A gumbo discussion is underway in the lunch 2018 thread, but I agree it is a stand-alone topic, so post here!
Thanks to @brucesw for this article:
I am going to order that potato salad in lieu of rice at Liberty Kitchen on my next visit. Also, I like rice on the side.
My favorite seafood gumbo to date is at Segari’s in Houston and is chock-a-block with crab. If all that is available is chicken and/or andouille, I’ll opt for something else.
What’s your favorite gumbo in Houston?
Okay, we’ll do it thisaway 
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For those of you who missed the earlier discussion, it began in earnest with this post. There are several related follow-up posts before the suggestion is made to start an independent thread. There were earlier posts about gumbo in the thread but just about small, neighborhood places near me that aren’t destination worthy.
Mama Mandola’s Seafood Gumbo, mostly shrimp, a little crab, rich tasty roux. The accompanying bread is sourdough. Tony Mandola’s Gulf Coast Kitchen
Okay – it’s a 3-1/2 hour drive to Lafayette and it’s been a while, but tell us: would smoked duck/andouille gumbo at Prejean’s make it destination-worthy?
Is that a cup serving? Looks like a pretty good sized portion. I’ve been wondering if just ordering a cup would be enough and still be certain to include all the ingredients.
Cup, $7.95
I’m going to Houston AND I love to make gumbo! Hoping to add a few pics, and media gumbo reference. I USUALLY do the Alton Brown oven thing, and at the stage in the picture, the roux is way too pale .
This song is called “Come Do Nothing”, but she mentions gumbo to get him to come.
Adventurous! I haven’t tried it at home before, so easy to burn.
Well, you never know until you try! I haven’t been so can’t offer an opinion, but the author of the article linked above raves about the pheasant, andouille and quail version. From all I’ve heard about Prejean’s there must be something on the menu worth the trip!
Another article I found.
Holley’s is closed. Dang Harvey.
I may be remembering wrong but I think back in the 80s, you might find a jar of file powder on the counter at Capt. Benny’s. Maybe @jcostiones will remember.
Oops! I’m used to frequenting the cooking boards!
We greatly enjoyed Prejean’s. Duck always gets our attention.
I’d forgotten about Burt’s Meat Market until the Wifeacita surprised with some dark, savory, and spicy chicken and sausage gumbo following a meeting in the area.
She also brought home some of the always delicious beef tips and greens. Those beef tips will be great leftover with some egg noodles.
Alas, they were out of sweet potatoes, her reason for going but I’ve promised a return trip with a weekend off looming and of course no trip to the east end is complete without a swing by Merida or El Jardin.
I’m not in Texas but I’m joining in anyway. I love all sorts of Cajun food. For years I had ‘Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen’. I tried a couple recipes, was unimpressed & it sat on the shelf. My GF tried the Seafood File Gumbo recipe & it is fantastic. She makes it mostly in the winter & it’s terrific on a cold winter’s day. It’s as good a gumbo as I’ve had anywhere - right here in New Jersey.
You can buy File Powder online from Parsley Porch. It’s good & reasonable priced. Here’s the link: https://www.sites.google.com/site/parsleyporch/Home
Hi John and welcome. I don’t have that book but found a recipe in the Miami Herald. Might have to try that! What seafood did you use in New Jersey?
Jul makes it with Chicken, Shrimp & Andouille but you could put almost anything in it.
Somehow I missed this one. I never really liked the gumbo at Captain Benny’s.
It was about 80 percent raw oysters and the rest fried shrimp and whole catfish.
The butterflied fried shrimp were really good but I preferred the boiled shrimp. I could do a couple of orders of them. Oysters on the half shell, deep fried butterflied whole catfish - YES! The cat is my favorite thing to get if I go there now. Love picking everything off the carcass.
I went at least once weekly throughout much of the 80s to the one on Wilcrest @ 59. When the manager, Tom, left, to take over a failing Capt. Benny’s on 1960 and start his own brand, it went down hill. Tom always had a great, friendly staff. After he left, the place wasn’t as friendly.
I had a cup of gumbo pretty regularly, especially if I saw them bring out a fresh pot to add to the slow cooker behind the counter. Haven’t had the gumbo in years. I have found better.
Forgot about those boiled shrimp, delicious.
I cut my teeth at the original on South Main where you elbowed your way into that small shrimp boat and paid by the honor system at the register.
They always had good oysters but one night they had the fattest, saltiest Matagorda Bay oysters you can imagine.
Benno’s in Galveston does a great whole catfish.
I had seafood gumbo today at Laurenzo’s and it was very spicy and tasty. But it had mystery meat in it. Advertized as oysters, shrimp and crab, this was none of those things. It was a large irregular very pale piece with nooks and crannys like brain. I thought I tasted a little cheese flavor in it, but now I’m regretting the choice to consume it. I guess it could have fallen in from another dish. There was also a tentacle type piece which I didn’t recognize and eat. 
