Edit: It was suggested that I develop a rating system for my reviews. If you’ve already read this review before, scroll down to the bottom for my rating.
Most review the food, but since there are a lot of food reviews, I am reviewing the place itself, but from an accessibility stand point.
I am in a wheel chair, have been for some many years now, and while many places are, or are supposed to be, accessible, they meet the minimum standards for accessibility, which are not always comfortable from a realistic view.
This is my review of First Watch cafe in Bowie.
To begin, though the entrance double doors have an odd 90 degree landing from outside door to inside door, the host stand is close enough that someone is always happily there opening the inside door and greeting, That I’ve never had to try to navigate that opening.
Once inside, the tables and chairs are not crowded so it is not a hassle getting around.
Other restaurants, when the host is taking you to your table, they walk normally (Quickly), and navigate or weave around, sometimes walking through our past areas you cannot, or are difficult to, follow. The employees here are more situationally aware. Hosts have led me to my table, walking at a place that was comfortable for me to follow, not too slow not too fast. A few times, when they were about to walk past a tighter area, they stopped, looked at my chair, mentally evaluated the room, then choose a more comfortable route. This small consideration, while probably having a small, if any, meaning to the more able, made a huge impact on my experience.
The bathroom situation was also a huge addition. Along with the standard handicap accessible men’s and women’s rooms, they also have two handicap accessible family bathrooms. Though each has only one toilet, they are huge with the necessary ADA compliant bars and everything. They are family rooms, so if you need assistance in the bathroom, it is comfortable for both you and your care giver.
In all, because I had no accessibility issues, I was free to have full enjoyment of the delicious foods.
In all, I give First Watch Cafe ♿️♿️♿️♿️♿️ handicapped placards out of 5 for comfort and accessibility.