Deja Vu Breakfast Company — Restaurant in Chico

I decided to give this place a try based on a suggestion from a friend. The decor and aesthetic on this inside is cozy and has an elegant but old-timey feel to it. The inside is decorated very pretty with furniture that has detail carving, items that have gold accents, and pretty paintings on the wall. It has a good vibe overall and was quite busy when I went on a Sunday morning. Most tables were filled with large or medium sized groups of people. The waitress I had was friendly and the other employees seemed nice as well.

The service was good. The waitress told me about the specials and I ordered the pumpkin cream cheese stuffed French toast with chocolate. It took quite some time before my food arrived, maybe 45 minutes? I didn't really mind the wait for my food, however that might bother some people, so if you're looking for a quick bite I wouldn't recommend this place.

The french toast was not to my liking unfortunately. I found it a bit too sweet being covered in the chocolate sauce, shavings, and a sweet pumpkin cream cheese. It didn't really have any other flavor to balance out the sweetness and it was a bit too overwhelming. I also didn't like the texture, for a French toast I usually prefer it firmer but this seemed just too soft and soggy from all the sauces. It didnt really feel like I was eating french toast to be honest. I could barely taste the bread and it almost seemed like it wasn't actually french toast because the bread itself was so soft and gooey that it didn't have that feel or taste of being dipped in egg and actually cooked so that was disappointing. It just seemed like I was eating mushy bread covered in sauce. So if you enjoy your bread soft and mushy and overly sweet then you might enjoy this dish. That being said, it wasn't terrible but I wouldn't order it again. I would definitely give them another try and perhaps go with a more savory dish next time. The waitress had mentioned some sort of beer cheese and meat breakfast sandwhich so I might order that next time.

Ultimately I would recommend this place if you don't mind a longer wait for breakfast and if you want to try something different. I'm only docking a star because I had high hopes the special I ordered would be good but I ended up being slightly...

First impressions: nice decor, ample set up between tables, nice uplifting music, and today wonderful AC. Can’t praise that enough as the reigning heat has been anything but cool. Owner, as many observed, greeted us upon entering at around 1:15 PM. Menu a small number of choices, but who needs 100 when 30+ is enough for a breakfast place. Fellow reviewers could not stop praising the place. Food ordered: Veggie Omelette, $16.50. Zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, monterey jack, cherry tomatoes, parmesan, and blistered artichoke hearts atop pesto & a balsamic glaze. Served with herb-roasted potatoes. Was not disclosed the number of eggs utilized, but a safe bet would be 3. Comensal enjoyed the average size dish, nice amount throughout, and roasted potatoes were seriously dressed for the occasion. 4 Stars. Cheddar Chives Biscuits & Gravy, $16 with a side of ham, $5. Curiosity made me order it. Since way back I’ve grown quite affectionate to good gravy. This version boasts of herbaceous sausage gravy, and the order included two eggs. Funny how was never asked as to how I preferred the eggs, which I would have asked for scramble today, but a little past over medium arrived. Kind of unusual for 2 biscuits and gravy +2 eggs become an entree of choice. All by itself. The advertised sausage so tiny perhaps, as to be invisible. Gravy slightly past it’s prime, and biscuits soft and filling, not very much of it, but certainly edible.. The ham small serving, heavily seasoned, dryish and not a memorable one. 3.5 Stars. Water 💦 clean and cold. Service respectable, place including restroom clean. Total $40.59 plus gratuity out the door for around $47. For sure worth the visit, as God knows I had my share of several breakfast places in Chico, some way less appealing so a new one was in...

Edit: Nov 2024, I’ve now gone to Deja Vu 3 times and after today’s visit I’m not sure I’d be back. We got to Deja Vu at about 1:15pm and it was definitely winding down, not a full house. My friend got a mimosa, but then we proceeded to wait 45 minutes until her food came out, and a full hour for my food. Unfortunately this has happened 2 of the 3 times I’ve gone. Everyone was polite and helpful, but I could’ve gone home and made eggs and potatoes and toast in less time. I think in the future I’ll be going elsewhere.

Went to Deja Vu for the first time today, and we came in at the same time as a ton of people, was seated within 10 minutes still during a very busy period.

Service was excellent and prompt, food took a while, as expected during peak times, drinks were very fast.

Food/drink review: Strawberry French Toast: I really wanted to like this, it looks fantastic, but I believe they used a baguette-like bread for it, so it was super chewy and has to be cut with a knife, not just your fork. Since this is a French themed restaurant (or so it seems by the decor) I’m not sure why they didn’t use Brioche bread which is French. This really took away from the dish in my opinion, and it would be nice if they did a dusting of powder sugar on top, and provide additional syrup without asking as well. I personally wouldn’t order this again. Sunrise Mimosa: orange and cranberry mimosa, was very good! I asked for additional juice since I prefer a heavier juice based ratio. -Cappuccino: very very good! I would prefer if they brought out sugar without being asked.

Would definitely go to this place again and try...