Has a 50's Diner vibe. The food is great no matter what you order. My only criticism is it is LOUD inside. So loud my hubby and I cannot hold a conversation. If you don't mind loud restaurants and good diner food then this is the place for you. read more

In all our travels, we've yet to find a place as good as Morning Thunder! Their fruit bowls are always fresh fruit not canned like other places and we are always pleased! They don't scrimp on the portions either. The staff is just wonderful too!! We absolutely love this place. Our go-to breakfast and sometimes lunch outing. During this COVID crisis, we haven't been able to enjoy our usual outings. Due to my health, we haven't gone anywhere, however, our daughter went and got our 'usual' breakfast and brought it to us. We sat outside and thoroughly enjoyed what we've been missing!! (food and company). Looking forward to more take-outs!! We miss everyone....and the Verde!! read more

First time here for my nieces graduation. It was perfect. Food and service spectacular! I had the gluten free pancakes! They were huge and very tasty. Could only eat half! The service was wonderful! Our niece was graduating at 9 am. We got to the restaurant just before 7:30 and the 4 of us got seated right away. "Old diner" atmosphere, but that's what makes it comfortable! read more

Always a great day if I have time to stop here for breakfast! Never disappointed and today was no different. Service was better than most anywhere in town. Three egg omelette with the best bacon in town. Coffee was always full. I wouldn't change anything. Thank you! read more

Worth the wait, especially for the bacon! One of the best bfast places we've been to in recent years. Would definitely go back and try other dishes on the menu that sounded amazing but would still get some bacon on the side read more

Be prepared to wait for a long time and to get mediocre food. This wasn't anything special and we wished we would have gone somewhere else. The staff is friendly, but other than that I can't see myself coming back. read more

We placed our name on the list and our phone number and opted to wait in the car. Twenty minutes pass by and I see everyone that has come in after us get seated before us and we saw that they had seated everyone after us and didn't bother to text us our table was ready. What is the point of having us put our numbers down if you weren't going to opt for the texting. Disappointed and most likely not going to come back. There are lots of other brunch places in downtown. Mom's restaurant is a much better option and didn't have to deal with POOR customer service. read more

Dee and her team put their whole hearts into your dining experience. Friendly, great service, clean and always a great breakfast or lunch!

The food was great, everyone was very friendly and attentive. I got the 1-2-3, it was delicious. I took a star away because there was a lot of flys where we were sitting and they kept landing on us and on the food. It made eating super uncomfortable read more

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I got off work and wanted a quick bite to eat before heading home to sleep. I saw that Morning Thunder Cafe was open. I hadn't tried their food in years so I decided to give it another chance. I order eggs, sausage, hash browns, OJ, side of fruit and biscuits and gravy. My pick up order was ready on time. The girls behind the counter were kind and they accepted debit. One thing I did find odd is the girl asked if I was paying with cash or card. She was relieved when i said card because the owner or manger hadn't brought the cash for the register in. This isn't why i gave the Cafe two stars but very problematic. The rating revolves around the food. Everything I asked for was correct. Unfortunately, I thought the food was salty! The Eggs, OJ and side of fruit was good, but the biscuits and gravy was salty. The biscuits were hard. The hash browns were okay. The sausage was also just ok. i was expecting link sausages but it was actually a patty ( also fine, just unexpected). The sausage was pretty salty. One other I did not care for.. was the packaging of the food. The food is place on these checkered paper sheets and packed into to go containers. The concept is fine unless it's biscuits and gravy.The gravy soaks into the paper sheets..kinda messy. For me, i always transfer my food from to go containers to a plate when i get home. So trying to get the gravy out of the container is tricky. Of course, i know that the food i order is naturally salty on some level.. this was a little too much. I have a difficult time finding a good breakfast in Chico and this place fell flat for me. I do no think i will hurry back.. it just wasn't that great. read more

Fantastic service with consistently good food!!! The Java shake is a must for those of you that love hand made shakes!

Usually I like this spot, but I was not impressed this time around. It took them 35 minutes to take our order. We flagged them down twice to tell them we were ready, still no one took our order. The girls who came around with water and coffee were friendly, but the server could've been better. There was a hair burnt into my potatoes. I just took that part out and ate the rest. Overall, this was not a good experience. We asked for our waiter twice. He was sitting behind the counter flirtatiously talking to another coworker. We asked two girls, who were working, about being served they were very nice and I saw them ask our waiter to come to the table about 15 minutes into us being there yet he never did. The fifth person was not coming for another hour and that is why we asked twice to be served anyways. Honestly I was pretty upset at that point and just wanted to leave which is why I didn't choose to tell any manager. I do appreciate your response though. read more

We were looking for a good breakfast place in Chico and how pleasantly surprised to find the Morning Thunder Cafe! There was a line out front on a Thursday mid morning which is alway a good sign. Everyone patiently waiting. The food was delicious. Mexican omelette and the breakfast burrito and hash browns excellent. Fresh homemade biscuits and muffins. We will be back! read more

This is the place for chicken-fried steak! Great stuff, need to try something else on the menu but can't get past this one.

We were in town dropping our freshman off at CSUC. Needed to eat breakfast of course and this place was a hop, skip and a jump from our VRBO. Both times we came, we didn't have to wait, but it was busy. The service is good, very friendly and for as busy as they are pretty fast. I have to be GF, so I tried their french toast and the next day I tried their waffle. Both are good, but i'd definitely get the waffle again when back in town. It's hard to get good GF breakfast items, this place hit the mark for sure. Go ahead and splurge and get the real maple syrup, totally worth it. Since it was our drop off day and the kid came to eat with us I treated myself to a mimosa since they don't have a hard liquor license, there are no bloody marys. The mimosa was so good, basically a mug of bubbly with some oj for color, perfect! The boy had a bagel sandwich of some sort and hash browns, he said it was delicious and there wasn't anything left on his plate. My husband had chicken fried steak, said it was really good then the next day had biscuits and gravy, also very good according to him. Worth the stop in when in town. Quick, good and friendly. What more could you want? read more

Oh yeah good stuff. I'm a regular at Mom's which is good but no buttermilk. Tried something new. Nice little diner building with good breakfast and good iced coffee. Unlike everyone else in town that wants to make powdered sugar pancakes with powdered sugar on top they just make normal delicious buttermilk pancakes. If they're not buttermilk they're not good pancakes to me. The bacon was good too and very good coffee. I see now why this place was so crowded there was a half hour wait last time I went. This time I went around normal breakfast time and I got right in though. Good food. And basically the whole staff was checking in on you so I never got a chance to need a refill or anything. My other two normal spots I can't get a refill until I'm done with my food. So great service too. read more

Great service and food at this restaurant! Will be back next time in Chico to try their Champagne floats and other breakfast drinks! Looking forward to trying other things on the menu as well! Server was very friendly and offered to split checks! Will be back for the great food, drinks and service I had here . read more

Very nice workers and the environment was very welcoming. Homemade biscuits were delicious and very filling!

Love this place just hate the wait but definitely worth it lol there Pancakes are to die for

Even during these hard times, it was a wonderful experience taking my mom out for brunch the other day. We showed up at around 11:30 AM, and there were about 5 groups ahead of us. We put our names on the list, and found a nice shaded seat in the waiting area. Everyone was keeping a nice distance from one another, and were still very cordial. Once it was our turn, we were led to our outdoor patio seating. With it being over 100 degrees feranheit, it was nice to see the entire patio area was covered and shaded. Our drink order was taken right away, and it only took about a minute or two to receive our water and coffee. Our server checked in on us often, and waited while my mother placed her order as well as a bit of rambling as well. It didn't take long from whem our orders were placed until our food arrived. The portion size was a little more then I generally eat at breakfast, but the taste and flavor of my home fries, biscuits and gravy, and my eggs were amazing. The bacon was cooked just as I asked. And everything was beautifully plated. Definitely recommend to everyone. read more

Good food and service typical breakfast and lunch menu but worth trying not a lot of seating

MMMMMMMMmmm mmmmm mmmorning Thunder Cafe! Very friendly service. We were seated immediately and well taken care of. We split a bacon avocado cheese omelet with breakfast potatoes, french toast, and a biscuit. Everything was good. I like my french toast a bit more 'eggy' than they made it, but was still a good choice. The biscuit with butter and honey was amazing. The slight saltiness of the biscuit combined with the butter and sweetness of the honey was AWESOME. Forced myself to only eat half. We took enough leftovers home for a full breakfast for one for the next day. One thing I would liked to have seen on the menu were more 'combination style' meals where you can mix and match items to your liking. They have meals separated into omelets, bagel sandwich type items, and then hotcakes. So you can't really get a little of everything unless you order a la carte items on the side. Overall, a really great meal and I will be back :) read more

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I seriously love this place! From the amazing, fresh food to the very attentive and friendly staff, they never miss a beat. I've quickly become a regular here. Ohhh and they have the BEST bacon in town! read more

Food is good for breakfast food and staff are always very welcoming. Highly recommend sitting outside for the ambiance

I came here with my friends H and E after I finished running 4.3 mi, so I was quite hungry. I splurged on the highly recommended California egg (omelette with avocado, Swiss cheese, and TWO pineapple muffins - yes please!) and a Java shake, which had a subtle coffee flavor. I liked it but apparently not H or E - personal preference, I guess? Pro tips: 1. They don't take reservations, so expect to wait ~15 mins on Sunday at 11am. Sign up for the wait list as soon as you walk in the door. 2. They have a bike parking rack and ample car parking in the lot. 3. The bathroom is awkwardly located outside the restaurant which requires a key to access. read more

Morning Thunder Cafe - California omelette. Yum! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chico, California

We received half of our order from DoorDash. The food we received was cold and subpar. When I contacted the restaurant they suggested I reorder from DoorDash. I contacted DoorDash and they said the restaurant was no longer accepting DoorDash orders. I called again to talk to the restaurant regarding the fiasco. It said it wasn't available, and when I did get through, nobody answered but I could hear the wait staff talking in the background. Very dissatisfied with the restaurant and DoorDash. read more

Foods decent, staff incredibly nice, service fast as hell. Good place to study and get something on the side. Wouldn't get a whole meal here when there's better places for food. The hospitality and environment make the rest up. read more

I first sent to Morning Thunder maybe 10+ years ago--quite a while back anyway. Too greasy, too slow so i found other places. Recently a contractor I know was talking about the place, and I gave it a try. After three visits within the last two months: 1) the service was great without being pushy. It was never slow. 2) Things that you thought you knew are better there. The French Toast may be the best I've had. The waffles were light and nearly fluffy and got along well with syrup and butter. They were not dough-y or undercooked or dry. 3) The fruit salad on the side: it tastes asnd looks as though the fruit was picked today and sliced 10 minutes ago. 4) The bacon is lovely. The servings are too big for me but there were lots of clean plates in front of other diners. There are lot of choices. Pancakes! burgers! and ice cream drinks (did I see a malted?)and banana splits. I have not tried them all yet, but I will. I will. read more

This place had a considerable amount of hype around it, and I must say, it came in at just sub-par. Granted, I veered from the status quo and got a breakfast burrito. It was pretty good, but not jump out of my seat fantastic. However, I still want to come back and try something different on the menu. The portions are huge, and service is really excellent. The place gets pretty crowded, but all you have to do is write your name on a clipboard and they will come out and call your name. Rule of thumb: the wait time is usually the number of names on the list times 5. e.g. 1 name = 5 minutes, 2 names = 10 minutes, 3 names = 15 minutes. read more

Worth going to. Surprisingly good with a friendly staff.

What a wonderful atmosphere for a delicious breakfast place! The smell of the black roast coffee wafts right out the front as soon as you open it and all of a sudden I'm smiling ear to ear. Heck, I don't even look left to sign the waitlist! Instead I head straight to the front counter, and plop on down! I confirm my choice of coffee with the counter-hop and then, as you start sipping coffee you'll start to see the Magic combination of what makes this place a definite go-to!! Fresh Food, Attentive and Friendly Staff, Fast (enough;) service and food combinations that keeps me coming back! I like to order the St. Thomas with the house potatoes and the "muffin-of-the-day". I add my favorite hot sauce (they have a lot to choose from) to my potatoes and Well, I'll let the food do the talking from here. read more

This place seemed like it would be amazing due to all the great reviews and all the good things I've heard about it. My experience however, was mediocre. First there's a long wait because of how popular this place is. The place is extremely crowded and quite loud. You can't have a conversation without having to talk in a very loud voice. The food was good, but nothing special. I did feel a bit rushed as our check came with our food and we weren't really checked on afterwards and in need of some coffee. I always try places a few times, so I'm hoping to really enjoy my second visit! read more

This is a must when in Chico. We are coming back for parents weekend and bringing a couple people. This is mine and my daughters second time here. Food is so good and too much for me but if you're hungry you will not be disappointed. We will be back for the next 4 years read more

For a French, it's always nice to be in a classic American diner! I had a very classic breakfast, with a very traditional diner atmosphere... good value! They serve very big plates... pretty impressive! read more

Morning Thunder Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chico, California

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My wife and I both had the bacon, eggs and pancake combo. Everything was cooked to perfection and looked very inviting. I had blueberries in my pancakes which made them really yummy. Out server was very friendly and efficient. She checked on us a couple of times to ensure everything was to our liking. Our delicious coffee never got below half a cup and was always hot and fresh tasting when refilled. I loved the atmosphere of the place and the energy of the customers chatting happily with their friends and the staff. Wish I could come here more often but our travels limit us to drop in only a few times a year. Great place! Keep up the great work! read more

I wouldn't dream of putting ketchup on their omelettes. Perfect just the way they are. Love their potatoes, bacon and biscuit, too. read more

You'll never walk away hungry from this place. Good food and huge portions. Loved the biscuits and gravy. read more

What can I say but thank you to Morning Thunder! After a weekend of CSU Chico graduations and hosting family from out of town we ended with a large celebration on the patio of Morning Thunder. They were able to accomodate our large group (25). There was one draw back and truly I am not complaining, but our section had one server. She moved around quickly, but could have used some additional assitance. Everyone enjoyed their food and of course the price was excellent for us as the hosts. Not living in Chico and trying to figure out where to take people we could not have made a better choice for breakfast. My only other issue are the flies outside, but I guess that what happens when you eat outside :-). Oh well... read more

Came here on a recommend when we were visiting from out of town. We'll typically visit Black Bear, but in my opinion, Black Bear is over rated. Average food but with huge portions. That's probably the only positive. Anyway, we came here with open minds and were pleasantly surprised. We got one of the bagels with a eggs and all that stuff on it and an order of biscuits and gravy. The biscuits and gravy were good, but too salty. It had nice large chunks of sausage in it and the potatoes helped with the saltiness The bagel breakfast sandwich was also very good. It's been about two weeks so I'm forgetting the finer details, but we both agreed we'd rather come here than Black Bear. read more

My score has gone up a star for the very well thought out and well written response. I definitely will return .... It may have been a trail blazer breakfast wise 20 years ago. Now it is another average place full of super strong competition. The menu is the same as it has been for years. The food is ok...but doesn't have zing or cachet....I guess what I mean is...it's not memorable....The burger ordered MR was W...the bun..as in many places stale...The Patty Melt was sad considering the history of this iconic sandwich.... The hash browns....are they fresh potatoes or concentrated? The fruit portion was lame... I've been here a few times...But if I want this kind of food I will go to the Roost... If you think your hip....this could be your place.. read more