Editor’s Note:
Our regular lunch reviewer, Wes Hennings, is taking a few weeks of paternity leave. While we assume he is still eating something, somewhere, he won’t be writing about it while he’s off duty. Meanwhile, ABD editor, Gary Kauffman will pinch-hit with the reviews of his lunches with a colleague, as a way to advise our business community on the good, the bad, and the tasty across the CSRA. He doesn’t let the restaurant know where he is going; his opinions are his own. He grades the restaurants he visits on a 1-5 scale with “5” being outstanding. We call this our “Real Business Lunch Review.”
Food Quality: 5
Service: 3
Business Meeting: 3
Value: 4
Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Crane Center shopping center on Walton Way Extension near I-20 always surprises me with what it contains. One of those surprises is First Watch, a breakfast-and-lunch restaurant that I only recently realized existed – and even then, I had the impression it was a Starbucks-like coffee shop.
You can get coffee there, which comes from Colombia via Mujeres en Café (Women in Coffee). But you can also get some mighty tasty food.
Although it may have been a new place for me, from the number of people going in and out, many others already know about it. But that creates a bit of a problem for the business lunch – it’s noisy.
My companion and I sat in a booth on the side of the restaurant, where it was marginally quieter, and we still had to lean across the table to converse. We didn’t have to shout, but we had to make an effort to be heard. It’s a good place for co-workers to enjoy a casual lunch, but not so much for a business meeting.
The service was also a bit slow, at least partly due to the volume of people and the ubiquitous staffing problem.
But the food! If everything is as good as the two items we enjoyed, you’ll have a pleasant dining experience even if the decibel level is high.
The large two-sided menu contains several healthy options, twists on traditional favorites, and a number of traditional favorites. Breakfast is served all day (they’re open 7 a.m.-2:30 p.m.) adding to the variety of available choices.
My companion ordered the chicken avocado chop salad, while I opted for a breakfast item, the Chickichanga. I also ordered a pot of coffee, which the server forgot to bring until after our meal arrived.
The chicken avocado chop salad earned rave reviews from my companion, with a vow to make a return trip to order it again. It contained chopped romaine and arugula, all-natural chicken breast, avocado, tomatoes, corn, black beans, Feta cheese, and tortilla strips with a citrus chipotle dressing.
If you like Mexican food, you’ll enjoy the Chickichanga. Its scrambled eggs with spicy chicken, chorizo, Monterrey Jack, cheddar cheeses, green chilies, onions, and avocado rolled in a tortilla topped with Vera Cruz sauce and sour cream. It was an explosion of great flavor. It came with a small helping of seasoned potatoes and a small fruit cup. I would order it again in a heartbeat.
The total price wasn’t bad, in line with most places these days, about $16 apiece with a tip. One caveat on that, though, is the price didn’t include the coffee. Our server didn’t charge us for it because she had forgotten to deliver it when we first asked, which earned her a little extra in the tip.
My rating above for First Watch is a bit funky – the overall rating makes it appear it might not be a good place to eat. That’s not true – it’s a good place to eat with excellent food. The issue is whether it’s a good place for a business meeting, which it really isn’t. But if you just want a good meal and maybe a casual business confab with a colleague or two, I’d recommend it.
