First Watch Cafe is a more modern “hip” breakfast spot that has a few vegan options to choose from, so no worries if you find yourself at one. You can manage.
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I don’t really have any complaints with First-Watch Cafe other than that they aren’t entirely vegan; they have plenty of vegan options, tasty ones at that, and overall are pretty friendly and accommodating to us vegans.
Main-Course Vegan Options at First Watch Cafe:
- Veggie Burger (No Butter, No Dijonnaise)
- Avocado Toast or Sandwich (Specify no Eggs — swap for fruit on the side)
- Market Veggie Sandwich (no pesto, no cheese)
- Steel Cut Oatmeal (request to be made with water instead of milk — swap muffin for fruit cup)
- A.M. Superfoods Bowl
- Pesto Chicken Quinoa Bowl (No Chicken or Feta — sub for avocado or Veggie Patty) – As a reader called my attention, First Watch actually using milk and eggs for the pesto, so I don’t suggest to any vegan to ask for this menu item.
- Veggie Wrap (See Below)
For the Veggie Wrap you simply have to ask if you can get a wrap with vegetables and avocado in it since you’re a vegan/vegetarian person. They have non-vegan wraps with egg and meat, so they should be willing to just charge you for that while loading you up with avocado, grilled/sauteed vegetables, and other vegan goodies.
I’d recommend getting the Veggie Burger or Veggie Wrap, but you can never go wrong with a simple avocado sandwich. Those are my favorite choices at First watch, as not only are they 100% Vegan, but they’re pretty healthy for restaurant food, and very tasty.
First Watch Cafe’s Vegan Sides:
- Hearty Vegetable Soup
- Bowl of Fruit
- Mixed Greens Side Salad (Confirm no cheese — Dressings listed below)
Unfortunately, the potatoes at first watch are non-vegan and sometimes they aren’t able to make them vegan, which is a bummer, especially being a potato-lover myself. It’s not too big of a deal, but it sucks that they’re normally cooked with butter. You can still ask and see if you can get them made vegan, it’s just often times they’re prepared quite a bit before and they aren’t able to make them vegan, at least that’s what I’ve heard from many First Watch Locations. McDonald’s is a better option in this regard.
Vegan Salad Options at First Watch Cafe:
- Superfood Kale Salad (Specify no Cheese or Chicken/Meat)
- Chicken Avocado Chop Salad (Specify No Chicken or Cheese)
- Maple-Lemon Vinaigrette
- Varied Citrus or Vinaigrette Dressings
You can also get just a large “mixed greens” salad, however it’s really just two of the side dishes. I’d recommend the Avocado-Chop salad if you get a salad, as it comes with avocado, a little beans, and bread on the side, which just makes the salad much more filling and satisfying than the other salads First Watch offers.
Vegan Dessert Options at First Watch Cafe:
- Fruit Cup
- Banana
Being a Breakfast & Lunch only restaurant First Watch doesn’t have any real dessert options to choose from. They do have fruit though, which can be a sweet end to a meal though.
Frequently asked questions
Is First Watch Veggie Burger Vegan?
You can make it vegan by ordering the burger with no butter or dijonnaise. Also ask for whole grain toast without butter.
The other ingredients such ase onions, carrots, mushrooms, avocado, tomato and red onions are fine for us vegans.
Is First Watch Toast Vegan?
Yes, the toast itself is 100%, but ask for almond butter instead of traditional butter.
