10/06/09

My favorite to impress in Denver

by AudioGoddess

I am from Baton Rouge, so I would like to think I know a thing or two about Cajun food. Not only is Gumbo's my favorite restaurant in Denver; I would compare it to many of my favorite restaurants in Louisiana.

I had friends from "home" in town this week, and I was looking for a restaurant to impress them on their first trip to Denver. I initially dismissed Gumbo's because taking a Coonass to a cajun restaurant is like taking sand to a beach. After weighing my various experiences at the many options in Denver, I eventually decided on Gumbo's because of the consistency of service and food. I have never had a bad experience there, and this week was no different. The ambiance and service would indicate a much more high-end bill to go along with the high-end experience, but for 8 people with appetizers, entrees, (many) cocktails and a couple of shared desserts, our tab was $420. Sure there are less expensive alternatives, but there are few that live up to the value you get at Gumbo's.

Though the atmosphere is romantic and memorable, the food is the real reason to go. The portions are stuff-you-to-the-gills generous, and every dish I've tried has been remarkable. The Barbeque Shrimp appetizer is as delicious as a treasured family recipe; if you use the bread to "sop the sauce" you'll find a little piece of heaven. The gumbo is divine, with the right amount of spice and veggies with three different options of seafood, chicken and andouille. The seafood is fresh and impeccibly spiced and never over-sauced. We even had a special diet to accommodate, and at Gumbo's not only could we "find something" for her, but she was overjoyed with her meal.

Since we Tigers pride ourselves on our drinking, it's a good thing Gumbo's serves a variety of specialty cocktails too. The Strawberry Lemonade sounds innocent enough, and goes down quite smoothly, so you don't entirely expect the punch it packs. And the John Daly lives up to it's namesake.

This was probably our 15th or so visit to Gumbos, on a variety of occasions, from 2 people to 40. They've hosted business events as well as birthday celebrations for us. I always consider other dining options in LoDo, but when it boils down to it, I just want Gumbo's.

• Pros: Everything

10/19/08

Not the Cajun I'm accustom to however the food was good.

by Reider01

I was with a group of 4. We arrived close by from browsing book at "Tattered Cover" nearby. The service was somewhat slow to seat us. They had plenty of tables not sure why it took them 10 minutes to seat us. I ordered "the special" flounder or salmon don't remember which with 3 or 4 bacon wrapped shrimp and vegetable medley. The price of the meal was pretty high but we weren't in the mood for much more waiting or walking around. The waiter was spread a little thin with the number of tables he was serving. If you have more time to look around I would suggest finding something more economical.

• Pros: Food presentation was excellent
• Cons: Slow service, Parking dunno?Price high

01/19/08

Louisiana Boy Weighs in

by sfndenver

Well, as I said in the tagline....I'm a Louisiana boy, so I know my Cajun food. Let me just say that I loved Gumbo's. It's the only place that I've found in Denver that really "gets" it!

My date and I went there one evening just after returning from a long trip. The ambiance was incredibly relaxing and comfortable. The wine list was certainly serviceable and the food made me feel like I had really come "home."

If you're looking for good Cajun food, go to Gumbo's. And may I just say, the Louisiana folks "across the eastern border" have never been all that impressed with anyone we've met from Houston.

Try them out....I know you'll like 'em.

08/27/07

Consider Pappadeaux's Instead

by sfirth

I visited Denver last week. The fare here is an average representation of what good comes from Louisiana. The dirty rice was too spicy and flavorless, the etoufee was not spicy enough, yet still flavorless.

Having lived in Houston and frequently ventured across the eastern border, we have have a good idea of what constitutes good Cajun cuisine. Gumbo's doesn't compare. The Pappadeaux chain does it better, and that isn't saying much.

• Pros: Nice location, nice ambiance
• Cons: The food!

06/19/07

Best gumbo in Denver!

by beam678

Very nice atmosphere, with white table cloths and great locale on the 16th street corridor, service was prompt with the water after delving into very spicey gumbo, the shrimp was very fresh and everyone in your party will enjoy

• Pros: food, parking, service was top notch, very quiet
• Cons: some food too spicey for personal reasons

03/08/07

great crawfish etouffee

by pokerplayer1234

I came here for lunch on a weekday. I ordered the crawfish etouffee and it was GREAT. I like it much better than at Bayou Bob's, and Gumbo's ranks slightly better than the crawfish etouffee at Pappadeaux. The seasoned butter that they serve with their bread is fantastic too. The waitress was on top of things and kept my drink filled. All in all, a great experience.

• Pros: Crawfish etouffee
• Cons: pricey for a lunch outing

01/28/07

Food Snob says.....

by buffalochef

How can you not love a place that has a $2.00 wine / beer happy hour with free gumbo ? And.... the gumbos great. Food snob says eat the whole menu here. Its hard to pick one the thing thats better than another. We love the apps and the cheese/butter they serve with the bread is a stand alone reason to go. Dont go to early to happy..... I dont want you to get my table.

• Pros: Happy hour
• Cons: Not enough seating in the bar.

11/21/06

BEST HAPPY HOUR IN DENVER

by mcgregst

this is the best happy hour in denver. it starts at 2pm-6pm. the gumbo is free (with a drink order) they have a featured wine a 2.50 / glass (red and white). my personal favorite, kettle one drinks for 4$. the apple goat cheese salad is a nice way to fill up on food for minimal budget. (cocktal, bowl of gumbo and salad for 15.00 including tip). the chicken and sausage gumbo is FANTASTIC (but i always have to order more rice). for dinner, try the pork tenderloin or the pistachio encrusted mahi..absolutely delicious.

08/15/06

Whoever wrote the review on 8/14/2006 has no clue what they are talking about

by shu1995

Gumbo's is excellent! And Cajun food is NOT what the poor people in Louisiana grew up on. Cajun food is part of the southern culture and everyone loves it. That's ridiculous and ignorant. Obviuosly that person has no clue what good food is and has probably never had a good southern home cooked meal. Cajun food has so much flavor and people live for it. Know what your talking about before you make an IGNORANT comment about someone's cooking and lifestyle. I highly recommend Gumbo's!

08/14/06

Cajun in a can

by rca_girl

I had a disappointing meal with my brother one night at Gumbo's. With a name like that, I figured it had to have good Gumbo but it wasn't. I have never had my entree smothered in gumbo, but I tried it and I realized why. It was horrible. I also wqas not pleased with the bill. Cajun food is what the poor people in Louisiana were raised on.

• Pros: service was good
• Cons: everything else lacked