Family of 5 with small children. Kid friendly place. The service was outstanding. The food was all delicious. Would come again

This place rocks! Great prices and an amazing amount of food. I came by here by myself the other morning and ordered the Carnitas skillet for breakfast...I tell you what, I'll be back very soon! So so good! This is the best place to get a great meal for a great price. Loved the outdoor patio !!! And the service was phenomenal

We ordered takeout specifically having been drawn to the pancake specials. The mango coconut pancake did not disappoint!! Also the DC verde omelette was incredible and packed with flavor. Already ready to go back again!

First Awakenings is an iconic venue for that classic Californian All-American breakfast or brunch with ingredients influenced by Mexican/Meso-American culinary traditions. This is definitely a spot I would take someone visiting from out of state for that memorable west coast food experience. The service here is always spectacular, and that's what they're known for, too. Whatever your special needs or custom requests might be, don't be afraid to ask. Portions are really hearty and our take home leftovers stretched for another breakfast, making the price really reasonable. Not to mention the quality of the food here is fantastic -- fresh ingredients and a well-balanced proportion of seasonings and sauces. So much to choose from on this menu that you are sure to find something you will love, and don't be afraid to customize. You will leave satisfied. I got the Belly Buster Skillet with eggs scrambled soft, French-style, and the hubby got the Carnitas Skillet with eggs over medium. Plus, we got two pancakes: Monkey Wrench and Raspberry, Coconut & Granola. I thought I would like the Monkey Wrench one better, but I ended up preferring the Raspberry. As for wait time, 2 hours before we wanted brunch, I checked in to the online wait list and it gave me a time to show up by. We arrived by that time and were seated immediately without having to wait at the door. So I highly recommend planning ahead and using the waitlist function.

Solid breakfast spot. My boyfriend was a big fan of the monkey wrench pancake, which was huge. He liked his country fried steak as well. I tried the crepeggs, which I wasn't a big fan of. It was basically a normal crepe (not sure why it's called crepeggs) folded in half and stuffed with the fillings. Unfortunately it was incredibly hard to eat since the fillings are so chunky / large compared to the crepe, so they basically spill out of the crepe. The fillings were solid, but would have been better served in an omelette or scramble. The nice surprise was that the fruit (upgraded from the standard options) was actually super fresh, with strawberries, blackberries, and bananas (no filler mushy melon).

We came here this morning (4 adults and 4 kids) and it was a great experience! First off, the wait was surprisingly short. We have been turned away by a lot of places in Monterey when we showed up with such a large company. But not here. They were so nice and professional the whole time. The food was absolutely delicious!! Their pancakes are packed with real fruit and are not overly sweet. They were very happy to accommodate a lot of our requests (especially those with kids would understand this). Yesterday we went to another very popular place with 2k reviews for breakfast, and they charged us for extra clean plates, and even the two pieces of bread we asked for. Here, they were happy to bring toasted English muffins on the house. Everyone loved their food. 100% recommend for families and large groups.

Great service! Host was very welcoming and server was super sweet and polite. Its very casual and they have lots of seating inside and out. It was a cold morning so they had the inside nice and warm, and i noticed a fire outside to keep those people warm. The food was perfectly seasoned! Not too sweet or too salty, and that's always a plus. If you need more salt or sugar they have some on the table for your taste. I love that they leave the pitcher of water at every table! Definitely recommend as a breakfast spot if you're amd early riser looking for a good meal that won't disappoint.

Excellent food and service. Definitely recommend this place. We were then during a busy time and it was well worth the wait. Had the eggs Benedict (bacon, mushrooms, etc) and a single blueberry pancake. Spectacular meal, was a hearty breakfast for two. Enjoy!!

My family has been going to first awakenings for decades primarily the location in salinas since our child was in pre school . we have yet to visit the new location in monterey . I consider first awakenings one of the best places to eat in my opinion. my favorites are the over lightly crepe breakfast, california crepe , eggs benidect, caps mushrooms are fabulous. and the pancake plates my niece loved to eat and first awakenings always would make her minnie pancakes we have had many years of taking family to eat here and order out as well. our child is graduated from University already and we remain dedicated customers over the years. The service is always perfect even during busy times. We met the owners years ago and it's just a fabulous restaurant and food and service overall. We look forward to visiting the monterey location with the outdoor seating. Me and my husband and family highly recommend this restaurant and it is very affordable as well. thank you first awakenings for being a large part of our story and awesome service we appreciate you treating us like family always and taking time to say hi!! always. regards, corina