New cajun in Palatine

I saw a new cajun place in Palatine across from Lamplighters called Gumbo a go go. Has anyone tried this place? I did stop and get a menu because they do deliver. Looks like there was only one or two over $10 there. Anyone have any comments on it?

Where is Lamplighters? Which is to say, where would I find this new Cajun place? I'd be interested in checking it out.

Lamps and Gumbo a Go-Go are in downtown Palatine near the train station. North of the tracks and east of the station in that small maze of shops. Gumbo is east of Lamps and faces to the West in the new apartment building. Here is the actual address which will do you little good since it is a small maze there and street numbers are a rare.

45 N Bothwell St
Palatine, IL 60067
(847) 934-4646

I was at the original one in Indianapolis during a soccer Tournament. We must have eaten at the place 5 or 6 times, great food.
To my excitement we heard about the Gumbo A Go-Go in Palatine. Wow, didn't expect the results that we got 50/50. The VooDoo chicken was good were the Gumbo was just bad. The shrimp was taked out of a bag and 6 shrimps were put on the gumbo?? It didn't seem to be cooked into the gumbo?? just stired in ,I don't understand. The poorboy was ok, didn't get it? It seems like the food is not cook on site and just warmed. That would be ok if the food was good,fast and not seafood.
The one bright spot in the joint is they will give you a sample of the item. You can be the judge but I was disappointed and can't wait to go back to Indy and see what's what?

Saw the write up in the Trib and being a lover of the Cajun food, I had to try this place.

IMO (and that of the wife) it can be summed up in one word. Meh!

Voodoo Chicken - seriously hot and tasty, pretty good.

Crawfish Etoufee - fairly bland and very thick, almost like a stew. I paid the $3 upcharge for extra crawfish and there were about 10 pieces of crawfish total in the dish. Not worth it IMO.

Bumblebee Stew - Supposed to have corn and black beans. 95% corn and according to the wife, tasted like they just cracked open a can of corn and threw a few beans in it with some spices and chucked it over rice.

I guess the main complaint here is that the bowls are filled to the top with rice and the "food dish" just seems to coat the top of it. I guess I expected more. Just not enough of the main part of the dish. Who wants to pay $8 for a bowl of rice?

The staff was very friendly and helpful.

If anyone remembers the Cajun Kitchen on Algonquin and Golf, that place blew this one away. I wish it were still open.

bronco wrote:I was at the original one in Indianapolis during a soccer Tournament. We must have eaten at the place 5 or 6 times, great food.
To my excitement we heard about the Gumbo A Go-Go in Palatine. Wow, didn't expect the results that we got 50/50. The VooDoo chicken was good were the Gumbo was just bad. The shrimp was taked out of a bag and 6 shrimps were put on the gumbo?? It didn't seem to be cooked into the gumbo?? just stired in ,I don't understand. The poorboy was ok, didn't get it? It seems like the food is not cook on site and just warmed. That would be ok if the food was good,fast and not seafood.
The one bright spot in the joint is they will give you a sample of the item. You can be the judge but I was disappointed and can't wait to go back to Indy and see what's what?

Indianapolis's fixation on "cajun" cuisine is certainly amusing. Everytime I pass that Gumbo A Go Go(in it's requisite stripmall 'natch...next to a Bo-Ric's, I believe) it appears shuttered. Don't get me started on the chili cheese "etouffe" at the unfortunately vaunted Yats. Cajun, my butt.

bronco wrote: It seems like the food is not cook on site and just warmed.

Looks like its a franchise and that is what most franchise restaurants do.

Eric wrote:If anyone remembers the Cajun Kitchen on Algonquin and Golf, that place blew this one away. I wish it were still open.

I miss Cajun Kitchen too.

gp60004 wrote:Looks like its a franchise and that is what most franchise restaurants do.

It's not a franchise; it's an independent restaurant. The Irish chef-owner, a former horse trainer, apparently learned to cook from the owner of the Louisville-based Gumbo A Go-Go chain, back when the latter was a jockey. When Gumbo A Go-Go gave up that name to become J. Gumbo's, these folks latched onto it.

Bronco's and Eric's assessments seem fairly accurate, although they are making the food themselves. And they do have terrific bread pudding.

Daily Herald review

LAZ wrote:

gp60004 wrote:Looks like its a franchise and that is what most franchise restaurants do.

It's not a franchise; it's an independent restaurant. The Irish chef-owner, a former horse trainer, apparently learned to cook from the owner of the Louisville-based Gumbo A Go-Go chain, back when the latter was a jockey. When Gumbo A Go-Go gave up that name to become J. Gumbo's, these folks latched onto it.

Daily Herald review

Thanks for settting the record straight. Hopefully your review will benefit the owners also.

Never quite understood the love for Cajun Kitchen that more than a few people in these parts often express since its demise. As I recall, it was a Lettuce Entertain You venture paired with Popeye's Chicken. Gumbos and stews were overly spiced and salty with the chicken pieces, to their detriment, larger than the usual Popeye's size.

It is to my understanding that they get their food from another location. It comes in big bags and they have steam tables to keep it warm. Too pricey for me for a big bowl of rice. Have not had they're bread pudding but I did have they're peach cobbler. Tasted like a heated can of peaches. I think they are reaching for customers - signs in windows free soda refills. delivery, wi fi. They must need people hanging out. Probably won't go back.

I tried their voodoo and bourban chicken. The voodoo chicken was very spicy but lacked a distinct flavor besides heat, the consistency was more like a stew. The bourban chicken was a bit sweeter still had some heat a little better than the voodoo but still looked more like a stew. The dishes looked almost identacle. both stewy meat thrown over rice. Not too impressed, though the prices were not too bad.

We have been there twice. Second time only to give the place another chance. Very skimpy with the meat. Second time it was worse.
I had the Jambalaya and for $7.00 I would expect more than only small slice of sausage in it. Others in my party notice their bowls also contained mostly rice.

When he asked how we liked our meal, we nicely gave him our complaints. He said he wanted to serve moderate portions by limiting the meat/seafood--holding down costs.

As a goodwill gesture, he served us up a serving of bread pudding on the house, which was delicious.

We won't be back. Frankly, I don't see how it will stay in business. It is a shame because Palatine needs more good original places to go.

Vassmer wrote:We have been there twice. Second time only to give the place another chance. Very skimpy with the meat. Second time it was worse.
I had the Jambalaya and for $7.00 I would expect more than only small slice of sausage in it. Others in my party notice their bowls also contained mostly rice.

When he asked how we liked our meal, we nicely gave him our complaints. He said he wanted to serve moderate portions by limiting the meat/seafood--holding down costs.

As a goodwill gesture, he served us up a serving of bread pudding on the house, which was delicious.

I too recently ate here twice and enjoyed both meals - I had the Jambalaya and there were quite a few pieces of sausage and plenty of chicken. I also tried the Drunken Chicken (the board in the restaurant said this was 7 out of 10 for heat - I'd call it closer to 5) - good stuff, but as Dave described the Voodoo Chicken - the main "flavor" was heat.

I do agree with the bread pudding is excellent.

Seeing as I work nearby I'll definitely head back often, but admittedly, the options or few and far between. I recommended it without hesitation to coworkers - but I'm not going out of my way to talk it up to my parents who love Cajun food and live 15 miles away.

The only thing that *really* draws me back is the pudding - next time I get a hankering for bread pudding I'll go here and I'll work my way through their entrees - but really that'll be an afterthought.

Not a glowing review, but for a decent, relatively inexpensive lunch in Palatine this place isn't bad at all.