DeJaVu
51 S Main St, Memphis, TN, 38103
DeJaVu Menu
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Address :
51 S Main St
Memphis, TN, 38103 - Phone (901) 505-0212
- Website https://dejavurestaurant.org/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Garage, Street
Bike Parking : No
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
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Frank C.
This is fantastic place for cajun, creole, and vegetarian fare. Chef Gary and the staff are always friendly and helpful, and the service is good. Outdoor seating is nice when the weather is good, and indoors is small but cozy. DejaVu also "gives back" to the community A LOT, as they are often at charity events giving away their delicious bread pudding dessert!
(5)Brandi M.
This place is awesome! I ordered the tofu your way with candied yams and collard greens and it was exceptional! The bbq sauce on the tofu was a bit salty though
(5)C W.
The owner is very friendly. He visited all of the tables and chatted with the guests. We ordered the gumbo and it was excellent full of meat and not spicy. We also ordered the catfish, greens, and cabbage. I enjoyed the greens and catfish but the grilled cabbage is an acquired taste. We are on to dessert and the recommendations is banana foster cheesecake and bread pudding. Overall, good meal.
(4)Joe W.
I visited Déjà Vu with a friend a while back at her urging. She'd heard good things about the Cajun cuisine and I'm always up for some myself. It was moderately busy on a Saturday evening, but the waitstaff really struggled to stay on top of things. Talking with other people who've been here, this seems to be a common theme. We were headed to an event and allotted an hour for dinner and it ended up being closer to an hour and a half because every little thing took so long and things kept being forgotten, etc. That said, the food was really good and the waitstaff was very nice and treated us like family when they were around. I had gumbo, fried okra and bread pudding for dessert. My friend had some sort of dish that included fried plantains and she raved about it. I'd recommend Déjà Vu for the food, I'd just caution that the service may be slower than you'd like.
(4)T S.
Two friends and myself visited. We were not to pleased. I had the seafood gumbo. The ingredients on the menu were not in my bowl. Portions were extremely small. You could literally see the bottom of the white bowl while you searched for ingredients. No seafood at all in my bowl just one very small blue crab. My friend had the baked fish. Extremely small. Three very thin and I mean paper thin pieces. My third friend had the pasta. I guess that was okay because pasta is cheap. The food is flavorable but just not enough for the price.
(2)Andy S.
This is the restaurant's newer second location. I have already visited the original location, so I was eager to try this one. First of all, the staff is super friendly. We were a large party without reservations, and the amount in our party changed after being seated, so they were so accommodating and moved us upstairs. The restaurant is New Orleans, Creole, Soul Food, and Vegetarian. Not many places with soul food have good vegetarian options. This is an exception. They are working on obtaining a liquor license, but right now they only have bottled beer. I had a Fat Tire. I think it was about $6. We got a few appetizers to share. The boudin (sausage stuffed with rice) was tasty and flavorful. Although, it's not my favorite item. Another appetizer that we shared was the gator bites. I love these. I could have eaten them all by myself and ordered another plate. G ordered the gumbo. It's also amazing. For his sides, he chose greens and red beans and rice. The red beans and rice were good. He said he should have gotten something different since he ordered gumbo, though. The greens were ok. For my meal, I got a po boy. They have a variety of po boys, and you can choose to do a half and half. I love to taste a variety of food, so that's what I did. I had half gator and half fried oysters. Both were great, but I preferred the gator. I'm so glad that they have this location. I think this one will attract more visitors to the restaurant. The other location is off the beaten path, and you have to be in the know to find it.
(4)Alphonso N.
Friendly staff here and great food. The service was excellent. The staff is very attentive. Stopped to look over the menu and the waiter came out and told us all about the food, specials, etc. We decided to have lunch there and it was a very good decision. Stop in for lunch if you're in the area.
(4)Daniel C.
Typically I don't review a place till I try at least 3 different entrees, an appetizer, and a dessert, but I just can't wait to talk about the Arkansas Outlaw, grilled cabbage, and the corn bread. I have to admit that I've never been to the Florida Ave location, mostly due to that I rather walk. So when I hear that DejaVu finally opened up a few blocks from me, I had to try it ASAP. When I went in there, I knew something was up. It was like only 4 waiters there knew what they were doing. It'll get worse than that later on, I'll tell you about that later! But it's their second day (?) so I'll give them some leeway. (They just opened yesterday.) I was taken upstairs despite having plenty of room downstairs; and I kind of wanted to sit downstairs so I can people watch. I didn't complain because I didn't know what was upstairs; next time, I'll stay downstairs! When I finally sat down, the waiters were discussing how to give me a menu. Once again, they're training, I suppose. Next I asked for a recommendation, one of the waiters who knew what he was doing suggested me the Arkansas Outlaw. Well, he's right. It is fantastic! It also arrived quickly too. The Arkansas Outlaw is one big fresh filet of fried catfish, topped with crawfish etouffee. The crust was crispy, and the fish was incredibly tender and not overcooked like many other places. The crawfish etouffee tasted very New Orleans, although the crawfishes aren't big. On the side, I had grilled cabbage and greens. The grilled cabbage was awesome. It's like something grandma used to make (and my grandpa is Chinese!). The corn bread is also the best I've had in a long time! The whole experience was just heavenly. After I was done with my plate, another waiter took my plate and began immediately wiping it down! Whoa, hold on here! Many times the dirty towel got on my shirt and pants. I didn't even get the check yet! So obviously I preceded to pay quickly. So he took my card and asked the other guy, "Man, how do I do this? I don't know how to do this." Then another waiter asked me if I would like dessert... All in all, the food is delicious. I just wished that they had trained the waiters more before opening. But I'm glad to do my part to support such a great local eatery.
(4)Christina N.
I love DeJaVu! I know not everyone does...but the good food, laid back atmosphere and my ability to bring in my own wine until they get permission to sell wine makes me love DeJaVu. I'd recommend either getting the sampler or just an order of crawfish etouffee. I don't know that I will ever really try much else aside from this because these items just make my tummy happy! The bbq tofu is also outstanding, but a full order is a lot of one flavor so get it and split with a friend! Skip the cornbread....kind of plain. Make sure you talk with Gary. He is the owner and could probably make me love even a bad dish there just because he is so warm and friendly. He truely makes guests feel like guests dining in his personal kitchen. Each time I've been there he has stopped by at least twice to chit chat and check on our food. DeJavu - I'm so happy you are downtown!
(4)Alan L.
To follow up on this experience. Even though the wait staff were not helpful... The food was quite good. Servings were not huge, which was fine with me. My only negative has to do with the fried plantains.... I don't know what the heck they did to them, but they were not equivalent to the rest of the meal. With apprehension I ordered the bread pudding, which on the Yelp site posted something that looked nothing like Bread Pudding. Well.... It saved the day!!! It was perfect!!! Not overwhelming... And topped off the meal perfectly.
(4)Hannah G.
I really want to give DeJaVu five stars. We always receive great service. We usually love the food. Lately it's been hit or miss, and when I went with co-workers for their first time, I was very excited. It was such an off day that none of us really touched our food. Give it a try, and then maybe another if you're not impressed. It's such a gem, and I think with this new location we'll see improvements.
(3)Cathy W.
This was our first time here, but will not be out last. We had a wonderful lunch on our stay - cation. Oysters were flavorful. Catfish was perfect. Ivan our server was wonderful. This is now on our list of places to bring out of town guests.
(5)Eric J.
First before you go any further, they have the original location which is AWESOME! Go there if possible. Back to the review. I'm from New Orleans and that's why I love the first location. This downtown location, doesn't compare. Our server wasn't attentive, would disappear for long periods, and brought me the wrong side dish. Once I explained about the wrong order, he never brought back the correct one. The food was luke warm at best. The main protein was fresh, but the sauce was not and again luke warm. The corn bread muffin was cold and hard. The red beans and rice were runny, unseasoned and had no sausage. On top of all that, it was $20 per main dish. Just go to the original location on Florida St. and bypass the foolishness.
(1)Trivedi A.
Friendly staff and good food, but you want more than that. They have decent number of options in the menu. I have visited this place twice for dinner and we did not find consistency in the preparations. We were disappointed with some set of orders on our second visit. They have unique options for the side dishes. I had ordered okra as side dish and it smelled stale. We informed the server and returned it. We were happy that they did not charge but no one approached us regarding the "stale" okra for defending themselves or an apology. (But they did not lose 2 stars for this). Its an OK experience overall. You have not missed anything for not visiting here.
(3)tokill a.
Terrible. We decided to try this, based on the fact that we ~thought~ it was affiliated with the DeJavu Cafe in the French Quarter of N.O. Wow. Were we wrong. The Catfish Poboy was terrible (bland), the Blackened Catfish wasn't even blackened. $30 later, didn't even bother finishing it and just left for something better/more predictable (Johnny G's). If you like Deep Fried Cardboard, this is the place for you. Giving it 1 Star for the Service, which was excellent.
(1)Crystal C.
Deja Vu is a quaint little New Orleans inspired restaurant on South Main. The wait staff is absolutely amazing and extremely attentive. We ordered the fried gator bites for an appetizer and between the 4 of us nearly licked the plate clean. Our entrees were all great and the proportions were huge. Only one of us was able to finish their entire meal. I ordered the oyster po' boy and my husband ordered the alligator po' boy. We did our usual thing and traded a half to get the full experience. The oysters were a little on the fishy side but were cooked perfectly. The gator was wonderfully juicy which is hard too do because it can over cook so easily when frying it. The bread on the po' boys had an amazing flavor but I felt like I had to saw it with my teeth to get a bite out of it. When I was starting to get full, I ate the meat out if the sandwich and also ate the inside of the bread which was nice and fluffy. The red beans and rice was on the low spectrum if being okay. I definitely think that the flavors of the beans and rice could have been developed more to the point it was bland. The red beans and rice along with the chewy bread is why Deja Vu did not earn 4 or 5 stars. The wait staff was far beyond most of the service that is typical of a downtown restaurant and for this I thank you.
(3)Kyle B.
The best creole in the city! It's possibly the only creole in Memphis, but that's just fine because this is delicious enough. All of the options seem fine, but the Big Easy Pasta takes you to church! The cream sauce is heavenly and it has just the right amount of sausage, shrimp, chicken, and peppers. A must try! Only wish it came with a side though. Don't sit outside though, the bugs in Memphis are a big fan of creole apparently.
(3)Vincent A.
One of the best restaurants I've been to in my whole life. Be prepared for the manager or owner to drop by your table and say hello. Great atmosphere and personality but what it's really all about is the food. What I ordered Appetizer - Étouffée Main dishes - 1/2 & 1/2 Po-boy with fried alligator and crawfish. And Seafood Gumbo. Side dishes - grilled cabbage and fried plantains. The étouffée was simply amazing with a deep and complex amount of flavor, something I will be ordering as a main dish next time. The fried crawfish definitely beat out the fried alligator and the breading on them as well as the bread of the sandwich was delicious. I would recommend getting fried plantains as a nice compliment to the saltiness and spice of any of the dishes.
(5)Rebecca M.
Excellent food, great service and atmosphere!!! I would recommend it to everyone! I had the best Jambalaya in my life! My friend had the catfish and it was amazing as well!
(5)Alexis R.
My boyfriend is a carnivore, and I a vegan. We LOVED this place - so much we ate there twice in 4 days! There are vegan listed things on the menu, but the second time there, a server told me there were eggs in the bread and pasta. No big - just order a bowl of the mock chicken salad, it's amazing. The beans and plantains were incredible. Plenty of sides to choose from to make a meal, plus they have vegan desserts! My bf also loved the alligator and shrimp po boys.
(4)Lillian F.
We drove all the way to the "shady" original location, only to find out it's closed on Saturdays! Both Yelp and the restaurant's website said it would be open. We were determined to have lunch at the restaurant since we hadn't made it in our three years of living here, and are leaving this week, so we drove back to downtown and walked to this newer location. Breaking it down: very good and friendly service; good crawfish etoufee; very good candied yams - nice sweet balance; friend said shrimp creole was good; cornbread was average - could be improved if it were softer/warmer/fresher. Neither of us liked the grilled cabbage - too oily, little flavor, strange smell. Both of us really liked our desserts - banana foster cheesecake, and bread pudding. I got the whiskey sauce on the side because I don't like my food to taste like alcohol, but the sauce didn't taste that way so I poured it over anyway. There was a lot of excitement going on upstairs, I thought someone got engaged. Turns out it was just a birthday. They do a loud, fun song for that so you may want to come here for yours. Definitely glad I fit it in before leaving town :)
(4)Ana M.
This spot is in downtown Memphis. I had the gumbo, jambalaya, red beans and rice and the bread pudding. I ate way too much food, but I am glad I was able to taste everything. It was delicious and the staff was very attentive and sweet.
(4)Kyle T.
They need a sign out front that says "OPEN". We initially thought they were closed when we walked by. I know others do the same thing. We had a couple walk in right after us and they asked if the place was open. Their business would draw more customers in if they would just make the storefront look more noticeable. Shrimp and grits are awesome. I like the bayou rolls, collard greens are ON POINT. The staff is extremely pleasant. We've been to both places but this was or first visit downtown. This is one of or MUST STOPS when we come to Memphis. We love this place!
(5)Brandi B.
The vegan tacos are delicious!! This is a cool place for the entire family: herbivores and carnivores. One of few places that we can enjoy dinner and everyone leaves satisfied/ happy.
(5)Natala C.
I've traveled full time for a few years. I've had meals in countless places. DeJaVu has been one of the top experiences for me. The food is amazing, fresh, flavorful, thoughtful. It was the service that put this place over-the-top. Every single person was so kind, helpful, and happy that it felt like you were walking into the family kitchen, and you were part of the family. We left and we even got hugs. The peach cobbler was so amazing that we both wished we had saved room for a few more servings. Do yourself a favor, when you go to Memphis head to DeJaVu first.
(5)Kimberly C.
Mixed feelings - in a nut shell. Service - A Gator bites - A Bread pudding - B Cabbage - F Red beans and rice - C Pasta dish with red sauce - B Fried Catfish with white cream sauce - A Gator Stew - B Portion sizes - C Presentation - D Value - C- Atmosphere - D
(3)Jerry W.
I had the crawfish etouffee, with red beans and rice and grilled cabbage sides. Delicious! Food came out really fast. Other reviewers complain about that, as though it hadn't been freshly cooked. Crawfish ettouffee and red beans are both long-cooked items, so of course they had been made earlier. That didn't affect the quality or flavor. It was very tasty. The cabbage was steaming hot and still a little crunchy, not soggy, as it would have been if it were sitting for hours. All the flavors were wonderful Next time I wouldn't order the beans if I were getting the etouffee, beause they were similar dishes. I would get a different side. Nothing bad against the beans, they were rich and flavorful. Chef Gary came out for a chat. A very friendly guy. Am not an expert on Louisiana cooking so I can't rank it, or say it's the best. But I do know what I like, and I liked DeJaVu's food.
(4)Corey E.
Best cajun restaurant in Memphis period. Everything on this menu is 5-star. My favorites are the Arkansas Outlaw, Big Keith, Mardi Gras Pasta, and Shrimp Etouffee. My favorite sides are Candied Yams, Collard Greens, Plantains, and grilled cabbage. This location is larger than the first location on Tennessee street. Located in the heart of downtown, this location is perfect for tourists and locals alike. This year alone, I've been to both locations a total of 11 times. I give this place 5-stars.
(5)Jay Z.
Some of the best New Orleans style food in Memphis. Somewhat pricey being downtown on Main, but that's also authentic New Orleans too. The creamy seafood topped blackened tilapia is to die for.
(5)Bailey P.
We tried this place for the first time tonight and loved it. I got the vegan portobello tomato pasta dish and it was perfect. My boyfriend got the sausage and chicken jumbalaya and he thought it was very good. The sides were also very good. I got the vegan chocolate cake for dessert, which unfortunately was just ok. Overall I thought this place was great and will be returning.
(5)Alan P.
I was a frequent patron at the Florida location, loved it. I was so looking forward to good bowl of gumbo at the new downtown location. Dissapointed; service was slow. gumbo was bland, it was filled with crab shells(intentionally),and the bread was stale. No srimp, crawfish tails, gizzards or anything solid, just soup. I guess this is the reason that all the resturants had waiting lines, and DeJaVu had open tables for lunch. Should have went next door to Flight.
(2)Randy C.
Great food period! I haven't tried anything here I didn't like. My favorite is the Big Keith with grilled Catfish. It has Shrimp, Crab, & Crawfish in a flavorful sauce poured over the top of the Catfish. Heavenly! Seafood Gumbo, Shrimp Etouffee, Jambalaya, Red Beans and Rice, you name it and it's great. I also love the sides. The grilled cabbage is outstanding and I'm not a big fan of cabbage but this won me over. Great customer service. The wait staff is attentive and always there to please. I'm getting hungry just thinking about this place! Is it lunch time yet?!?
(5)Candy Y.
My hubby and I are diehard Creole/Cajun foodies and we travel to New Orleans twice a year, with hopes to move there when the kids are grown, or at least own property we can rent out to family & friends when we aren't using it ourselves. With that being said, we were hopeful DeJAVU would help satisfy our cravings in between trips to our favorite city. The decor is lively and very much Mardi Gras themed and there's some cool artwork in the place; however it's a pretty small location, so there were people packed inside the tiny waiting area waiting to be seated. They had 2 large groups the night we were there as well, which severely impacted the level of service we received. I've never understood why it always happens this way, when there's 1 party of 20 in a restaurant everyone else gets ignored but things go just fine when there's 10 parties of 2. It's still the same number of people being cooked for and served, but moving along now... We asked for a cocktail list, hoping for some rendition of a New Orleans libation, but they apparently don't have a liquor license and only serve beer. The beer list was decent, at least they have Abita beers, but really how do you operate a New Orleans-y restaurant and not have liquor? This location has been open for over a year, so they can't even use being "new" as an excuse for that. I just ordered a glass of sweet tea, which while on the verge of being too sweet, it was still good and what you expect to find here in the good 'ol South. For an appetizer we ordered the gator bites. It was a decent sized portion for sharing, served with a little cup of remoulade sauce. The gator bites were OK. The breading on them was odd, for the lack of a good way to describe it. The remoulade sauce was lacking in flavor. For our main entree, Brad ordered a half gator sausage and half fried crawfish PoBoy with no mayo. I ordered the seafood gumbo. The seafood gumbo was described as having chicken, sausage, shrimp, chicken gizzards, and jumbo lump crab meat! For the price of $12, I was expecting something fantastic. When we finally got our food about 45 minutes after ordering (after it sat in the kitchen window for 10 minutes before anyone brought it to us), I was sorely disappointed. While the gumbo had a nice rich roux and good flavor, there was literally one tiny salad shrimp, a bunch of sausage and chicken, and zero lump crab meat. Brad's PoBoy had mayo on it, which he asked to leave off. We told the server the problem and she seemed happy to fix it, but seemed confused that I thought that one little salad shrimp does NOT seafood gumbo make. She said she would bring me another bowl and they took Brad's PoBoy to remake it. Again, his remade sandwich sat in the window 10 minutes and this time my gumbo had 2 shrimp instead of 1, and a crab claw thingy that added no meat value to my gumbo, other than to serve as a choking hazard with all the little broken shell bits I kept finding as I ate it. As a consolation, they comped us a piece of turtle cheesecake, which was disappointing because I had intended on ordering the bread pudding. Maybe I wasn't missing anything. They probably would have just left the whiskey out of the sauce, if everything else about this place is any indicator. I only give 2 stars because 1) Cool decor 2) Good sweet tea 3) Server's willingness to attempt to fix our order.
(2)Haylie G.
We have been to DeJavu before, so we were surprised to have a terrible experience. We checked in and were promptly seated at 6:15. 3 people took our drink order, 2 waters, a sweet tea & diet coke. About 20 minutes later. We ordered vegan tacos as an appetizer. They arrived promptly however, we received no plates, there were only 3 tortillas and 4 people in my party. We tried to get attention of the staff to get played and one more tortilla. No one helped us. My aunt got plates from the waiters station. We team out of water and no wait staff was available. We ordered dinner about 6:40. 3 vegetable plates and one BBQ tofu. At 7:30 we had not recurved our dinner and asked to have it to go. At 7:45, one hour after we ordered, we did not have any food, so we left. My cousin and aunt didn't get to eat dinner before their show.
(1)Pete D.
Great food and excellent service. I had the crawfish etouffee and I loved it. Very attentive staff too. Can't wait to go back!
(5)Sean S.
Excellent food and very good service. I believe we were served by Nicole; we were a group of 6. She was fast, professional, personable and the food was delicious! Great food, great service. Will definitely come back.
(5)Kelly G.
My daughter and her BF eat here when they can (get the groupon, and tip). The service is always great, the staff is friendly, and the food is amazing! He is a vegetarian who loves their bbq tofu, which was spicy but not overpowering. She usually treats herself with the deep fried catfish, yummy sweet potato fries... of course both of were delicious. Definitely coming back with friends more often!
(5)Jeff V.
The best food I've had in quite a while. The Creole sampler platter was outstanding and the service was excellent as well
(5)Holly W.
My husband and I tried this place out on Wednesday 4/29 around 530 PM. Neither of us had ever been here but were interested since we love Cajun-Creole food. We sat outside since it was a gorgeous night. Service was ok. They are pretty friendly. I ordered the Canal street shrimp and grits. My husband ordered the pasta. The shrimp were very good. Great taste. The grits however were slightly cold and very lumpy! I don't eat grits a lot but I know shrimp and grits and I know the grits should be smooth and creamy. The dish was served with a gumbo type roux, which I have never had. The favor was good, but just not shrimp and grits. My husbands pasts was not what he really expected. He was hoping for real flavor and didn't get that. The service was slow. We ordered pretty quickly once we sat down and it took almost 30 minutes for the food to arrive. I don't think I will go back. I never get downtown anyway, so no big loss.
(2)Jordan S.
I love this place. I've probably been here 5 or 6 times since I moved here 7 months ago, and I've always left completely satisfied with the service, food, and price. The food is traditional creole, with gumbo, jambalaya, catfish, crawfish, etoufee, etc. and they do it better than anyone in Memphis. The owner is always present and extremely friendly, and makes sure that each customer is enjoying their meal, and will occasionally give you a free bowl of gumbo or other appetizer just because you're having a good time. Plus, on Christmas the owner came in and fed the homeless, so I have a big soft spot for this place. They have a great staff that keeps your drink filled and can answer any question about the food, menu, or restaurant. I also saw a waiter sing an incredible rendition of "Happy Birthday" to a customer that blew my mind. I can't say enough about this place, and I hope that it continues to succeed and people enjoy its great food.
(5)David C.
The food was incredible. I had the Jambalaya which was seasoned perfectly to my taste. It had just the right amount of kick to it. We also had gator bites for an app that were very good.
(5)Adam W.
I work downtown and this is my second favorite lunch spot. It's my favorite kind of restaurant; unpretentious yet serious about cooking. Prices are super reasonable and the staff is super friendly. I recommend getting the vegie plate. All of their vegies are excellent but the grilled cabbage is my fav. I wouldn't call it a date place. It's more of an I'm-hungry-and-want-to eat-something-good-and-kind-of-healthy-and-not-Âspend-a-ton-of-money place. VERY LOCAL.
(5)Robin F.
Alright so I thought I would give this place a try since it is only a few blocks from home. My first experience had been about a week ago with the chicken/sausage jambalya from their food truck (there was an event in the park one Friday). It was pretty good. Anyway, I went back today and ordered the honey roasted chicken with red beans and rice and citrus spinach. I'll get to the food in a moment. Let's talk about the menu itself. The menu is nicely laid out, easy to read and full of lots of delicious foods to eat. However, I really hate when I really want to order something and I'm told they don't have it. This happened TWICE. First I wanted the fried plantains: didn't have them. Ok, I let that slide. Then I wanted the beignets for dessert: didn't have those either. I was even given an explanation why. There isn't room in the restaurant to make them. WHAT?! Why put things on the menu that you don't have? That is really frustrating and confusing to a customer. I can see if you run out but if you don't have it at all and won't for some time, don't put it on the menu! Now on to the food. Like, I said, I ordered the honey chicken with red beans and rice and citrus spinach. I ate the spinach first. There was nothing citrusy about the spinach. Not one hint. It just tasted liked sauteed, unsalted spinach. Moving on to the red beans and rice. It was ok. I've had better. Tasted like tomato sauce with beans. Now the chicken was pretty good. Probably the saving grace of the meal. It was sweet but not too sweet. The meat was tender. I also ordered the peach cobbler to go. It was yummy. DejaVu isn't a bad place but it's not fantastic either. They just opened this location so I am willing to give them a pass for the food. The service is great and friendly so I may return and try something else on the menu.
(3)Chris M.
Nice enough on the inside. We came on a Sunday afternoon and were greeted by a very friendly staff. There was a relatively nice looking buffet for brunch but we opted for ordering off the menu. Started with bayou rolls as an app. They were freshly deep fried and tasted ok. No raisins in them as stated on the menu but the curry cabbage and shrimp were a pretty good combo. They did unfortunately have way too much won ton wrapper around them. You can see it in the picture I posted. Very doughy thick walls. Wouldn't get them again but they weren't awful. The next thing to come out was a side of citrus spinach which was pretty good. Very fresh and flash cooked with just a bit of a bitter aftertaste. Quite a wait for the next food to come out. They did have a large birthday table upstairs and so far everything had been cooked to order so I didn't a mind waiting a bit. Ok, I'm now sitting in front of 10 different items we ordered. Quick rundown of each as follows. Chicken and sausage jambalaya. It has an "off" smell that's keeping me from eating too much. Loaded it with Papi Joes Tennessee hot sauce which made it just ok with undercooked crunchy rice and very little chicken or sausage in it. Candace's smothered chicken was just ok also with super crunchy rice and a fairly bland "gravy". She loaded it with hot sauce also and commented that made it better. The sides were more of the same really. Nothing bad but not really good. Greens actually were kinda gross with almost a fishy flavor. Cabbage was decent with not a lot of flavor. Smothered okra was cooked fairly well with an oily tomato broth. Garlic potatoes were not crispy and were mealy. Nothing was super greasy or heavy but I'm really sorry to say it just wasn't that good. Better versions of everything can be found in town. I really wanted to like this place as we are in New Orleans several times a year and love the food. The place had a good vibe for a Sunday afternoon with a jazz duo playing but unfortunately I don't think we will come back. I may still try the location on Florida as a few have noted its better. Michelob is $4.50 each and they weren't even cold. Dam. Another one bites the dust.
(2)Sean C.
Staff was friendly. Food was not very good. Crawfish Étouffée had spice but lacked flavor. Red beans and rice had an overly thick sauce, which was salty and lacked flavor. Garlic potatoes seemed like they were made the previous day or two. Shrimp Po Boy was the best thing I had, but the shrimp was chewy. They did not seem to be over cooked, so my guess is that they were old.
(2)Elisa P.
Amazing service...awesome food, a must try!! We were cared for by the chef and two waiters! Wanted for absolutely nothing! Don't come to Memphis without stopping by.
(5)Anne H.
Good service, good food. I like the jambalaya and tried the boudin appetizer. Both were tasty. One thing that could make it better is if I could get a glass of wine! The chef came out multiple times to check on everyone in the restaurant and service was nice and attentive! If you haven't been, you should try it!
(4)Amy D.
New Orleans in Memphis has arrived! The food taste like my Haitian grandmother (pretty close). The blackened catfish with crawfish tail remoulade sauce on top under a bed of rice! FreAking delicious. My next visit I'm trying the gumbo & other tempting dish,can't wait!
(4)Steven W.
I came to Déjà Vu because they had a vegetarian/vegan menu. I was pretty excited to see this place only a short walk from my hotel. I opted for the Mock Chicken Salad Sandwich. I kid you not, this sandwich consisted of warm, unseasoned TVP (texturized vegetable protein) on a hoagie roll with lettuce and tomato. Seriously this TVP was just plain, not even salt and pepper. They rehydrated it and slapped it on bread. I have no idea what 'chicken salad' brings to your mind, but I am guessing it isn't this. I applaud a Creole place for having a vegan menu, but you have to try a little harder than that! The two stars were for the sides (yams and greens) which were pretty tasty. I hope this place gets it sorted out, but offering lifeless vegetarian dishes isn't a great start.
(2)Rose H.
This place is amazing! Delicious food and unbelievable service! Our server Robert was outstanding and chef Gary came to our table and spoke with us personally. What a fantastic place!
(5)Mark C.
The alligator stew was delicious but only 3 small pieces of gator, it was mostly rice. The okra was good too.
(4)Jane E.
This is a must go if you love creole. Also for vegans. They make it all to order. Every item that our table of 9 ordered was outstanding. The banana foster cheesecake was unbelievable
(4)John S.
I've been let down by cajun food so much that I just quite trying until last night when my girlfriend suggested that we go to DeJaVu. Considering my past experiences I decided to play it safe with a shrimp Po boy which came with one side...with the guidance of my server I chose the collard greens. I do not regret this choice as they were the best greens I have ever eaten. The Po boy was perfect as well. The bread was ideal, soft inside with the correct texture of crust. A little hot sauce and a firm smush to make it a thickness that I could get my teeth around and it was exceptional. Perhaps a bit light on the shrimp but not light enough to be a disappointing. My girlfriend had the shrimp and grits which was probably the best bite of cajun food I have ever eaten. Her side was the smothered okra...again exceptional. We also split an order of 6 hot wings. They were just fine...average actually. I'm a snob with hot wings so I'm not going to complain too much here. Just know that you get 6 half wings, the Memphis standard seems to be whole wings so you actually get 3 wings here instead of 6. Service was impeccable. Our waitress was the cutest, sweetest and most hospitable server I have experienced in as long as I can remember. Her personality alone would make up for many other problems that we might have encountered...but we didn't. I'll be back for sure!
(4)Paul A.
1245 for lunch on Saturday Food service was excellent, wait staff were really hustling. Seafood gumbo and alligator bits both delicious Mens bathroom was clean Best Cajun/ Creole food in Memphis.
(4)Karen S.
Another nice place to eat outside ( or inside) on Main Street! Hey Memphis! Have you noticed? Our Main Street is hopping with lots of great new places to eat! And now there's Deja Vu! The food was wonderful and the staff were very attentive. The owner, Gary, pays a lot of attention and makes sure things are done properly. I sure am glad I live, work and play nearby!
(5)Lee H.
I would give this place three and a half stars. It was good but nothing wow and nothing i see myself craving. I had the alligator stew with red beans and rice and smothered okra. The okra was awesome!!!!! The stew was good and all but like i said nothing i would crave again. The red beans and rice were just ok, Popeyes are better. The service was awesome but we were the only people there.
(3)Jake S.
Best soul food ever!
(5)Sunshine M.
Do you like lukewarm and overpriced food?Well you'll LOVE Déjà Vu! Zatarrians boxed gumbo tastes better than this bland, lukewarm gumbo. And the Roast Beef "po' boy" was no doubt just deli slices of roast beef covered in gravy. $47 for a po' boy, gumbo and 2 Ghost Rivers? No, thank you. I cannot wait until Second Line opens so I can get some decent Cajun food in Memphis.
(1)Steve I.
I am writing this review after just finishing a lunch at the Main St.location 11/22/13. I was not impressed. While I do feel much safer at this location, the ambiance left much to be desired. My group was sat upstairs in the Attic, which is what it feels like. The $6 cup of gumbo, while tasty (still required some hot sauce) was about a 1/2 cup of rice and 1/2 gumbo. The rice to gumbo ratio was a bit off... At that price, I expect a little more. The temp was warm, but not hot. Could have cooled down on its long trip to the attic from the kitchen. I ordered the Jambalaya Pasta.... It was very disappointing. The tomato base tasted like something out of a can / jar (possibly Ragu), while doctored up with some pepper flakes. To top it off, half of it was cold to luke warm. Again, possibly the time it sat in the window, or it long trip to the table. To finish off our meal, my party of 5 had our Gratuity automatically added to our checks. I don't always see this happen unless its parties in excess of 5. While not terrible that the check included Gratuity, it included it @ 20%. Something I've never seen. I checked the menu on my way out the door to see if it was mentioned and it wasn't. Please keep than in mind if going with a group. Everyone in our group acknowledged that they could have eaten many places better for the price. Lesson learned
(1)Randy M.
The lack of a hostess and their inability to seat people in a timely proper manner had us standing until we have up walked out .
(1)Cristina M.
I actually found this place when I was searching for vegetarian restaurants in New Orleans, LA. Apparently, there are no vegetarians in New Orleans. Seeing all the great reviews, we made sure to stop by DejaVu when we drove through Memphis, and I'm so glad we did. It's been over a month since our visit and i'm still dreaming about the vegan chicken salad sandwich. Also, everyone in the restaurant is so friendly and kind. In fact, everyone in Memphis was so kind - the police woman who helped us find a last minute hotel, the woman at the parking lot who made sure to watch our car since it was packed to the roof, everyone! We'll definitely be back to Memphis and DejaVu.
(5)M.n. M.
The Gator stew was deeeeelicious!! Absolutely loved it. I was saddened that they didn't have any beignets, but meh.
(5)Sherry J.
This was my 1st time dining experience at DejaVu and I fell in love. Our server Robert was personable and suggested blackened catfish topped with crawfish étouffée. I'm so happy that I took him up on his suggestion. The food was wonderful, service friendly and attentive and good prices. I will be returning next time I visit Memphis.
(5)Donna S.
Wonderful place! Chef Gary and his waitresses and waiters accommodated 45 of us who were attending a conference at the convention center. The food was delicious, reasonably priced and they had a good vegetarian selection. I would love to eat here again some day!
(5)Barbara D.
We went to the location on Main Street. The staff were very friendly and attentive. The dinner menu was very impressive, vegetarian, creole, and soul food under the same roof, very unusual. For appetizers we had gator bites for the meat eaters and spinach quesadillas for the veggie lovers , which were very good. The shrimp creole was awesome, I don't know anywhere in the city that serves it. I'm a shrimp creole snob and this was right up there with the best I have had. The sweet potato fries, collard greens, citrus spinach, were also very tasty. The dessert menu was also very impressive, the best thing was the bananas foster, to die for. The only negative was the pork chop, although it had a good flavor, it was very small, 2 small very thin slices, would not have known it was a pork chop to look at it, need to improve on the size and quality. We will definitely come back.
(4)Lindsey M.
The food was tasty and the chef came out and cooked bananas foster right in front of us . It was a great experience . The boudin was my favorite !
(5)Kiersten D.
Loved this place. Only down side was there could have been more sausage in the jambalaya. Sweet plantains and yams were out of this world. Great service.
(4)Scarlett P.
THIS PLACE IS THE WORST PLACE I'VE EVER EATEN IN MEMPHIS MY WHOLE 32 YEARS OF EXISTENCE. I was so excited about trying it out, b/c it was a new location downtown where I work often. I talked it up to my beau b/c of the fabulous reviews the 1st location got, but I was completely let down. From the service to the terrible, unseasoned food... it was HORRIBLE! Save your money and go to Majestic or Flight!
(1)Katie K.
Dejavu, I did not envision a creole restaurant this good making its way to Memphis! I absolutely loved this eatery. From the jambalaya to the Shrimp Po boy this food was one of a kind! I love cajun food so I was pumped when they opened a location in Memphis. There are a lot of options on the menu, which I thought was great. If you have not tried DeJaVu, you must!
(5)Joss G.
All the way from DC and this place is truly authentic New Orleans food! I had the shrimp and grits and it was excellent! And the polite staff is awesome...
(5)Rydja M.
No spinach on the menu today, which was a disappointment. The collard greens were over cooked. The vegetarian section of the meal is a great idea but the execution not so much. On the up side: The wait staff was great, and the chef came to the table.
(3)Jim B.
Disappointing. Sunday afternoon a little before 1:00PM. Hostess seated me and a young man asked me what I would like to drink. Abita beer, of course! He explained that he wasn't old enough to serve me, but headed to the bar to get someone else to do so. It should be noted that there were two couples there, one inside and one on outside, almost finished with their lunch. There were also at least 8 staff or friends of staff at the bar, milling around and joking. I had plenty of time to read the entire menu and pick out what I wanted. Still no drink. I re-read the menu. Caught up with my phone emails, looked at the memorabilia on the wall. Ten minutes later and NO ONE, not the hostess or any of the staff at the bar had even acknowledged me. Five minutes later, nothing had changed, although the staff hanging around the bar seemed to be having a good time. Now the other two couples have left, and its just me. Alone and un-served. Enough is enough. I got up, said thanks a lot to the hostess, who never even looked up. She did tell me to have a nice day, which is the only decent thing I have to say about this experience. I'm in Memphis for several months, and I love cajun food, but there is no way I'm going to go back there. Memphis is full of good places to eat. This is apparently not one of them.
(1)John C.
Disappointed: we thought it would be fun to go here for Fat Tuesday dinner, not so much. My wife order a cup of seafood gumbo and a piece(roll) of cornbread. The flavor of the gumbo was good but was not warm. The cornbread was hard enough that we had to ask for a replacement since it was cold too. They could have used it in Sochi as a hockey puck. My meal, jambalaya was very good other than being room temperature and the side of the medley of veggies was toooooo salty. Finally the beer prices are ridiculous. $4.50 for Mich Ultra, really. I would have expected that for an import but not a domestic. And finally our waiter, he was attentive up until he took out order. He didn't deliver the food which is ok but he never checked on us and we actually had the busboy take care of the cornbread incident. Don't get me wrong, it was Fat Tuesday, there was a band there (by the way, too many players for your size restaurant, could he myself think) but this was ridiculous. I will come back and try again but it may be awhile.
(2)J F.
My hubby and I thoroughly enjoyed absolutely everything about Dejavu today. I wish every restaurant had such sweet employees. I have been missing barbecue since I gave up meat, so the BBQ tofu really hit the spot. I was in veggie heaven!
(5)Linda B.
Excellent service Warm and friendly chef and staff. Excellent gumbo, étouffée and bananas foster. A taste of NOLA Memphis
(4)Lynda S.
We ate here so that my husband could get some vegetarian fare. He had the veggie burger which he pronounced very tasty. The crawfish etouffee was excellent with just the right amount of heat for me. I had the spinach and yams for sides and they were delicious. The star of our meal was the peach cobbler which was outstanding - best I've ever had! We met the owner/chef Gary and he was extremely welcoming and our server was a delight. I took away one star only because there were a couple of annoyingly persistent fruit flies at our table - most likely from all of the banana dishes on the menu - but that didn't keep us from enjoying our meal.
(4)Christopher C.
The seafood gumbo wasn't bad, but it didn't contain, even remotely, all the seafood ingredients that the menu said it did, and much of the small bowl was taken up by pieces of crab shell with no meat on them. It's also a very poor value for the money: $10 for what is really an appetizer-sized portion. Bogie's around the corner charges half that for a similarly sized bowl, and theirs tastes better too. I left the place still hungry and I won't be back.
(2)Tara B.
Came on NYE after trying a bunch of other places that said they didn't have availability until 10pm. The entire staff was so friendly and pleasant - especially compared to the stuffy places that had just turned us away! I love New Orleans (especially the food) and this place was authentic. I got a sampler that included crawfish étouffée, gumbo, alligator stew, and shrimp creole - and loved them all. Our waitress warned me that it was big enough for 2, so I acted accordingly and shared with my mom. She got some type of grilled fish that was delicious and to finish we all enjoyed some Bananas Foster - free of charge from our waitress (we didn't have a fresh batch made tableside by the chef, but enjoyed half of the portion that he had just made for the table next to ours.) The best part was that it is BYOB - wine and liquor included! they only serve beer so stop and get something if you are thirsty and aren't a fan of beer. The bill at the end of the night for 4 people was probably the price of 1 person at one of the fancy nearby restaurants with a price fix menu
(5)Andy B.
Absolutely loved the ambience walking in. Really welcoming and found it a great spot for vegetarians. My wife got the vegan portabello pasta which was fantastic as i ate some. Had a real good southern kick to it. I got the veggie rolls which were tasty too. Finished with the bread pudding which was out of this world. Will be back next time in Memphis.
(5)Joyce C.
Last year, my husband and I went to the other DeJaVu location on Florida St. We had a good experience and were excited when we found out a new location opened on Main St. First of all, the service was phenomenal. The staff was super friendly, and were very attentive to us. My husband ordered the jambalaya pasta and I ordered the seafood gumbo (entree). I asked the waitress if the portion of the seafood gumbo as an entree was big, and she said it was very big. When the food came out, I was disappointed to see that the plate was big, but the actual portion of the soup was no more than just a regular bowl. It came with a side of rice and bread on the side. The flavor of the soup was good..but I was disappointed to find shells in my soup and the only real chunks meat I tasted in the soup was sausage. I was expecting crawfish or shrimp since its a seafood gumbo. The portion of the jambalaya pasta was better. It was spicy, but not too spicy, and had a decent amount of chicken and sausage. My husband and I both thought the food was overpriced for what we received. The customer service was amazing, and really left a good impression on us. We may eventually go back, but not for awhile.
(3)Kamilah M.
We stumbled upon this gem while heading back through from North Carolina. It came highly recommended by a local. Our fabulous server, Caroline, did not hesitate to suggest the Alligator bites. My first reaction was like "Whatttt?!?!", however, after sinking my teeth into my first piece of gator, I was like "YessssssSSSSS"! We also enjoyed the ever so flavorful Vegetable Rolls. The Blackened Salmon was cooked to perfection and the Shrimp Etouffle was delicious. Definitely a restaurant to remember!
(5)Adie M.
Not my usual kind of food, but had family in town and they wanted catfish and soul food, so it was a great chance for me to see if all the hype is justified. I have to admit...it was pretty good! We started with gator bites and bayou rolls. Both were very tasty, but very expensive for what you get. The gator bites tasted almost exactly like chicken, but more tender. Really good, but $13?!? I;m glad I had them, for the novelty, but won't be getting them again - it's a pretty small portion. The rolls were also good, but not NEARLY as delicious as the Vietnamese rolls I eat that are half that price for the same size. Entrees - all three of us got something different, so we were able to try quite a few items. We had the sampler, with etouffle, gumbo, gator stew, and shrimp bisque. The gator stew was by far the best, though all were good. I ordered the shrimp and grits. The shrimp were a lot smaller than I expected, but still good, and the dark sauce was different than what usually comes on shrimp and grits. It was tasty and rich. We also had Big Keith's catfish. I still can't believe I'm saying this - the catfish was really good! You have to know, I DO NOT like catfish, and yet...it was so good! Thick, tender fillets, and without that underlying "dirt" taste I associate with that particular fish. The sauce served over it, however, I think was a mistake. It wasn't bad, but it totally ruined the flaky crispness of the fried fish. My advice it to stick to the fried fish plate, or ask for the sauce on the side. After reading reviews, also decided to split a piece of bananas foster cheesecake...DO IT. YUM!! Service was spotty, but could be because our server was fresh out of training. HE (the newbie) was fine, but we were also sorta being waited on by his trainer, and she was less attentive. Like, I'd ask her for a refill of diet coke, and she'd disappear. Then the new guy would stop by, and I'd ask him, and then a few minuted later BOTH of them would bring me drinks... Final note - the chef/owner is very cool and very friendly. We were there at closing and he came out and chatted with us and joked around. He was happy to hear I was "now friends with the catfish," though I qualified that by saying I was friends with HIS catfish...not sure about anyone else's. :)
(4)Cathy L.
Omg the banana cheescake is to commit suicide over. Fantastic service from nile sugarman. Great egg rolls, great southern fried chicken and okra. And the attention and service was outstanding. We shall return whenever we are in memphis.
(5)Manny C.
We stopped into DeJAVU and was greeted by Chef Gary Williams! This world renowned chef came over and gave us a taste of his hospitality and delicious Louisiana style cuisine. We had the fried oysters and fried gator and everything was so full of flavor and on point. Our day ended with a taste of DeJAVU's Pastry Chef Orlando Jenkins's amazing Turtle Cheesecake. His interpretation of this dish was amazing! This is a must stop in Memphis, and wish them luck with their branching out expedition! Thanks for the Top Of the Line Service!!!!
(5)Randy W.
My wife and I stopped by for dessert on the recommendation of the consigner at the Peabody hotel. She raved about the banana foster cheese cake. My wife ordered it and said it lived up to the billing. I had the banana foster. Without question, the best I have ever eaten. We highly recommend the desserts. If the rest of the food is as good, this is a must stop the next time we are in Memphis.
(5)April S.
I've heard rave reviews about DeJaVu for years and I finally got the chance to try it out a few weeks ago. We visited the newer location on Main St during a recent Sunday Funday. This place closes at 5pm on Sunday. We walked in the door at 5pm... Just like a couple of jerks. I felt a little guilty but I was also hungry. I wouldn't have been shocked or upset if we were turned away, but that did not happen. They sat us right away. Our server was very helpful. Neither of us had eaten at DeJaVu before so we asked for suggestions. I had been told by a few friends that the wings were good. So naturally, I ordered wings. There were a couple of flavor choices but I can't remember what they were. I went with "hot," as usually do. We decided to order an entree to share and selected the Arkansas Outlaw based upon our servers recommendation. For the sides, we picked the collard greens and the citrus spinach. Overall, we were pleased with the meal and the service. The entree was very good. The collard greens and spinach were some of the best I've ever eaten. The wings weren't as great as I had hoped. They were small and the sauce was sweet, which is not what I expect when being served hot wings.
(4)Frank H.
This was some ok food. The sauce could use some thickening in my pasta dish? The shrimp were gummy and few. The best thing was the bread pudding. Always save room for desert.
(3)Gilles R.
I ordered the red beans and rice with sweet potato fries. You can tell the fires were store bought. They were under cooked and chunky inside. The red beans had no seasoning and did not come with sausage like typical red beans and rice do. There were no customers inside yet the food took a very long time to come out. It was not just not good it was bad..
(1)Darian M.
Being a Born and Bred Louisianan, I must say I'm VERY picky About Authentic Cajun food. This place is It! The gumbo is Real, spicy and warms your heart. The owner has a Great personality and it shines thru in his cooking.
(4)Dan B.
Friendly waitstaff and excellent food. Not often that you find vegetarian soul food options!
(5)Jay H.
The food was fantastic. I had Big Keith's Bayou Classic. The creamy De Javu sauce spice up the taste of the catfish.
(4)Tai B.
The staff at dejavu is pleasant, funny, and inviting. I had the honey roasted chicken with yams and collared greens (one of the waiters teased me for my selection since I didn't get creole in a creole restaurant). Any way, what I had was good, though the chicken wasn't as warm as I would have preferred and the collards were a little too soft. My meal came with cornbread which was really good. I tried some of the seafood gumbo and it was good! My friends ordered crawfish étouffée, blackened tilapia, shrimp creole, and a shrimp po boy. All were pleased with their meal though there was some hard rice with the étouffée and shrimp creole. We were celebrating a friends birthday and the chef did table side cherries jubilee which was nice and the staff sung two songs.
(4)Chase H.
In short, most everything my table ordered was reheated at the time of serving; I'm talking microwaved frozen bag vegetable chunks and potatoes that had to be under a heat lamp for a long time as they were almost dehydrated. How can anyone get away with this anymore?? The service was also a problem. Our hostess Brianna, after serving tasteless sauce over rotisserie chicken questioned me excitedly about my side order of potatoes and vegetables. I explained that the veggies were bulk purchased and frozen, as the center part was ice cold and the outer pieces were nuked. My table agreed, theirs too. She was stunned. Really acted it up..."well let me speak to my manager". Three minutes later I was informed only that "they are aware now, thank you". And now you are aware too! They also up-charged for white meat chicken. That's ok but not stated on the menu. Never good to do that. Comments also revolved around bland, needs salt, no flavor. Sorry to be blunt but l have no time for crappy food.
(2)Cedahlia S.
Oh it was delicious!!! I had the crawfish etouffee with a side of greens and sweet potato fries... strange mixture but all 3 items are in my top 10 favorite foods. The etouffee was a bit darker in color than I like but that did not hurt the taste. It was fabulously spicy with just enough rice. The greens were very sweet and different than I'm used to but they were delicious as well. Last but now least.. the fries had the perfect amout of crispness! They did have a buffet going. Im not sure if that is a daily event or just Sunday but it looked great! The staff was wonderful and worked as a team. I will definitely go back!!
(5)David E.
Friends had recommended De JaVu, so we went to the Main Street location. Now I realize that others may have gotten better food and better service, but we did not. The Chicken and Sausage Jamabalya I ordered tasted like it had been made earlier in the day on only slightly reheated before being served to me. The parts that were hot enough did taste quite good, it's a shame the whole dish wasn't hot enough. The Red Beans and Rice was more like Red Beans soup with Rice in it; good flavor, but too "soupy" and too little rice. To be fair, the Yams were very good and well heated. Unfortunately, waiting for 5 minutes simply to get change back for our meal was too long - the waiter preferred talking to co-workers. It would've been better if our waiter had checked how our meal was - instead of the manager. I don't know that we will be going back. That's sad since I thought it would be a good place for good food. Live and learn. Perhaps your experience will be better.
(2)Callie K.
The food was good but the atmosphere was kind of blah and they have a bit of a fly problem outside so we had to move inside. Not sure if I'd come back but I'm glad I tried it!
(3)Candra G.
Food tasted ok, but the portions were very small. Staff was friendly.
(3)Ebonye B.
This is a review for DejaVu Catering Services. If you'd like to read my review for DeJaVu restaurant, please click on the listing for their other location on Florida. A summary of the restaurant review: It is SO goo. You should go. Now. I spoke with Chef Gary concerning catering my husband's birthday party. We came up with the menu and he gave me a quote. It was reasonable, so I agreed without taking out any menu items/services or haggling. The night of the party, Chef Gary and Slim arrived early to complete the professional setup. I was so surprised to learn that Chef Gary himself would be serving my guests his delicious food. He never said who would be there, and I just assumed that he would send someone else. It was such a treat to have him in person. For those that haven't had the opportunity to meet him, Chef Gary is really nice and down-to-earth. My guests enjoyed everything that was prepared. We had Steak Po Boys, Chicken Po Boys, and even Veggie Po Boys, and Zapp's chips. The amount of food, presentation, flavors, and setup was just perfect. I would not hesitate to hire Chef Gary of DeJaVu again to cater an event.
(5)Lisa G.
This was our first time dining at De Javu and the service was TOP OF THE LINE!!! For our appetizers, we ordered the gator bites and BBQ shrimp. The gator bites, although very tasty, were extremely small and to get a regular bite size, I had to put 3-4 on my fork. The remoulade sauce was great! I have ordered gator bites at many restaurants and love the dish, but these shouldn't be so small. I would suggest that this change be considered. My husband ordered the BBQ shrimp, a dish he often makes at home, and said the sauce was the best he has ever had, but the shrimp were too small and bread should have been served with it. My main meal was the Seafood Gumbo. I LOVE A GOOD GUMBO!!! There wasn't hardly any seafood in the dish, but there was a good portion of sausage. The roux was not as good as I had hoped for especially since the chef is from New Orleans. My husband ordered the Catfish with crawfish roux on top. IT WAS SOOO DELICIOUS!!! Next time we visit, we both will probably go for the catfish plate again or try one of the red sauces, not the typical roux. As I said in the beginning, the service was GREAT, perhaps the best we have ever experienced! The owner/chef even visited us just after we were seated.
(4)Sandra P.
The appetizer was the bayou rolls nice and crispy very tasty with great dipping sauces. I enjoyed the seafood gumbo with a side of candied yams. My friend had the Big Keith's Bayou Classic great presentation and taste. To end the meal we had peach cobbler and Banana foster cheese cake.
(4)Amariah T.
Delicious food! My coworkers and I are regulars here, although we shouldn't be lol. My favorite foods are the oysters, grilled cabbage, yams, and gator bites. The owner and staff are also very friendly and make sure that you're taken care of. Overall great food and service!
(5)Kella C.
I hate to say it but I was left feeling a tad bit disappointed by this place. While the atmosphere was ideal, the food was just ok in my opinion. I was expecting a wait at the door because we went during a lunch rush it was a pleasant surprise that my mother and I were sat almost immediately. An appetizer is always a must for me, so we tried the bbq shrimp and a cup of gumbo. It got a little awkward because I don't think the waiter expected us to follow up with an entree order. The apps were out pretty quickly and that's another plus. However, when he brought them out it was a major let down. The gumbo was fantastic to say the least, very authentic! My bbq shrimp were very disappointing. For one they were tiny shrimp,and anybody who's had real New Orleans style bbq shrimp know that the shrimp are usually a good size and not drowned in bbq sauce! BBQ shrimp is just a play on words ppl! The shrimp is actually cooked in a spicy butter sauce, but anyway lol Their shrimp came drowned in a tangy bbq sauce and on top of a bed of lettuce. I wish there had been a description on the menu because I would've just ordered the gumbo. Alright then on to our entrees, I opted for the half and half po boy and my mother had the fried catfish. Again, everything came out quickly and hot, but that's my only plus. My po boy was drenched in mayo, yes I should've requested no mayo but I foolishly thought it would've been a spicy New Orleans style sauce....it wasnt! Other than that the po boy was ok. I tried to wipe away all the excess and it was fine. My mother enjoyed the infamous fried cabbage and fried fish. My red beans and rice was pretty bland but still edible. I only took a few bites of my po boy and I was finished. The waiter recommended that we try their bread pudding but I didn't want to chance it. Over all their food was just ok but I love the location and their Nola ambiance. Don't think I'll be back any time soon though. Let me add, the service was great, our waiter Juju was attentive and prompt. Well deserving of a good tip ;)
(3)Lauren C.
You don't even have to know DeJa Vu is up ahead. Just follow your nose. Smell New Orleans? Follow it!!! The place doesn't look like anything special but just trust me and go in. Heck, trust all the awards this little place has gotten over the years. These guys know what's up. They know how to transport a gal back to New Orleans when she's feeling a bit blue. I bet every staff member made sure I was taken care of. Such sweet people. The owner is a star. I mean he is everywhere. RED BEANS AND RICE! If you go for nothing else, go for this.
(4)Leon P.
It was great. Staff was friendly. Kinda a eye opener to the culture on main street. But the food was great had the $5 veg burger. Not bad but not the greatest. I had it with sweet potatoes fries
(5)Paul H.
So my friends drug me downtown to eat somewhere I'd never heard of and I was super reluctant and extremely doubtful that there was a place that I had not heard of already that was really good. Boy was I Wrong! From the moment the Boudin arrived at the table I knew something great was happening. The entrees were exceptional all around the table, as were the po boys and the fresh vegetables and everything else. I have been a cook for 35 years and I am from New Orleans so I feel somewhat qualified to speak on the matter of Louisiana food. Chef Gary has it going on all the way from the Ninth Ward to your plate. Don't miss this excellent opportunity to eat REAL New Orleans cuisine here in Memphis!
(5)Mary Kate M.
I had a decent experience when I visited here with my bestie. She is vegan, and with that being said -- I let her pick where we had dinner since I've lived out of Memphis for awhile. It doesn't help that I am also a carnivore... I could find vegetarian... but vegan is in Memphis is still gaining momentum for such a BBQ heavy town. She had been here a few times before. It's right off of Main Street in downtown with an all year long Mardi Gras color theme; which only makes sense since this is a NOLA style restaurant. I think this was a fairly decent pick. Me: honey roasted chicken, tried the corn bread, sampled alligator stew, and split fried plantains with Stacy. Stacy: honest roasted mushroom hoagie and vegan sweet potato fries The corn bread was a bust. It was extremely dry. Luckily they took it away and offered me another option. That's when we decided on splitting the plantains which were delightful. Stacy enjoyed her mushroom hoagie and fries. I can vouch the fries were good since I tried a couple. The alligator stew was offered complimentary to me to try since this is one of their top selling items. I've had alligator before so I wasn't intimidated to try it. It was tasty, but too spicy for me to endure during a whole meal. I opted for the chicken since it was a safe bet for my stomach, and overall it looked really good since we noticed the table beside us had it too. The service was great! His name escapes me, but he had a great personality and a great server being as young as he was... he had to be in his late teens at most if not only 16. It should be noted they do not serve liquor here.
(4)Andrea G.
I had high hopes for my veg plate : Candied yams- good taste nothing over the top with the spices Smothered okra- should have asked if spicy - too hot for me. Grilled cabbage- interesting doesn't seem to be grilled - more like boiled. Okay - not much flavor Citrus spinach- good flavor - just spinach with hint of citrus. Overall decent but at $3.00 per veg for what I think is a small portion- I would not go again but glad I checked it out. The staff - the hostess and bartender that took my to go order were VERY friendly and represent this establishment well! 5 stars there.
(3)Rachel T.
You need to eat here. So, the food is amazing. Here are the best things THE RED BEANS AND RICE. I hate red beans. I hate beans. We ordered four bowls. I would just get a bathtub full of that. Marshall was the bomb. He needs a raise. The bread pudding was the best. Get extra whiskey sauce. The fish is great and light. Kind of a small place, but it feels like family in there. I would go there again any time.
(5)Lisa J.
Bread pudding. That's all I'm gonna say....but apparently YELP is going to make me add more... I always wanted to like creole and Cajun food but I've come to the realization that I'm apathetic towards it. :/ it was good but I am perfectly fine not eating food from the region again. I had the sampler with shrimp creole, gumbo, alligator stew and something else. They were all good but but not my cup of tea. My husband, on the other hand, LOVED it.
(4)Ronika A.
While I had never been in the restaurant until today, I was already a fan of DeJavu. They have catered events at my church and other events I've attended. I decided to have a quick birthday dinner here when it finally stopped raining. The Main Street location is small but cozy in a New Orleans kind of way. We started upstairs but decided to eat at the bar. The boyfriend was a little disappointed at first that he could only get beer and no liquor but he got over that quickly. I ordered the Big Keith with fried catfish with a creamy sauce with shrimp, crawfish, & crab. I ordered grilled cabbage as a side. The boyfriend ordered the seafood platter with catfish, shrimp, and oysters with mixed veggies as a side. The meals were amazing. Special note: best fried oysters I've had in Memphis- done exactly right, they aren't just flash fried- they are cooked but not overdone. AND the service, some of the best customer service I've received in Memphis. Everyone is attentive, friendly, & super caring- you feel like you are dining with close family. They sent me home with bananas foster cheesecake for my birthday, too. I will definitely be going back.
(4)Andrea R.
DeJaVu was one of the highlights of my short trip to Memphis. I seriously couldn't have asked for a more perfect experience. My friend and I arrived at the restaurant during dinner hours, and were promptly seated at a patio table in lovely April Memphis weather. Ordered our beers and relaxed until our appetizer order of barbecue shrimp arrived. The plump little shrimp were lightly bathed in a tasty BBQ sauce which paired nicely with my Shock Top. For dinner I had the Big Keith, blackened tilapia with a delicious sauce containing shrimp, crawfish, and crab. My side was collard greens and the only complaint was there weren't more of them. I almost licked the plate clean. Dessert was a hard choice between bananas foster cheesecake or the bread pudding with whiskey sauce. We went with the bread pudding and were not disappointed. Some of the best bread pudding I've had in a long time, another plate almost licked clean. Definitely one of the highlights was meeting the owner. A jovial man from New Orleans who has brought a little Cajun love to Memphis. I would definitely eat here again, much love.
(4)Jacque D.
Either we were ignored by the server, or she was new. Cute young male got us drinks and was very attentive. Finally asked if we could order and embarrassed apologetic server took our orders (4). Then we waited quite a while for our food. Were disappointed with the Cajun entrees: Jambalaya...was mainly rice with 3 dime size chunks of chicken and 1 1/2 slices of sausage...very bland...Gumbo had roux tasting like flour and one half a small crab..no visible seafood, just liquid. Teens liked their chicken and salmon. Then we had to wait for tab. All food was $2 more than on menu...our tab for four..no appetizers, no alcohol, was $75! Very disappointing and cannot imagine how their ratings are so high! I gave a 2 because young man was a jewel and kept the teens hydrated.
(2)Stormy S.
Wonderful little place with a menu full of options for vegans, vegetarians, and meat eaters alike! As a vegan, I don't normally get a whole lot of food options when traveling, but I really lucked out this time! The food was delicious, and the chocolate cake with strawberry glaze was to DIE for! Great service, great prices, and GREAT FOOD!
(5)Teresa L.
Visiting this restaurant was the highlight of my last visit to Memphis. I just had to take my boyfriend to the little hole in the wall in a sketchy area of town. I reviewed the old Florida Street location on Yelp. When we arrived at the restaurant. everything looked the same, but the restaurant was closed. There was no sign indicating that they had moved. I recalled seeing two different DeJaVu listings on Yelp, but I thought they were separated business. I did a Yelp search and discovered that the menu hadn't changed, so they must have relocated. The new restaurant is a few miles from the old restaurant in a hot area of downtown Memphis. I was so happy that this restaurant was still in business. The atmosphere is totally opposite of the old location. The new location is in a trendy area with two levels and a patio and the restaurant is just so cool. The old location was in a sketchy area and was quaint and maybe seated 30 people at the most. The food is still the same. OMG AWESOME!!!! I had the fried catfish with crawfish etoufee sauce and a side of collard greens. My boyfriend had the plain etoufee. My catfish was even better than it was the time I had it at the other location. The portion was so huge that I knew I was going to need a takeout container. I was wrong. My boyfriend was so crazy about my catfish that he ate the remaining piece and a half (there were three pieces) during and after finishing his meal. He loved everything. The collards were as delicious as I remembered. On a side note, we were seated near the front door (the place was slammed). We were facing the windows. Out of nowhere, a storm appeared and a couple of people were forced inside. They were holding their plates of food, but there was no immediately available table inside. We motioned to them to let them know that they could join us. We had a wonderful evening with some beautiful strangers. They were so grateful and it seemed the waiters were too. It was my boyfriend's idea to have them join us and that makes me love him even more. Long review, I know, but one more thing. The service is VERY friendly, but all over the place. Many waiters appeared at our table and everyone was confused. No one knew who had taken our orders and the ones who had taken our orders forgot to bring them. We had to keep reminding every random waiter that we were waiting on coffee or water or beer. I think that the owners haven't figured out how to adjust to the new and bigger hip location, since they went from a small cozy restaurant to a big hip restaurant To the owners, waiters should have stations. One server should serve a station in a restaurant this large. Still, the food is what is about and this food is to die for.
(5)Leslie S.
Giving 5 star for the bread pudding. It is one of the must have item. Thanks to yelpers for introducing this wonderful dessert. Arkansas catfish was also good. Red bean and rice is pretty good, but I think second line has this place beat.
(5)Kontji A.
Every time I walk into the downtown location, it feels like I'm walking into a friend's house. The staff is so friendly. It's amazing that the restaurant can cook in bulk and still have such amazing flavor every time. I cannot go to DeJaVu without eating the gumbo. It's flavorful, full of shrimp, sausage and chicken. The rue is what makes the gumbo out of this world. It comes with rice. They also have unusually delicious sweet tea. #Yelp901
(5)