Restaurant Review: Gumbo’s

This may have happened to you before. You know of a restaurant, walk by it from time to time, but never go in. Maybe, it was the location; it’s name or something someone said about it. Well, this just happened to me. More than once I have dropped into the Brown Bar on a hot summer’s night for a cold G&T, walking right past Gumbo’s Louisiana Style Cafe. Hell, I believe they are sister businesses! Never occurred to me to stop in. Maybe it was the name. Too close to Sambo’s. Anyway, last week I finally made it in and I am impressed.

The interior is very cool. I should have figured on this, being in the Brown Building. High ceilings, tall windows, dark wood booths, cool white tile floors. Gumbo’s has a great space.

First up: Crab Cake. This is a benchmark item for me. If you are bragging about seafood and you can’t do a decent Crab Cake, something is wrong. The verdict? Gumbo’s is very good. I always want bigger  chunks of crab, but theirs was of very good quality without too much breadcrumb and the Jicama Slaw added a nice counter balance.

Next: Oysters Rockefeller. Again, everyone who eats seafood has an idea how this should taste. The verdict? Again, very good. The breading was crisp and they added Pernod and Parmesan to give it a nice twist.

Last: Blackened Redfish. You can find this dish around town and probably name your favorite right off the top of your head. Once again, they hold their own. It was seasoned well and they didn’t burn the crap out of it (some restaurants’ idea of blackening). Served with crawfish tails in a cream and tarragon sauce.

Gumbo’s does the South proud. Offering up staples without making them corny or old fashioned.