Gumbo House

WOW... what a GREAT dining experience. One of the best meals we had while visiting Alaska. A real gem of a place . The gumbo was delicious and filled with fresh seafood, chicken and sausage. Don't miss the fantastic cornbread it is served warm and just scrumptious!! We had bread pudding that was unbelievably served warm and fresh made every day. Get there early before they run out as it is amazingly good!!!!! Anna the owner was so pleasant and helpful in proudly explaining the details of how everything is freshly made. Judith our server was so very friendly it was like being welcomed into someone's home to eat!!!

The one thing that bothered me about Anchorage was that so many things that appeared to be open on Google, were actually closed down until later in May. When the original restaurant we were going to eat at was closed, my dad and I came to Gumbo House instead, and it was one of the best happy accidents. I could have hoped for. The prices were absolutely fair for what we got, and I could tell that the food was cooked with care and love, instead of being poured out of a bag and heated up in a microwave. I got the southern combo which was absolutely mouthwatering, and a great selection for anyone who can't make up their mind on what one thing to get. This was definitely a home-cooked meal 3000 miles away from home!

I was nervous to eat here as I'm from Louisiana & skeptical of any "Cajun" restaurant outside of Louisiana. My mom cooks authentic cajun food so I know I'm a hard critic. But I decided to go. I ordered the jambalaya, shrimp & crawfish étouffée, & shrimp bisque (same order as photo). The jambalaya surprisingly tasted a bit like my Nana's étouffée (definitely wouldn't call it jambalaya). The étouffée was a good étouffée. The bisque was watery & lacked texture (only having shrimp) but the flavor was good. The spices were there. Definitely not authentic cajun but could pass as creole, very NOLA vibe. My waiter Cris was very kind & attentive. I would go back for the étouffée.

I went there for my very first time for Fat Tuesday 2023. Was super excited. My table ordered fried calamari, BBQ shrimp and fried okra, and the grilled chicken wing appetizers. They were all delicious. For entrees we got the gumbo and fried cat fish dinner. Everyone was happy with their gumbo. My cat fish was over cooked in old grease. It was nothing like New Orleans style food. Super disappointed. The service was terrible. The restaurant was not crowded at all. We waited 30 minutes for drinks. We're never offered water refills. Second round of drinks from the bar took at least 15 min. The waitress blamed a high volume of to go orders. While that may be the case we chose to come as a larger group who paid for parking for 5 vehicles to have a dine in experience. People that are in your restaurant should take precedence over to go orders. Sorry not sorry. Will try again and hope for better results. Wanna give 2.5 stars but rounding up to be nice.