First, it smelled heavenly in there upon walking in. It appeared quite clean. The food was piping hot and oh so delicious, I can't describe how good it tasted! It was quick, yet well placed together. The employee at the register was very observant and friendly. 100% returning time and time again in the near future. read more

After all these years, we'd somehow never been to J. Gumbos. I will go into this saying if you aren't familiar with real Cajun-Creole food you will probably love this. The restaurant is very neat - a lot of time an effort and creativity went into making this a unique experience. We can't wait to come back in the evening to visit the bar, because it looked really neat! Our service was great- the man at the counter was very friendly. He will even let you try samples before ordering. And our entire order was extremely affordable. I really couldn't believe how much so. The food was good, not great. It had authentic flavors, just not enough of them. But really for the price and as a quick lunch, we were satisfied. My husband was disappointed at how much cheese they put on the Jambalaya, but he just scooped it off. The gumbo would have been much better with higher quality sausage. The garlic bread was excellent and you must try the supplied local hot sauces! read more

J. Gumbo's - Gumbo with garlic bread - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Terre Haute, Indiana

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I walked in and it was clean, and the air was pretty cool and neutral smelling. I looked at the menu and the lady behind the counter offered me some samples because i'd never been here, the man with the blonde hair behind the counter quite frankly made my questions feel stupid. I asked how their brown rice was prepared, fully expecting it to be boiled in some sort of simmer of seasonings, or at least jambalaya rice. mind you the food is covered hence why i asked, but once she uncovered it i saw it was just plain brown rice. the blonde guy got a hoot out of that, and me asking about any speciality drinks. absolutely no customer service skills from that guy. food was fine it's cheap. read more

The Gumbo was amazing coming from someone who lived on the border of Texas and Louisiana. I crave gumbo so often since that was a comfort food for me when it got cold outside ( like under 60 lol) anyways a lot colder up here, but no gumbo places. Well now I have a place!!! read more

Man, I can't say enough great things about J.Gumbos! It's definitely a stop we make when we come to terre haute! The food is so good & the staff is always nice! Definitely stop in if you're in the area read more

The gumbo and jambalaya are the main attractions, but, I tried the bourbon chicken and really enjoyed it. We ate ours family style, with everyone sampling each other's dishes -- and they were all pretty good. Generous and friendly. Love the atmosphere. read more

Great place and great food. Also, one of the few places with Red Cream Soda! Definitely will return! read more

J. Gumbo's - Pick 2 Enteee: Voodoo Chicken and Drunken Chicken - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Terre Haute, Indiana

J. Gumbos is open again with new owners and better than ever! We've always enjoyed the food here, but it was even better than we remembered. Everything was very fresh and cooked perfectly! Full of flavor and a great comfort meal for this cooler weather. There is so much more energy in the restaurant than before and I imagine it will continue to grow once they are able to open the bar portion. read more

Salad was good. Gumbo sucked. I guess it was OK overall. I've had worse. If you're starving and nothing else is open, at least you can get something to eat. read more

J Gumbos is just an awesome place to grab lunch or dinner! It is under new ownership after reopening. New remodeling makes the place look sharp and the bar is soon to be opening as well. I've eaten here plenty of times and the food is just great, the drunken chicken is my favorite. If you love Cajun food or want to give it a try for the first time, definitely stop in here!! read more

J. Gumbo's - Drunken Chicken with added green onions - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Terre Haute, Indiana

J. Gumbos was a great place to stop to eat while we were on our roadtrip, passing through Terre Haute. It is a welcome respite to the chain restaurants that litter nearby US41 and fits in nicely with the downtown's vibe. Our portions were appropriate, prices were good and the food tasty. read more

Great place for Cajun food in town And a cool Atmosphere. I Like the combo option of getting two different flavors in one dish. There's also a half size option which is around $5.50. Always get the garlic bread. Really cool back bar area, relaxing and very Louisiana Bayou feel. The atmosphere inside is really neat, cool Louisiana scenery and artwork. Like the quick-serve option of getting your food and sitting down. They have some nacho options with I need to try Soon. Students get a discount with their ID. Closed on Mondays. And the bar is closed but they are working on getting it running again! read more

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Nor big on Cajun cuisine but the dining partner raved over the Chicken Zydeco...I tried his and was sold. Ended up ordering a bowl of my own tasty, sweet/slightly spicy, succulent chicken, brown rice filled Zydeco to go. That was a lot... Ok, moving on... The décor gives it an authentic NOLA feel. Although you had to be there to truly understand I tried my best to capture the realness in Tour de Christy footage. This restaurant mirrors NOLA's French Quarter to a T! Delicious Cajun-inspired from that includes crawfish, gumbo, Po'Boys, étouffée, beans & rice, etc. Daily Specials are available. Add toppings for upcharge. Cooler containing desserts, soft drinks and sides available as well. Plenty seating, beautiful artwork and a full bar. Service was excellenté! ~Christy read more

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So good... every freakin' time. Feeling cold and in need of warmed up? Order drunken chicken with a dallop of sour cream and sprinkle of green onions. The tea is also freakin' tasty, and I don't know why. read more

J. Gumbo's - Drunken Chicken on the bottom. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Terre Haute, Indiana

I went here on Fat Tuesday to celebrate with a few friends. We took up the whole bar and the bartenders were still courteous and welcoming. I think they were the highlight of our experience because they were didn't brush us off once we got our drinks - which some places do. They stuck around and talked to us. The owner was doing a raffle for free t-shirts so he came in once in a while and let us pick out the numbers. It was a small gesture but it added to the fun atmosphere of Mardi Gras celebrations. I got the Gumbo this time, though I really wanted Jambalaya. I swear to you it's always out when I am there. It wasn't bad! I also got a Hurricane bucket for $5 as part of their special and that was pretty good too. It was one of those drinks that doesn't hit you until later so beware. Overall, you can't go wrong with food and drinks at J Gumbo's! read more

J. Gumbo's - Gumbo with a Hurricane bucket - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Terre Haute, Indiana

This is not just another chain restaurant. The owner personally came to our table to make sure we were happy. The attached bar had an amazing array of upscale and down-home drinks. The food is delicious,too read more

Being so close to campus and with a rollercoaster of reviews on Yelp, I wasn't sure what to expect when I arrived at J Gumbos. I did need something close to my hotel and fast, and this venue provided both! Everything is prepared and ready for you to order from behind the counter. Similar to a Subway makes sandwiches, J Gumbos will add your ingredients to a bowl as you request 'em. When I explained that I'd never been there before, the attendant offered me a small cup & spoon sample of the ones I thought I'd be interested in. The Voodoo Chicken had a seriously good burn, so I decided to get this and the highly recommended Bumblebee Stew to temper the heat (a.k.a. the Jean Lafitte). It came with rice, cheese, jalapeno slices, sour cream, & green onions. I requested some crawfish (for an extra $1) to get another cajun ingredient, but was a bit perturbed when the attendant took a sandwich sized ziplock baggie of pre-cooked crawfish tails out and heated them in a warm water bath. The dish itself was a solid meal and I could not finish the entire regular sized bowl. I loved the heat and appreciated the speedy service and comfortable atmosphere to eat. I think if I were back in college this would have easily been a 4 star rating for me, but my palette has experienced an array of amazing cajun and creole dishes that I can't give that designation. Still a solid choice for a quick and tasty meal! :-) read more

J. Gumbo's - The menu board. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Terre Haute, Indiana

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My club meets once a month for lunch and we try new places. J. Gumbo's was a great place for us to meet, there were tables that were large enough for our group. It wasn't loud, so we could talk easily. There are a few with handicaps, so the co-manager, Derek, came to our table to give us samples and help us with our orders. Normally you go to the counter and order, pay and get your food, so it's fast and fresh. The food was very good, some had not had Caygen food and once again Derek went out of his way to provide samples so they knew if it was spicy or not. They even provided a bowl of plain rice & butter for the little girl we had with us. The servings were plentiful, and very good. We all had a great time. They have a great bar in the back, and sometimes they have bands with no cover. They always play really good music, not too loud, through their system. We all had a great time, and highly recommend J. Gumbo's. read more

This place used to be the bomb! Then, during the pandemic Era, this place was awful. People took notice, and the place shut down. Now, there is a new owner, and it's looking like this place is on its way back to greatness. read more

Hello, new go-to lunch spot when I'm visiting Terre Haute. I live in Indy and regularly eat at Yats for their vegan white chili so when I found out J. Gumbo's also has a vegan white chili, I knew where I was going on my next Haute excursion. I met my mom here for lunch on a Friday afternoon and there was a steady flow of diners but it wasn't too crowded or busy for comfort. The dining area is so large that is would be pretty difficult for this place too get crowded, but I have heard they stay pretty busy for the most part. What I loved about J. Gumbo's is that it is fast, cheap, and delicious. Your food is prepared and ready when you pay, so there is no waiting on your food if you're in a hurry. The prices were very reasonable, and cheaper than average for a sit down restaurant. Extra bread was a must, and for 50 cents, impossible for me to pass up. I also noticed that they had several more options that my go-to Cajun/Creole place here in Indy, including tow vegetarian options and one vegan option. If you haven't already tried J. Gumbo's and you live in the Haute or are visiting, what are you waiting for? read more

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This was our lunch choice after our daughter's freshman orientation at ISU. We chose it because Yelp told us to. She this is why we always listen to Yelp. The food was fantastic, spicy, and fully customizable. We we able to try samples of as many different menu options as we wanted and we could mix whatever we wanted, too, which was what I did and I was super pleased with my choices. On top of crazy yummy food, rude customer service was AMAZING. They treated us like the family members that they like and show up to thanksgiving for. It was awesome. Highly recommended! read more

J. Gumbo's - It's 'walk up then have a seat' dining - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Terre Haute, Indiana

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Oh yea! It's a cold and icy Saturday, not one I was eager to get out of the house until my husband suggested J. Gumbo's. Uh, yay! I am so happy I got the always delicious bourbon chicken and husband tried the sweet with a zip honey sriracha! I am feeling warm and comforted, with a happy tummy, and my husband will definitely order his dish again. Gumbo always hits the spot! read more

Totally worth eating, and totally worth going back to...the only reasons they didn't get 5-stars is because most of us ended up with colder than desirable food and there is not much for a picky eater. They sure did try though. Cost for the amount of food is really good, the average price per dinner would be about $10, but that could be easily shared between two people if you wanted to do so. The decor and space are very nice, and the service is outstanding. The best thing was the sweet tea was on point...not too sweet like you get at McDonald's. Overall flavors were good, and the meal was happily filling. Good comfort food, if you enjoy spicy. Parking may be a challenge if you are not a parallel parker. read more

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I have never really had Cajun cusine before so I came to this place. It was highly rated and I was in the area. The woman behind the counter was super nice and gave samples. I first tried the Drunken Chicken, but it was too spicy alone. She recommended adding half Drunken Chicken with half Bumblebee Stew. Drunken Chicken is their most famous dish, which is chicken with a thick spicy sauce. Bumblebee Stew is sweet and comes in a cream sauce with lots of corn. For $9, I was served with a huge bowl that could feed three people. It came with rice, cheese, and garlic bread. At first I really enjoyed the combination, but eventually the sweetness and spiciness wore me down. There were not enough veggies in the dish and it was only chicken and cream sauces. I only ate a very small portion of my meal. I would recommend this place if you like Cajun food, it's just not for me! read more

J. Gumbo's - half bumblebee half drunken chicken - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Terre Haute, Indiana

I would just like to say that I have never left a review before. I had never been to J.Gumbo before, I walked in the door and I was pondering over the menu. The guy behind the counter said he would give me a sample of the gumbo, since I had said that I was picky. The cook came out of the kitchen with a sample of all of their sauces so I could try everything before i made a choice. Excellent customer service, and extremely nice. The food was also excellent, and the restaurant was clean. read more

J. Gumbo's - a tray of dipping sauces - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Terre Haute, Indiana

This was my first visit to J's. First off let me say the food was amazing!! I had the Drunken Chicken. Just the right amount of flavor and spice!! The rice was perfectly cooked and seasoned and the chicken was cubed to just the right size. Perfect mix of sauce and cheese. I loved it!! Although the outside of the restaurant was a bit bland the inside was FANTASTIC!!! Great ambiance and atmosphere!! It felt just like you stepped into The Pirate at Disney!! The owner was there and he was kind enough to give us a tour and explain some of the history of the place. Fantastic lunch will definitely go back when I'm back in Terre Haute!! read more

This was the second time I have eaten at J. Gumbos. The first time it was just ok, this time it took a step backwards. The portions aren't great, and the food was bland. They didn't even get the garlic toast right. My bread was hard and wasn't toasted. read more

Was looking for something different for dinner tonight and saw this place, Cajun style cooking one of my favorites, and was disappointed. Food lacked flavor, overpriced on quality and quantity of certain items. The crawfish tasted watery, and like it was microwaved from frozen. The jambalaya was mushy, flavorless, and reminded me of a can of food. The crawfish dip was terrible, flavor wasn't appetizing and the look wasn't appealing. The "po boy" was very low in quality, no.1 not a po boy by classification, no.2 Was sloppy. The only thing that had decent flavor was the Sriracha chicken served on rice, which was more rice than meat. The look of the place was nice. Staff eas friendly. But food wasn't good. I personally would not suggest this place with how poor quality of food. read more

I recently moved to Terre Haute and a co worker/friend took me here and I absolutely loved it!! You get to test out any of the food before committing which I loved! The amount of food they give you is huge for the low price! I will definitely be coming back! read more

J. Gumbo's - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Terre Haute, Indiana

I'm torn between a 4 and a 5, but I'm in a good mood today so they get a 5. We were in town for an Optimist Club conference, and didn't want to dine at the hotel, and had spotted this spot on the way to our hotel. Decided to walk here for lunch, and I'm certainly glad we did! The staff is cordial and casual, yet professional. I found it to be a near perfect balance. An unexpected bonus...you're welcome to sample any dish before purchasing it, a huge help to those not familiar with Cajun(ish) cuisine. For my lunch, I had honey sriracha chicken, and it was wonderful--nice balance of sweet and hot. (Just like my wife!!) My wife had Crawfish Etouffee and she rated it good, but not the best she's every had. The bread served with the meal was outstanding. Make no mistake--this isn't quite New Orleans traditional. It's got a Hoosier bent to it. Still, from the wonderfully quirky decor, to the staff, to the food--it's well worth a visit. read more

Not bad, but not terribly authentic. By the time we get to the register and see the price, though, it seems overpriced for bags of frozen goop that get thawed and spooned over bread or rice. I see they give a big discount to police officers. I guess the rest of us just aren't good enough. I won't ever go back because the management clearly thinks I don't deserve to dine with the elite heroes. They're probably right. read more

I've been to this place at least twice a month for four years now. As time goes on, the prices slowly rise as the portions get smaller. I usually get the voodoo nachos and it used to be amazing Now they lazily throw these large disgusting pieces of chicken in the meal, rather than the smaller shredded pieces it used to be. So basically you are either stuck with large disgusting pieces of chicken, or the server didn't scoop out any chicken at all and you're left with this voodoo nacho slip without chicken. As of lately, the staff is just clueless and the food just doesn't taste that great anymore. If I get a to go order, there is ALWAYS something missing from the order. Staff needs to be more attentive. It takes way too long to get food if it's not at a busy hour,it's hard to find someone at the front counter at this time. read more

We have been eating at J Gumbos since it opened. We usually get the bourbon chicken and bumblebee stew with cheese, sour cream and green onions. They were recently closed due to the COVID virus and opened a couple weeks ago. Since reopening we have eaten there twice and both times have had issues with the food. The first time was carry out and so was unable to tell staff. They excluded the green onions which we requested and there was very little juice to the food. The thing about Bumble bee stew is the juice us a fantastic buttery , slightly spicy flavor. Without the juice there was little flavor. The 2nd time we went inside to dine. Once again, we asked for green onions and they were omitted. The bread was not toasted and cold and tasteless. I even told the manager but wasn't offered a remedy to the problem. She just thanked me for telling her. Prior to the pandemic we enjoyed the food and you could view the food behind plexiglass and tell them right there to add juice etc. now they are fixing the dishes out of sight so it's harder to see what they are doing. Not sure how this is helping with the COVID but I'm not a fan of this new arrangement. I like to see that things are being done right! Also we found it took longer to get our good. I hope J Gumbos figures out their issues because it's a neat place with the decorations and all and we have enjoyed it. I hope they add some new dishes and wish they offered a few more dishes that were not so spicy. Most of their dishes are on the hot side. Also a dish that featured white meat chicken would be neat. Bourbon Chicken read more

Poor representation of Cajun cuisine. Etouffee tasted like tomato sauce. Gumbo roux was decent, but only chicken and sausage available. They had the brilliant idea to add the seafood to it... eww. Y'all must not actually be Cajuns. read more

I came here a few times while in town. Everything I had was delicious. In fact, as I write this review, the flavor of it comes back to me and I wish I was there now! The service was fine.. Very casual atmosphere. read more

The beautiful woodwork and decoration by the owner needs to be seen. It's amazing!! Yes, food is awesome too lol read more

J. Gumbo's - Voo doo chicken - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Terre Haute, Indiana

I enjoy the decor and music immensely. I ordered the etoufee. I made the mistake of getting it a lot spicier than I should have. The bread is delicious. It's buttery and warm. I ordered the etoufee with the shrimp and it was so good. I'll certainly be back for some more. I only wish they offered desert. read more

J. Gumbo's - As a college student at ISU it's hard to find a cheap meal that fills you up. The etoufee is good. It's just a bit spicy. Bread is great. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Terre Haute, Indiana

Disappointing this time. Ordered for take out. Everything was cold. Rice seemed like it wasn't fully cooked. This time our order had bread, our 1st order did not. Not sure about this place. read more

A mere 783 miles from the home of all things cajun sits J. Gumbo's. The small restaurant has a selection of dishes served with rice and po' boy sandwiches all served cafeteria style. Place your order at the end of the line and work your way down during assembly with the option of adding a few items such as green onion, cheese, etc to your order. The menu is separated into levels of spice, so I decided to go with one of the Voodoo Chicken from the "hot" part of the menu. Several scoops of white rice were piled into a styrofoam container with the voodoo chicken served on top. The chicken was spicy and had more flavor than just a bunch of tony chachere's being poured on top. There was more than enough rice so part of it ended up being wasted. I opted to get some peach cobbler when I was checking out, but really this was butter cobbler. The butter flavor of the crust completely killed the peach flavor from the fruit. I was a little disappointed with it but the main dish was solid. The employees are helpful, patient and friendly while the owner/manager keeps a watchful eye over his flock. His friendly blusterous outbursts kept the line moving quickly in a nice way. There are just a few booth style tables in the restaurant and are right next to the serving line so there is going to be lots of foot traffic if you decide to eat in. I walked over here, but there is ample street parking in front of and around the restaurant. J. Gumbo's has made my list of places to visit again when I'm in the Haute. read more

Great Cajun food! The owner came out and talked to us about the menu. Free samples of every dish. Great value and price. The meal filled me up & I highly recommend going here. The decor is set to make you feel like you're in bourbon street. A must go!!! read more