Basque Norte /steakhouse - Chico

The reputation of this place is undeserved. Being open only 5 to 8, I expected something superb. They make a marinade that's pretty good and can be bought separately that I cook my tri-tip with. However going there, the place was a bit busy, the service was okay, there's plenty of food, but at $50 a steak or more, it's just not worth it. I've had $20 steaks that were better. It's really lackluster. We waited for an hour to get our steak. During the wait, we had salad, bread, beans, spaghetti, so that part was okay, but everything seems to be bathed in oil and butter. Some of the alcohol was priced at $18 a glass. For spending well over $100 for two people, I was hoping for a much better experience instead of walking away with the conclusion that it just wasn't worth it. I won't be going back, I can get a far better experience for far less money somewhere else.

We stopped in for drinks/tapas in the bar. Nice, intimate setting. Drinks are reasonably priced, tapas are delicious! Good service too. Highly recommended.

The food, and dining experience as a whole, was amazing. The only downside is that their menu has been reduced in size, so they don't offer fish or quail anymore. Very friendly service though. I would still highly recommend going there.

Basque Notre 's marinade (which can be found in basically any grocery store) is decent and is what they are known for. I discovered they were a local chico restaurant and have wanted to try them for many years. Finally got around to doing so. I like the concept of service style and the service staff was friendly and helpful. Each person orders their own entree. Steaks are decent and were cooked fine. All sides are served family style, which is great. I enjoy a good family style service. The sides however, were very disappointing. You start with the most acidic tomato soup , which has no other flavor than tomato puree. As well as a very basic romain lettuce salad with house dressing. You can have it refilled as much as you want from what I recall. But the initial bowl is basically a 1 or 2 person side salad size. The beans they make are extremely bland and the potatoes are also devoid of flavor and if I remember correctly, they are steamed. The green beans they serve are classic cut frozen green beans. Nothing wrong with frozen green beans and steamed potatoes. I just don 't expect them on a $40-50 plate. How about some hericot verts green beans at least. The one positive I can say, was the bartender did make great drinks. So keep that guy going. Over all this place was disappointing. Food is very overpriced for what you are getting. Very under seasoned. I expected much higher quality ingredients for the plate cost charged. Go to 5th Street if you want a good steak. Much better quality with a similar price point.

Our friends who live in Chico brought us to dinner at their favorite place. We immediately noticed that the people here were different. While the food was absolutely great, the people here worked together as a seamless team and their personalities lit the place more than any lighting could. They engaged with every customer in the restaurant more than we've ever seen. They made this an experience rather than just a dinner. The owners have built an amazing team that is a testament to the staying power of this neat place. So glad we were able to have this experience.