J Gumbo’s

As mentioned in my previous review, I again went here to try out gumbo and jambalaya. Jambalaya tasted nice but I did not like the sausage in it. I did not like gumbo much. I won’t say it was bad but I have had much better.
From next time, I will stick to drunken chicken.

the place is decent while the food served there is also satisfying. I have ordered a voodoo chicken which is yummy trough it’s a little too hot for me. Anyway it’s a good place for the lunch!

Good and filling. Nice spicy Cajun food. Big portions served with garlic toast. Not the world’s best, but overall solid. No complaints.
Drunken chicken, voodoo chicken, and red beans & rice are all very tasty. I add extra hot sauce, but most ppl think it’s spicy enough as-​is

I had to check out this place after reading all the good reviews and it did not disappoint. (Also I had never had cajun food — so I had to give it a try) The smaller sized set menu consists of rice (white or brown), your choice if entrée, a piece of bread and small drink — all for less than $ 6! Because I love spice, I got the Voodoo Chicken and it was absolutely delicious with a great kick of spice.

Super friendly. Great food. counter service. Siracha honey chicken, drunken chicken, gumbo, and nachos were all great. Rice could be a little drier to soak up the sauce bit I guess the rice is true to cajun style rather than Asian

Until I moved to Champaign-​Urbana area, I had never had the chance to try J Gumbo’s but I am sure glad that I did. The Voodoo Chicken is incredible. The cornbread is very good. The food is reasonably priced and served with a smile by their courteous staff. I would highly recommend J. Gumbo’s to anybody visiting the area. The only thing that I would suggest is to go for dinner because student traffic can be overwhelming during the lunch hour.

Always delicious and fast. The food is so good and they will give you a small sample of you don’t know what to try. The Chicken Red Hot is great if you don’t mind a little spice. They add blue cheese to this dish. The added toasted/​buttered bread is great for cutting heat. Add the Bumblebee to the Red Hot to get a perfect blend of sweet and spice! Love this place!

The food is tasty and affordable. I love the lunch social. I typically get a half bowl of drunken chicken or a half bowl with both drunken chicken and bumblebee stew. But what really shines about this place are the friendly staff (especially during lunch hour). I always feel at home here.
As a bonus, I’ve gone several times during the lunchtime rush and been in and out in less than 20 minutes.

I’ve had opportunity to try J Gumbo’s a couple times recently while students have been on holiday break, and I’m really glad that I did. My favorite thing so far is the Voodoo Chicken w/​brown rice. Very tasty. They run a lot of specials on the Hooked app, which I rarely use, but it got me a free piece of cornbread the last time I was there. The guy behind the counter (presumably the manager) was very friendly, and they will offer you some samples if you are having trouble deciding.
My first visit I tried both the Chicken Red Hot and the Voodoo Chicken and I haven’t strayed from Voodoo Chicken since. I have not tried the gumbo or jambalaya yet, but I intend to someday. Orders come with a piece of toasted garlic bread. You can basically get any of their entrees in a variety of mediums (po’ boy sandwiches, nachos, bowls w/​rice). For an upcharge you can get two in the same bowl.
I always get mine as takeout, so the full bowl is a standard square styrofoam take-​out container. Sometimes it’s less full than others. It’s not a massive amount, but I’m a pretty big guy and it’s plenty for me, and I felt like it was priced appropriately.
It’s in a pretty crowded location with other restaurants nearby, so parking can be sparse and it’s metered, so don’t forget a little change or your phone app.

I don’t care if this is a chain, J Gumbo’s is now a winter go-​to spot for me. My fiancée loves anything Cajun and had a craving for it so we stopped in. Yum! The drunken chicken is so delicious, warming, filling and spicy!

Restaurant review
What an interesting experience eating southern creole food in central Illinois. This restaurant is tucked away on campus and is quite a rare find. If you like spicy some of these dishes will hit the spot. I ended up trying the crawfish étouffée which was amazing. The food definitely does not look good. When you look at my picture it looks like dog vomit however the flavors were off the chart. It has just the right spice and it served over a nice bed of rice. Although it is a little bit of a turnoff that the crawfish comes in little tubs that are premeasured out like subway. That being said you can’t find anything like this here in Champaign
Pros: Unique dining experience, a must visit for people that like spicy food, inexpensive
Cons: If you need your food to look good this is not a restaurant
Hidden deals:
Download the hooked app. Their frequent daily deals that change throughout the hours
Health code rating: A. Very clean and well kept restaurant.

I’m a guy who loves Cajun food, and this place hits the spot when I need a New Orleans fix!
The food here is tasty, the spiciness is accurately described, and the folks behind the counter are nothing but professional!
One of the unheralded selling points for me is a wide selection of Zapp’s chips including spicy crawtater and voodoo chips. I’ve rarely seen those outside of Louisiana, and it’s a delightful reminder of the crescent city!
I’ve eaten here a half dozen times and I’m sold!

This review is LOOOOOONG overdue!!! One thing I really miss about my alma mater is eating at J Gumbo!!! The voodoo chicken over rice was my absolute favorite!!! Spicy, perfectly seasoned, actual shredded chicken breast (I hate rib meat) in a tasty red sauce on a bed of rice. Buttery garlic bread comes with.
They have a punch card system!!! I feel like this was the main contributor to my freshman & sophomore 15. I also like how they allow you to taste the chicken before trying it. Everyone has different taste buds, so it’s great that they’re cool about you tasting the food. I got to taste the jambalaya before buying, which I really appreciated.
I literally texted my sister the other day & told her to bring home some voodoo chicken and freeze it for when I come home for thanksgiving. I hope she follows through on her promise!

Love this place! I’m a vegetarian so I always the étouffée without the crawfish. So good and if you’re not a vegetarian, I still recommend that one! They also have great deals on Hooked so if you have that app, make sure to check out what deals they might be offering before you go in.
My only complaint is that I wish they delivered!

I’ve been here quite a few times now, it may be a bit out of the way but… DEFINITELY worth it. I’ve never been less than blown away here. Chicken zydeco is my favorite, it’s a sweet/​spicy tasting shredded chicken and comes on top of a bed or white or brown rice and a slice of buttered bread. I would recommend getting the chopped green onions on top!
As far as value for food to price ratio… Phenomenal! Huge servings for pretty dang cheap. Go check it out!

I’m literally addicted to this place. I love everything about it. So fresh, decently prices, fresh as can be – and the workers are kind and willing to abide by the annoying requests to «taste another flavor». I would go here everyday if my wife let me.
Suggestions if you don’t already, get the Jambalaya on the bottom of practically anything.
My personal favorites: jambalaya with bumblebee stew and zydeco chicken or on a normal day, drunken chicken with jambalaya.
Addicted – and this comes from someone who’s been to NOLA and couldn’t stand anything jambalaya or gumbo related. That’s why I didn’t try this place for a whole year. I’m ashamed of that decision!!!

I had the gumbo, bourbon street chicken and crawfish étouffée here. Although I had no idea about cajun style cooking, I liked the first two of the aforementioned entrees. Just the right amount spices for my taste. The étouffée could have been better, turned out to be a little bit bland. The staff were really customer friendly and the serve size was adequate as well as appropriately priced. You can have a decent lunch with the small bowl for just $ 5~6 (beverage/​pop is not included). For this reason, I will be back for sure.

I am a big fan of all things J Gumbo’s. I’m not usually a big fan of Cajun/​creole style foods, but I dig this getup. They have a fairly large menu of meaty deliciousness you can get over rice, chips, or a tortilla (I’m not positive on that last one. Don’t hold me to it). I like my food with a kick and I was expecting to find that here. The voodoo chicken looked and sounded so promising. It is exceptionally tasty, but it’s only moderately spicy. Even though I was disappointed with the lack of heat, every dish I’ve tried was intensely satisfying. The Jean Lefitte is a must-​try. Also, the Drunken Chicken is their most popular dish for a reason, it has an insane flavor profile. Whatever you decide to try, make sure to get the garlic bread. Who knew something so simple and effortless could be so insanely delicious. Grab a mint, your breath will raise the dead.

I thought that J. Gumbo was an independent business, but it turns out that it is a small chain. I love how it feels like a small business. The staff was all very friendly and gave their recommendations and answered our questions. They give out samples so that you know exactly which one you like the best.
You can mix the different selections such as chilis and gumbos if you would like. I went with just one dish, the Drunken chicken. It came with some garlic bread which was toasted and buttered.
You can order a smaller dish of any regular entrée for $ 6 I believe. The big bowl is a lot of food, so consider getting a couple smaller dishes if you are with friends.
I thought my dish was perfectly seasoned. They offered green onions, sweet garlic powder, and sour cream so you can customize it to your taste buds. It was warm; it was comfort food.
I will definitely be going back to J. Gumbos and trying more of their selections!

This place turns my software into hardware if you know what I mean. Their gumbo is hearty and delicious. It feels like you’re ordering from a mundane cafeteria though. I find it interesting that they have a desserts section but nothing in it.