By Andrea Bickford, Contributing Writer
If you’re anything like me- living on campus, sick of res but no kitchen available, and eating out has become too expensive- then you’re in luck!
Gumbo is the most slightly-above-average Chinese food that gives you a feast at a more than reasonable price.
If distance is an issue Gumbo will be perfect for you. Located at 411 State Road, it is an easy 5 minute drive from campus. As mentioned before, Gumbo is Chinese food, and its pretty good at that! I’d be lying if I said it was the best Chinese I’d ever eaten. Heck, I’d be lying if I said it was in my top three favorite Chinese restaurants.
It is, however, the best bang-for-your-buck. There really hasn’t been a restaurant I was able to eat that well for that reasonable of a price I can remember.
My go-to with Gumbo is always a Pu Pu Platter, plus an order of any fried rice. Those combined will feed a group, anywhere between three and six people, more than well, and will come out to about $25, not including tax. If you can find a big enough group of people, you can feast pretty well, on above average Chinese food, for what has always come out to five, maybe seven bucks a person. For a meal off campus that is certain to fill you up, it costs less than you’d expect for the quality.
Not everything on their menu is priced well, however. I’ve only had their Lo Mein once, but it did seem a little overpriced for the quality. Other than that, not a single item on the menu, from the steamed dumplings to the beef and broccoli, has left be anything but satisfied.
If this still sounds a bit too pricey, they have a luncheon menu, featuring smaller versions of their entrees at a cheaper price, available between eleven in the morning till three in the afternoon. The lunch specials and plates are fairly limited in variety, but with that being said all the options are still tasty enough it’s not too noticeable.
To me, the restaurant is always about group orders, but if that isn’t your style, they also have several combination plates, all ranging between six and ten dollars, or sandwiches anywhere between four or five dollars.
For those old enough to drink, they have a wide range of cocktail options, as well. I unfortunately am not, so I cannot speak for their quality, but if they’re anything like the rest of the restaurant, they are worth checking out.
The strangest part about Gumbo is the fact that, with the quality of the food at the price they are asking, I am shocked they aren’t always packed, or slow. Out of every time I have gone, I’ve never had an offensively long wait for my food, even when I came with a group of seven people and we decided to order half the menu.
Gumbo is open seven days a week, so if you have a weekend free and you and the gang are looking for something reasonably cheap and filling, while satisfying that sodium craving you’ve been feeling, Gumbo is the place for you. It isn’t “Wendy’s” cheap, but you’ll leave a whole lot more satisfied with Gumbo.