There are times when you’re starving and just want a lot of unhealthy food. Saturday was not one of those days for me. I was looking for something healthy and filling, but not something that would make me feel uncomfortably full afterwards. First Watch was a great spot! They had a great variety of juice, eggs, lunch sandwiches, and sweet breakfast food to satisfy anyone’s tastes.

Located out in Aksarben, First Watch is a little farther away than most Creighton-favorite brunch spots. However, they had a lot of space to accommodate a busy brunch crowd. Their waiting area even had free coffee, but in styrofoam cups For a place that has quinoa bowls, I expected better!

Maddie and I had to wait a little to get seated, but the service was incredibly prompt after that! She started with coffee and I started with the Morning Meditation juice. This featured fresh-squeezed orange juice, turmeric, ginger, beet juice, and agave nectar. I am not usually drawn to these kinds of drinks, but it was just too pretty to resist! It had a wonderful strong ginger flavor as well as the turmeric. It was not too sweet, and a perfect pick-me-up coffee alternative.

For brunch, I was leaning more on the lunch side. Seeing as this joint advertised their homemade and healthy menu, I decided to go with the veggie burger. It featured a homemade brown rice patty with peppers, onions, carrots and mushrooms, served on a golden-brown brioche bun with avocado, greens, tomato, and dijon mustard. I chose soup as my side.

I definitely wasn’t disappointed! I could taste the rice and the peppers in my burger. The flavors complimented well and I appreciated that I could discern all the veggies that went into the patty! I liked the tomato, greens, and avocado on top. It definitely needed a lot of the dijon and hot sauce, but I have pretty high standards for spice levels. My only complaint is the lack of variety in texture. Either the patty needed to be crispy, the bread needed to be a harder baguette style, or there needed to be some crunch in the sandwich. I liked the flavors, but it all turned a bit mushy.

I also had the Tomato Basil soup. This wasn’t an exceptional Tomato Basil soup, but it was just what I needed! It balanced out the burger and provided the warm and comforting feel that soup is meant to evoke.

Maddie got the Market Skillet, which featured two eggs over seasoned potatoes cooked with mushrooms, zucchini, spinach, goat cheese, and tons of other veggies. It was served with a side salad and whole grain toast. She had raving reviews for the potatoes, direct quote, “they were amazing!” Maddie also liked that the dish was well seasoned. And look how pretty it is!

Overall, I thought this brunch spot had a good selection and perfect-sized portions. In my view, it has the selection size of an IHOP or Denny’s, one of those classic chain restaurants, but First Watch is actually fresh and caters to everyone’s palate – definitely worth the money, unlike those places. Though this will run you a little more money than somewhere that is more diner-style like Lisa’s, I felt much better after eating at First Watch. Their aim is to do fresh at an affordable rate, which they definitely accomplish! They hit the spot, for sure.

The Bottom Line

Affordable with a healthy variety of brunch food, a place to please everyone!

Cone Rating: 

Price Range: $-$$ (10-20 per person)

Location: Aksarben, Omaha, NE

Internet: First Watch Website, Yelp