J Gumbo's

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• 0

  What a great surprise! Driving out from PA to visit family and found J. Gumbo's on Yelp. The owner was in the dining area and greeted me as soon as I came in.
  
  He spent a few minutes discussing the beer selection and a little info about each. Definitely a place that has a huge variety!
  
  Fred, the owner, explained that they renovated a bank that was built in the early 1900's. Kinda cool that the bathrooms are where the vault used to be! Still making deposits I suppose!
  
  The pub is really an extension of the restaurant making it a nice place to hang out after the meal. While the pub area is not first thing you see, I get a sense that the owners are trying to respect the community by making J. Gumbo's a family friendly place and not forcing the "bar" onto the kids and families. Props to the owners if that's the reason! Definitely check out the pub area if you are looking for a place to go out with your friends. The Pumking Ale is fantastic!
  
  The food was really good and they offered samples if you wanted them. Definitely guarantees that you will enjoy your meal!! You can have a solid meal and a beer for under $12, and it's good! The server was great at explaining the different options. There are some nice vegetarian choices too.
  
  I didn't get a chance to ask about it, but there are several pieces of painted items in the decor. Definitely not the mass produced "wall crap" like some of the chains out there have. These look like real hand painted pieces. I'll have to ask next time I go.
  
  All in all, this is a place that can cater to someone needing a quick bite before going back to work, but it's also a comfortable place to sit for awhile with friends and family. With the pub in the back, it's the perfect place to relax after going out, or as an extension of your meal.
  
  This is a unique gem that you should check out. Seems like Main Street has the potential to be a great place, and J. Gumbo's appears to be a leader in rejuvenating a vital part of the community. All we need now is a J. Gumbo's in Allentown, PA!!

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  Posted on 09.28.13 Caecilius R.

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  We went here on Friday night.  We had time to kill because my step-son was at his middle school dance, so the husband and I came to eat and have a few beers.  The décor is nice, and the beer selection is amazing.  I heard the owners talking to another table about sponsoring a jazz fundraiser, and I see they have activity on Yelp.  Another nice small-town touch.  I overheard the owner say they get their bread from Auddinos.  I think you should advertise that as another local thing that you are doing.  The boy and woman working that night did a great job.  You could tell that it was crowded because the woman looked a little harried.  The boy kept plugging along, and he had a good work ethic.  There was some other kid that kept running in and out from some place above the restaurant.  Other tables were saying it was their first time in, and I hope they all come back.  It is a good addition to Baltimore, and a nice place to get a beer and some food.  Maybe add other homemade/non-JGumbo corporate items besides the bread pudding?  I saw a bunch of people eating it, so it seems that you are a good cook.

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  Posted on 05.13.13 Laura B.

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  Loved it! People are friendly, service is great and the Chicken red hot is amazing! They even have a good selection of gluten free offerings! Not to mention the bar is sweet! Very Art Deco with a great selection. My boyfriend loves craft beers and they have a great rotating selection, including Founders! Can't wait to come back.

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  Posted on 05.12.13 Allison L.

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  One of my favorites.  I've been in a few times now and will certainly be going back.  The first time in I'd never been to a J Gumbos and our waitress let us try a few free samples before ordering.  Even after sampling we had our food within 10 minutes of sitting down.  The food was excellent and has been every visit since.  
  I appreciated the owner coming out and asking how our food and service was.  
  They have now opened a bar in the back with a very good craft beer selection and some good local brews on tap.  There seems to be a pretty good flow of people and people seem to really like it.  Definitely worth a visit.

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  Posted on 05.12.13 Kevin K.

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  Went in for my second visit yesterday at about noon. Dead empty. We were the only ones in there for our entire lunch. I did notice the Kozy Korner (another restaurant two doors down) was stacked.
  
  Food was again good...real good, in fact, better than my first visit. I also used the Yelp $20 coupon. However, the rest of the experience was not great.
  
  The waitress was very nice, cheerful, and helpful, but seemed distracted. She kept checking her phone and forgot things.
  
  It started with me wanting a wrap, as indicated from their web site. I was informed this location does not serve wraps (???). So we started with Nola nachos, and I got a VooDoo chicken Po' Boy, and she got a bowl of Bourbon chicken.
  
  When she brought out our nachos, she only gave us one fork. She disappeared for a bit, and when she returned, I asked for the second fork.
  
  When she brought out my Po' Boy, she said the Bleu cheese was upstairs, but the owner would be sending it down soon (???). She further stated she wanted to go ahead and serve it to me so it wouldnt get cold. I guess she thought it would be okay to get cold in front of me I guess.
  
  I also asked for some extra napkins at one point...they never came.
  
  Lastly, half way through my wife's meal, she brought out some toasted bread. She said it went with the meal, but she forgot it. It was stone cold.
  
  Im liking the food, but my first visit was better. They should also address the service issues. If the wait staff gets that out of touch serving just one table, I hate to think what happens if they ever get busy.

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  Posted on 04.08.13 Christopher G.

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