World-Renowned Gumbo in a Family-Owned Restaurant

Just as gumbo is a blend of many cultures, so is the origin of the word. Below sea level and shaped like a crescent on the Mississippi River, this land was originally home to the Choctaw Indians. They introduced “kombo” (powdered sassafras, also known as filé) to settlers as a staple for one of many styles of the indigenous soup we call gumbo! Their word came from the African word for okra, “ki ngumbo”, which can be used as a thickener for gumbo, just like filé.

We reap the bounty from nearby waters: fish and shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico, crabs from Lake Pontchartrain, and crawfish from area swamplands. The Gumbo Shop is world-famous for serving the best gumbo, and it can even be delivered to your doorstep!