Critic's Review
I had a birthday recently, and I got a bunch of "free" stuff coupons from various venues; one of which was an unconditional free "entree" from First Watch. Many of the "gifts" were something like "Free Dessert with purchase of an adult entree"; all of which I ignored. A "gift" doesn't require you to buy something. The only one nearby that I hadn't been to was in Plantation/Sunrise; it's about 15 miles down Broward Blvd and then a short jaunt to W Sunrise. Not really convenient, but when you're saving $8 it seems more worthwhile.
This store is a lot like the one in Boca; it's like a reclaimed diner with lots of wooden booths and tables. The hostess led me to a table that I at first though needed to be cleared; part of the setup for the tables is 2 coffee cups and 2 water glasses positioned in the corner of the table.
A waitress was flying by and asked if I wanted coffee, but I was here for lunch. "No, I'll have an iced tea". She didn't even slow down as she took the order.
The place is decorated with bad art; this store opened in 2006 and has an older feel to it.
I asked for extra lemon when it was delivered; they don't have regular sugar. May I please emphasize to restaurant owners:
Raw Sugar DOES NOT dissolve in cold beverages. If you must serve it to soothe your conscience, fine, but please make fine granulated sugar available also
They have a bunch of "summer specials", but the "steak and eggs" only came with scrambled eggs, and after the debacle in Lauderdale By the Sea, I thought better about having breakfast again.
A server approached the table, asking if I knew what I wanted when she was about 10 feet away. I asked about the soup of the day, and they sounded like junk. I have no confidence in the culinary prowess in this place. I ordered the 2 for, which is your choice of 2 of soup, salad or sandwich. I'd gotten a good Cobb at the Deerfield Beach location; I ordered a half Cobb and a Half Reuben with Corned Beef (you can get the reuben with Turkey also). Blue Cheese Dressing.
Music was from BB King, The Waifs and Alison Kraus. Low enough to not be annoying. They have wireless so I didn't have to use my LTE.
A runner brought out the food in 8 minutes.
The first thing I thought was "what is this"? This is like half the portion I got at the 
I was a bit concerned by the corned beef; mainly because this sandwich was the only corned beef on the menu. So I figured they didn't have a nice, freshly cooked one in the kitchen. I couldn't really see the corned beef initially.
The good news was that the little cup of dressing was enough for the small salad; I didn't have to ask for extra.
The chicken in the salad was questionable. Something you'd expect to find in a salad bar. The "Reuben" was a decent tasting sandwich, but it didn't have any of the big flavors hoped for. The corned beef was deli silced, which means it was probably just cured roast beef. The sauerkraut was mushy and not intensely sour.
I was really glad that I wasn't paying for this. Meanwhile service was pitiful. I put my empty iced tea glass in full view to no avail. I was taking my last bite of the sandwich when a server (a different girl than before) dropped off a bunch of paperwork on the table. "Would you like a refill on the Iced Tea?". "Yes Please".
She didn't tell me that you pay on the way out; I should have remembered but this place doesn't claim to be a diner so how would I have known? I was waiting for the ice tea, and waiting and waiting.
Notice that the cup and the glass remained on the table; Water was never offered.
I saw some other people paying on their way out and after waiting 7 minutes I decide to just get the hell out of the place. As I was waiting to pay the bill the girl came over with a take out cup. "Sorry I forgot your iced tea". Perfect. Good thing it was only $5 with tip.
One for the road.
Conclusion
I'm not sure why Deerfield Beach was better, but this location is as bad on the ones in Boca and LBTS. Bad service, small portions and not very good ingredients. And they're not very good at breakfast either. It's too bad, because it could be a good place with better execution.
