Waking up on an early morning can be tough. Finding the right spot to enjoy a nice breakfast can be even tougher. It’s satisfying to wake up to a nice cup of coffee and warm pancakes. Not having a great meal to start your day can feel unfulfilling. First Watch on 3309 E 86th street, Indianapolis, IN looks to serve everyone a well-balanced breakfast and spread happiness along the way.

First Watch is a brunch cafe that serves a wide variety of foods depending on the season. With spring upon us, First Watch is serving more sandwiches, a twist on eggs benedict and seasonal drinks such as the Pineapple Express.

The menu also serves a wide variety of healthy food options to please anyone that walks into the door. Classic fruits and avocado toast are just a few of the wide variety of options.

Entering into the cafe you are met with a wide variety of booths and tables to sit at. Bright white and blue colors fill the walls and antique photographs are scattered throughout. Sunlight will peer through the window as you enjoy your meal. It definitely sets the mood as you walk in through the doors.

When you take your seat you are handed over the menu which is stocked full of food items. What makes First Watch unique is the Juice Bar and Classic items on the menu.

  The Juice Bar is an alternate menu with seasonal non-alcoholic drinks. Looking at the Juice Bar, beautiful colors and flavors fill the menu. Each juice comes from different cultures and has its own spin to it. 

The Classic Items menu is their most popular and most unique item. From the Million Dollar Bacon to the Tri-fecta, each item has specific seasoning and flavors.

The Multigrain Pancake and the Million Dollar Bacon are the two items I chose from the ginormous menu. The Multigrain Pancakes are huge sized pancakes with butter and syrup. The Million Dollar Bacon is a smoky twist on bacon with brown sugar and syrup.

When handed the Multigrain Pancakes I was in awe of just how big these pancakes were. The pancakes were almost bigger than the plate itself and were very fluffy. Taste-wise, the pancakes were delicious. They were not overcooked while at the same time not being too doughy. The syrup melted the butter and created a silky smooth top. The syrup was also very warm to the touch. One critique I would have is that the edge of the pancake was a bit too crispy for my liking.

On the contrary, we have the Million Dollar Bacon. The reason they call it the million dollar bacon is because it is more than one dollar a strip of bacon. The bacon was over $5 for just four pieces of bacon.

The bacon looked like it came from a gourmet chef, with perfectly cut strips and syrup laced on top.  The question is does the taste live up to the price.

Overall the taste was pretty darn good. The smokey taste made the bacon incredible. The syrup and brown sugar sweetened up the bacon and the chives created a nice crunchy texture. The price may be a bit too much, but it’s nice to try it at least once.

First Watch is a cafe that exceeds expectations. From the inside, to the menu, all the way to the food, everything is done perfectly.

Rating: 9.8/10