Crepeville in Davis, California: Restaurant Review

Crepeville is located in the town of Davis, California, home of the University of California Aggies. Sitting prominently on the corner of 3^rd and C Streets in downtown Davis, Crepeville has been a local favorite of college students and their visiting parents for the last few years, according to the Davis wiki. This probably has to do with the best concept about eating in college town restaurants: quality food at low prices. Crepeville shies from neither.

When walking into Crepeville, you can't help but notice the French-café theme that adorns the walls and seating. There are lovely, impressionist style paintings of old houses in Davis. The tiling on the walls is exquisite. The marble tables add a little strength and form to the layout. Yet Crepeville seems more "at home" than bourgeois. There are no ATMs and the menu is written on giant chalkboards above the serving line.

And speaking of menus, Crepeville isn't shy on options. At last count I found 16 meal crepes and 18 dessert crepes to choose from. Then there's the make your own crepe option that includes over 30 choices. Crepeville goes beyond crepes, too. There are dozens of salads and sandwiches to choose from. But the best part of it all is that an average meal here with a drink included won't cost you more than $10! Most of the crepes run between $4-7. Even the one I chose (the Savory Crepe that featured prawns, pesto sauce, and roasted red peppers) was the most expensive one at $9.25. My wife picked the Chicken Pesto crepe while we ordered a hamburger for our kids. We didn't think they were ready for crepes just yet.

Service was not a problem. When we entered the building it was very, very crowded. We stood in line about a foot from the door, but it only took about 15 minutes for us to get to the front, place an order, and be seated by very friendly waitresses. The only hiccup in our service experience was not knowing that Crepeville is a cash-only establishment. Conveniently they have an ATM in the restaurant so we didn't have to make a hike to the bank. As soon as we paid we were given inside or outside seating options. I wanted to go outside because the inside crowd was a little loud but there weren't any tables ready to seat a family of four.

Our food arrived within 10 minutes and it all smelled delicious. My kids' burger (they split it because it was HUGE) wasn't an afterthought as it can be in restaurants that focus on a different kind of food. They took the time to cut it up and provide an extra plate for my children. The crepes came with roasted potatoes that were slightly overcooked but still edible.

Onto the main meals. My Savory Crepe's prawns were larger than I expected. I thought that for a crepe restaurant I would be stuck with some baby prawns and get filled up on larger cut, fresh vegetables. Instead I got the best of both worlds: large prawns and crispy roasted red peppers, garlic, mushrooms, pesto sauce and squash. If you can get me to eat squash you've made a good meal. My only problem with the Savory crepe was it needed a little salt, but that's an easy fix.

My wife's Chicken Pesto crepe seemed to be a popular item and I could understand why. Combining a great pesto mix with veggies and tender chicken breast can only do well for some taste buds. When she wasn't looking I snuck a bite and tried to pull off a switcheroo of plates. It didn't work. I'll have to get my own next time.

If you're ever in Davis around brunch time, make sure to stop in Crepeville. I don't know if it will remind you of the French Riviera, but there is definitely a touch of French Cuisine mixed with California Dreamin' to make some good fusion dining. For more reviews of restaurants between San Francisco and Sacramento, visit this site HERE.