First Awakenings - Breakfast restaurant in Salinas - 171 Main St, USA

It was a busy restaurant, but we still managed to get seated within a few minutes. Which is good because as it was, I found myself standing with the door, open to the slight breeze, pressed against my back as the host desk is very close to the entrance. I will say that the food is quite expensive. Our dishes ranging from $15 to $18 dollars. My dish was the two eggs, two bacon and two slices of cinnamon toast and while I have no problems with the taste, other than the slightly bland cinnamon toast... I still found myself disappointed. I'm unsure if I'm greedy, but I expected a little more. Fatter slices of bacon? Thicker slices of cinnamon toast? Either way, I found myself wishing I had chosen a different dish for the extra $3 it would have cost. The service was quick. I might even say a little too quick as it was mere minutes after ordering that the dish was being placed at the table. Impressive but I'm too skeptical to think that 4 dishes could be prepared at the same time in less than five minutes. Overall, would I return? Maybe. If the family wanted to, I could see myself returning to try a different dish. If it were for a cheeky lunch by myself before a long day, I don't think I'd waste my money. I feel you can get more for less at other locations.

I enjoy going to first awakenings! The customer service is fantastic! You're always greeted when you enter the restaurant and get seated quickly. Very friendly atmosphere! They have a huge menu selection, and everything on the menu is great. They give big portions, and you definitely get your money's worth. I would recommend first awakenings to anyone looking for a great breakfast/lunch spot!

We went in on a pretty bustling brunch Sunday so it’s no surprise it was just a tad busy. No problem. Got in at a booth and that was the perfect place to eat. Food came out I think pretty quickly and they gave us great large portions. I was a big fan of that. The food was good and the staff was funny and attentive. Really personable! Felt comfortable. Would visit again 👍🏽

We had the banana French toast special, orange juice, coffee and a banana wheat germ pancake. One scrambled egg for each of us as well. Huge portions, was afraid a single pancake wouldn't be enough, but it certainly was. The banana wheat germ pancake was not incredibly flavorful but the fluffiness and texture was fantastic. Would probably recommend ordering the pancake with the additional whipped cream and fruit. They also put a whole carafe of coffee right on the table which I definitely appreciated. Prices were fair and the servers were all very nice. Editing this review because we actually ate at this restaurant four days in a row while we were staying in Salinas. Had a great meal every time. In addition to our first meals we also tried the eggs Benedict with carnitas, eggs Benedict with ham and avocado, blueberry wheat germ pancakes, raspberry coconut and granola pancakes and apple cinnamon oatmeal chocolate chip pancakes. Each meal was fantastic and each time the servers were friendly. I do recommend getting the strawberries and whip cream on any of the pancakes. The wheat germ pancakes taste the best, but the blueberry pancakes have more flavor than the banana pancakes and come with a blueberry syrup while the banana wheat germ is a bit bland in comparison.

The food was great. I got the omelet called Bacado, which is exactly what its name suggests, an omelet with bacon covered with cheese and slices of avocado. This was my first visit to First Awakenings but definitely not my last.

Made a lunch stop during our road trip north on 101. Enjoyed a Mediterranean sandwich (minus the chicken, extra mushrooms to make it vegetarian friendly), diced seasoned potatoes and a tasty side slaw (pictured). My friend had a chicken Caesar salad. The breakfast dishes looked fabulous and we kept hearing about the pancakes. Maybe next trip! Friendly and accommodating service.

One of my top 3 place to have breakfast!!!! 😋 😋 😋 Great service!!! Great family atmosphere!!! The calamari and eggs are the bomb 💣 😋 😍 Yes I did say calamari and eggs!!!??? Don't knock it till u try it!!! Also the carnitas skillet 🍳 was Delicious 😋 Highly recommended!!!

Service and atmosphere is great here at this diner, while the food looks grea. My omelet wasn’t hot and the toast was kinda a let down and didn’t really compliment my meal.