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I went to visit a close friend of mine in Atlanta for the weekend to help her out with some house projects. She always has a difficult time figuring out what to feed me. Although, I really don’t think that is the case because she usually produces some really great restaurants. This time took the cake though because she found one of the BEST restaurants in Atlanta, by my standards!
Late Lunch
We started the morning with a delicious rice cake and almond butter and French press coffee. But that only lasts so long, especially when we were out at stores all morning on the hunt for grocery deals and supplies for the home improvement projects. About 2 pm, while roaming the aisles of Home Depot, both of us realized we needed some decent sustenance.
I was craving tacos or a good salad. She wasn’t sure where to take me for either of those, but she had a suggestion for one of her favorite new finds nearby. First Watch. What the heck was First Watch? I can’t say that I was thrilled with the name, but I know that she wouldn’t steer me wrong, and hunger was winning over.
So we made our way to the restaurant in Sandy Springs, that she said not only had fantastic breakfasts and was a great blend of healthy and home-style. I was not even sure if that was possible, but was more than willing to give it a shot.
First Watch
This restaurant is apparently so good, that the wait is usually pretty decent for breakfast, especially on the weekends. We were in luck that they were still seating until 2:30 pm, even though we got there at 2:15 pm. Now as a former server, for many years, I am sensitive to coming in so late because I know the servers just want to blow that joint. But I try to be as easy and quick as I can, for a gluten free vegetarian.
The décor was simple, but had some nice pops of color with the artwork that I appreciated. And the server, Kai, was awesome! He was very friendly, knew the menu well and was well versed in what was gluten free and what wasn’t. Thank you for proper training on what gluten free means!
I ended up ordering the Breakfast Tacos for my lunch and she ordered their famous Pesto Chicken Quinoa Bowl. Since we were there so late the order didn’t take too long, which was nice, because we were starving! I can’t say that I have ever had a breakfast taco, but I do happen to love tacos, black beans, eggs, avocado and salsa. So these were spectacular in my book!
Pesto Chicken Quinoa Bowl and Breakfast Tacos!
Her lunch also looked delicious, and very nutritious, but I would have done it without the chicken. If they started carrying Beyond Meat Grilled Chicken Free Strips, which are vegan, then they could easily make that dish more dietary friendly.
The Takeaway
Their menu was so diverse, that we had a difficult time picking which dish suited us best. However, this is one of those places that I could easily eat at again and again because they have such a plethora of dishes that meet different needs. Not only that, but they are willing to tweak their dishes to make them more dietary friendly, if and when they can. I appreciate that, as a person who has had Celiac for 31 years.
So not only was the staff friendly and intelligent, but the atmosphere was clean and inviting as well as the menu being diverse and accommodating. In my mind, you can’t have a better trifecta for a restaurant. If only more restaurants could be like this, then there would be less room for complaining and more room for eating.
Luckily for me, I found out that this is not the only First Watch in the world. They happen to have one in my area, so I plan to go check it out and see how it stacks up to my Atlanta experience.
Have you ever been to First Watch in Atlanta, or any of them? If so, what were your thoughts on this restaurant?
