J Gumbos

I like the voooodoooo chicken with sour cream ! Yummy ! For a quick lunch should be a good choice ! Services yourself :)

I thought everything was good. I had the Voodoo and Drunken Chicken over rice. Again I say it was good. I lack to see the enthusiasm behind the place that would make me «HAVE» to return next time I am in town. While the food tasted good, I just wish there was more of a «WOW FACTOR» that made me want to call the Food Network and say «You have got to get to Terre Haute and check out this Cajun place.» I would come again because it was good but not because it was Amazing. ;)

This is a tough one to review. We arrived just as they were closing, but they were very friendly about welcoming us in and serving despite undoubtedly wanting to get home. We weren’t expecting the semi-​fast food style, but the quality of the food was really good (and I’m a big fan of eating – and cooking – cajun). I was actually shocked when the owner told us that the food is all shipped in, rather than being cooked on-​site. Certainly not haute cuisine, but very tasty and a great value.
The odd thing is that the owner has invested hugely in the bar, yet it wasn’t even open the night we were there – because there wasn’t enough business (and this was 8 pm on a Sunday night). Of course there’s not going to be much business if the bar is closed and food service ends at 8 – kind of a self-​fulfilling prophecy. The owner said he plans to have low-​key live music, which again is kind of odd for a fast-​foodish kind of place. I really wonder just what his vision for this place is – and if it will sell to the community.
And that’s the real rub. While the owner was friendly with our (Boomer) group, we got the real impression that he was a hard-​ass with the employees and really looked down on college kids in general. Pretty strange for a place that ought to be a popular student hang-​out, especially with ISU right across the street.
If this review feels weird and disjointed, that’s because J. Gumbos left that feeling with us. We were just visiting from out of town, but if I was a local, I’m not sure how I’d feel. The place certainly has potential, but I’m not sure I’d want to hang out there much. Hope I’m wrong.

After spending the day at ISU, we decided to go out for dinner at J Gumbos as it was within walking distance from the university and highly recommended by friends. The interior is absolutely beautiful and extensively detailed to make you feel like you have just set foot into a warm New Orleans city scape with décor balconies from above and artwork throughout. When I say detailed, I mean detailed from floor to ceiling. The staff was extremely helpful as I don’t eat cajun/​creole food often and wasn’t sure what to order. They provided samples to our tastes and were patient while we decided what to order. I highly recommend the Drunken Chicken if you enjoy medium heat and their bread is absolutely amazing! My brother isn’t a huge fan of cajun/​creole food however enjoyed the red beans and rice for a milder taste. Portions are served in ½ and full sizes, with additional toppings available based on your preferences. Food was very similar to my experience at Yats. According to the number of students eating while I was there, this seems to be a good local place of choice and is also very family friendly. If you are in the Terre Haute area and are craving gumbo this is your place!

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

I love the food here and the price is more than reasonable. You won’t find an ambience like this anywhere in Vigo County. They just finished the OK Bayou Bar and it oozes the Bourbon Street feel.

Fabulous, offering both sweet and spicy food; everything can be taste tested. Great atmosphere, modern and clean with blues music. Very friendly staff.

I was a bit worried as a vegetarian eating here, but their bumblebee gumbo is so yummy and the area is clean so there no meat to be found in my meal!

A great addition to downtown eating. Love the atmosphere they’re trying to create in the back area and can’t wait for the bar to open which has some wonderful artwork. I particularly like the chicken zydeco. I used to order the Bourbon chicken which is also still good but the chicken zydeco has a great mixture of sweet and a little bit of spice. You can ask to have a little more of the juice put in with your rice if you like. they’re very friendly. Minor comments not negative: I wish the garlic bread was a little more garlicy and buttery and when they were in their earlier location they had a peach cobbler dessert that I miss. Afterword you can walk a short distance down the street to the yogurt in love place and have some dessert there.

When I’m starving, which I often am, this place fills you up with great food for a decent price. The atmosphere is nice for a fast food establishment, and the décor is clever. Get your belly full and have a good time.

Being so close to campus and with a rollercoaster of reviews on Unilocal,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, jalapeño 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! :-)

Had lunch here for the first time. I loved the décor inside. didn’t wait in line very long, it moves pretty quick. listening to other people ahead of me, I decided on the drunken chicken. Perfectly spiced, just the right amount of sauce. Next time I come back, I will ask for half as much rice, I couldn’t eat it all and pretty much ate the chicken anyway. lol. I was very happy and cant wait to come back.

Descent price. This place gets an extra star because of the interior. The owner really kicked it out of the water for the décor. Best in Terre Haute IMO. The main dishes are acceptable, but not on par with Yat’s. The worst part is the rice. The rice has the taste and texture of minute-​rice. If Chinese restaurants can make rice on large quantities then J. Gumbos should be able to as well.

I ate dinner here last night. Got the voodoo chicken over rice with bread and a fountain drink. Cheese, green onions and jalapenos on top. It was just fair. The chicken still had some skin on it. Not really my taste. The sauce was bland.
It was pretty inexpensive so not a bad deal. Still I was expecting more. I really like good Cajun style food and this just isn’t it.

I love love love J. Gumbo’s. I go frequently with a friend for lunch, and even when it’s relatively busy, the line moves quickly. My favorite is the Drunken Chicken – a small bowl is plenty for lunch. Whenever I order a large bowl, I never eat the whole thing, so unless they’re having a special it’s not worth it for me. I recently tried the bourbon chicken because I wasn’t feeling spicy; while it’s pleasantly sweet, it’s a little bland when compared to my usual. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere, and the unsweet tea is always very good!

Food was speedy and flavorful considering it was a fast-​food joint. I’d definitely go again!

I go to J. Gumbo’s once a week on average. One of my favorite things about this place is that there’s virtually no wait to get your food. There’s a variety of dishes on their menu that cater to all kinds of palates. Everything I’ve had here so far has been pretty good. The food is usually hot, fresh and generously portioned. My personal favorite is the Drunken Chicken. I actually really like their new menu item, Chicken Zydeco, as well.
Among other considerations, I think there’s been a significant improvement in the ambiance of this place since their move from across the street. Overall, this place is relatively inexpensive and is a true standout among restaurants in Terre Haute. That’s why I gave it five stars.

I am a current ISU student, and JGumbo is my favorite dining place since it is walkable from campus. However, I did not have any good experience today going to JGumbo. My boyfriend and I ordered a 2-​entrée (Bumblebea Stew and Bourbon Chicken) with cheese and green onion topping, and a Voodoo Chicken with cheese topping. We carried two coupons expecting to be able to save some money (one is a free drink with an entrée, and the other is $ 1.5 off for a 1-​entrée dish). Yet, we ended up paying more than $ 11 for the 2-​entrée dish, and $ 8 for the Bourbon chicken dish; that was after the coupons were applied.
I thought it was a ripped-​off. How could a 2-​entrée dish with a slice of bread possibly cost $ 11?
I am a college student, but I am willing to pay for food experience. However, this feeling of being ripped-​off concerns me so much and made me lost my appetite.

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!

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.