First Awakenings

Great breakfast place! There is a wait but it's worth it. Food was awesome and they gave you plenty. We came here on vacation and glad we found this gem. Will be back from Texas one day soon.

We absolutely loved this place. The portions were huge and everything was delicious. The atmosphere in the patio made you want to stay there for hours with your friends and family, and the outdoor fireplaces make the patio really cozy.

Few tips for your visit: the portions are huge, so it is not a bad idea to share. The orange juice is freshly pressed. The coffee although not so good, it is all you can drink, and they will leave the jar on the table. The salmon is cooked in the eggs Benedict, which we loved, but fyi in case you are looking for lox.

I will definitely come back to First Awakenings next time I am in Monterey.

We mapped out a breakfast place in Monterey and First Awakenings came up. 1 hour 18 minute drive into Monterey, and it didn't disappoint. Excellent service, and amazing food. They bring a whole pitcher if water with lemon and a carafe of coffee and leave it at your table. We ordered the chicken fried steak and the meat and egg plates. The eggs were definitely farm raised, you could taste how fresh they were, and the chicken fried steak was fried to perfection. The place was a bit busy for a Monday, but they have indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor benches are heated so it wasn't too cold outside. The wait staff was extremely friendly and checked in us often. Definitely a go to spot, and if your out this way, or live near here, you owe it to yourself to try it once.

We came at 11:30am for late breakfast. It was super packed and a bit understaffed. The food was tasty - I ordered the single stack Berrylicious Pancake and a side of bacon. The pancake was fabulous and the bacon was thick and tasty, better than bacon you would get if you went to a chain restaurant for breakfast that's for sure. We ate outside because we had our little dog with us, and the benches outside are heated! So our little dog slept on the bench in between us while we ate, she was happy for the warmth on the bench as are we because it was windy this morning. I would recommend eating here to others and would like to cone again for those gourmet pancakes 🥞 😋

We had a delightful experience here with great food and service! If you even remotely like mushrooms, I HIGHLY recommend the Cap, Etc dish. I don’t know what the marinade is (some aus jus/ butter concoction?) but it was amazing! My husband got the strawberry pancake which was very soft, light and fluffy. He also got the spicy sandwich which he seemed to love!

We came on a Saturday and it looked like we might have a little bit of a wait but we were able to immediately get sat at the bar. The service was great and we would highly recommend!

The service is always very fast and the food is always delicious. Food and pace are important, but what really makes this place stand out is the staff and their customer service. The employees seem to all get along really well and work together as a team to efficiently serve the guests. Everyone is professional and very friendly.
They have indoor and outdoor seating, but I normally just sit at the massive bartop.
Make sure to ask for Paige, she's one of the best!

Worth the wait! You get a lot of food and was all yummy! Had the the portobello omelette and te gluten free pancake which was massive! Super soft and tasty! They don’t clean the grill for the pancakes so. If you’re allergic be careful! Will definitely be back!

I came here after years again. The location is much better and has plenty of parking. The food is just as good as it used to be. They do have hash browns if you are like means don’t like country potatoes. The mushroom caps are really delicious. The pancakes are fluffy.

This place was recommended by friends. We went for breakfast .These people know how to cook! In their menu it says " we've dedicated our lives to this". And it shows! They use spices well, everything was cooked well. Nothing was over or under cooked. I've never seen pancakes that size in my life! Our server was very nice and anticipated questions which was helpful for a couple of the dishes. And even asked before removing plates!! We look forward to going back and bringing people

WOW! This place is great. Location, staff, speed of service, quality and quantity of food...what more can you ask for? We spent last week in the Monterey Bay area and had several places on our "breakfast list." After we went to First Awakenings, we dumped the remainder of the list and just enjoyed breakfast here (3 days in a row). I ordered The Works. As you can see....I cleared the plate.

Amazing. Servings are Enormous. We split the spicy breakfast sandwich and a single blueberry ricotta pancake. It was the perfect amount. We were stuffed but kept going back for more. We will be having breakfast here again.

One of the best breakfasts I’ve had in all of Pacific Grove Monterey area. Just take a look at the photos. It was delicious. The atmosphere is very friendly and casual. Great service and food.

We were searching for a good gluten-free breakfast and this certainly fit the bill! I decided to try the blueberry ricotta Pancakes...or pancake. I only ordered one and it was huge. Crispy edges, soft fluffy center, buttery, sweet, hint of saltiness - it was delicious. We sat outside even though it was a chilly morning, and the outdoor heating was nice, but the heated benches really made it a pleasant experience.

The best breakfast/brunch spot, that's all that needs to be said. Everything is delicious, good service, and wait wasn't too bad for going at peak hours. The workers there work diligently to get people seated. Definitely get their pancakes!! Blueberry with wheat germ was delicious!!

I really loved this place, they greet you really kindly and they give you the options to eat inside or outside. They are pet friendly too. Their menu has so many delicious options, if you haven't been to the place don't miss out it really is worth eating here for breakfast or lunch. Their portions are great for what you are paying. Will come back, this is the spot for breakfast! 😌

A bit of a wait, but definitely was worth the wait

Everything was delicious and servers were awesome

Highly recommend will definitely come back when we are back in town

Lots of portions come hungry

We’re passing through on our way back home from San Francisco and heard many good reviews for this place. One standing out being “Food MeiMei” on YouTube. And it truly did not disappoint, my husband ( the plate in back of the photo) got the recommended Carnitas Skillet. Whereas myself I got the Huevos Rancheros Skillet with Carnitas Salsa and hashbrowns. It was incredible food. Very very filling.
The wait time was a bit long but given how super popular this place is, we didn’t mind. And it was worth the wait.
Our server was so attentive and friendly. Truly a sweet woman, as well as the hostess.
Overall great experience.

Only down side to warn is the parking is hard to come by. So expect to walk a bit if you’re not lucky to catch an open spot in the lot

we sat outside but I know this landmark building.. super spacious corner L building with lots of parking. Great waitress who was attentive but also gave us alone time. Inflation has hit everyone but despite the cost of going out going up, I feel like I got good service and food proportions and quality for the cost.

🤤 Absolutely drenched my eggs in hollandaise sauce
👍 Cool that they let me split my eggs Benedict to try two different toppings
👍 Nice non watery coffee to pick me up and the juice was fresh
🤤 Superb biscuits and gravy - classic Italian sausage used and biscuits were soft and flavorful - not chalky at all (~common thing with this dish, I’ve found)

I got huevos rancheros and my husband got an omelette. Both were amazing we went back the next day to eat here again!

I’m visiting out of town and was thrilled that my parents took me to this fabulous restaurant! We enjoyed ample servings of deliciousness everything was above superb and will definitely make this a “Go to” whenever I am in town.Grab some gianormous pancakes or avocado toast(So good!)Service was incredible despite how busy they were 😃❤