Bites Nearby: First Watch is First Rate Brunch Stop

I’ll admit it, I’m a brunch addict. So I jumped at the chance to review  at .

My friend and I went for a late brunch Saturday and found a busy restaurant with a short wait. The 15 minutes went quickly thanks to the free coffee and comfortable seating.

The menu offers choices for breakfast, brunch and lunch – and are open daily from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. There's a nice variety to the kid's menu too.

Even though it was closer to lunchtime, both my friend and I chose breakfast. She enjoyed the special that day – a California Crepegg, which is a First Watch specialty. It's a Crepe with a layer of egg and filled with tasty toppings. My friend chose the Ham, Avocado, Mushrooms, Onion and Monterey Jack cheese Crepegg. It was served with a side of hash browns and English muffin.

I had a Bacon, Tomato and Avocado skillet – which was hash browns (First Watch Potatoes are big hunks of starchy goodness) mixed with fillings, cheese and topped with 2 eggs. I had mine over easy – which were nearly perfect – but would get scrambled next time.

For me, brunch isn’t brunch without something cooked on a griddle. So, I added a banana and granola pancake. When it arrived, I was surprised by how big it was. The addition of granola was a wonderful contrast to the bananas.

Despite the fact that First Watch was busy, the service was fantastic. We were both pleasantly surprised by how quickly the food came – we’d barely settled in with our individual carafes of coffee when brunch arrived.

First Watch has five locations in Northeast Ohio, including Fairlawn, Mayfield Heights, University Heights, Rocky River and the one I visited in Westlake.

First Watch, at 168 Market St. in Crocker Park, is open daily from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. You can call them at 440-808-1082.