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A bowl of gumbo from Navy Blue, served with mussels, shrimp, rice, and a topping of charred oysters.
The gumbo from Navy Blue.
Caroline Fontenot

Where to Find the Best Gumbo in Houston

Few things comfort like a loaded bowl on a cold winter day

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The gumbo from Navy Blue.
| Caroline Fontenot

Ask 10 people where to find the best gumbo in Houston, and you’ll likely get 10 different answers. At the core of the hearty, iconic dish is a base made of fat, flour, and seasonings called a roux. Most will agree that a great gumbo starts with a great roux, but the ingredients that follow are often up for debate. There is dark roux versus light roux; thick consistency versus thin; Cajun versus Creole-style; meat or seafood, a mixture of both, or meatless altogether; rice or no rice; and on and on. However the bowl may be built, there is no arguing that a piping hot bowl is especially comforting during the winter months.

From casual po’ boy shops to fine-dining Cajun restaurants, Houston restaurants offer excellent bowls that would make New Orleans proud. Here are the best places in Houston to get your gumbo fix now.

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If diners find themselves by the water in San Leon this season, it’s all the more important to stay warm. Score a $10 bowl of chef Joe Cervantez’s gumbo, which is loaded with Gulf shrimp, oysters, and crabmeat; opt to make it even more filling with a heap of creamy potato salad or hot rice. The interior dining room’s Tulum vibe makes for a cheery dine-in experience, while the outdoor patio is ripe for warmer days.

Bird’s-eye-view of a bowl of gumbo packed with Gulf shrimp, oysters, and crab meat.
The gumbo at Pier 6.
Pier 6

Viola & Agnes’

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This neo-soul food cafe prides itself on its soul-warming Southern-meets-African-diasporic flavors. Alongside dishes like curried oxtail, fried fish sandwiches, and New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp, diners can indulge in cups or bowls of gumbo, made with chicken, sausage, blue crab, and okra, and served with boiled egg and rice. The bright blue exterior and eclectic dining room only enhance the experience.

Calliope's

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This family-run New Orleans seafood and po’ boy restaurant, with two locations in Houston, has two gumbo options to choose from. Go simple with chicken and sausage, or opt for a mixed bowl with chicken, sausage, shrimp, and okra — both are a bargain at under $8. The casual interior is sparsely adorned, meaning you’re coming mainly for the soulful food, not the ambience.

Davis Street at Hermann Park

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Chef Mark Holley has had a storied culinary career in Houston, and every kitchen he helms produces some sort of a stellar gumbo. In his current post at Davis Street, he offers a gumbo called Boutte’s Southern Gumbo: The dark roux gumbo pairs duck confit and Gulf shrimp, served alongside rice and topped with plump fried oysters. The white-tablecloth dining room gives the experience a date-night vibe, too, although it’s fit for any occasion.

Navy Blue

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This chicly designed seafood restaurant wouldn’t be complete without its seafood gumbo that’s plentiful with crab, shrimp, and clam, and topped with charred okra for added texture. The interior takes a cue from its name with rich blue walls and banquettes, as well as mid-century modern design details that codify it as a big-night-out destination. Don’t leave your bowl unaccompanied — order a healthy pour of wine to go with it.

A bowl of gumbo from Navy Blue, served with mussels, shrimp, rice, and a topping of charred oysters.
Navy Blue’s gumbo is a special treat on a warm day.
Caroline Fontenot

Lucille's

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Chef Chris Williams serves a lesser-known variation called Gumbo Z’Herbs — a traditionally meatless bowl made with greens and herbs — but he incorporates ham hock and andouille sausage. The restaurant is a Houston classic, and so is its homey, wood-adorned dining room, which is more than accommodating for groups. Splurge and add shrimp or oysters for a seriously loaded bowl of gumbo.

Goode Company Seafood - Westpark

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At Goode Co. Seafood, you can have your seafood gumbo with shrimp or crab — or a mixture of both. The roux is light and on the brothier side, serving as a tasty precursor to a fried seafood platter or po’ boys on ultra crusty French bread. The diner-y interior of the Westpark location makes for a fun, nostalgic environment for gumbo seekers.

A bowl of gumbo topped with green onions with a side of bread.
Seafood gumbo at Goode Co. Seafood.
Goode Co. Seafood

Bayou City Seafood and Pasta

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Bayou City Seafood and Pasta moved into a new building a few blocks East of its original Richmond location in 2020, but it’s still slinging its menu of Cajun and Creole comfort dishes. Both the chicken and sausage and seafood gumbos are balanced and deeply spiced — the latter packing in generous amounts of crabmeat. Complete the meal with an order of boudin balls, fried alligator, or its blackened catfish po‘ boy.

At Eunice, the move is to grab a cup or bowl of its signature chicken and sausage gumbo. Made with okra and tasso, this gumbo comes decked out with a scoop of popcorn rice and side of potato salad topped with a chicharron. Even better: The restaurant’s Southern-parlor-style dining room is infinitely charming and transportive.

Christie's Seafood & Steaks

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Diners at Christie’s Seafood & Steaks have two options for gumbo: a one-protein-wonder Gulf shrimp gumbo or mixed Gulf shrimp and crabmeat gumbo (each served in either a bowl or a cup). Order a bowl to share before getting into larger fried seafood plates or leaning into theme and ordering one of the restaurant’s shrimp, catfish, or fried oyster-stuffed po’ boys. The bright, nautical exterior and traditional interior with long, white-tablecloth tables creates a unique ambience that has attracted Houstonians for years.

The entrance of Christie’s Seafood and Steaks.
Outside Christie’s Seafood & Steaks.
Christie’s Seafood & Steaks

Grace's

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Located next to the original Carrabba’s on Kirby, Grace’s is Johnny Carrabba’s homage to his grandmother. Here, you’ll find a Louisiana-style gumbo with dark roux that combines crab, crawfish, shrimp, and okra. Presented with rice and a side of saltines, the bowl makes a more than satisfying meal for one.

The Warwick

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With various dishes fueled by chef Jabril Riddick and his mother’s recipes, the Warwick’s gumbo offers decadence with a touch of home. The silky broth is made with a homemade roux and packed with shrimp, chicken, sausage, oysters, and lump crab, then topped with a deep-fried soft-shell crab and served with a side of rice. Though the gumbo already has an ideal amount of spice, don’t be afraid to add a little hot sauce.

Brennan's of Houston

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Brennan’s, the New Orleans icon, has long been known for its snapping turtle soup, but don’t sleep on its classic Creole gumbo. Here, the gumbo has a deep roux base, offers generous portions of crabmeat, shrimp, and oysters, and is crowned with the restaurant’s “Jazzmen” rice. The ornate, gold-trimmed dining room means this is a restaurant for special occasions — or any time the craving for Creole cuisine arises.

A bowl of seafood gumbo topped with rice in a white bowl.
The seafood gumbo at Brennan’s combines crab, shrimp, and oysters.
Kimberly Park

BB's Cajun Cafe

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The po’ boys are a highlight here, but any regular knows to start their order with a cup of steaming seafood gumbo. The gumbo here is thick enough to satisfy, but not so dense that you can’t still indulge in fried shrimp sandwiched between crusty French bread after. Even better: With late night hours, it’s easy to satisfy a gumbo craving at BB’s at any time.

1929 Po-Boy Kitchen

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Located in the newly opened Lyric Market in downtown, 1929 Po-Boy Kitchen offers three different gumbos on its menu. The Swamp Water is a traditional chicken and andouille sausage gumbo; the Bayou Water combines chicken and andouille sausage with shrimp and crabmeat; and the Gumbo Z’Herbes offers a meatless alternative made with leafy greens and vegetables.

Treebeards

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Treebeard’s has been serving Southern comfort food in Houston since 1978. The iconic Market Square location shuttered in 2020, but three Downtown locations and the Bunker Hill restaurant remain. Along with beloved dishes like red beans and rice, etouffee, and jambalaya, find two different kinds of gumbo: Chicken and sausage gumbo, and seafood gumbo. The seafood gumbo is amped up with the addition of scallops and catfish.

A bowl of sausage gumbo with a spoon in it and a bottle of hot sauce.
Sausage gumbo at Treebeards.
Treebeards

Captain Tom's Seafood & Oyster

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This no-frills local chain is a Houston institution. The kitschy boat shaped restaurants are often packed with diners getting their fill of fresh shucked oysters, fried seafood, and tasty micheladas. The gumbo is a requisite accompaniment to it all: Its seafood and crab gumbo is made with light roux, and the crab meat melts into the soup, offering a rich, creamy bite.

Field & Tides

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This charming bungalow in the Heights dishes out Southern fare using locally sourced meat, seasonal produce, and fresh Gulf coast seafood. Diners will find a diverse menu that includes a roasted chicken and andouille sausage gumbo. The dark roux gumbo includes the holy trinity of onions, celery, and bell peppers; the bowl is served with piping-hot rice and a sprinkling of green onions.

Rainbow Lodge

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This restaurant, housed in a 100-year-old log cabin along White Oak Bayou, is known for its menu of wild game — it incorporates smoked duck and andouille sausage into its gumbo. A wild rice pilaf topping adds an extra layer of flavor. Diners can find this earthy gumbo during lunch and dinner, or take it to-go by the quart.

A bowl of smoked duck gumbo topped with wild rice pilaf in a white bowl.
Smoked duck gumbo at Rainbow Lodge.
Paula Murphy

Gatlin's Fins & Feathers

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Pitmaster Greg Gatlin’s new restaurant boasts Southern comfort food with Gulf Coast flair, and the menu features a solid gumbo. The Everything Gumbo is made with dark roux and loaded with shrimp, crab, sausage, chicken, and okra. The portion sizes here are generous, and while a cup may be plenty, you won’t regret springing for a bowl.

Esther's Cajun Café & Soul Food

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Find oxtails, smothered pork chops, and fried chicken on the menu every day at chef Esther Lewis-Bernard’s soul food restaurant, but visit on Friday or Saturday when small, medium, and large bowls of gumbo are the daily special. Esther’s serves a show-stopping seafood combo with shrimp and whole crab claws.

Back Table

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If you find yourself in The Woodlands, venture off to Back Table, where the gumbo is infused with green chili sausage, smoked chicken, and Carolina gold rice. (If it’s warm enough, take in the view from its waterfront outdoor patio.) Diners can seal the deal with its Old Fashioned tres leches cake, for a sweet ending.

A textured black bowl holding traditional New Orleans-style gumbo over rice.
The ultra savory gumbo at Back Table.
Back Table

Pier 6

If diners find themselves by the water in San Leon this season, it’s all the more important to stay warm. Score a $10 bowl of chef Joe Cervantez’s gumbo, which is loaded with Gulf shrimp, oysters, and crabmeat; opt to make it even more filling with a heap of creamy potato salad or hot rice. The interior dining room’s Tulum vibe makes for a cheery dine-in experience, while the outdoor patio is ripe for warmer days.

Bird’s-eye-view of a bowl of gumbo packed with Gulf shrimp, oysters, and crab meat.
The gumbo at Pier 6.
Pier 6

Viola & Agnes’

This neo-soul food cafe prides itself on its soul-warming Southern-meets-African-diasporic flavors. Alongside dishes like curried oxtail, fried fish sandwiches, and New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp, diners can indulge in cups or bowls of gumbo, made with chicken, sausage, blue crab, and okra, and served with boiled egg and rice. The bright blue exterior and eclectic dining room only enhance the experience.

Calliope's

This family-run New Orleans seafood and po’ boy restaurant, with two locations in Houston, has two gumbo options to choose from. Go simple with chicken and sausage, or opt for a mixed bowl with chicken, sausage, shrimp, and okra — both are a bargain at under $8. The casual interior is sparsely adorned, meaning you’re coming mainly for the soulful food, not the ambience.

Davis Street at Hermann Park

Chef Mark Holley has had a storied culinary career in Houston, and every kitchen he helms produces some sort of a stellar gumbo. In his current post at Davis Street, he offers a gumbo called Boutte’s Southern Gumbo: The dark roux gumbo pairs duck confit and Gulf shrimp, served alongside rice and topped with plump fried oysters. The white-tablecloth dining room gives the experience a date-night vibe, too, although it’s fit for any occasion.

Navy Blue

This chicly designed seafood restaurant wouldn’t be complete without its seafood gumbo that’s plentiful with crab, shrimp, and clam, and topped with charred okra for added texture. The interior takes a cue from its name with rich blue walls and banquettes, as well as mid-century modern design details that codify it as a big-night-out destination. Don’t leave your bowl unaccompanied — order a healthy pour of wine to go with it.

A bowl of gumbo from Navy Blue, served with mussels, shrimp, rice, and a topping of charred oysters.
Navy Blue’s gumbo is a special treat on a warm day.
Caroline Fontenot

Lucille's

Chef Chris Williams serves a lesser-known variation called Gumbo Z’Herbs — a traditionally meatless bowl made with greens and herbs — but he incorporates ham hock and andouille sausage. The restaurant is a Houston classic, and so is its homey, wood-adorned dining room, which is more than accommodating for groups. Splurge and add shrimp or oysters for a seriously loaded bowl of gumbo.

Goode Company Seafood - Westpark

At Goode Co. Seafood, you can have your seafood gumbo with shrimp or crab — or a mixture of both. The roux is light and on the brothier side, serving as a tasty precursor to a fried seafood platter or po’ boys on ultra crusty French bread. The diner-y interior of the Westpark location makes for a fun, nostalgic environment for gumbo seekers.

A bowl of gumbo topped with green onions with a side of bread.
Seafood gumbo at Goode Co. Seafood.
Goode Co. Seafood

Bayou City Seafood and Pasta

Bayou City Seafood and Pasta moved into a new building a few blocks East of its original Richmond location in 2020, but it’s still slinging its menu of Cajun and Creole comfort dishes. Both the chicken and sausage and seafood gumbos are balanced and deeply spiced — the latter packing in generous amounts of crabmeat. Complete the meal with an order of boudin balls, fried alligator, or its blackened catfish po‘ boy.

Eunice

At Eunice, the move is to grab a cup or bowl of its signature chicken and sausage gumbo. Made with okra and tasso, this gumbo comes decked out with a scoop of popcorn rice and side of potato salad topped with a chicharron. Even better: The restaurant’s Southern-parlor-style dining room is infinitely charming and transportive.

Christie's Seafood & Steaks

Diners at Christie’s Seafood & Steaks have two options for gumbo: a one-protein-wonder Gulf shrimp gumbo or mixed Gulf shrimp and crabmeat gumbo (each served in either a bowl or a cup). Order a bowl to share before getting into larger fried seafood plates or leaning into theme and ordering one of the restaurant’s shrimp, catfish, or fried oyster-stuffed po’ boys. The bright, nautical exterior and traditional interior with long, white-tablecloth tables creates a unique ambience that has attracted Houstonians for years.

The entrance of Christie’s Seafood and Steaks.
Outside Christie’s Seafood & Steaks.
Christie’s Seafood & Steaks

Grace's

Located next to the original Carrabba’s on Kirby, Grace’s is Johnny Carrabba’s homage to his grandmother. Here, you’ll find a Louisiana-style gumbo with dark roux that combines crab, crawfish, shrimp, and okra. Presented with rice and a side of saltines, the bowl makes a more than satisfying meal for one.

The Warwick

With various dishes fueled by chef Jabril Riddick and his mother’s recipes, the Warwick’s gumbo offers decadence with a touch of home. The silky broth is made with a homemade roux and packed with shrimp, chicken, sausage, oysters, and lump crab, then topped with a deep-fried soft-shell crab and served with a side of rice. Though the gumbo already has an ideal amount of spice, don’t be afraid to add a little hot sauce.

Brennan's of Houston

Brennan’s, the New Orleans icon, has long been known for its snapping turtle soup, but don’t sleep on its classic Creole gumbo. Here, the gumbo has a deep roux base, offers generous portions of crabmeat, shrimp, and oysters, and is crowned with the restaurant’s “Jazzmen” rice. The ornate, gold-trimmed dining room means this is a restaurant for special occasions — or any time the craving for Creole cuisine arises.

A bowl of seafood gumbo topped with rice in a white bowl.
The seafood gumbo at Brennan’s combines crab, shrimp, and oysters.
Kimberly Park

BB's Cajun Cafe

The po’ boys are a highlight here, but any regular knows to start their order with a cup of steaming seafood gumbo. The gumbo here is thick enough to satisfy, but not so dense that you can’t still indulge in fried shrimp sandwiched between crusty French bread after. Even better: With late night hours, it’s easy to satisfy a gumbo craving at BB’s at any time.

1929 Po-Boy Kitchen

Located in the newly opened Lyric Market in downtown, 1929 Po-Boy Kitchen offers three different gumbos on its menu. The Swamp Water is a traditional chicken and andouille sausage gumbo; the Bayou Water combines chicken and andouille sausage with shrimp and crabmeat; and the Gumbo Z’Herbes offers a meatless alternative made with leafy greens and vegetables.

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Treebeards

Treebeard’s has been serving Southern comfort food in Houston since 1978. The iconic Market Square location shuttered in 2020, but three Downtown locations and the Bunker Hill restaurant remain. Along with beloved dishes like red beans and rice, etouffee, and jambalaya, find two different kinds of gumbo: Chicken and sausage gumbo, and seafood gumbo. The seafood gumbo is amped up with the addition of scallops and catfish.

A bowl of sausage gumbo with a spoon in it and a bottle of hot sauce.
Sausage gumbo at Treebeards.
Treebeards

Captain Tom's Seafood & Oyster

This no-frills local chain is a Houston institution. The kitschy boat shaped restaurants are often packed with diners getting their fill of fresh shucked oysters, fried seafood, and tasty micheladas. The gumbo is a requisite accompaniment to it all: Its seafood and crab gumbo is made with light roux, and the crab meat melts into the soup, offering a rich, creamy bite.

Field & Tides

This charming bungalow in the Heights dishes out Southern fare using locally sourced meat, seasonal produce, and fresh Gulf coast seafood. Diners will find a diverse menu that includes a roasted chicken and andouille sausage gumbo. The dark roux gumbo includes the holy trinity of onions, celery, and bell peppers; the bowl is served with piping-hot rice and a sprinkling of green onions.

Rainbow Lodge

This restaurant, housed in a 100-year-old log cabin along White Oak Bayou, is known for its menu of wild game — it incorporates smoked duck and andouille sausage into its gumbo. A wild rice pilaf topping adds an extra layer of flavor. Diners can find this earthy gumbo during lunch and dinner, or take it to-go by the quart.

A bowl of smoked duck gumbo topped with wild rice pilaf in a white bowl.
Smoked duck gumbo at Rainbow Lodge.
Paula Murphy

Gatlin's Fins & Feathers

Pitmaster Greg Gatlin’s new restaurant boasts Southern comfort food with Gulf Coast flair, and the menu features a solid gumbo. The Everything Gumbo is made with dark roux and loaded with shrimp, crab, sausage, chicken, and okra. The portion sizes here are generous, and while a cup may be plenty, you won’t regret springing for a bowl.

Esther's Cajun Café & Soul Food

Find oxtails, smothered pork chops, and fried chicken on the menu every day at chef Esther Lewis-Bernard’s soul food restaurant, but visit on Friday or Saturday when small, medium, and large bowls of gumbo are the daily special. Esther’s serves a show-stopping seafood combo with shrimp and whole crab claws.

Back Table

If you find yourself in The Woodlands, venture off to Back Table, where the gumbo is infused with green chili sausage, smoked chicken, and Carolina gold rice. (If it’s warm enough, take in the view from its waterfront outdoor patio.) Diners can seal the deal with its Old Fashioned tres leches cake, for a sweet ending.

A textured black bowl holding traditional New Orleans-style gumbo over rice.
The ultra savory gumbo at Back Table.
Back Table

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