I decided to support a Black-owned business after seeing a news segment about Black Restaurant Week in Long Beach. I visited Sal's Gumbo Shack and spent nearly $40 on a large gumbo, but unfortunately it did not meet my expectations. The dish was mostly rice, the roux was watery, there were very few shrimp, and only about half of a crab leg. I drove from Culver City to Long Beach specifically to patronize this restaurant after seeing them featured on KTLA Channel 5 News. The gumbo shown on television was very different from what I received. Based on this experience, I would not recommend this location. However, it's possible they were simply having an off day. read more

I've been coming to Sal's Gumbo Shack for a while now, and it never disappoints. I always order the catfish po' boy and the gumbo, and both are consistently excellent. The catfish is perfectly seasoned, crispy on the outside, and tender inside, while the gumbo is rich, flavorful, and incredibly comforting. You can tell the food is made with care and real attention to flavor. It's the kind of place you keep coming back to because you know exactly what you're going to get--quality and great taste every time. Highly recommend if you're in the Long Beach area and craving solid Cajun food. read more

Gumbo tasted like slop. Ordered a 8 piece wing they were fried so hard I could barely eat them. Red beans and rice was blah Mac and cheese was so so. Cake I bought looked and taste store bought. Seems like they just put it in a plastic container. Over all my stomach was hurting the next day so bad I had the runs. Spent way too much money for a stomach ache. read more

Sal's Gumbo Shack - Store from of Sals gumbo shack - Seafood Near Me - Long Beach, California

The food is tasty enough but the cost is steep for the portion size. Went once. Would only go back if I was in the area and was driving by. I had the gumbo and a catfish po-boy. read more

Drove by this location and I saw the door had a closed sign and almost went to one of the other locations for lunch. I decided to park and check them out. I was greeted lovely lady that made me feel right at home. I put my order order in lemonade(fantastic by the way) jambalaya and then the shrimp amd grits. The lemonade was sweet and addicting. The jambalaya was flavorful and the rice wasn't mushy. And my favorite those shrimp amd grits. I dont know if the cook was feeling special on that day if that's how they normally make it but I was blown away. I have to try try it again to make sure they got that recipie on lock. It was creamy cheesy, flavorful, spiced to perfection. Honestly one of the best representations of this dish I've I've ever had ( top 3 for sure ). Nice amount of shrimp and omg when you eat a large bowl of grits you stay full for a long time. The interior didn't really look like alot of people actually sat in the business to eat, but I did notice alot of Togo orders constantly at this location. I cant wait to come back! read more

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I love checking out restaurants that come highly recommended--but sometimes you have to ask yourself who is doing the recommending. As a general rule, I don't order gumbo at restaurants. My family is very good at making it, and once you're raised on real Louisiana-style gumbo, the bar is set pretty high. Still, after hearing solid buzz about Sal's Gumbo Shack, and having roots in Louisiana, I figured I'd roll the dice. First impressions were easy enough--plenty of street parking, which is always a win. Inside, the spot is small and quaint, with just a few tables, clearly more of a takeout joint than a sit-down restaurant. A couple of tables were occupied when I walked in. After waiting briefly while someone picked up an order, I was greeted by a young woman who seemed to be juggling the register and the kitchen. I ordered the Louisiana Gumbo, which the menu proudly describes as "a hearty and succulent Louisiana stew with chicken, turkey ham, assorted sausages, shrimp, and crab legs." The wait was short, and I'll say this--the dish looked good when it arrived. But looks can be deceiving. For something labeled "hearty," the protein count was pretty light: two shrimp, three slices of sausage, a decent piece of crab, and a lone chicken drumette. That's not exactly bowl-of-love territory. More disappointing, though, was the flavor. Gumbo has a very specific soul--a depth that separates it from every other soup or stew on the planet. Whether it's gumbo filé, herbs, or just the magic of a well-balanced roux, you know it when you taste it. Unfortunately, this gumbo didn't have that soul. It leaned more toward thick gravy than true gumbo. The roux was heavy and overbearing, to the point where the flour flavor came through, and the seasoning never quite showed up to the party. Overall, it landed bland, which is the last thing gumbo should ever be. That said, I'm willing to believe in off days--every kitchen has them. I may give Sal's another shot down the line, hoping this was one of those moments rather than the standard. When gumbo's right, it hugs you back. This one gave me a pat and a rub on the shoulder and kept it moving. read more

Ordered Deluxe Gumbo today that's supposed to come with extra crab,extra shrimp, extra sausage ..and didn't come with extra anything..I used to get mad at places like this but I just learned to bad mouth the business any chance I get and never spend not $1 with them again..beware if you plan on going there read more

Sal's Gumbo Shack - Terrible pot of Gumbo - Seafood Near Me - Long Beach, California

The food was delicious. However, my turkey burger and catfish was a bit saltier than expected. I rarely eat salty foods. The greens were perfectly cooked, and my cornbread was good and complimentary of the fish but there was not enough greens to balance my meal and the cornbread was a little too sweet for me. . I prefer my cornbread without it being sweet. I was disappointed in the very small portion of greens because they were the Best but not enough to balance my catfish dinner plate. read more

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I used to love this place, but the last couple of visits have been lackluster. The gumbo today was so salty -- basically inedible. The gumbo is way too expensive for it to be this bad. Sad to say, I won't be back. read more

Fried and seasoned to perfection. It brought back memories of Georgia cooking. Sweet tea was southern sweet so be ready. Love they have 3 flavors of Kool-Aid on tap. read more

Sal's Gumbo Shack - Rex Po boy Sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Long Beach, California

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So delicious! The inside is small but the food is amazing! You may not know what you're going to get when you walk in but you won't regret it. They are on the corner and easy to find. Street parking by a residential area. I ordered the catfish poboy and my goodness was it the best I ever had. The bread was soft and it was very easy to bite into. Each bite was deliciousness. I didn't even need any hot sauce or lemon and I put that stuff on everything. The gumbo you can order small, medium or large. I loved how much crab that came with it and the shrimp was deliciousness. I enjoyed the flavor. The seasoned fries were immaculate. They are homemade cut fries. I would come back! We ordered Cajun wings. To me the sauce tasted like sweet chili. Not my fav sauce but the wings were cooked well read more

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Don't come here food is trash I love gumbo their gumbo is not it I promise you chicken wings mid at best literally felt like I got scammed that's how bad the food was read more

The food and the service was beyond satisfactory. this is a place that I'm personally gonna make my own whenever I'm in Long Beach.this is my go to spot . You have to go with the gumbo. And then the Oxtail are beyond delicious read more

Sal's Gumbo Shack - Seafood Near Me - Long Beach, California

8/10 JUNETEENTH and I was craving soul food I was going to cook but this was a better idea so me and my fiancé decided to go and dine in ! So first let's talk about the ambiance , as soon as you walk in it's definitely giving New Orleans from the set up to the artwork I loved it ! The service was 10/10 the staff was very friendly and helpful especially when trying to figure out what to eat , not only that he turned the basketball game on for us which made it even easier to enjoy our lunch . there was soooo many options to chose from but I had already made up my mind on what I wanted . We both end up getting the turkey chops , I got mine with yams , mac n cheese , greens , and corn bread it comes with 2 sides and you have to pay for additional : he got the turkey chops as well but smothered with gravy over a head of rice ! Everything taste was 10/10 the Chop was a little to cooked(hard) for my liking but the taste was there . And for drink I got a grape kool-aid which was a little on the sweet side so be aware of that 1 thing I would change is the portion sizes (to a little bit more ) and the prices a little less for 2 of us came up to $70 easy . . I definitely will go back and try more on the menu . read more

Food for sure gets a 1 star. Never had gumbo that tasted like gravy. Rice was as crunchy as the crab. Crab might have been anorexic and the worst part was we got the deluxe which is supposed to have extra crab and shrimp and all we got was extra gravy and sausage. We also tried the ox tail plate and guess what ox tail had the same gravy as the gumbo. No rue? Mashed potatoes and gravy has to be good though because they specialize in gravy. Mac and cheese was basic and cornbread was hard and gritty. The only reason this place gets 2 stars is because the lady working was really nice. Sal wtf? read more

I found this place on TikTok and I really wanted to try it and I have to say I was very disappointed! I don't know how they can call what they gave me Gumbo! It literally had 1 snow crab legs, 5 shrimp and cut up sausage , NO CHICKEN, and it was in more of a broth, NOT ROUX nothing else!! for 22.99! HORRIBLE! Anyway, we did try the turkey chops- good, shrimp and grits-good, Mac and cheese was not seasoned, not even salt! Greens-ok could have used more flavoring and meat in greens! Yams -good . Cornbread was hard and tastes a few days old. We also tried the peach cobbler, it was waaayy too sweet! Like eating a bowl of syrup! and that's about it. Overall, I would rate it a 6/10 The service was ok. I probably would not go back there again read more

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Everyone has their own tastes and opinions, these are ours. I will say though, support this business, give honest reviews so adjustments can be made if they chose to do so, and tell a friend to check it out. I would come back and try something different, but this particular meal, wasn't it. Hopefully it'll be better next time. Maybe it's because we came within 90 mins of closing. Or perhaps the bixby location is a bit better. We'll find out! Pros: - Service is SUPER friendly & prompt - It's a small minority owned business and we enjoyed giving it a try to support - there are 2 locations! One in north Long Beach and one in bixby knolls. This review is for the north Lb spot. - it's on the corner so there's plenty of parking out front on Lb blvd or along the side street. - Cornbread is delicious, a little hard, but very good. Pairs well with the greens! - Greens are tasty! I was looking for smoked turkey based on some photos I saw but it was good without. - Mac n cheese does all that it's supposed to do! It is VERY tasty with great texture. - Red beans and rice are good, a bit on the salty side, but good. - The Catfish batter is very tasty - Fries are yummy - Turkey leg is ok - portion sizes are nice for the price. You can make 2 meals off one dinner if you're a lighter eater. - they have a vast menu from burgers to Poboys, gumbo and jambalaya and entree dinners like catfish, fried chicken, and fried turkey chops. They also have desserts and a variety of punch/juice up front. I shoulda got me one while we waited for our food. Next time. Cons: - you can't smell any food in there, not when we walked in, not while our order was being prepared, not even when we got the food in the car. I didn't hear any fish fryin. We had to sniff the bag to get a whiff of the food in the car. That's always a flag for me. I want to smell and hear the food when I walk in, let me know that some cooking is going on and not just reheating. But that's me. - We paid $78 for: gumbo with rice on the side ($2 extra for on the side rice instead of leaving it inside the gumbo - same rice right? Guess I'm paying for the extra container), a peach cobbler, a turkey dinner and a catfish dinner. I teased about the price, but I honestly don't mind paying for good tasting and good quality food. Unfortunately, the price did not match the taste of the food, at all. Like, at all! - medium Gumbo $23 + $2: super fatty and greasy (see photo). We can see the grease congealing at the top when we opened it. Although it was warm, the grease was already forming a skin on top. With grease like that, it covers your palate and stops you from tasting anything. Also, doesn't seem to be made traditional style from a roux, it's more brothy and thin, even when adding in the rice. And the broth isn't very flavorful or maybe the grease just interfered with the taste. It's full of meat, which is great (shrimp, small sausage pieces, pieces of crab leg and I think chicken or turkey), but the flavor is just one note. I think it's due to the grease. It doesn't taste like gumbo, it's more of a soup. We only could stomach a couple small spoon fulls each. - peach cobbler $4.99 on menu, $5 on the receipt: looks amazing, but it taste like sweet grease. The peaches are cut super small, the dough looks like it has amazing texture but it's hard to taste anything beyond grease and sugar. Can't taste cinnamon, nutmeg, peaches, or any traditional peach cobbler flavors. It also left a film of oil in my mouth, similar to the gumbo, after just a few small spoons. Peach cobbler is my favorite dessert but after a couple bites we couldn't do it. -catfish dinner $20: (see photos). It is full of the silver skin, which is really slimy and doesn't taste well ever, and it takes away from the flavor and consistency of the fish so it's traditionally removed or at least the pieces covered in silver skin aren't cooked, or at least they're fried harder to crisp it up a bit. This catfish had it on every single piece. It was super rubbery and unappetizing. Although the batter was pretty flavorful, most of the fish was left on the plate because of all the silver skin. - that's $50 worth of inedible food. Not bashing. We were asked to give a review, good or bad. So I want to be honest because I really wanted to like it. Sometimes it takes reviews to make improvements. My tastes are my tastes but the amount of grease in the gumbo and cobbler and all that silver skin is a universal no no. Hopefully when we come back it'll be better. Rooting for improvements!!! read more

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We ordered a catfish dinner a shrimp dinner and 10pc wings. The red beans and rice and the chicken after I air fried them was the best thing we ordered. The price we paid wasn't worth what we received. The shrimp was small and there was more batter on the fish than fish.The fries were soft and the greens were too salty. Service was good. Ambiance was good New Orleans style. read more

I'm six months pregnant was craving some Gumbo. There's nothing in my Gumbo broth. I'm so mad. read more

Sal's Gumbo Shack - I'm 6 months pregnant was craving some gumbo there's nothing in here I'm so bad like nothing but broth I'm so mad - Seafood Near Me - Long Beach, California

The gumbo was great. The price for the gumbo was $32 for 16 ounces. Great food, way too overpriced. I don't like to say it but I won't be back. The owners have lost sight of future growth. read more

I was not impressed. The Gumbo was served with the rice inside which made it thick like paste. It had next to no sausage and the crab was just the tiny ends of snowcrab in the shell that made them impossible to break open to eat. read more

Hard to rate the food when you place an order and drive all the way there to pick it up but they don't have any of the items you ordered. I'll never go back. Extremely bad first impression. read more

We were celebrating one of my friends birthday & this place was recommended on social media. We drove from the High Desert to Long Beach to come. The location we went to was in a shopping center. Inside is super cute. They had 2 employees. One taking most of the orders and one person doing most of the cooking. They get a lot of phone in orders, so getting our food took a lot longer than expected. I ordered the fish meal and an extra piece of chicken. I didn't get my chicken until we were almost finished eating the rest of our food. The sides were OK, but not great. My fish was over cooked. I didn't even eat my leftovers. I got the catfish meal with fried okra, which was pretty good, the red beans and rice were ok! A little too much rice, so you can barely enjoy the goodness of the beans. I didn't really like the mac and cheese. I tried my friends' greens. I didn't like those, but I'm not a fan of collard greens, so that might be why. Most places that we go to and we are celebrating one of my friends' birthday, with gifts & signing the birthday song, they give the birthday person a free dessert. Not this place. We won't make that long drive to come back. read more

Sal's Gumbo Shack - The catfish meal with an extra side of okra. - Seafood Near Me - Long Beach, California

Just had dinner here last week. This review is for take-out. Food was excellent, we'll-packed. We ordered the Fried Pickles and Sweet Potato Fries which we loved. The jambalaya was flavorful and the Louisiana BBQ shrimp was so good. The broth was super flavorful with a nice spice level. My favorite may have been the Hot Wings, we opted for Cajun and they were spot-on. The staff were friendly and ordering was easy. The only downside is parking, but I hear they are getting another location that should be easier to get too. read more

Sal's Gumbo Shack - Cajun Wings - Seafood Near Me - Long Beach, California

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Sal's was a wonderful delight. It's not for people who can't stand flavor in their food. True Southerners flock here because it's like going home! Don't get it twisted! Sal's Gumbo Shack is worth the drive with two locations and the same "your tongue gon' jump up and slap your brain two times". Old fashion recipes! A taste of Nawlinz! read more

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Gumbo, fried catfish, Po'boys and more! Need some southern soul...here you go. Hole in the wall spot with very limited seating but they treat you like family and feed like it to. read more

Sal's Gumbo Shack - Seafood Near Me - Long Beach, California

I've been here several times, usually the food is good. Ordered tonight from doordash. 1. My side of mac n cheese was missing .2. I received a chicken back on my chicken dinner. There was very little meat on that thing. 3. Opened my side of red beans and rice...it was filled with rice, maybe a scoop of beans. I called the establishment Maria, the chef answered... while she was nice, she didn't seem receptive to my issues. I asked for a manager, and she informed me that no one would be available until next week. P.S. Im skeptical about the gumbo I also ordered. read more

Sal's Gumbo Shack - It was good..it was mainly rice. - Seafood Near Me - Long Beach, California

We love a mom & pop shop! Every time I'm in LB I make sure I stop at Sal's. The gumbo is so good it makes me do my lil dance and stomp my foot. My go to is the shrimp po boy. It's so simple but packed with so much flavor! Shrimps cooked just right with tasty breading. The sauce is smackin. Everything is seasoned so well. You just can't go wrong. They love what they do and you can taste it through the meals they serve. A staple and gem in the community. read more

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This place was so yummy. Best corn bread I've ever tasted (I dont even like corn bread) but I'm a huge fan. The only complaint I have is I forgot to get my peach cobbler I ordered. I was stuffed. I will be going again for SURE! read more

highly disappointed, I drove 30 min to try your restaurant the customer service was terrible , i was given old rice in my gumbo it was all clumped up. my wings were not hot I spent almost 80$ with you guys. very unacceptable. it was not worth what I payed for. you had one person taking orders and cooking the food. read more

You have got to be kidding me!!! Chopped up hotdogs and greasy water!!! $46.67 for their "Deluxe Gumbo" ... Tiny Chopped up hotdogs, gelatinous slimy chicken fat, 6 little bitty leathery tough shrimp, soft mushy crab particles, no flavor... it had a scorched burnt taste... no seasoning!!! I am beyond pissed!!! For this place ro be known for their Gumbo they most certainly missed!!! Hell, I'm embarrassed for them!!! HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE!!! read more

The owners of this restaurant should be ashamed of themselves! $30 for a bowl of "gumbo" broth! I didn't see one slice of sausage. There were tiny, 1/4 inch sized pieces of mystery meat, one emaciated small crab leg and a few measly looking shrimp and all broth. Extremely disappointed! For that price, I expect it to be chock full of ingredients. This could have been a good gumbo, but they missed the mark on this one. Will not return! read more

Location No.2 finally in Bixby Knolls. Because it was a soft opening the full menu was not available, however, the selection available was delicious. Staff was friendly and made sure we were good as we waited.. the chef was cool too..answering all our questions about the limited menu. I ordered the gumbo, fried chicken dinner with yams, greens, mac&cheese, fries and an order of fried pickles (must try). The chicken dinner combo comes with 2 sides and cornbread. All the sides were true to comfort cooking style/taste. The Mac was the only questionable side (kinda mushy). The cornbread was scratch made deliciousness. The gumbo was full of flavor. They do skimp on the crablegs and shrimp (note to order extra). But still delicious. No pictures because the smell of the food had us stuck in the car smacking our fingers (no home etiquette). Give them a try, remember they still have to work out the growing pains. I'm definitely returning and not soon enough. read more

Sal's Gumbo Shack - Inside - Seafood Near Me - Long Beach, California

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When done right, oxtail is my favorite meat, and Sal's oxtails were some of the best I've had in recent memory. They were fall off bone tender, but not overcooked to mush. Tons of flavor in the sauce/braising liquid. They came served over rice to help soak up the juices. I've tried oxtails from other soul food places throughout LA, and these have definitely been the best so far. The oxtail dinner came with two sides and cornbread. The mac & cheese was really good; the collard greens were okay, but really bitter/tart. (I'm not an expert on greens or soul food, so maybe that's how it's supposed to be?). Looking forward to trying more items here. Some other info. - Call ahead to put in your order and they will give you an ETA. Some people ordered when I got there, and they said the wait was going to be 20-30 minutes. - Street parking only (I think) but it wasn't too hard to find parking nearby read more

Sal's Gumbo Shack - Oxtails - Seafood Near Me - Long Beach, California

This was a great choice for food. The owner was so kind and helpful. Made me feel right at home. The food was great as well. Definitely will be back many more times. read more

All the food is made to order! Everything is so delicious. But hands down the gumbo is to die for. I don't live close but when I am in the area, I always try to pick-up to go. You can order online or by phone. read more

Sal's Gumbo Shack - Darned right! The best gumbo!!! - Seafood Near Me - Long Beach, California

I drove past this place on my way to the bank. I doubled back and am I glad I did! A very nice lady took my order. My hubby loved the catfish n greens dinner. Shrimp po boy which I got, was delicious! I could not stop eating the candied yams. Next time, I'm getting the GUMBO! You want to know if a restaurant is worth your hard earned money? Check the bathrooms. Sal's is spotless, spacious n pretty. read more

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PERFECTION. Service is great, Ambiance is super inspirational!If you wanna piece of NOLA in Long Beach, grab some Sal's. That's it. That's the post. Period. read more

First off we drove over 50 miles to eat here today. Didn't disappoint. The service was amazing. Food was served nice and hot. I totally recommend the gumbo. By far the best I've ever had. Shrimp PoBoy leaves you wanting to drive back and get more. Also the sweet chili wings. Definitely will be making the trip back soon. Thank you for such wonderful experience. read more

Sal's Gumbo Shack - North LB location - Seafood Near Me - Long Beach, California

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Sal's gumbo Shack delivers Cajun, Creole and Seafood. When I first got here I noticed the parking was very minimal so I had to park a street away and walk. I ordered the shrimp po boy with fries to go because this place is small and it was already a packed house. Food was good and I would come back to try something else on the menu read more