatoes and toasted ciabatta bread. I decided to go with the seasoned potatoes, but I would recommend with the salad for a more balanced dish.
The Purple Haze was light for a lemonade, which is a good thing for a morning drink; the lavender tea definitely helps mellow the drink, as well as my stress levels.
The dessert, which I chose the double chocolate brownie, came on a decorated plate. The presentation was lovely, although I wish I could say the same for the dessert. I do not blame them for it, though; they are a breakfast establishment first and foremost, and the desserts aren’t listed on either of the menus, so it was a nice surprise to the end of my service.
Levi drops off my check, which I can pay by phone by scanning a QR or check out at the counter. I decided to check out at the counter, and didn’t wait longer than 30 seconds.
The staff who checked me out mentioned Levi by name, ensuring I knew who my server was, and wished me a good day.
Overall, it was a wonderful experience.
… moreItems 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, and the restaurant was at about 1/3 capacity. (It filled up pretty quickly soon after; it had only 3 empty 2-top tables and 2 empty seats at the bar by 10:30)
The countertops were clean, and there was a menu ready and waiting. Levi was very friendly and gave me plenty of time to order, and my order came out within ten minutes, which was really nice.
The biscuits were crispy on the outside and flaky on the inside; I was pleasantly surprised since most other places they seem undercooked and mushy, and not because of the gravy. The sausage gravy itself was also pleasantly balanced; not too salty, and the pepper wasn’t overpowering.
The Salmon Eggs Benedict was delicious; the eggs were perfectly easy, as it rested on top of the pieces of salmon, red onion, tomatoes and toasted ciabatta bread. I decided to go with the seasoned potatoes, but I would recommend with the salad for a more balanced dish.
The Purple Haze was light for a lemonade, which is a good thing for a morning drink; the lavender tea definitely helps mellow the drink, as well as my stress levels.
The dessert, which I chose the double chocolate brownie, came on a decorated plate. The presentation was lovely, although I wish I could say the same for the dessert. I do not blame them for it, though; they are a breakfast establishment first and foremost, and the desserts aren’t listed on either of the menus, so it was a nice surprise to the end of my service.
Levi drops off my check, which I can pay by phone by scanning a QR or check out at the counter. I decided to check out at the counter, and didn’t wait longer than 30 seconds.
The staff who checked me out mentioned Levi by name, ensuring I knew who my server was, and wished me a good day.
Overall, it was a wonderful experience.
Chris Robinson
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.
… moreMichol Whitney
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.
… moreChanell V
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.
… moreThe 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.
Mahshad N
Everyone from the host to the servers was really nice and polite. Even though we were told the wait would be about 25 minutes, we got our table in just around 10 minutes, and they even found us a spot outside despite how busy the restaurant was.
I ordered the Chickchanga, and honestly, it wasn’t anything special. The flavors were pretty average, nothing really stood out. Overall, I’d say the food was quite ordinary, maybe even a bit below average.
… moreI ordered the Chickchanga, and honestly, it wasn’t anything special. The flavors were pretty average, nothing really stood out. Overall, I’d say the food was quite ordinary, maybe even a bit below average.
Cheryl
My husband and I visited at the pre-opening and Daniel was our server. He was great and very attentive! We both enjoyed are breakfast . Fresh and full of flavor. I also had the Kale tonic which I loved. I’ll definitely come back.
… moreGerald
It was my first time at First Watch and it was great ! The food and service were amazing. The server Azeneth was very friendly , respectful, & attentive. She even recommended some of her in house favorites to try out. My favorite part was the Million Dollar Bacon which is definitely worth a try. I Will definitely be stopping by again soon and definitely be recommending first watch to friends and family.
… moreTaylor Calvillo
Honestly, I wanted to like this place because it’s new and all the good reviews, but I’m disappointed.
The staff were friendly, but our server was rushed. When I got my empty coffee cup it was dirty with crust on it, I had to ask for a new one.
The food was just basic. My boyfriend’s pancakes came out deformed lol, so presentation was not there. The only thing that was delicious was the potatoes.
Overall, it’s worth a “try” but not somewhere I would visit again to spend money personally. 3/5
… moreThe staff were friendly, but our server was rushed. When I got my empty coffee cup it was dirty with crust on it, I had to ask for a new one.
The food was just basic. My boyfriend’s pancakes came out deformed lol, so presentation was not there. The only thing that was delicious was the potatoes.
Overall, it’s worth a “try” but not somewhere I would visit again to spend money personally. 3/5
Millicent Miller
Yum! Everything here is amazing, from the food to the staff. The only problem you’ll have here is deciding between which is your favorite amongst all the tasty bits!
… more