Great service, friendly people, and tasty food. They will give you samples of anything you wish to try. Great selection of hot sauces and beer. Went in on a whim while going to Target, and VERY pleased that we did. Nice job!
(4)
Emory W.
What a great surprise this place was. Discovered it at lunch, returned for dinner. Full rich flavors, lots of variety. Left stuffed and satisfied. Gumbo with jambalaya, drunken chicken po boy, black and blue dip, Abita amber ale (from Louisiana). Forget those tired burgers. Excite your mouth.
(5)
Jared T.
Tried the muffaletta last time in The Fort. I'd recommend you do the same. We actually went here right after going to the Central Grocer in the French Quarter. Easily the best muffaletta we've had outside of the bayou, probably better than most of the ones there too. Go eat it. Thank me later.
(5)
Stephanie S.
I've been here quite a few times and love the jammin' gumbo! So delicious. And their buttered bread is THE BEST. Never seems too busy, which is great if you are in a hurry, and it's always clean. Very friendly staff.
(5)
AdamJon H.
Eh. Kill me now... Spent a lot of time in New Orleans. J. Gumbos feels like an earnest attempt to harness the charm and decor of a bistro off the Cabildo in the French Quarter. Sadly, it's a complete miss. The offerings in this chain-ish restaurant not only fail to remotely resemble NOLA cuisine, but are pathetically seasoned. Tried the jambalaya - it's been around the block. The rice, while fresher than the chief ingredients poured over it - screams Uncle Ben's instant cook. The gumbo was equally unappealing. Can't quite understand a New Orleans style restaurant which prominently features Poor Boys but fails to allocate a single usual suspect. (I.e.: shrimp, oyster, roast beef debris, etc...) Hello - are you completely Mad or just totally self involved? Please mind tradition before tossing something called "bumblebee chicken" into a baguette and sending it on to unsuspecting Northerners. The only saving grace is that they carry Abita bottles and Zapps Voodoo gumbo chips. But, alas, I digress. Won't ever be back...
(1)
Anita H.
I had the Drunken Chicken and my boyfriend had the Jean Lafitte. Both were flavorful, the tomatoes definitely shined with the depth of flavor that they provided. My dish was slightly spicy and the rice balanced out the spice. My boyfriend's dish was a little bit spicier. He enjoyed how the flavors of the chicken and soup blended. We definitely will be adding this restaurant to our rotation.
(4)
Mason J.
I am from the Louisville, KY area and have been eating J. Gumbo's for years. When I found this one in Ft Collins I got super excited. I pretty much immediately made the trek from Denver up just for some red beans and rice, voodoo nachos, bourbon street chicken, and voodoo gumbo. Oh man is it fantastic. If you're in the area you should definitely stop on by.
(4)
Peter P.
I don't usually find myself in Fort Collins around lunch time yet, a few days ago, I did just that. There are no lack of restaurants in that area; many of them, well-known chains which can be found anywhere else in the Denver area. I was feeling particularly adventurous and decided to try J. Gumbo's for a taste of southern cooking. I will admit that, if you are looking for the most authentic taste in Gumbo, you need to plan a vacation to Louisiana yet, if you don't have the time to fly there this afternoon, do your mouth a favor and sneak into J. Gumbo's for a quick facsimile of good southern cuisine. The food here is quite delicious; the service, fast and friendly. Make sure to add a healthy slice of cornbread to your order and wash it all down with sweet tea. You'll walk out of there saying "Laissez les bon temps roulez."
(5)
Alexa G.
The Drunken Chicken is the best thing I've ever tasted. I got it in a small bowl with rice, the bread they serve with is also amazing. Staff was super nice.
(5)
Kristi M.
I love J. Gumbo's!! I don't consider it to have the authentic flavor of N'awlins.... But, let's be honest... We are in Fort Collins, people! The variety is nice and there are plenty of options for all types of diet. My favorite dishes are the voodoo chicken or the bumble bee stew. There's a dish with them mixed together, but the name escapes me now. Anyway, the bumble bee stew and many of their other dishes may be purchased in a half sized portion. Perfect for lunch! I have a bit of a tough time getting my 9 year old to eat here as she isn't fond of the options and can have Mac & cheese at home just as easily. She does love the corn bread and the desserts, however. (What kid wouldn't?!) The decor is nothing to write home about... But, again... Keep it in perspective. It's fun and playful off of the NOLA colors and culture. It's a quick serve restaurant, not a white table cloth. Just sayin! J. Gumbo, we will be back for sure!
(4)
Alyona D.
Pretty good verity of Gumbo style bowls. Though it was gonna be more upscale or a sit down but it's more of an assembly line in and out. Nothing spectacular in the ingredients worth it for a lunch break.
(3)
Ben S.
So while being lazy perusing Yelp for a bite to eat, I found J Gumbos and got excited for some Creole! So I jumped in the car and headed to the South side of town... I was surprised about the location as it's in a big strip mall, but whatever, I was craving some jambalaya!!! I came in and was promptly greeted by some nice folks, who looked like a family, yet this place had a corporate chain feel to it... So I order the jambalaya and get myself a sweet tea, cause you can't have southern food without some sweet tea... To which theirs was decent, nothing spectacular, but it was good. By the time I got that my food was ready! So I sat down and dug in! The jambalaya was good, however the rice was a bit dry for a jambalaya... Every time I've made jambalaya the rice was always super juicy, this was definitely lacking that... The spiciness was dead on perfect though, but as another reviewer noted the sausage was fairly bland... So all in all it was an ok experience which I will come back and try again... Maybe next time they will impress!
(3)
Ashwin D.
This place is crazy good. Good for lunch and dinner. I would highly suggest trying the Drunken Chicken or the Voodoo Chicken. This is real fresh food, well spiced along with a great ambience. I go here just for the feel good friendly atmosphere and hot, quick and tasty food. A treat for Cajun Creole lovers. Hope they open more branches around Colorado soon.
(5)
Mason N.
The crawfish etouffee was about 70% rice and only had five little crawfish in it. The etouffee sauce was alright but wasn't anything special. I also tried the voodoo chicken po' boy which ended up being just the chicken on some french bread. As a matter of fact, none of the po; boys they offer have the option of coming "dressed" (with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and mayo). Just putting some kind of filling on french bread doesn't make it a po' boy. It's just an underwhelming sandwich that happens to be on french bread. It's not the worst thing I've ever eaten, but I do feel that I paid too much for what ended up being imitation Cajun food. Also- I ordered from here using order up and they didn't even throw in the bag of Zapp's chips that's supposed to come with the sandwich. So overall it wasn't a positive experience and I won't be eating there again.
(2)
Amanda B.
It seems hard to find, tucked in a small section next to sallies and game stop. Don't let that stop you! Upon entering the restaurant I immediately noticed how clean and well kept it looked. The menu items were clear and we were immediately greeted with a smile. I had the drunken chicken, which had such a rich, well developed, and truly Cajun flavors I couldn't believe it! The portion sizes were large enough so that I had enough to take home for later. I highly recommend this restaurant..
(5)
Nicole D.
Super friendly staff. My husband and I came in with our 4 kids and needed some non-spicy as well as gluten free options. They had great recommendations and lots of options. Food was FANTASTIC!!! Will be back.
(5)
Tyler P.
I have tried a few different things and all have been very good. The staff is very nice and you can try anything before you buy.
(5)
Lindsay O.
We did delivery using the orderup app. My shrimp came perfectly cooked which you don't see often at all (especially with delivery). My husband liked his burbon chicken but found it a little too salty. The best part of the whole meal was the crawfish cheese dip!! There were actual chunks of crawfish which was incredible!! The hubby and I devoured it lol could have used a few more chips though... I also loved the garlic bread! Over all great experience! Can't wait to try it on location
(4)
Steven S.
I continue to come back to J Gumbo's and am never disappointed. Very consistent preparation and flavor. May not be authentic Cajun, but very tasty. I will frequent this place as long as it stays open.
(4)
Heather T.
Wow. I am a bit speechless and that almost never happens with food. After snagging a Living Social deal for J Gumbo's, I came here for dinner. The dining area is really clean and the staff was very nice which was by far the best part of the experience. Where things started to go awry was the food. First, I was surprised to notice that every dish with meat in it has MSG. The veggie dishes were MSG free so that's the route I went. I settled on the white bean chili and got the jambalaya for the hubs. When I got home with dinner we eagerly opened our containers, took the first bites and gave each other the look of, "There are starving people and we don't want to waste food but this is bad, really bad." So we tried another bite and then started talking about what we were going to make for "second dinner" Hobbit style. To sum up, the rice tasted like minute rice and had no flavor along with being overcooked and dry in the jambalaya. My chili was so salty that I knew that I couldn't eat it or I'd suffer from chugging water and bloating out all night. The hubs could only taste spice in his dish and the sausage was bland. Bland sausage you say? Yes, c'est vrai. Sadly, this is not going to be the Cajun restaurant for us.
(1)
Susan Y.
I met a long-time friend for lunch here not long ago, and it was quite telling that our meal here made us wistful for Broussard's in Loveland from back in the day. While clean and generally pleasant, there's definitely less charm to the J. Gumbo fast-casual, corporate ambiance and frankly the food just has no soul. Crawfish etoufee was one of my favorite dishes at Broussards -- a flavorful roux, the trinity, a mess of crawfish tails, cayenne and other seasonings to kick up the flavor, smothering a scoop of rice -- so simple, yet so delicious. I had high hopes for it here but was really disappointed. The roux was bland ... there were like 5 crawfish ... the rice was too mushy and too voluminous. My friend had the drunken chicken, which was a vastly better dish, but it didn't really strike me as a cajun dish (though I am not an expert). It seemed like the kind of stew you might make at home for the Super Bowl, where you're pretty much just pouring beer into everything because, you know, it's for the Super Bowl. Somehow the rice to stew ratio seemed to work out better for this dish than it did for the etoufee. While I wouldn't go out of my way to come back, I can see how J. Gumbo would be a nice lunch option if you are in the area shopping or happen to work nearby. Portions are large, service is fast, and pricing is not bad.
(2)
Alden C.
J. Gumbo's has a nice selection of soul food or gumbo for you to pick from. Staples such as red beans and rice and jambalaya are available and at your disposal. Or consumption should I say. I got the white chili which is not that hot as far as chili goes but you can add hot sauce which is just a arm's reach away at whatever table you choose. I added some but not too much. It had a nice bite to it but is was not overpowering. The bowls are heaping so you should be full by the time you are done with it. Accompanied with all of the entrees is a piece of yummy buttered bread. J. Gumbo's is a nice addition to Fort Collins where Cajun food is few and far between. Looking forward to making a return trip!
(4)
Jennifer D.
My Family and I absolutely love this place! its the closest to cajun food, we've found in FoCo! Their food is delicious!!! A must try for everyone!
Sometimes I wish I could love something as much as Bryan Adams loves Sting and Rod Stewart in his smash early 90s hit, "All for Love." While that's highly unlikely, there are things that I do love ALMOST as much. Like salt. So, when I have a down home hankerin' for some MSG, I put on my sweat pants and tank top and head on down to J. Gumbo's. Service has been good the few times I've been in there, although I usually get it to go. The food really is pretty darned good and there are few other places like this in town. I'd prefer a more New Orleans style jazz music in the background (I mean, although I think about Bryan Adams constantly, I don't actually want to HEAR him while I'm there). This place is da "salt" bomb.
(4)
Don M.
The food was outstanding. Incredibly fresh. Ver clean environment. Customer service was great. I can't wait to go back!
(5)
Cassi W.
my family of 4 (me, hubby, two kids 3 & 5) went here yesterday and it was FANTASTIC! i loved it. i sampled four items before ordering. the employees there were super friendly and encouraged my "tasting". my husband loved the gumbo and they did 1/2 shrimp and 1/2 crawfish for him and i got two different entree's in my bowl as well; i just could not pick one! we love spicy food and cajun food in general. they serve each bowl with fresh, in house made bread and it was awesome too! price was fair and we all enjoyed our meal completely. my kids loved the bourbon chicken bowls. we WILL return and i also LOVE that kids eat free on sunday! that is so valuable to us! YUM :)
(5)
Melora W.
OK, yes, the ambiance is pretty mediocre (bad grocery-store-type music, looks like a Chipotle inside, other than some amateur "art" on the walls), but for a relatively fast lunch that doesn't cost too much and has plenty of flavor, including some spiciness, this is a good addition to Fort Collins. It hit the spot, made me sweat a little, and they even have a good selection of microbrews at a reasonable price. Service was good and servers were pleasant. I'll be back!
(4)
Philip R.
Excellent food. The VooDoo Nachos were really good and the Etouffee was tasty (but needed a little more crawfish)
(4)
Jessie J.
Nothing beats hot summer sun like a nice hot bowl of gumbo. That being said, I really like this place, it's got something that is missing from most Fort Collins restaurants and that's .... wait for it .... FLAVOR! Granted there are a lot of uplander gringos in Colorado but being from the South and actually having had real Cajun food from the source I can say this is as close as it gets in Fort Collins. Now that's not to say it's even in the same ball-park as the real deal but it's pretty good. Something to consider if your a hot-head is that their version of 'hot' is 'Gringo-Hot' but they've got a good assortment of sauces if you need to kick it up. Another cool point is that they will let you try everything and point you to some pretty awesome combos. Now, another reviewer mentioned that their dishes have MSG in them. Well, guess what... so does every-other dish at every-other other restaurant. It's why restaurant food tastes so much better than your home cooked version of the same dish. This is no secret, it's simply the norm for the industry. In-short, the staff was cool and the food was good. The environment and music were a total miss (pop music? WTF) and reminded me of a Chili's but the food and people outweigh those minor drawbacks.
(4)
Steven D.
Wow! I stopped here pretty late this evening just before they closed but they still welcomed me in the door. I had the spicy voodoo chicken over rice and the gumbo also over rice. Both dishes were very good. the meal came with excellent garlic bread which helped douse the heat from the spicy voodoo chicken. Something that impressed me was the quality dinnerware they use for eat-in dinners. Not just some cheap plastic forks or paper plates. Plus they had original art work on the walls. The place is in the strip mall in front of the Target on Harmony in Fort Collins but when you eat there it feels like a much higher quality restaurant than what you would normally find in a strip mall. Plus even though this is a franchise restaurant it is locally owned.
(4)
Liz K.
I don't know much about creole / cajun food, but I do know that I truly enjoyed this place and it's food. It appears to be a family place and the youngsters were very helpful and attentive. Even though you order at the counter (after being offered whatever samples you'd like) they were very attentive throughout the dining experience, delivering our food and checking on us to be sure we had everything we needed. I loved the spice of the voodoo chicken, my son enjoyed his jambalaya. I can't wait to go back again to try some more.
(4)
Jordan T.
As a New Orleans native, I've had a LOT of bad "Cajun" food outside of Louisiana, to the point that I have to be dragged to try places like this. After eating at J. Gumbo's, I'm so glad that I did. Everything I tasted was authentic and delicious, and the owner was incredibly kind and personable. I had a total classic - gumbo with jamabalaya instead of the white rice, downed the entire bowl, and then brought a batch home to Denver for dinner. That's how good it was. The food is dense with spice and flavor - exactly how it should be. We're still talking about how good it was days later. Please open a location in Denver! We'd love to have you.
(5)
Eric S.
Went here today for lunch with my parents and girlfriend. It was GOOD! We all had different dishes and every one was really good. The honey cornbread was AMAZING!
I was very excited to see a Cajun/Creole joint show up in FTC. My first impression was of a nice, clean lil restaurant. No sign or markings on the front door so that was a little odd but I chalked it up to being new and not having it done yet..totally understand that. I wasn't very impressed with anything else after walking in. Full disclosure..I am born and raised in the south Louisiana area and an amateur foodie so maybe I'm a little bit jaded when it comes to Cajun/creole cooking. That being said..I was very excited to try one of the Poboys. But to my surprise, I couldn't have a traditional Poboys, which is maybe the concept. A Poboy should be eaten with your hands..sandwich style..not open faced with a fork and knife. A Poboy should have lettuce, tomatoes and a choice of meats. If its a Cajun/creole Poboy then you should have the options of a catfish, crawfish, oyster or shrimp Poboy. The Poboy here was a variety of chicken stews served over bread. Btw the bread was fantastic. I had the drunken chicken Poboy an my gf had the voodoo Poboy. The flavors of both were very good and very spicy, but should have been served over rice not French bread or the like. I also had a bowl of gumbo. Again maybe because of my own experiences cooking Cajun food but I wasn't very happy with it. Cooking a proper gumbo requires a very attentive hand when making the base or roux. The flavor of the gumbo was very nice but I could tell the roux had been scorched, which is very easy to do. Also it could have had a little more rice. The sweet ice tea was fabulous as was the atmosphere. I will give the place a few weeks to get into the groove cause I do understand that it's new and that requires a lil time to get everything running smoothly. I look forward to trying it again.
(2)
Kimberly D.
J. Gumbos is a great new taste to have in Fort Collins. I've visited the restaurant a few times, even met a couple of friends there for a glass of wine after work (which was quite tasty for the price). I really enjoy the atmosphere and the service has been excellent. They were featuring artwork from one of the local elementary schools with a number of great pieces on the walls which I thought was a nice touch and a cool way to be part of the community. The dishes I've tried have all been outstanding--Drunken Chicken, Voodoo Chicken (spicy!), Red Beans and Rice and White Chili. The portions are big and the prices are reasonable, especially considering I usually have enough left over for a meal the next day. Makes me hungry just thinking about it!
(5)
Maggie G.
It was clean, the staff was nice. It took all three of them to help the only other customer. The gumbo was watery cooked for four hours, no way the onions were el dente and we saw our server slicing sausage into various pots on the steam table. The red rice and beans were not seasoned, Zatarains in the box is much better. The drunken chicken was OK but the cornbread was dry ( how do you ruin cornbread?). We won't be back.
(1)
Anya E.
We noticed the coming soon sign up a few weeks back and just happened to drive by and found it open today. It is a sit-down, chain restaurant but you order at the counter, get your own fountain drinks, and they bring you the food. I ordered the gumbo, and my husband got the etouffee. I'm no expert on Cajun/Creole food, so I can't speak to authenticity. My gumbo was served with a scoop of rice surrounded with a dark roux base sauce and lots of shredded chicken and tender sausage. It had a nice flavor and just needed a touch of salt which was available at the table. The etoufee was made with crawfish which were nicely cooked, and the sauce had a great flavor, but the rice to sauce ratio was a bit imbalanced. My husband would have enjoyed it more with half of the rice. A manager came by everyone's table to see if everything was in order. We learned that this was their second day in business. Everyone was friendly, and we had a good experience here. We'll be back to check out their po'boys and other delicious goodness on the menu.
(4)
Frankie G.
Ever since I been to the Big Easy if have been in search of my favorite dish Crawfish or shimp etouffee. Unfortunitly nobody knows how to make it. This was just a thick brown sauce with questionable flavor over a huge mound of rice. I also included 4 crawfish.
(2)
Me Y.
this place was suggested to me and i had my doubts but man what a payoff. the staff was very friendly and helpful in picking out what to eat. for anyone complaining about the food they let you sample anything you want before you order. the price was a bit high but the portion was so big i ate half and took the other half for lunch tomorrow!
(5)
Brian G.
Disappointing!! If your from Louisiana like me don't go unless your looking for new concoctions that seem to be a mix between Mexican and over seasond stews. Poboys??? Not even close.
(1)
Anita H.
I had the Drunken Chicken and my boyfriend had the Jean Lafitte. Both were flavorful, the tomatoes definitely shined with the depth of flavor that they provided. My dish was slightly spicy and the rice balanced out the spice. My boyfriend's dish was a little bit spicier. He enjoyed how the flavors of the chicken and soup blended. We definitely will be adding this restaurant to our rotation.
(4)
Mason J.
I am from the Louisville, KY area and have been eating J. Gumbo's for years. When I found this one in Ft Collins I got super excited. I pretty much immediately made the trek from Denver up just for some red beans and rice, voodoo nachos, bourbon street chicken, and voodoo gumbo. Oh man is it fantastic. If you're in the area you should definitely stop on by.
(4)
Alyona D.
Pretty good verity of Gumbo style bowls. Though it was gonna be more upscale or a sit down but it's more of an assembly line in and out. Nothing spectacular in the ingredients worth it for a lunch break.
(3)
Peter P.
I don't usually find myself in Fort Collins around lunch time yet, a few days ago, I did just that. There are no lack of restaurants in that area; many of them, well-known chains which can be found anywhere else in the Denver area. I was feeling particularly adventurous and decided to try J. Gumbo's for a taste of southern cooking. I will admit that, if you are looking for the most authentic taste in Gumbo, you need to plan a vacation to Louisiana yet, if you don't have the time to fly there this afternoon, do your mouth a favor and sneak into J. Gumbo's for a quick facsimile of good southern cuisine. The food here is quite delicious; the service, fast and friendly. Make sure to add a healthy slice of cornbread to your order and wash it all down with sweet tea. You'll walk out of there saying "Laissez les bon temps roulez."
(5)
Alexa G.
The Drunken Chicken is the best thing I've ever tasted. I got it in a small bowl with rice, the bread they serve with is also amazing. Staff was super nice.
(5)
Kristi M.
I love J. Gumbo's!! I don't consider it to have the authentic flavor of N'awlins.... But, let's be honest... We are in Fort Collins, people! The variety is nice and there are plenty of options for all types of diet. My favorite dishes are the voodoo chicken or the bumble bee stew. There's a dish with them mixed together, but the name escapes me now. Anyway, the bumble bee stew and many of their other dishes may be purchased in a half sized portion. Perfect for lunch! I have a bit of a tough time getting my 9 year old to eat here as she isn't fond of the options and can have Mac & cheese at home just as easily. She does love the corn bread and the desserts, however. (What kid wouldn't?!) The decor is nothing to write home about... But, again... Keep it in perspective. It's fun and playful off of the NOLA colors and culture. It's a quick serve restaurant, not a white table cloth. Just sayin! J. Gumbo, we will be back for sure!
(4)
Ben S.
So while being lazy perusing Yelp for a bite to eat, I found J Gumbos and got excited for some Creole! So I jumped in the car and headed to the South side of town... I was surprised about the location as it's in a big strip mall, but whatever, I was craving some jambalaya!!! I came in and was promptly greeted by some nice folks, who looked like a family, yet this place had a corporate chain feel to it... So I order the jambalaya and get myself a sweet tea, cause you can't have southern food without some sweet tea... To which theirs was decent, nothing spectacular, but it was good. By the time I got that my food was ready! So I sat down and dug in! The jambalaya was good, however the rice was a bit dry for a jambalaya... Every time I've made jambalaya the rice was always super juicy, this was definitely lacking that... The spiciness was dead on perfect though, but as another reviewer noted the sausage was fairly bland... So all in all it was an ok experience which I will come back and try again... Maybe next time they will impress!
(3)
Ashwin D.
This place is crazy good. Good for lunch and dinner. I would highly suggest trying the Drunken Chicken or the Voodoo Chicken. This is real fresh food, well spiced along with a great ambience. I go here just for the feel good friendly atmosphere and hot, quick and tasty food. A treat for Cajun Creole lovers. Hope they open more branches around Colorado soon.
(5)
Mason N.
The crawfish etouffee was about 70% rice and only had five little crawfish in it. The etouffee sauce was alright but wasn't anything special. I also tried the voodoo chicken po' boy which ended up being just the chicken on some french bread. As a matter of fact, none of the po; boys they offer have the option of coming "dressed" (with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and mayo). Just putting some kind of filling on french bread doesn't make it a po' boy. It's just an underwhelming sandwich that happens to be on french bread. It's not the worst thing I've ever eaten, but I do feel that I paid too much for what ended up being imitation Cajun food. Also- I ordered from here using order up and they didn't even throw in the bag of Zapp's chips that's supposed to come with the sandwich. So overall it wasn't a positive experience and I won't be eating there again.
(2)
Jordan T.
As a New Orleans native, I've had a LOT of bad "Cajun" food outside of Louisiana, to the point that I have to be dragged to try places like this. After eating at J. Gumbo's, I'm so glad that I did. Everything I tasted was authentic and delicious, and the owner was incredibly kind and personable. I had a total classic - gumbo with jamabalaya instead of the white rice, downed the entire bowl, and then brought a batch home to Denver for dinner. That's how good it was. The food is dense with spice and flavor - exactly how it should be. We're still talking about how good it was days later. Please open a location in Denver! We'd love to have you.
(5)
Cassi W.
my family of 4 (me, hubby, two kids 3 & 5) went here yesterday and it was FANTASTIC! i loved it. i sampled four items before ordering. the employees there were super friendly and encouraged my "tasting". my husband loved the gumbo and they did 1/2 shrimp and 1/2 crawfish for him and i got two different entree's in my bowl as well; i just could not pick one! we love spicy food and cajun food in general. they serve each bowl with fresh, in house made bread and it was awesome too! price was fair and we all enjoyed our meal completely. my kids loved the bourbon chicken bowls. we WILL return and i also LOVE that kids eat free on sunday! that is so valuable to us! YUM :)
(5)
Melora W.
OK, yes, the ambiance is pretty mediocre (bad grocery-store-type music, looks like a Chipotle inside, other than some amateur "art" on the walls), but for a relatively fast lunch that doesn't cost too much and has plenty of flavor, including some spiciness, this is a good addition to Fort Collins. It hit the spot, made me sweat a little, and they even have a good selection of microbrews at a reasonable price. Service was good and servers were pleasant. I'll be back!
(4)
Philip R.
Excellent food. The VooDoo Nachos were really good and the Etouffee was tasty (but needed a little more crawfish)
(4)
Jacob E.
Great service, friendly people, and tasty food. They will give you samples of anything you wish to try. Great selection of hot sauces and beer. Went in on a whim while going to Target, and VERY pleased that we did. Nice job!
(4)
Emory W.
What a great surprise this place was. Discovered it at lunch, returned for dinner. Full rich flavors, lots of variety. Left stuffed and satisfied. Gumbo with jambalaya, drunken chicken po boy, black and blue dip, Abita amber ale (from Louisiana). Forget those tired burgers. Excite your mouth.
(5)
Eric S.
Went here today for lunch with my parents and girlfriend. It was GOOD! We all had different dishes and every one was really good. The honey cornbread was AMAZING!
Tried the muffaletta last time in The Fort. I'd recommend you do the same. We actually went here right after going to the Central Grocer in the French Quarter. Easily the best muffaletta we've had outside of the bayou, probably better than most of the ones there too. Go eat it. Thank me later.
(5)
Stephanie S.
I've been here quite a few times and love the jammin' gumbo! So delicious. And their buttered bread is THE BEST. Never seems too busy, which is great if you are in a hurry, and it's always clean. Very friendly staff.
(5)
AdamJon H.
Eh. Kill me now... Spent a lot of time in New Orleans. J. Gumbos feels like an earnest attempt to harness the charm and decor of a bistro off the Cabildo in the French Quarter. Sadly, it's a complete miss. The offerings in this chain-ish restaurant not only fail to remotely resemble NOLA cuisine, but are pathetically seasoned. Tried the jambalaya - it's been around the block. The rice, while fresher than the chief ingredients poured over it - screams Uncle Ben's instant cook. The gumbo was equally unappealing. Can't quite understand a New Orleans style restaurant which prominently features Poor Boys but fails to allocate a single usual suspect. (I.e.: shrimp, oyster, roast beef debris, etc...) Hello - are you completely Mad or just totally self involved? Please mind tradition before tossing something called "bumblebee chicken" into a baguette and sending it on to unsuspecting Northerners. The only saving grace is that they carry Abita bottles and Zapps Voodoo gumbo chips. But, alas, I digress. Won't ever be back...
this place was suggested to me and i had my doubts but man what a payoff. the staff was very friendly and helpful in picking out what to eat. for anyone complaining about the food they let you sample anything you want before you order. the price was a bit high but the portion was so big i ate half and took the other half for lunch tomorrow!
(5)
Amanda B.
It seems hard to find, tucked in a small section next to sallies and game stop. Don't let that stop you! Upon entering the restaurant I immediately noticed how clean and well kept it looked. The menu items were clear and we were immediately greeted with a smile. I had the drunken chicken, which had such a rich, well developed, and truly Cajun flavors I couldn't believe it! The portion sizes were large enough so that I had enough to take home for later. I highly recommend this restaurant..
(5)
Nicole D.
Super friendly staff. My husband and I came in with our 4 kids and needed some non-spicy as well as gluten free options. They had great recommendations and lots of options. Food was FANTASTIC!!! Will be back.
(5)
Tyler P.
I have tried a few different things and all have been very good. The staff is very nice and you can try anything before you buy.
(5)
Lindsay O.
We did delivery using the orderup app. My shrimp came perfectly cooked which you don't see often at all (especially with delivery). My husband liked his burbon chicken but found it a little too salty. The best part of the whole meal was the crawfish cheese dip!! There were actual chunks of crawfish which was incredible!! The hubby and I devoured it lol could have used a few more chips though... I also loved the garlic bread! Over all great experience! Can't wait to try it on location
(4)
Steven S.
I continue to come back to J Gumbo's and am never disappointed. Very consistent preparation and flavor. May not be authentic Cajun, but very tasty. I will frequent this place as long as it stays open.
(4)
Heather T.
Wow. I am a bit speechless and that almost never happens with food. After snagging a Living Social deal for J Gumbo's, I came here for dinner. The dining area is really clean and the staff was very nice which was by far the best part of the experience. Where things started to go awry was the food. First, I was surprised to notice that every dish with meat in it has MSG. The veggie dishes were MSG free so that's the route I went. I settled on the white bean chili and got the jambalaya for the hubs. When I got home with dinner we eagerly opened our containers, took the first bites and gave each other the look of, "There are starving people and we don't want to waste food but this is bad, really bad." So we tried another bite and then started talking about what we were going to make for "second dinner" Hobbit style. To sum up, the rice tasted like minute rice and had no flavor along with being overcooked and dry in the jambalaya. My chili was so salty that I knew that I couldn't eat it or I'd suffer from chugging water and bloating out all night. The hubs could only taste spice in his dish and the sausage was bland. Bland sausage you say? Yes, c'est vrai. Sadly, this is not going to be the Cajun restaurant for us.
(1)
Susan Y.
I met a long-time friend for lunch here not long ago, and it was quite telling that our meal here made us wistful for Broussard's in Loveland from back in the day. While clean and generally pleasant, there's definitely less charm to the J. Gumbo fast-casual, corporate ambiance and frankly the food just has no soul. Crawfish etoufee was one of my favorite dishes at Broussards -- a flavorful roux, the trinity, a mess of crawfish tails, cayenne and other seasonings to kick up the flavor, smothering a scoop of rice -- so simple, yet so delicious. I had high hopes for it here but was really disappointed. The roux was bland ... there were like 5 crawfish ... the rice was too mushy and too voluminous. My friend had the drunken chicken, which was a vastly better dish, but it didn't really strike me as a cajun dish (though I am not an expert). It seemed like the kind of stew you might make at home for the Super Bowl, where you're pretty much just pouring beer into everything because, you know, it's for the Super Bowl. Somehow the rice to stew ratio seemed to work out better for this dish than it did for the etoufee. While I wouldn't go out of my way to come back, I can see how J. Gumbo would be a nice lunch option if you are in the area shopping or happen to work nearby. Portions are large, service is fast, and pricing is not bad.
(2)
Alden C.
J. Gumbo's has a nice selection of soul food or gumbo for you to pick from. Staples such as red beans and rice and jambalaya are available and at your disposal. Or consumption should I say. I got the white chili which is not that hot as far as chili goes but you can add hot sauce which is just a arm's reach away at whatever table you choose. I added some but not too much. It had a nice bite to it but is was not overpowering. The bowls are heaping so you should be full by the time you are done with it. Accompanied with all of the entrees is a piece of yummy buttered bread. J. Gumbo's is a nice addition to Fort Collins where Cajun food is few and far between. Looking forward to making a return trip!
(4)
Jennifer D.
My Family and I absolutely love this place! its the closest to cajun food, we've found in FoCo! Their food is delicious!!! A must try for everyone!
(5)
Ben C.
I was very excited to see a Cajun/Creole joint show up in FTC. My first impression was of a nice, clean lil restaurant. No sign or markings on the front door so that was a little odd but I chalked it up to being new and not having it done yet..totally understand that. I wasn't very impressed with anything else after walking in. Full disclosure..I am born and raised in the south Louisiana area and an amateur foodie so maybe I'm a little bit jaded when it comes to Cajun/creole cooking. That being said..I was very excited to try one of the Poboys. But to my surprise, I couldn't have a traditional Poboys, which is maybe the concept. A Poboy should be eaten with your hands..sandwich style..not open faced with a fork and knife. A Poboy should have lettuce, tomatoes and a choice of meats. If its a Cajun/creole Poboy then you should have the options of a catfish, crawfish, oyster or shrimp Poboy. The Poboy here was a variety of chicken stews served over bread. Btw the bread was fantastic. I had the drunken chicken Poboy an my gf had the voodoo Poboy. The flavors of both were very good and very spicy, but should have been served over rice not French bread or the like. I also had a bowl of gumbo. Again maybe because of my own experiences cooking Cajun food but I wasn't very happy with it. Cooking a proper gumbo requires a very attentive hand when making the base or roux. The flavor of the gumbo was very nice but I could tell the roux had been scorched, which is very easy to do. Also it could have had a little more rice. The sweet ice tea was fabulous as was the atmosphere. I will give the place a few weeks to get into the groove cause I do understand that it's new and that requires a lil time to get everything running smoothly. I look forward to trying it again.
(2)
Kimberly D.
J. Gumbos is a great new taste to have in Fort Collins. I've visited the restaurant a few times, even met a couple of friends there for a glass of wine after work (which was quite tasty for the price). I really enjoy the atmosphere and the service has been excellent. They were featuring artwork from one of the local elementary schools with a number of great pieces on the walls which I thought was a nice touch and a cool way to be part of the community. The dishes I've tried have all been outstanding--Drunken Chicken, Voodoo Chicken (spicy!), Red Beans and Rice and White Chili. The portions are big and the prices are reasonable, especially considering I usually have enough left over for a meal the next day. Makes me hungry just thinking about it!
(5)
Maggie G.
It was clean, the staff was nice. It took all three of them to help the only other customer. The gumbo was watery cooked for four hours, no way the onions were el dente and we saw our server slicing sausage into various pots on the steam table. The red rice and beans were not seasoned, Zatarains in the box is much better. The drunken chicken was OK but the cornbread was dry ( how do you ruin cornbread?). We won't be back.
(1)
Brian G.
Disappointing!! If your from Louisiana like me don't go unless your looking for new concoctions that seem to be a mix between Mexican and over seasond stews. Poboys??? Not even close.
(1)
Anya E.
We noticed the coming soon sign up a few weeks back and just happened to drive by and found it open today. It is a sit-down, chain restaurant but you order at the counter, get your own fountain drinks, and they bring you the food. I ordered the gumbo, and my husband got the etouffee. I'm no expert on Cajun/Creole food, so I can't speak to authenticity. My gumbo was served with a scoop of rice surrounded with a dark roux base sauce and lots of shredded chicken and tender sausage. It had a nice flavor and just needed a touch of salt which was available at the table. The etoufee was made with crawfish which were nicely cooked, and the sauce had a great flavor, but the rice to sauce ratio was a bit imbalanced. My husband would have enjoyed it more with half of the rice. A manager came by everyone's table to see if everything was in order. We learned that this was their second day in business. Everyone was friendly, and we had a good experience here. We'll be back to check out their po'boys and other delicious goodness on the menu.
(4)
Frankie G.
Ever since I been to the Big Easy if have been in search of my favorite dish Crawfish or shimp etouffee. Unfortunitly nobody knows how to make it. This was just a thick brown sauce with questionable flavor over a huge mound of rice. I also included 4 crawfish.
(2)
Russ H.
Sometimes I wish I could love something as much as Bryan Adams loves Sting and Rod Stewart in his smash early 90s hit, "All for Love." While that's highly unlikely, there are things that I do love ALMOST as much. Like salt. So, when I have a down home hankerin' for some MSG, I put on my sweat pants and tank top and head on down to J. Gumbo's. Service has been good the few times I've been in there, although I usually get it to go. The food really is pretty darned good and there are few other places like this in town. I'd prefer a more New Orleans style jazz music in the background (I mean, although I think about Bryan Adams constantly, I don't actually want to HEAR him while I'm there). This place is da "salt" bomb.
(4)
Don M.
The food was outstanding. Incredibly fresh. Ver clean environment. Customer service was great. I can't wait to go back!
(5)
Jessie J.
Nothing beats hot summer sun like a nice hot bowl of gumbo. That being said, I really like this place, it's got something that is missing from most Fort Collins restaurants and that's .... wait for it .... FLAVOR! Granted there are a lot of uplander gringos in Colorado but being from the South and actually having had real Cajun food from the source I can say this is as close as it gets in Fort Collins. Now that's not to say it's even in the same ball-park as the real deal but it's pretty good. Something to consider if your a hot-head is that their version of 'hot' is 'Gringo-Hot' but they've got a good assortment of sauces if you need to kick it up. Another cool point is that they will let you try everything and point you to some pretty awesome combos. Now, another reviewer mentioned that their dishes have MSG in them. Well, guess what... so does every-other dish at every-other other restaurant. It's why restaurant food tastes so much better than your home cooked version of the same dish. This is no secret, it's simply the norm for the industry. In-short, the staff was cool and the food was good. The environment and music were a total miss (pop music? WTF) and reminded me of a Chili's but the food and people outweigh those minor drawbacks.
(4)
Steven D.
Wow! I stopped here pretty late this evening just before they closed but they still welcomed me in the door. I had the spicy voodoo chicken over rice and the gumbo also over rice. Both dishes were very good. the meal came with excellent garlic bread which helped douse the heat from the spicy voodoo chicken. Something that impressed me was the quality dinnerware they use for eat-in dinners. Not just some cheap plastic forks or paper plates. Plus they had original art work on the walls. The place is in the strip mall in front of the Target on Harmony in Fort Collins but when you eat there it feels like a much higher quality restaurant than what you would normally find in a strip mall. Plus even though this is a franchise restaurant it is locally owned.
(4)
Liz K.
I don't know much about creole / cajun food, but I do know that I truly enjoyed this place and it's food. It appears to be a family place and the youngsters were very helpful and attentive. Even though you order at the counter (after being offered whatever samples you'd like) they were very attentive throughout the dining experience, delivering our food and checking on us to be sure we had everything we needed. I loved the spice of the voodoo chicken, my son enjoyed his jambalaya. I can't wait to go back again to try some more.
(4)
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Address :2842 Council Tree Ave
Fort Collins, CO, 80525
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : No Caters : Yes
Jacob E.
Great service, friendly people, and tasty food. They will give you samples of anything you wish to try. Great selection of hot sauces and beer. Went in on a whim while going to Target, and VERY pleased that we did. Nice job!
(4)Emory W.
What a great surprise this place was. Discovered it at lunch, returned for dinner. Full rich flavors, lots of variety. Left stuffed and satisfied. Gumbo with jambalaya, drunken chicken po boy, black and blue dip, Abita amber ale (from Louisiana). Forget those tired burgers. Excite your mouth.
(5)Jared T.
Tried the muffaletta last time in The Fort. I'd recommend you do the same. We actually went here right after going to the Central Grocer in the French Quarter. Easily the best muffaletta we've had outside of the bayou, probably better than most of the ones there too. Go eat it. Thank me later.
(5)Stephanie S.
I've been here quite a few times and love the jammin' gumbo! So delicious. And their buttered bread is THE BEST. Never seems too busy, which is great if you are in a hurry, and it's always clean. Very friendly staff.
(5)AdamJon H.
Eh. Kill me now... Spent a lot of time in New Orleans. J. Gumbos feels like an earnest attempt to harness the charm and decor of a bistro off the Cabildo in the French Quarter. Sadly, it's a complete miss. The offerings in this chain-ish restaurant not only fail to remotely resemble NOLA cuisine, but are pathetically seasoned. Tried the jambalaya - it's been around the block. The rice, while fresher than the chief ingredients poured over it - screams Uncle Ben's instant cook. The gumbo was equally unappealing. Can't quite understand a New Orleans style restaurant which prominently features Poor Boys but fails to allocate a single usual suspect. (I.e.: shrimp, oyster, roast beef debris, etc...) Hello - are you completely Mad or just totally self involved? Please mind tradition before tossing something called "bumblebee chicken" into a baguette and sending it on to unsuspecting Northerners. The only saving grace is that they carry Abita bottles and Zapps Voodoo gumbo chips. But, alas, I digress. Won't ever be back...
(1)Anita H.
I had the Drunken Chicken and my boyfriend had the Jean Lafitte. Both were flavorful, the tomatoes definitely shined with the depth of flavor that they provided. My dish was slightly spicy and the rice balanced out the spice. My boyfriend's dish was a little bit spicier. He enjoyed how the flavors of the chicken and soup blended. We definitely will be adding this restaurant to our rotation.
(4)Mason J.
I am from the Louisville, KY area and have been eating J. Gumbo's for years. When I found this one in Ft Collins I got super excited. I pretty much immediately made the trek from Denver up just for some red beans and rice, voodoo nachos, bourbon street chicken, and voodoo gumbo. Oh man is it fantastic. If you're in the area you should definitely stop on by.
(4)Peter P.
I don't usually find myself in Fort Collins around lunch time yet, a few days ago, I did just that. There are no lack of restaurants in that area; many of them, well-known chains which can be found anywhere else in the Denver area. I was feeling particularly adventurous and decided to try J. Gumbo's for a taste of southern cooking. I will admit that, if you are looking for the most authentic taste in Gumbo, you need to plan a vacation to Louisiana yet, if you don't have the time to fly there this afternoon, do your mouth a favor and sneak into J. Gumbo's for a quick facsimile of good southern cuisine. The food here is quite delicious; the service, fast and friendly. Make sure to add a healthy slice of cornbread to your order and wash it all down with sweet tea. You'll walk out of there saying "Laissez les bon temps roulez."
(5)Alexa G.
The Drunken Chicken is the best thing I've ever tasted. I got it in a small bowl with rice, the bread they serve with is also amazing. Staff was super nice.
(5)Kristi M.
I love J. Gumbo's!! I don't consider it to have the authentic flavor of N'awlins.... But, let's be honest... We are in Fort Collins, people! The variety is nice and there are plenty of options for all types of diet. My favorite dishes are the voodoo chicken or the bumble bee stew. There's a dish with them mixed together, but the name escapes me now. Anyway, the bumble bee stew and many of their other dishes may be purchased in a half sized portion. Perfect for lunch! I have a bit of a tough time getting my 9 year old to eat here as she isn't fond of the options and can have Mac & cheese at home just as easily. She does love the corn bread and the desserts, however. (What kid wouldn't?!) The decor is nothing to write home about... But, again... Keep it in perspective. It's fun and playful off of the NOLA colors and culture. It's a quick serve restaurant, not a white table cloth. Just sayin! J. Gumbo, we will be back for sure!
(4)Alyona D.
Pretty good verity of Gumbo style bowls. Though it was gonna be more upscale or a sit down but it's more of an assembly line in and out. Nothing spectacular in the ingredients worth it for a lunch break.
(3)Ben S.
So while being lazy perusing Yelp for a bite to eat, I found J Gumbos and got excited for some Creole! So I jumped in the car and headed to the South side of town... I was surprised about the location as it's in a big strip mall, but whatever, I was craving some jambalaya!!! I came in and was promptly greeted by some nice folks, who looked like a family, yet this place had a corporate chain feel to it... So I order the jambalaya and get myself a sweet tea, cause you can't have southern food without some sweet tea... To which theirs was decent, nothing spectacular, but it was good. By the time I got that my food was ready! So I sat down and dug in! The jambalaya was good, however the rice was a bit dry for a jambalaya... Every time I've made jambalaya the rice was always super juicy, this was definitely lacking that... The spiciness was dead on perfect though, but as another reviewer noted the sausage was fairly bland... So all in all it was an ok experience which I will come back and try again... Maybe next time they will impress!
(3)Ashwin D.
This place is crazy good. Good for lunch and dinner. I would highly suggest trying the Drunken Chicken or the Voodoo Chicken. This is real fresh food, well spiced along with a great ambience. I go here just for the feel good friendly atmosphere and hot, quick and tasty food. A treat for Cajun Creole lovers. Hope they open more branches around Colorado soon.
(5)Mason N.
The crawfish etouffee was about 70% rice and only had five little crawfish in it. The etouffee sauce was alright but wasn't anything special. I also tried the voodoo chicken po' boy which ended up being just the chicken on some french bread. As a matter of fact, none of the po; boys they offer have the option of coming "dressed" (with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and mayo). Just putting some kind of filling on french bread doesn't make it a po' boy. It's just an underwhelming sandwich that happens to be on french bread. It's not the worst thing I've ever eaten, but I do feel that I paid too much for what ended up being imitation Cajun food. Also- I ordered from here using order up and they didn't even throw in the bag of Zapp's chips that's supposed to come with the sandwich. So overall it wasn't a positive experience and I won't be eating there again.
(2)Amanda B.
It seems hard to find, tucked in a small section next to sallies and game stop. Don't let that stop you! Upon entering the restaurant I immediately noticed how clean and well kept it looked. The menu items were clear and we were immediately greeted with a smile. I had the drunken chicken, which had such a rich, well developed, and truly Cajun flavors I couldn't believe it! The portion sizes were large enough so that I had enough to take home for later. I highly recommend this restaurant..
(5)Nicole D.
Super friendly staff. My husband and I came in with our 4 kids and needed some non-spicy as well as gluten free options. They had great recommendations and lots of options. Food was FANTASTIC!!! Will be back.
(5)Tyler P.
I have tried a few different things and all have been very good. The staff is very nice and you can try anything before you buy.
(5)Lindsay O.
We did delivery using the orderup app. My shrimp came perfectly cooked which you don't see often at all (especially with delivery). My husband liked his burbon chicken but found it a little too salty. The best part of the whole meal was the crawfish cheese dip!! There were actual chunks of crawfish which was incredible!! The hubby and I devoured it lol could have used a few more chips though... I also loved the garlic bread! Over all great experience! Can't wait to try it on location
(4)Steven S.
I continue to come back to J Gumbo's and am never disappointed. Very consistent preparation and flavor. May not be authentic Cajun, but very tasty. I will frequent this place as long as it stays open.
(4)Heather T.
Wow. I am a bit speechless and that almost never happens with food. After snagging a Living Social deal for J Gumbo's, I came here for dinner. The dining area is really clean and the staff was very nice which was by far the best part of the experience. Where things started to go awry was the food. First, I was surprised to notice that every dish with meat in it has MSG. The veggie dishes were MSG free so that's the route I went. I settled on the white bean chili and got the jambalaya for the hubs. When I got home with dinner we eagerly opened our containers, took the first bites and gave each other the look of, "There are starving people and we don't want to waste food but this is bad, really bad." So we tried another bite and then started talking about what we were going to make for "second dinner" Hobbit style. To sum up, the rice tasted like minute rice and had no flavor along with being overcooked and dry in the jambalaya. My chili was so salty that I knew that I couldn't eat it or I'd suffer from chugging water and bloating out all night. The hubs could only taste spice in his dish and the sausage was bland. Bland sausage you say? Yes, c'est vrai. Sadly, this is not going to be the Cajun restaurant for us.
(1)Susan Y.
I met a long-time friend for lunch here not long ago, and it was quite telling that our meal here made us wistful for Broussard's in Loveland from back in the day. While clean and generally pleasant, there's definitely less charm to the J. Gumbo fast-casual, corporate ambiance and frankly the food just has no soul. Crawfish etoufee was one of my favorite dishes at Broussards -- a flavorful roux, the trinity, a mess of crawfish tails, cayenne and other seasonings to kick up the flavor, smothering a scoop of rice -- so simple, yet so delicious. I had high hopes for it here but was really disappointed. The roux was bland ... there were like 5 crawfish ... the rice was too mushy and too voluminous. My friend had the drunken chicken, which was a vastly better dish, but it didn't really strike me as a cajun dish (though I am not an expert). It seemed like the kind of stew you might make at home for the Super Bowl, where you're pretty much just pouring beer into everything because, you know, it's for the Super Bowl. Somehow the rice to stew ratio seemed to work out better for this dish than it did for the etoufee. While I wouldn't go out of my way to come back, I can see how J. Gumbo would be a nice lunch option if you are in the area shopping or happen to work nearby. Portions are large, service is fast, and pricing is not bad.
(2)Alden C.
J. Gumbo's has a nice selection of soul food or gumbo for you to pick from. Staples such as red beans and rice and jambalaya are available and at your disposal. Or consumption should I say. I got the white chili which is not that hot as far as chili goes but you can add hot sauce which is just a arm's reach away at whatever table you choose. I added some but not too much. It had a nice bite to it but is was not overpowering. The bowls are heaping so you should be full by the time you are done with it. Accompanied with all of the entrees is a piece of yummy buttered bread. J. Gumbo's is a nice addition to Fort Collins where Cajun food is few and far between. Looking forward to making a return trip!
(4)Jennifer D.
My Family and I absolutely love this place! its the closest to cajun food, we've found in FoCo! Their food is delicious!!! A must try for everyone!
(5)David G.
There is nothing wrong with this place, so I'm not sure why its so empty in the evenings. The food has always been terrific, the service is earnest (if not totally professional) and the prices are reasonable. I only marked it 4 stars because 1) Décor is skimpy and somewhat like a fast-food joint and 2) The Abita beer is awful. Get the Abita out of the fridge and replace it with good beer.
(4)Russ H.
Sometimes I wish I could love something as much as Bryan Adams loves Sting and Rod Stewart in his smash early 90s hit, "All for Love." While that's highly unlikely, there are things that I do love ALMOST as much. Like salt. So, when I have a down home hankerin' for some MSG, I put on my sweat pants and tank top and head on down to J. Gumbo's. Service has been good the few times I've been in there, although I usually get it to go. The food really is pretty darned good and there are few other places like this in town. I'd prefer a more New Orleans style jazz music in the background (I mean, although I think about Bryan Adams constantly, I don't actually want to HEAR him while I'm there). This place is da "salt" bomb.
(4)Don M.
The food was outstanding. Incredibly fresh. Ver clean environment. Customer service was great. I can't wait to go back!
(5)Cassi W.
my family of 4 (me, hubby, two kids 3 & 5) went here yesterday and it was FANTASTIC! i loved it. i sampled four items before ordering. the employees there were super friendly and encouraged my "tasting". my husband loved the gumbo and they did 1/2 shrimp and 1/2 crawfish for him and i got two different entree's in my bowl as well; i just could not pick one! we love spicy food and cajun food in general. they serve each bowl with fresh, in house made bread and it was awesome too! price was fair and we all enjoyed our meal completely. my kids loved the bourbon chicken bowls. we WILL return and i also LOVE that kids eat free on sunday! that is so valuable to us! YUM :)
(5)Melora W.
OK, yes, the ambiance is pretty mediocre (bad grocery-store-type music, looks like a Chipotle inside, other than some amateur "art" on the walls), but for a relatively fast lunch that doesn't cost too much and has plenty of flavor, including some spiciness, this is a good addition to Fort Collins. It hit the spot, made me sweat a little, and they even have a good selection of microbrews at a reasonable price. Service was good and servers were pleasant. I'll be back!
(4)Philip R.
Excellent food. The VooDoo Nachos were really good and the Etouffee was tasty (but needed a little more crawfish)
(4)Jessie J.
Nothing beats hot summer sun like a nice hot bowl of gumbo. That being said, I really like this place, it's got something that is missing from most Fort Collins restaurants and that's .... wait for it .... FLAVOR! Granted there are a lot of uplander gringos in Colorado but being from the South and actually having had real Cajun food from the source I can say this is as close as it gets in Fort Collins. Now that's not to say it's even in the same ball-park as the real deal but it's pretty good. Something to consider if your a hot-head is that their version of 'hot' is 'Gringo-Hot' but they've got a good assortment of sauces if you need to kick it up. Another cool point is that they will let you try everything and point you to some pretty awesome combos. Now, another reviewer mentioned that their dishes have MSG in them. Well, guess what... so does every-other dish at every-other other restaurant. It's why restaurant food tastes so much better than your home cooked version of the same dish. This is no secret, it's simply the norm for the industry. In-short, the staff was cool and the food was good. The environment and music were a total miss (pop music? WTF) and reminded me of a Chili's but the food and people outweigh those minor drawbacks.
(4)Steven D.
Wow! I stopped here pretty late this evening just before they closed but they still welcomed me in the door. I had the spicy voodoo chicken over rice and the gumbo also over rice. Both dishes were very good. the meal came with excellent garlic bread which helped douse the heat from the spicy voodoo chicken. Something that impressed me was the quality dinnerware they use for eat-in dinners. Not just some cheap plastic forks or paper plates. Plus they had original art work on the walls. The place is in the strip mall in front of the Target on Harmony in Fort Collins but when you eat there it feels like a much higher quality restaurant than what you would normally find in a strip mall. Plus even though this is a franchise restaurant it is locally owned.
(4)Liz K.
I don't know much about creole / cajun food, but I do know that I truly enjoyed this place and it's food. It appears to be a family place and the youngsters were very helpful and attentive. Even though you order at the counter (after being offered whatever samples you'd like) they were very attentive throughout the dining experience, delivering our food and checking on us to be sure we had everything we needed. I loved the spice of the voodoo chicken, my son enjoyed his jambalaya. I can't wait to go back again to try some more.
(4)Jordan T.
As a New Orleans native, I've had a LOT of bad "Cajun" food outside of Louisiana, to the point that I have to be dragged to try places like this. After eating at J. Gumbo's, I'm so glad that I did. Everything I tasted was authentic and delicious, and the owner was incredibly kind and personable. I had a total classic - gumbo with jamabalaya instead of the white rice, downed the entire bowl, and then brought a batch home to Denver for dinner. That's how good it was. The food is dense with spice and flavor - exactly how it should be. We're still talking about how good it was days later. Please open a location in Denver! We'd love to have you.
(5)Eric S.
Went here today for lunch with my parents and girlfriend. It was GOOD! We all had different dishes and every one was really good. The honey cornbread was AMAZING!
(4)Darcy P.
My husband and I love the food here (the bread on the side should be replaced with something a little healthier, but otherwise we are happy). I particularly love the Red Beans and Rice and the Bourbon Chicken. He likes the Crawfish Étouffée.
(5)Ben C.
I was very excited to see a Cajun/Creole joint show up in FTC. My first impression was of a nice, clean lil restaurant. No sign or markings on the front door so that was a little odd but I chalked it up to being new and not having it done yet..totally understand that. I wasn't very impressed with anything else after walking in. Full disclosure..I am born and raised in the south Louisiana area and an amateur foodie so maybe I'm a little bit jaded when it comes to Cajun/creole cooking. That being said..I was very excited to try one of the Poboys. But to my surprise, I couldn't have a traditional Poboys, which is maybe the concept. A Poboy should be eaten with your hands..sandwich style..not open faced with a fork and knife. A Poboy should have lettuce, tomatoes and a choice of meats. If its a Cajun/creole Poboy then you should have the options of a catfish, crawfish, oyster or shrimp Poboy. The Poboy here was a variety of chicken stews served over bread. Btw the bread was fantastic. I had the drunken chicken Poboy an my gf had the voodoo Poboy. The flavors of both were very good and very spicy, but should have been served over rice not French bread or the like. I also had a bowl of gumbo. Again maybe because of my own experiences cooking Cajun food but I wasn't very happy with it. Cooking a proper gumbo requires a very attentive hand when making the base or roux. The flavor of the gumbo was very nice but I could tell the roux had been scorched, which is very easy to do. Also it could have had a little more rice. The sweet ice tea was fabulous as was the atmosphere. I will give the place a few weeks to get into the groove cause I do understand that it's new and that requires a lil time to get everything running smoothly. I look forward to trying it again.
(2)Kimberly D.
J. Gumbos is a great new taste to have in Fort Collins. I've visited the restaurant a few times, even met a couple of friends there for a glass of wine after work (which was quite tasty for the price). I really enjoy the atmosphere and the service has been excellent. They were featuring artwork from one of the local elementary schools with a number of great pieces on the walls which I thought was a nice touch and a cool way to be part of the community. The dishes I've tried have all been outstanding--Drunken Chicken, Voodoo Chicken (spicy!), Red Beans and Rice and White Chili. The portions are big and the prices are reasonable, especially considering I usually have enough left over for a meal the next day. Makes me hungry just thinking about it!
(5)Maggie G.
It was clean, the staff was nice. It took all three of them to help the only other customer. The gumbo was watery cooked for four hours, no way the onions were el dente and we saw our server slicing sausage into various pots on the steam table. The red rice and beans were not seasoned, Zatarains in the box is much better. The drunken chicken was OK but the cornbread was dry ( how do you ruin cornbread?). We won't be back.
(1)Anya E.
We noticed the coming soon sign up a few weeks back and just happened to drive by and found it open today. It is a sit-down, chain restaurant but you order at the counter, get your own fountain drinks, and they bring you the food. I ordered the gumbo, and my husband got the etouffee. I'm no expert on Cajun/Creole food, so I can't speak to authenticity. My gumbo was served with a scoop of rice surrounded with a dark roux base sauce and lots of shredded chicken and tender sausage. It had a nice flavor and just needed a touch of salt which was available at the table. The etoufee was made with crawfish which were nicely cooked, and the sauce had a great flavor, but the rice to sauce ratio was a bit imbalanced. My husband would have enjoyed it more with half of the rice. A manager came by everyone's table to see if everything was in order. We learned that this was their second day in business. Everyone was friendly, and we had a good experience here. We'll be back to check out their po'boys and other delicious goodness on the menu.
(4)Frankie G.
Ever since I been to the Big Easy if have been in search of my favorite dish Crawfish or shimp etouffee. Unfortunitly nobody knows how to make it. This was just a thick brown sauce with questionable flavor over a huge mound of rice. I also included 4 crawfish.
(2)Me Y.
this place was suggested to me and i had my doubts but man what a payoff. the staff was very friendly and helpful in picking out what to eat. for anyone complaining about the food they let you sample anything you want before you order. the price was a bit high but the portion was so big i ate half and took the other half for lunch tomorrow!
(5)Brian G.
Disappointing!! If your from Louisiana like me don't go unless your looking for new concoctions that seem to be a mix between Mexican and over seasond stews. Poboys??? Not even close.
(1)Anita H.
I had the Drunken Chicken and my boyfriend had the Jean Lafitte. Both were flavorful, the tomatoes definitely shined with the depth of flavor that they provided. My dish was slightly spicy and the rice balanced out the spice. My boyfriend's dish was a little bit spicier. He enjoyed how the flavors of the chicken and soup blended. We definitely will be adding this restaurant to our rotation.
(4)Mason J.
I am from the Louisville, KY area and have been eating J. Gumbo's for years. When I found this one in Ft Collins I got super excited. I pretty much immediately made the trek from Denver up just for some red beans and rice, voodoo nachos, bourbon street chicken, and voodoo gumbo. Oh man is it fantastic. If you're in the area you should definitely stop on by.
(4)Alyona D.
Pretty good verity of Gumbo style bowls. Though it was gonna be more upscale or a sit down but it's more of an assembly line in and out. Nothing spectacular in the ingredients worth it for a lunch break.
(3)Peter P.
I don't usually find myself in Fort Collins around lunch time yet, a few days ago, I did just that. There are no lack of restaurants in that area; many of them, well-known chains which can be found anywhere else in the Denver area. I was feeling particularly adventurous and decided to try J. Gumbo's for a taste of southern cooking. I will admit that, if you are looking for the most authentic taste in Gumbo, you need to plan a vacation to Louisiana yet, if you don't have the time to fly there this afternoon, do your mouth a favor and sneak into J. Gumbo's for a quick facsimile of good southern cuisine. The food here is quite delicious; the service, fast and friendly. Make sure to add a healthy slice of cornbread to your order and wash it all down with sweet tea. You'll walk out of there saying "Laissez les bon temps roulez."
(5)Alexa G.
The Drunken Chicken is the best thing I've ever tasted. I got it in a small bowl with rice, the bread they serve with is also amazing. Staff was super nice.
(5)Kristi M.
I love J. Gumbo's!! I don't consider it to have the authentic flavor of N'awlins.... But, let's be honest... We are in Fort Collins, people! The variety is nice and there are plenty of options for all types of diet. My favorite dishes are the voodoo chicken or the bumble bee stew. There's a dish with them mixed together, but the name escapes me now. Anyway, the bumble bee stew and many of their other dishes may be purchased in a half sized portion. Perfect for lunch! I have a bit of a tough time getting my 9 year old to eat here as she isn't fond of the options and can have Mac & cheese at home just as easily. She does love the corn bread and the desserts, however. (What kid wouldn't?!) The decor is nothing to write home about... But, again... Keep it in perspective. It's fun and playful off of the NOLA colors and culture. It's a quick serve restaurant, not a white table cloth. Just sayin! J. Gumbo, we will be back for sure!
(4)Ben S.
So while being lazy perusing Yelp for a bite to eat, I found J Gumbos and got excited for some Creole! So I jumped in the car and headed to the South side of town... I was surprised about the location as it's in a big strip mall, but whatever, I was craving some jambalaya!!! I came in and was promptly greeted by some nice folks, who looked like a family, yet this place had a corporate chain feel to it... So I order the jambalaya and get myself a sweet tea, cause you can't have southern food without some sweet tea... To which theirs was decent, nothing spectacular, but it was good. By the time I got that my food was ready! So I sat down and dug in! The jambalaya was good, however the rice was a bit dry for a jambalaya... Every time I've made jambalaya the rice was always super juicy, this was definitely lacking that... The spiciness was dead on perfect though, but as another reviewer noted the sausage was fairly bland... So all in all it was an ok experience which I will come back and try again... Maybe next time they will impress!
(3)Ashwin D.
This place is crazy good. Good for lunch and dinner. I would highly suggest trying the Drunken Chicken or the Voodoo Chicken. This is real fresh food, well spiced along with a great ambience. I go here just for the feel good friendly atmosphere and hot, quick and tasty food. A treat for Cajun Creole lovers. Hope they open more branches around Colorado soon.
(5)Mason N.
The crawfish etouffee was about 70% rice and only had five little crawfish in it. The etouffee sauce was alright but wasn't anything special. I also tried the voodoo chicken po' boy which ended up being just the chicken on some french bread. As a matter of fact, none of the po; boys they offer have the option of coming "dressed" (with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and mayo). Just putting some kind of filling on french bread doesn't make it a po' boy. It's just an underwhelming sandwich that happens to be on french bread. It's not the worst thing I've ever eaten, but I do feel that I paid too much for what ended up being imitation Cajun food. Also- I ordered from here using order up and they didn't even throw in the bag of Zapp's chips that's supposed to come with the sandwich. So overall it wasn't a positive experience and I won't be eating there again.
(2)Jordan T.
As a New Orleans native, I've had a LOT of bad "Cajun" food outside of Louisiana, to the point that I have to be dragged to try places like this. After eating at J. Gumbo's, I'm so glad that I did. Everything I tasted was authentic and delicious, and the owner was incredibly kind and personable. I had a total classic - gumbo with jamabalaya instead of the white rice, downed the entire bowl, and then brought a batch home to Denver for dinner. That's how good it was. The food is dense with spice and flavor - exactly how it should be. We're still talking about how good it was days later. Please open a location in Denver! We'd love to have you.
(5)Cassi W.
my family of 4 (me, hubby, two kids 3 & 5) went here yesterday and it was FANTASTIC! i loved it. i sampled four items before ordering. the employees there were super friendly and encouraged my "tasting". my husband loved the gumbo and they did 1/2 shrimp and 1/2 crawfish for him and i got two different entree's in my bowl as well; i just could not pick one! we love spicy food and cajun food in general. they serve each bowl with fresh, in house made bread and it was awesome too! price was fair and we all enjoyed our meal completely. my kids loved the bourbon chicken bowls. we WILL return and i also LOVE that kids eat free on sunday! that is so valuable to us! YUM :)
(5)Melora W.
OK, yes, the ambiance is pretty mediocre (bad grocery-store-type music, looks like a Chipotle inside, other than some amateur "art" on the walls), but for a relatively fast lunch that doesn't cost too much and has plenty of flavor, including some spiciness, this is a good addition to Fort Collins. It hit the spot, made me sweat a little, and they even have a good selection of microbrews at a reasonable price. Service was good and servers were pleasant. I'll be back!
(4)Philip R.
Excellent food. The VooDoo Nachos were really good and the Etouffee was tasty (but needed a little more crawfish)
(4)Jacob E.
Great service, friendly people, and tasty food. They will give you samples of anything you wish to try. Great selection of hot sauces and beer. Went in on a whim while going to Target, and VERY pleased that we did. Nice job!
(4)Emory W.
What a great surprise this place was. Discovered it at lunch, returned for dinner. Full rich flavors, lots of variety. Left stuffed and satisfied. Gumbo with jambalaya, drunken chicken po boy, black and blue dip, Abita amber ale (from Louisiana). Forget those tired burgers. Excite your mouth.
(5)Eric S.
Went here today for lunch with my parents and girlfriend. It was GOOD! We all had different dishes and every one was really good. The honey cornbread was AMAZING!
(4)Darcy P.
My husband and I love the food here (the bread on the side should be replaced with something a little healthier, but otherwise we are happy). I particularly love the Red Beans and Rice and the Bourbon Chicken. He likes the Crawfish Étouffée.
(5)Jared T.
Tried the muffaletta last time in The Fort. I'd recommend you do the same. We actually went here right after going to the Central Grocer in the French Quarter. Easily the best muffaletta we've had outside of the bayou, probably better than most of the ones there too. Go eat it. Thank me later.
(5)Stephanie S.
I've been here quite a few times and love the jammin' gumbo! So delicious. And their buttered bread is THE BEST. Never seems too busy, which is great if you are in a hurry, and it's always clean. Very friendly staff.
(5)AdamJon H.
Eh. Kill me now... Spent a lot of time in New Orleans. J. Gumbos feels like an earnest attempt to harness the charm and decor of a bistro off the Cabildo in the French Quarter. Sadly, it's a complete miss. The offerings in this chain-ish restaurant not only fail to remotely resemble NOLA cuisine, but are pathetically seasoned. Tried the jambalaya - it's been around the block. The rice, while fresher than the chief ingredients poured over it - screams Uncle Ben's instant cook. The gumbo was equally unappealing. Can't quite understand a New Orleans style restaurant which prominently features Poor Boys but fails to allocate a single usual suspect. (I.e.: shrimp, oyster, roast beef debris, etc...) Hello - are you completely Mad or just totally self involved? Please mind tradition before tossing something called "bumblebee chicken" into a baguette and sending it on to unsuspecting Northerners. The only saving grace is that they carry Abita bottles and Zapps Voodoo gumbo chips. But, alas, I digress. Won't ever be back...
(1)David G.
There is nothing wrong with this place, so I'm not sure why its so empty in the evenings. The food has always been terrific, the service is earnest (if not totally professional) and the prices are reasonable. I only marked it 4 stars because 1) Décor is skimpy and somewhat like a fast-food joint and 2) The Abita beer is awful. Get the Abita out of the fridge and replace it with good beer.
(4)Me Y.
this place was suggested to me and i had my doubts but man what a payoff. the staff was very friendly and helpful in picking out what to eat. for anyone complaining about the food they let you sample anything you want before you order. the price was a bit high but the portion was so big i ate half and took the other half for lunch tomorrow!
(5)Amanda B.
It seems hard to find, tucked in a small section next to sallies and game stop. Don't let that stop you! Upon entering the restaurant I immediately noticed how clean and well kept it looked. The menu items were clear and we were immediately greeted with a smile. I had the drunken chicken, which had such a rich, well developed, and truly Cajun flavors I couldn't believe it! The portion sizes were large enough so that I had enough to take home for later. I highly recommend this restaurant..
(5)Nicole D.
Super friendly staff. My husband and I came in with our 4 kids and needed some non-spicy as well as gluten free options. They had great recommendations and lots of options. Food was FANTASTIC!!! Will be back.
(5)Tyler P.
I have tried a few different things and all have been very good. The staff is very nice and you can try anything before you buy.
(5)Lindsay O.
We did delivery using the orderup app. My shrimp came perfectly cooked which you don't see often at all (especially with delivery). My husband liked his burbon chicken but found it a little too salty. The best part of the whole meal was the crawfish cheese dip!! There were actual chunks of crawfish which was incredible!! The hubby and I devoured it lol could have used a few more chips though... I also loved the garlic bread! Over all great experience! Can't wait to try it on location
(4)Steven S.
I continue to come back to J Gumbo's and am never disappointed. Very consistent preparation and flavor. May not be authentic Cajun, but very tasty. I will frequent this place as long as it stays open.
(4)Heather T.
Wow. I am a bit speechless and that almost never happens with food. After snagging a Living Social deal for J Gumbo's, I came here for dinner. The dining area is really clean and the staff was very nice which was by far the best part of the experience. Where things started to go awry was the food. First, I was surprised to notice that every dish with meat in it has MSG. The veggie dishes were MSG free so that's the route I went. I settled on the white bean chili and got the jambalaya for the hubs. When I got home with dinner we eagerly opened our containers, took the first bites and gave each other the look of, "There are starving people and we don't want to waste food but this is bad, really bad." So we tried another bite and then started talking about what we were going to make for "second dinner" Hobbit style. To sum up, the rice tasted like minute rice and had no flavor along with being overcooked and dry in the jambalaya. My chili was so salty that I knew that I couldn't eat it or I'd suffer from chugging water and bloating out all night. The hubs could only taste spice in his dish and the sausage was bland. Bland sausage you say? Yes, c'est vrai. Sadly, this is not going to be the Cajun restaurant for us.
(1)Susan Y.
I met a long-time friend for lunch here not long ago, and it was quite telling that our meal here made us wistful for Broussard's in Loveland from back in the day. While clean and generally pleasant, there's definitely less charm to the J. Gumbo fast-casual, corporate ambiance and frankly the food just has no soul. Crawfish etoufee was one of my favorite dishes at Broussards -- a flavorful roux, the trinity, a mess of crawfish tails, cayenne and other seasonings to kick up the flavor, smothering a scoop of rice -- so simple, yet so delicious. I had high hopes for it here but was really disappointed. The roux was bland ... there were like 5 crawfish ... the rice was too mushy and too voluminous. My friend had the drunken chicken, which was a vastly better dish, but it didn't really strike me as a cajun dish (though I am not an expert). It seemed like the kind of stew you might make at home for the Super Bowl, where you're pretty much just pouring beer into everything because, you know, it's for the Super Bowl. Somehow the rice to stew ratio seemed to work out better for this dish than it did for the etoufee. While I wouldn't go out of my way to come back, I can see how J. Gumbo would be a nice lunch option if you are in the area shopping or happen to work nearby. Portions are large, service is fast, and pricing is not bad.
(2)Alden C.
J. Gumbo's has a nice selection of soul food or gumbo for you to pick from. Staples such as red beans and rice and jambalaya are available and at your disposal. Or consumption should I say. I got the white chili which is not that hot as far as chili goes but you can add hot sauce which is just a arm's reach away at whatever table you choose. I added some but not too much. It had a nice bite to it but is was not overpowering. The bowls are heaping so you should be full by the time you are done with it. Accompanied with all of the entrees is a piece of yummy buttered bread. J. Gumbo's is a nice addition to Fort Collins where Cajun food is few and far between. Looking forward to making a return trip!
(4)Jennifer D.
My Family and I absolutely love this place! its the closest to cajun food, we've found in FoCo! Their food is delicious!!! A must try for everyone!
(5)Ben C.
I was very excited to see a Cajun/Creole joint show up in FTC. My first impression was of a nice, clean lil restaurant. No sign or markings on the front door so that was a little odd but I chalked it up to being new and not having it done yet..totally understand that. I wasn't very impressed with anything else after walking in. Full disclosure..I am born and raised in the south Louisiana area and an amateur foodie so maybe I'm a little bit jaded when it comes to Cajun/creole cooking. That being said..I was very excited to try one of the Poboys. But to my surprise, I couldn't have a traditional Poboys, which is maybe the concept. A Poboy should be eaten with your hands..sandwich style..not open faced with a fork and knife. A Poboy should have lettuce, tomatoes and a choice of meats. If its a Cajun/creole Poboy then you should have the options of a catfish, crawfish, oyster or shrimp Poboy. The Poboy here was a variety of chicken stews served over bread. Btw the bread was fantastic. I had the drunken chicken Poboy an my gf had the voodoo Poboy. The flavors of both were very good and very spicy, but should have been served over rice not French bread or the like. I also had a bowl of gumbo. Again maybe because of my own experiences cooking Cajun food but I wasn't very happy with it. Cooking a proper gumbo requires a very attentive hand when making the base or roux. The flavor of the gumbo was very nice but I could tell the roux had been scorched, which is very easy to do. Also it could have had a little more rice. The sweet ice tea was fabulous as was the atmosphere. I will give the place a few weeks to get into the groove cause I do understand that it's new and that requires a lil time to get everything running smoothly. I look forward to trying it again.
(2)Kimberly D.
J. Gumbos is a great new taste to have in Fort Collins. I've visited the restaurant a few times, even met a couple of friends there for a glass of wine after work (which was quite tasty for the price). I really enjoy the atmosphere and the service has been excellent. They were featuring artwork from one of the local elementary schools with a number of great pieces on the walls which I thought was a nice touch and a cool way to be part of the community. The dishes I've tried have all been outstanding--Drunken Chicken, Voodoo Chicken (spicy!), Red Beans and Rice and White Chili. The portions are big and the prices are reasonable, especially considering I usually have enough left over for a meal the next day. Makes me hungry just thinking about it!
(5)Maggie G.
It was clean, the staff was nice. It took all three of them to help the only other customer. The gumbo was watery cooked for four hours, no way the onions were el dente and we saw our server slicing sausage into various pots on the steam table. The red rice and beans were not seasoned, Zatarains in the box is much better. The drunken chicken was OK but the cornbread was dry ( how do you ruin cornbread?). We won't be back.
(1)Brian G.
Disappointing!! If your from Louisiana like me don't go unless your looking for new concoctions that seem to be a mix between Mexican and over seasond stews. Poboys??? Not even close.
(1)Anya E.
We noticed the coming soon sign up a few weeks back and just happened to drive by and found it open today. It is a sit-down, chain restaurant but you order at the counter, get your own fountain drinks, and they bring you the food. I ordered the gumbo, and my husband got the etouffee. I'm no expert on Cajun/Creole food, so I can't speak to authenticity. My gumbo was served with a scoop of rice surrounded with a dark roux base sauce and lots of shredded chicken and tender sausage. It had a nice flavor and just needed a touch of salt which was available at the table. The etoufee was made with crawfish which were nicely cooked, and the sauce had a great flavor, but the rice to sauce ratio was a bit imbalanced. My husband would have enjoyed it more with half of the rice. A manager came by everyone's table to see if everything was in order. We learned that this was their second day in business. Everyone was friendly, and we had a good experience here. We'll be back to check out their po'boys and other delicious goodness on the menu.
(4)Frankie G.
Ever since I been to the Big Easy if have been in search of my favorite dish Crawfish or shimp etouffee. Unfortunitly nobody knows how to make it. This was just a thick brown sauce with questionable flavor over a huge mound of rice. I also included 4 crawfish.
(2)Russ H.
Sometimes I wish I could love something as much as Bryan Adams loves Sting and Rod Stewart in his smash early 90s hit, "All for Love." While that's highly unlikely, there are things that I do love ALMOST as much. Like salt. So, when I have a down home hankerin' for some MSG, I put on my sweat pants and tank top and head on down to J. Gumbo's. Service has been good the few times I've been in there, although I usually get it to go. The food really is pretty darned good and there are few other places like this in town. I'd prefer a more New Orleans style jazz music in the background (I mean, although I think about Bryan Adams constantly, I don't actually want to HEAR him while I'm there). This place is da "salt" bomb.
(4)Don M.
The food was outstanding. Incredibly fresh. Ver clean environment. Customer service was great. I can't wait to go back!
(5)Jessie J.
Nothing beats hot summer sun like a nice hot bowl of gumbo. That being said, I really like this place, it's got something that is missing from most Fort Collins restaurants and that's .... wait for it .... FLAVOR! Granted there are a lot of uplander gringos in Colorado but being from the South and actually having had real Cajun food from the source I can say this is as close as it gets in Fort Collins. Now that's not to say it's even in the same ball-park as the real deal but it's pretty good. Something to consider if your a hot-head is that their version of 'hot' is 'Gringo-Hot' but they've got a good assortment of sauces if you need to kick it up. Another cool point is that they will let you try everything and point you to some pretty awesome combos. Now, another reviewer mentioned that their dishes have MSG in them. Well, guess what... so does every-other dish at every-other other restaurant. It's why restaurant food tastes so much better than your home cooked version of the same dish. This is no secret, it's simply the norm for the industry. In-short, the staff was cool and the food was good. The environment and music were a total miss (pop music? WTF) and reminded me of a Chili's but the food and people outweigh those minor drawbacks.
(4)Steven D.
Wow! I stopped here pretty late this evening just before they closed but they still welcomed me in the door. I had the spicy voodoo chicken over rice and the gumbo also over rice. Both dishes were very good. the meal came with excellent garlic bread which helped douse the heat from the spicy voodoo chicken. Something that impressed me was the quality dinnerware they use for eat-in dinners. Not just some cheap plastic forks or paper plates. Plus they had original art work on the walls. The place is in the strip mall in front of the Target on Harmony in Fort Collins but when you eat there it feels like a much higher quality restaurant than what you would normally find in a strip mall. Plus even though this is a franchise restaurant it is locally owned.
(4)Liz K.
I don't know much about creole / cajun food, but I do know that I truly enjoyed this place and it's food. It appears to be a family place and the youngsters were very helpful and attentive. Even though you order at the counter (after being offered whatever samples you'd like) they were very attentive throughout the dining experience, delivering our food and checking on us to be sure we had everything we needed. I loved the spice of the voodoo chicken, my son enjoyed his jambalaya. I can't wait to go back again to try some more.
(4)