If you're familiar with nautical lingo, then you know that first watch is the first shift of the day - the breakfast hour. And for anyone who loves a hearty breakfast to start the day, First Watch on Gunbarrel Road is where to find it.
The restaurant serving breakfast, brunch and lunch is located in the space formerly housing The Egg & I. Two years ago, First Watch Restaurants Inc. acquired the 114 locations of The Egg & I, making First Watch the largest breakfast/brunch/lunch restaurant company in the nation. It was an easy transition from one restaurant to the other since their menus are almost identical, as I found when a friend and I stopped in First Watch last week, our first visits since the change-over.
THE SPACE
First Watch is a relatively small space - two rooms maybe seating 100 at the most. The decor has a farmhouse vibe with two inverted peach-basket chandeliers over the hostess desk, Edison bulb pendant lights and a barnwood mural painted with a train engine, bridge and other signature scenes of Chattanooga mounted on a wall of the main dining area.
There are a dozen booths, along with tables that can be pushed together to accommodate groups of various sizes.
THE FOOD
First Watch's menu is pretty straightforward with entrees listed by categories: The Healthier Side, From the Griddle, Egg-Sclusives, Omelets and Frittatas, Salads, Sandwiches, Small Plates and a 2 For You option that is a pick-two choice from half a sandwich, cup of soup or half salad for $7.79.
The Healthier Side offers egg-white omelets, fruit-topped oatmeal, whole-grain toast topped with fresh avocado and the A.M. Superfoods Bowl, which is a coconut-milk chia-seed pudding topped with fruit and house-made granola. Prices in this category stay between $7.99 and $8.99.
The Traditional Breakfast includes two eggs any style with a choice of bacon, smoked ham, turkey sausage or pork sausage, served with toast, house preserves and seasoned potatoes for $9.99. Or check out the Tri-Fecta, which offers two eggs any style with either a Belgian waffle or multigrain pancake, plus a choice of bacon, turkey sausage or pork sausage link for $9.89.
There are six choices within the Egg-Sclusives category, $9.79 to $10.89; eight omelet/frittata choices, $9.79 to $10.89; and pancakes, Belgian waffle or French toast available From the Griddle, from $4.79 for one pancake to $7.79 for French toast.
THE ORDER
First Watch takes pride in preparing everything from scratch, from its muffins to juicing fruits for drinks. Our order included a blueberry pancake and coffee, and The Works omelet with orange juice - the juice being very fresh indeed.
The pancake was the size of a dinner plate. It easily could have been two servings. Yet despite its size, the multigrain pancake was light and loaded with blueberries - not just berry pieces, but whole blueberries that spilled out with every bite. It was served with a bottle of warm syrup, butter and ramekin of blueberries in their juice for toppings.
If you go
› Where: First Watch, 1825 Gunbarrel Road› Hours: 7 a.m.-2:30 p.m. daily› Price range: $1.59 English muffin to $10.99 shrimp and grits› Alcohol: No› For more information: 423-362-5951
Unable to decide between a smoked ham & Gruyere omelet or The Works omelet, I asked our server's opinion. On his suggestion, I went with The Works: chopped ham, bacon bits and sausage crumbles, house-roasted crimini mushrooms, chopped onions and tomatoes, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses all enfolded in an omelet that was half the size of the plate.
The omelet was a half-moon style, not a folded French omelet. The entree was served with a slice of buttered whole-grain toast and a handful of baby spinach dressed in a delicious, tangy, lemon vinaigrette.
The omelet was light and fluffy at its center, but the egg mixture thinned closer to the outer edges, resulting in browned, crispy edges that were just a shade away from burnt.
The omelet was served warm, and my first sample was a bold bite of flavor that popped with the goodness of the Divine Swine: bacon, ham and sausage. The house-roasted crimini mushrooms reinforced that smoky goodness. But once the omelet cooled, the flavor did as well. The mushrooms, when cold, were just rubbery in texture. Perhaps a smaller chop would have helped.
Eventually, I just opened the remaining omelet, scraped out its inner workings and ate the eggs.
THE SERVICE
Our server, Kevin, was friendly, helpful and a model of what diners wish all wait staffs could be.
As soon as we were seated he arrived, taking drink orders, which he promptly returned to the table. He answered questions about menu items with ease and knew the menu.
Once ordered, our food took about 10 minutes to arrive; but every time Kevin passed our table he'd check in or just glance over to see whether it appeared we needed anything.
When my friend asked for coffee, he brought a small pot to the table. When we requested water, he left a carafe with ice water. Nice touches.
THE VERDICT
At first glance, the menu seemed a little pricey for breakfast food. But after seeing the size of the entrees served, the prices are more than fair.
Was the omelet good? Yes. Was it eggs-cellent? No. But with a few tweaks, it could have been.
I'll be back to try one of those humongous pancakes (there's a carrot cake variety!). And while we were eating, I saw a Monterrey Club sandwich pass by on its way to another table that looked mouthwatering.
So there will be a second trip to First Watch.
Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.