J Gumbo’s

I was glad to see them open this location after eating at the location in Gahannah. This one at Polaris is quite a bit smaller, however serves a purpose on lunch breaks. Delicious food.

I usually do mix and Match and ive matched up some funky combo but lately I’m sticking with jambalaya and voodoo chicken. Seriously, if you love the voodoo, imagine that on top of Jambalaya.
I can’t give full 5 star not coz of authenticity or anything to that nature, I just wished theres other type of chicken than just the slow cooked shredded chicken with different seasoning. I love it but sometimes I want to try something different too

Rich, flavorful, yummy delicious food. That is how I would describe J Gumbo’s. I’ve been loving this location ever since it opened. I believe I’ve tried every item on the menu, but I always return back to the voodoo chicken. The spices in the dish are just right, they will give you a little bit of a sweats if you like heat but it’s not too much to handle. The gravies and broth are all rich and full of flavor, the gumbo is very smoky and meaty. The employees that run the store are always very friendly and helpful, samples are always available of everything they have to offer. If you like a good bowl of Cajun food this is the place to go.

We went for the first time and were surprised to find the place empty. We ordered jambalaya and a Po boy. Everything was delicious. We’ll definitely be returning.

I’ve had the wonderful vegetarian Bumblebee Stew once for dine-​in and twice for carryout. The service is pretty good and this location is convenient for lunch. Their cornbread is very good as an add-​on, but they give you bread with your entrée. I recommend!

So second time to j gumbos again, I have the same issue with temperature, I prefer my food hot, not steaming hot but def hotter than room temp which this was. I got the étouffée and the gumbo this time. I love the étouffée it was good as always but the gumbo was underwhelming you would think there gumbo would be great because of the name it also lacked heat. Secondly I got sour cream last time and was not charged this time I was charged which I don’t mine but the experience should be consistent each time i visit.

The menu is very simple and is sorted by varying heat levels. They offered samples so we could make our decision, it was nice to have a sample so we didn’t order something and then get stuck with it.
If you like it hot go for the Voodoo Chicken, this is what I ordered. It’s like a thick stew poured over rice and served with bread. The meal was delicious and the heat level was not overwhelming and more of a slow warm heat that allowed the other flavors to be tasted.
My wife ordered the Bourbon Street chicken, this had zero spice, very tasty and delicious.
The Service was a bit slow as there was only 1 lady working the line, but after awhile another male showed up to assist, the line moved quickly after the extra help showed up.
The only thing I disliked about this place was that they closed at 7:00pm, I thought this was a bit early for a restaurant but other than that I would recommend this place and would like to go back again and try some of the other dishes.

For someone who can’t handle spicy foods, a trip to J. Gumbo’s had the potential to be very disappointing. I was pleasantly surprised by the Bourbon Street Chicken. It was flavorful and delicious – without the typical Cajun spice! It was my first, but probably not last, time to eat there.
When I go again, I might try a different location. This place had a quick-​lunch-​stop feel to it, not a lot of seating, and was actually quite cold. I was told by the employees that the Gahanna location is more family-​friendly and stays open until 9 pm. This location closes at 7 pm, which seems odd.
So, for the food, I would give it five stars, but the atmosphere drags it down for this location.

I used to come to this location at least once a week. The woman that I assume was the manager and employees were pleasant, and the food was GREAT. If you had asked me a year ago, I would have easily said this place got 5 stars. Hands down. No questions asked.
…But then, the manager changed. And the nice employees were gone. And the hours got shorter. And the portion sizes got smaller. And the overall quality of the food declined. The last 5 or 6 times I went to this location, the only employee working was on the phone (even while taking orders). She was abrupt and genuinely seemed annoyed that we were there. Even worse than the service was the food. The bumble-​bee stew was often luke warm and the rice would sometimes be hard.
Try the location on Gay downtown – the service is great and the food is always hot.

Authentic Cajun food at a reasonable price? Count me in! We found J Gumbos on a recent trip to Columbus and for this Louisiana native it was a huge hit! I truly enjoyed every bite. So many places claim to have Cajun food, but this was really close to the real deal. I also appreciated that the portion size was not skimpy. In fact, I made two meals out of it!
If you are not used to spicy this might not be for you but by no means did I find it too spicy. I hope that is not confusing. I just would not want someone who cannot handle any spice to try this.

Voodoo chicken with bumblebee is excellent! Spicy and sweet. Enough for 2 – 3 meals for 8 bucks! Guy working was very knowledgable and let us taste may samples! Did not see any thing microwaved even after 8:30 when they close at 9! Great amount of crawfish on étouffée, and a rich hearty flavor! Rice is cooked perfectly. Very nice atmosphere for a self serve place. Will definitely be back.

I love love love jgumbos. That being said the last time I went in the food was terrible. I spent the whole day moving into a new apartment and then I got the voodoo chicken and bubblebee stew… the food was dry and the rice was extremely over cooked and hard. Nothing about what I ordered should have been crunchy.
I used to come here once a week but after the food was so horrible the last time I may start driving 30 minutes to Delaware or campus instead of 5 minutes away to sancus.
Very disappointed. Would not recommend under current conditions.

What can I say, not a fan at all. Have been wanting to try J Gumbo’s since I first heard about it from a work associate.

I have never been disappointed when attending a J Gumbo’s restaurant. To my knowledge there is about 5 locations in the Columbus area, and it is a nice alternative to traditional fast food. Each restaurant location is different with their own décor and vibe, but the quality of the food is the same, delicious! Try two of two dinner options together, I enjoy the bubble bee stew and the bourbon chicken served over rice. Staff has always been friendly and will ask any questions you may have.

Today I was contacted by the owner of J. Gumbos apologizing for my poor experience at this location and asking me for further details of my experience. I have written a lot of reviews here at Unilocal!and this was a first for me to be contacted in a very nice way by an owner asking me what he could do to fix the issues. I have emailed him back with more details of my experience in hopes the problems can be addressed.
Because of this genuine outreach by the owner showing great customer service I am raising my star by one. I will also attempt to return to J. Gumbos in the near future and see if the issues I spoke of in my previous review have been alleviated after our conversation. Look for an update to the update when I do!

The service was fast and friendly; the food was tasty with large portions. For an additional $ 1.00 you can order a bowl of two entrees split half and half. A great way to sample all of the items.
Beware…our entrees were way spicier than the samples led us to believe.
We will return but will order extra bread to cool down our mouths and skip the extra jalapenos. Yikes!
I am vegan and was pleased to find at least 2 options; I just had to skip the cheese and sour cream that could have cooled down the spice level.
My son had the Kids Mac and Cheese and added a piece of corn bread. He was happy.
My only complaint is that the food is not freshly prepared by a chef — it feels more like I’m at the fair being served out of a crockpot.
I loved the art work on the walls — all of which is for sale; some Jazz music could have livened up the place.

Not very good. First time I went I ordered the jambalaya. The gal told me, «It didn’t come in today.» Apparently everything is shipped in plastic bags, they just reheat it and serve it up. Theoretically the food is good, it’s got the right spices, they just don’t know how to put it all together.
Tried them again to be sure. Yup. No good.

If they are trying for Cajun food, I think the only way they come close is that it has crawfish or shrimp in it. I stopped in the location up nearr Polaris, as I was craving some etoufee. Well, I tried it and it was merely ok. The ratio of rice to étouffée was off, with so much rice it kind of made the étouffée dry.
I think if I want cajun food again, I’m just going to have to make my own.

My neighbor is the manager of this location so I thought I’d get a big bowl of Gumbo for a lazy sunny Sunday afternoon. You know something to stick to the ribs.
This location sits in a strip row of stores that is in back of the Tilted Kilt and now closed Hooters. Nice simple menu with a nice selection of dishes to try and they even give ya samples to try, sweet. The seating is a mix of tables and booths making it kids and handicap friendly for the most part. A couple of TV’s hover overhead with no sound and background muzic coming from speakers overhead. The artwork on the wall is great and all for sale, worth checking out this location for just the artwork.
My bowl of Gumbo came with 2 large scoops of white rice and a nice piece of white bread that I would guess would be used for their po’boys for 6.75. Very good spice, plenty of meat and not too spicy but it left a nice flavour instead of burnt tonsils. For those that love the hot stuff each table is topped with 3 sauces for flavouring to taste.
A offering of soft drinks and iced teas, sweet green tea on tap, one of my favs. No table service, this is a place your order at the counter and score your own seat, bus table and such.
My only dissapointment was in the temperature of my food which could have been hotter to my own taste but, overall I would come back here to try some more of the menu. Not too many cajum places in Columbus since the The Bayou closed at the Dublin Ctr. and this place will do nicely, no raw bar needed, lol.

I’ve never been to New Orleans. I have never had «authentic» Gumbo (according to people who have, whenever we come across those «authentic Gumbo» carts).
This place is simple. And delicious. My buddy had me try the drunk chicken (a littles weet) and the diablo chicken (a little spicy) — a great mix, with a nice amount of heat and flavor on a bed of rice.
It’s good. I usually go back for the diablo chicken and haven’t delved in to the other dishes yet, but I plan on it.