Chef Gary's DeJavu

A Day Of Service

Chef Gary Williams Place In The EBook Of Life

One year has passed since the death of Chef Gary Williams.

Chef Gary was a friend to to all and he always reached out and helped those in need. 

Let us take this day and the Holiday spirit to reach out and help someone, as he did. 

R.I.P. Chef Gary Williams

Chef Gary Williams owner of DeJavu Restaurant, 

and Krewe of DeJavu 

passed last Wednesday December 5, 2018.  

Chef Gary, native of New Orleans was known 

for his big heart and charismatic

personality.

His death has left friends and family 

in shock and mourning.  

 If he could tell us anything now, he would say,

"laissez le bon temps rouler"

Let the Goodtimes Roll.

Chef Gary Williams was a self taught chef, but escalated to 

the highest of highs with his method of 

cooking Creole, Soulfood, Vegetarian, and Vegan foods. 

The family has set up a GoFundMe Page to help

raise fund to cover funeral arrangements.

  https://www.gofundme.com/friends-of-chef-gary-williams?fbclid=IwAR1al7Gc4eZHmrUJlRNkyG1hcKBq7-zxE8egz0KJMEj2WYUCUdLxqsGLxUc 

Please go to the link and donate what you can. 

Rondell Charles Williams is the person handling all his arrangements.  Lets give a boost of Love to help the family at this time of need!

Funeral arrangements for Gary Williams is as follows

December 15, 2018 

Greater Community Temple COGIC

5151 Winchester

Memphis, Tn 38118

10am

December 18, 2018

St.James Methodist church

1925 Ursuline Ave

New Orleans, La 70116

10am

For more videos and cooking demonstrations from 

Chef Gary visit his youtube channel,

DeJavu Restaurant.

Let The Good Times Roll On The River

Chef Gary Williams,' Krewe of DeJavu now has a second location

280 Island Dr.  What he will be doing there is bringing the Creole Flavor he is famous for, to

 The Memphis Sounds Lounge,  The Krewe of DeJavu will be taking over the kitchen.  

They will be bringing some of his Creole Specialties to the River, 

Wednesday thru Sunday 6pm til 10 pm."Great Music, Great Food, makes a Great Marriage",

 says Chef Gary Williams.  The Memphis Sounds Venue is a spacious building, hosting three levels.  Williams as Executive Chef of  the Krewe will be over all Catering and Private Parties.  

Krewe of DeJave just recently made the journey back to their Mothership location, "Lil" DeJavu,

936 Florida  Memphis, TN  38106.  The operating hours there are Monday thru Friday 11am-4pm

11am-5pm on Saturdays.  

For now, " Let The Good Times Roll On The River ".

DeJavu Restaurant Is Now Krewe of DeJavu

DeJavu Restaurant 

is now,

Krewe of DeJavu.

We have returned to our

Original Location

936 Florida St

Memphis, Tn  38106

(901) 947-1003

Come enjoy, our cozy

Restaurant, while

having a Flashback

to our same great Food.

Click below to see our map location

Krewe of DeJavu Google Map Location

Same friendly service, same great food!!!

For Catering Call (702) 810-4307 

Krewe Of DeJavu Slated To Open May 8

Gary Williams closed DejaVu on South Main in December knowing that his days owning a restaurant were done. The bills were too much and he was behind on taxes; Uncle Sam was hot on his heels.

But that didn't mean he was leaving the restaurant business. He knew even then he was headed back to the little building on Florida Street where it all started in 2008, but that someone else would own it and worry about the money.

Pending one final inspection, Krewe of DejaVu will open this week at 936 Florida.

"I am tickled to be back on Florida," Williams said. 'It's new ownership. I'll be the executive chef. Martin Gill and Rondell Charles own it.

"But I'll be doing the Gary thing. It's my pictures on the walls and my food coming out of that kitchen."

Originally from New Orleans where he owned a restaurant with his family, Williams came to Memphis in 2008 after a few years in Las Vegas. He opened the tiny spot on Florida with fewer than 10 tables and folks waited in line to eat his po' boys, crawfish etouffée, filé gumbo and other Creole and Cajun favorites in addition to his vegetarian fare.

In 2013, he opened Downtown in a much larger spot, running both places for a while but eventually closing Florida. In December, it caught up to him.

The work took a toll on his health. He had two strokes in two years and was hospitalized for diabetes last year.

"My doctor told me I have to slow down, but that's hard for me to do. He said 'You either do it, or you'll be making gumbo in heaven,' " Williams said after he closed Downtown, which he did willingly but knowing he had no choice because of the back taxes.

More: A brew from a roux: Here's who's stirring up Memphis' best gumbo

Since then, he's continued to operate his DejaVu food truck, though in the past few weeks he's been working on getting the new place ready.

"But we'll be at Shelby Farms this weekend and when it opens we'll be back out at Levitt Shell," he said.

Right now, he's keyed up about Florida, starting it back up like it was 10 years ago.

"Chefs are artists," he said. "We create the food. It's better to let someone who knows more about it handle the money."


The restaurant will be open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. It's still the small place it always was, but a patio is in the works and Williams noted there's a benefit to the cozy spot.

"The prices are doing to be lower than they were Downtown," he said. "Without that overhead, we can do it."
story by Jennifer Biggs

Vote Chef Gary and DeJavu Restaurant BEST OF MEMPHIS

 

 



Memphis Flyer's

BEST OF MEMPHIS 2017

 

Chef Gary Williams and DeJavu Restaurant are nominated for 4 Categories. We are excited about this. Please vote us in
Best Cajun/Creole
Best Homecooking/Soulfood
Best Vegetarian
Best Chef

http://thememphisflyer.secondstreetapp.com/Best-of-Memp

his…/



DeJavu Restaurant Menu

Visit our website

http://www.dejavurestaurantmemphis.com/

DeJavu Presents Summer Salads

DeJavu Presents Summer Salads

Signature Chefs Auction Spotlight: Gary Williams

click here to learn more http://justmymemphis.com/signature-chefs-auction-spotlight-gary-williams/

We Are One Big Happy Family DeJAVU Restaurants Merge

Thank You all for supporting DeJAVU thru the years.  We have merged DeJAVU Restaurants, Lil DeJAVU and DeJAVU Downtown into one.  We chose to close the Florida Location, which is where it all started.  

Visit our Downtown Location for the same great New Orleans Cuisine you have come to love!  

DeJAVU Restaurant is also available for Catering. 51 South Main Street (901) 505-0212

Chef Gary Williams stepped out on faith two years ago when he decided to open a downtown location. His son Rondell Williams, who is also a Chef, moved to Memphis in support and his dream has come to fruition.  

Chef Williams has always said, "Its not for me, its for my family, they will be here, long after I am gone."  Yes, indeed DeJAVU Restaurant is a family affair.  Please continue to support and pray for the DeJAVU Family.

Memphis Yelpies Vote DeJavu Restaurants Best In Creole

And The Award For Best Creole Restaurant is DeJavu Restaurant.

Chef Gary Williams accepts the award graciously.  Its a little red emblem identical to the Yelp logo.  The Best in Memphis was awarded the Yelpies.  Along with DeJavu Restaurants, who served their famous New Orleans Bread Pudding and Pasta, there was Babalu, dishing out heaps of Guacumoule, Fuel Food Truck served up Vegetarian nachos which were to die for.

Chef Gary Mentors Mid-South Life Skills

Youth from White Station High School and 

Mid-South Life Skills, a mentoring program, joined DeJAVU for lunch.  14 students with the go ahead to order anything on the menu.  They had plenty of questions, "are the wings good, are they hot, can I order all shrimp on the seafood platter, how is the catfish and what kind of catfish, what's honey roasted chicken?"  Once the sweet teas, sprites and cokes were served, all you could hear was excited chatter.

What the teens did not know was the Chad Harris, the 

organizer of the event, had a surprise for them.

Chef Gary Williams

the owner and founder of the 

DeJavu Brand

would be speaking to them today.

Chef Gary came in and talked to the Youth while making Bananas Foster.

Downtown Dining Week With DeJAVU +39 Other Participating Restaurants

                

Come in and enjoy Down Town Dining Week with DeJAVU is one of  40 Restaurants.  We will start on Monday November 17, but all the other restaurants will be open and will start sunday November 16, 2014.  Call (901) 505-0212 to book your reservation. Go to "http://www.downtowndiningweek.com" for more information

Downtown Dining Week Dinner Menu

Option 1

House Salad or Soup of the Day

Arkansas Outlaw 

Bread Pudding or Peach Cobbler

Option 2

House Salad or Soup of the Day

Stuffed Pork Chop drizzled w/Roasted Garlic Demi Glaze

Bread Pudding or Peach Cobbler

Option 3 

House Salad or Soup of the Day

Honey Roasted Chicken Breast on Veggie Rice 

Bread Pudding or Peach Cobbler

Option 4 (Vegan Vegetarian)

Curry of BBQ Tofu w/ Veggie Rice and grilled Cabbage or

Stir Fry Veggies with Teriyaki tofu

Banana Nut or Carrot Raisin Bread

Chef Gary Williams Heals the Hood With A Taste Around The World

Chef Gary Williams requests your presence for a Dinner and Silent Auction October 25, 2014 to benefit Heal the Hood Foundation, (HTH).

HTH purpose is to implement and find creative methods to provide educational, cultural, and social economic and community change in the City of Memphis and surrounding areas that are heavily populated by youth crime, violence and other social deviant patterns of behaviors thru multi-media science.

Others joining us in providing A Taste Around The World, is

Felicia Suzanne's
Evergreen Grille Marcus Dorris
Chef Ernest Dickson of St. Jude
Chef Micheal Patrick
Bardogs Affiliate The Slider Inn

The Cake Gallery Baketique

Others to be announced

DeJavu family and friends, I'm asking you to help, Chef Gary heal he hood by, buying a ticket. 50 Dollars per person, 500 Dollars for a table of ten. Tickets can be purchased at DeJavu Restaurant 51 S. Main St Memphis, Tn 38103 (901) 505-0212
Please share this event with your friends and family. #ATasteAroundTheWorld

When in Memphis, Have A DeJavu Experience

We Are Getting Ready For Fathers Day, You're Invited

DeJavu Restaurant Opens Downtown Location

DeJavu Restaurant Celebrates the Opening of a second 

location in Downtown Memphis.  Chef Gary Williams owner, 

has rolled the success of the small DeJavu location into a 

fantasy duplicate, with many upgrades.  

DeJavu Restaurant

is located at 51 S. Main Street.

Everyone that comes in that works or lives in the 

downtown area, has commented on the fact that 

DeJavu is the one thing that Downtown was missing.

The decor of DeJavu is filled with the art of Frank Robinson.

Mr. Robinson did some special artwork filled with a
New Orleans Theme.

As a part of the Grand Opening Week Chef Gary Williams 

was a gracious host to many friends, family, local politicians, 

and entertainers.  Some of the guests were former

Mayor Willie Herenton, Julian Bolden, James Alexander, 

Henry Turley, Steve Cohen, Myron Lowery. 

Everything was perfect, the Jazz band played as hundreds 

of guests lined up to taste the luxurious spread Chef Gary had 

laid out.  There was a blanket of  Fruit, Crudites and Cheese. 

 Pasta Primavera, Portabella Mushroom Pasta, Catfish Strips,
 Lemon Herb Chicken,  A Roast Beef  carving station,  and petite cheesecakes are just a few items on display. 
Also waitresses circulated platter with gator bites and 
remoulade sauce.

Also, neighbor Donald O' Connor, unveiled a dance 

extravaganza with his Watoto dancers.  The young 

dancers serenaded the crowd out front on Main Street. They

danced to the sounds of Stax, Earth, Wind and Fire and 

the latest from Justin Timberlake. 

As a final note, we would like to thank Brooke Thomas

of Fox 13 for coming down to update everyone about 

the new items on our menu. 

DEJAVU RESTAURANT WELCOMES YOU TO 2 RESTAURANTS

September will be the month that DeJavu' Restaurant

makes history.  Everyone is acquainted with the Dejavu Restaurant located at 936 Florida Street, but now there will be a second Dejavu Restaurant opening at 51 S. Main St.  We have a target opening 

date set for September 24, 2013.  This date happens to coincide with the 5 year anniversary of DeJavu Restaurant #1.

 Stay tuned to the Facebook page 

Dejavu Authentic New Orleans Cuisine

for all the updates.

Also DeJavu Restaurant Downtown has a new facebook page

DeJavu Restaurant

Please go the page and hit the LIKE Button, to stay updated on 

the opening of the new Restaurant.

DeJavu Restaurant Downtown Opening Soon

Lumabase 4Pc. Sky Lantern Set Outdoor (Google Affiliate Ad)

Chef Gary is excited about this new information. 

It has gotten close to the date of opening 

Dejavu Restaurant Downtown.

Don't worry DeJavu Restaurant on Florida Street will remain open.  We have had a great time with all of our guests there and we want to keep the Goodtimes Rolling.

This is a dream that has been a long time coming, and the completion day is just a few weeks away.  

We will be located at 51 S. Main, directly on

the trolley line.

Also all the wonderful food you have enjoyed at

Dejavu will continue to be served at the S. Main location.

Plus we have a few add-ons, such as beignets,

and the Famous New Orleans Hurricanes.

Thats right Dejavu will be selling Cocktails.

We will also we having extended hours, 

11 a.m. til 10 p.m.