The Gumbo Diner

I had the shrimp and grits. Very, very good!!! The grits were so creamy and the shrimp were big! I also sampled my Sisters gumbo, oh my that was out of this world good! Big portions too. I was so full, but could not pass up the beignets ! They were yummy! Our waitress was so kind too. I wish I got her name, she wore glasses! Very nice place!

We visit Galveston from time to time using a friend’s Condo, and we’re always willing to try new (LOCAL!) restaurants. Our friend recommended we visit the Gumbo Diner, so off we went. My wife and I were cheerfully waited upon, and we told our waitress we were going to share both the Seafood Gumbo and the Crawfish Etouffeé. We asked the difference between the Lil’ Daddy and the Big Daddy (16 vs. 32 ounces) and opted for the Lil’ Daddy size.
Our Gumbo arrived with a nice spot of rice in the middle, but best of all, it came already split: a bowl each for me and my wife, so we each had ½ a Lil’ Daddy in front of us! The Etouffeé came the same way! Excellent.
The gumbo is very dark, and very tasty. I was a little bit disappointed there weren’t more oysters, but the amount of shrimp and the overall flavor more than made up for it. The gumbo was mild, so I asked for a bit of Tabasco to spice it up a bit. Before I knew it, my bowl was empty.
The Etouffeé… oh my. De. Lish. Ous! My mouth is watering again thinking about it!
Being stuffed, we ordered a half dozen Bignets to go. I cheated and had one when I got home. They had cooled, but were still yummy. Perhaps I should try them piping hot next time.
If you like Gumbo, you’ll like the Gumbo Diner.

Good food. Good service. Good prices. And don’t even get me started on the beignets! I’ve eaten here for both breakfast (omelet cooked to perfection) and lunch (the «Lil Daddy» bowl of gumbo ain’t so little). Keep up the good work — I’ll be coming back over and over again.

I regret passing this place up so many times! Its really really good! I had a bloody Mary, grilled oysters and the Wednesday special of jambalaya. Very good! The oysters were great and had a little kick to them. I was expecting the jambalaya to come out with a lot of rice and a little meat like most places do. It was chocked full of chicken, sausage and shrimp! Big chunks of meat in every bite with great Cajun flavor. Large portions and happy to have leftovers! I’ll be back!

I requested additional silverware at this restaurant and the waiter had the gall to try and play keepaway with it after bringing it. This server should be fired and the management ashamed. DO NOT EAT HERE if you expect something resembling service.

Three stars because of our server who made sure the food we ordered were prepared properly. Me and my lunch buddy ordered grilled shrimp plate, shrimp came out half-​raw with stale potato fries. It was not even hot, had to ask the server to change it for us. In the end of the day the food was mediocre, we’ve seen better

Best Huevos Rancheros I’ve ever had! Any was our server and took great care ups us.
This hit the spot after the Mardi Gras Ball!

Who: me
Where/​when: Galveston, Friday night
What: Lil’ Daddy Gumbo, Beignets
Why: Hooray for Gumbo Diner! Hooray for another quality mom and pop restaurant on the island! When I go on vacation, the last thing I want to do is eat at a corporate chain. This place is a great local alternative that offers seafood that is flavorful and satisfying. You cannot go wrong with the gumbo, especially since the smaller portion is gigantic! The beignets here are better than the ones I’ve had at Café Du Monde in New Orleans too. Definitely coming back. Maybe tomorrow.

Travel to NOLA for work so I know the food & this place can’t be missed. Amazing food each time I’ve been here. Service is friendly & fast. Look forward to visiting again! Seafood platter is always a winner.

Everyone suggested the chicken and waffles and so that’s what I got. The chicken tenders are AMAZING! They’re super tasty due to the freshness and seasoning. I’m not a fan of Belgian waffles and so I would’ve rather pancakes but I didn’t realize the waffle with the chicken and waffles was Belgian style, it wasn’t gross or anything just not my personal favorite. Staff was super friendly, it was packed but we got seated right away But you MUST no matter what get an order of the beignets… they’re soooooo good! They’re just like Café De Mundo and even are still soft and tasty cold (I was full from the waffle so I ate them later on)

Great service! My sons chicken fingers were a perfect size portion but not for the price. They gave us a lot of French fries which were delicious. I loved the Gumbo. We’d go back.

Rating the Beignets Only…
I can’t tell you anything about the overall food quality here except the place is always busy and people seemed to be enjoying what they were eating.
The Beignet sign caught my attention… Fell in love with them in New Orleans. We happened by, saw the sign and decided to give them a try. Fantastic. Absolutely fresh made, piping hot, and delicious. The folks inside are an eclectic bunch and very friendly. We will be back for more.

Really good food and reasonably priced. Our server, James, was very friendly, efficient. He’s got a great attitude! We will certainly be back if we’re in the area.

This is an amazing spot with amazing food. When I think of diners, they are small and always packed with people. This place was packed and small. Best of all the food is Cajun. The menu has good options. I came in for what they are best known for. Being a first timer here it’s only right to order what they advertise as the best. I couldn’t decided between the gumbo or Étouffée. I ended up ordering the Crawfish Étouffée. It was amazing as was flavorful and spicy. I love the spices and the peppers. Big chunks of crawfish tails. I don’t remember when and where I had something this good. I am a fan. I will recommend this place to everyone.

Money place. Best gumbo ever. Worth the drive in town from
The west end. Makes Joe smile.

Very upset that I never actually got to sit down and eat however, my boyfriend and I just stopped by to pick up beignets to go since we ate down the street before.
While we waited all the staff was super friendly and easy to talk too! They definitely had shown some great southern hospitality in their service and made the wait a lot faster with good conversations.
When we got the beignets we were super excited, they tasted so delicious! The outside was a bit crisp and had the perfect amount of powdered sugar, while when you bit into it the dough was buttery and melted in your mouth! After my boyfriend and I finished it, we were begging for more!
As for the other food, I wish we got to try it out, however I’m assuming if their other food is just as good as their beignets then their food should be bomb!

What a place this is! The word hidden gem is perfect. Tucked just west of pleasure pier among the landrys restaurants is this place. We came at about 7 and there was no wait. The our waiter Jon was awesome! Very attentive and jut amazing service by him. The view is great from the restaurant.
Now to talk about the food. The portions are massive check the picture of the large gumbo i posted it was enough to feed two probably three and was only $ 15. We also had the special fish tacos which were very fresh and perfect no complaints. My sister had the étouffée which was nice not the best but still good. I will be back!

Good atmosphere, very friendly staff. We had cozy time. Food is pretty good, but i thought seafood ball was salty… gumbo was good, pooboy sub was good too. I liked the sub bread.
It is just in front of ocean, i would go back to try more

OK, I’ve got to go with Three Stars. If this place was in South St. Louis I would call it amazing. Since its on the Gulf of Mexico and surrounded by other choices, it ends up being a dive for the locals. Gumbo was unique not made from a recipe (it was made with a burnt roux and very little diced tomatoes). Po’Boy was average, Chicken and Waffles were great.
Was it an amazing culinary experience? NO
Was it good, fun, food??? Maybe
It wasn’t that the staff did not want to be at work, they just didn’t want customers in there hang out.
The poor manager looked like he was running a pre school of kids like me with ADD.
Don’t expect too much and you will be pleasantly surprised.

Haven’t been in 6 months. Rainy evening and wanted take out seafood gumbo; $ 15.99 quart – aka Big Daddy.
Roux was delish, shrimp was plentiful but the crab & oysters 3pcs each. My total with tax, $ 1.50 «to go» fee and tip…$ 21. Nickle & diming me isn’t cool and will be my last trip. James, the waiter was fantastic tho! — — — — — — — — — –
today, i had a hankering for beignets… so, i stopped and got 3
sooo good… i had powdered sugar ALL over… and it was soo worth it!
samuel took my order… nice fella.
will go again and get real food :)