Filé Gumbo Bar Reviews

We saw this on CBS Saturday Morning and couldn’t wait. Went and it was BEYOND amazing. The service was incredible and personal. The food was amazing! I’m from New Orleans and I can say it truly is authentic. Chef Eric ships in his bread and ingredients. AMAZING. He took a moment to take a picture and get to know us. Like he had nothing else to do… what an amazing, NYC experience. Highly recommend!

This was a wonderful experience. We had a great dinner with spicy chicken and spicy creole shrimps. The stuff is really friendly, we were feeling very welcomed! Highly recommended!

Wanted to try this place after seeing it on CBS Saturday Morning and so glad that we did! As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by a very friendly and smiling hostess. We sat at the bar and were able to watch the chef prepare all the meals. I was in awe at that process! Everyone works so well together and they seemed to really like their job. We shared the Louisiana BBQ Shrimp which comes with French bread. My husband had the Andouille & Shrimp Jambalaya and I had the special which was a Soft Shell Crab served with rice & green beans. Our server, Patti was excellent! Food and service were absolutely awesome! And we were fortunate to be there on a Friday night to hear the jazz trio play. If ever back in NY, we will definitely go again.

The most abysmal experience that I have ever had in decades of living in this city. The rudeness and overt hostility of both the hostess and manager horrified everyone involved. Myself and my partner arrived early and were waiting for the rest of our party to arrive when, 4 minutes past the reservation time, the hostess ran up to us to tell us that they would be canceling the reservation at 15 minutes past the reservation time. When I expressed surprise, I was told that as a huge favor, my partner and I would be allowed to sit yet our family would not. At 13 minutes after the reservation, after I had explained that our family was in traffic one block away, the manager made a slashing gesture at me and told me the reservation was cut. I expressed astonishment, and left feeling disgusted. It was Thanksgiving, and while wandering in the cold on this holiday was disappointing, it made for a far better time than spending one second in this establishment. These people should not be operating a restaurant, let alone working with other humans.

Great food great vibe great music. Knew this was gonna be a great visit as soon as I saw the place coke up on TA. It did not dissapoint

I have been looking for a good gumbo, crawfish, fried oysters and the flavor & vibe without having to travel to Bourbon Street in New Orleans, I found it at File' Gumbo.

The food was just amazing!!! The atmosphere is awesome so is the staff. A must visit in New York. Ordered chargrilled oysters for an appetizer. Better than the ones I had in New Orleans by far. Main: Tiny's Gumbo and Crawfish Etouffee -highly recommend it 😋

We have visited this restaurant a few times now, most recently last week. and we can confidently say that this is a lovely, well executed, authentic New Orleans restaurant! The physical space is beautiful and nicely appointed! The food is excellent from the Po' Boy to the Gumbo to the Jambalaya! One has a choice of heat levels so those unable to handle spicy meals, can still enjoy all dishes. The blend of all spices New Orleans is really amazing and transports you to Bourbon Street. The drinks were excellent! I am a pescatarian and so I especially treasure the Green Gumbo and am so glad they thought of those of us who can't enjoy the original recipe. I don't feel like I am missing out at all! They recently added beignets to their dessert menu, so this has been the cherry on top for us in true New Orleans style! They were delicious! Compliments to the chef and the attentive and kind serve staff! This restaurant has become part of our regular rotation now and we look forward their continued success!

Beautifully arranged restaurant with a friendly vibe. Our waitress was especially warm and helpful. The root beer is really good. We ordered two gumbo dishes. One was really good, the other less so. It tasted quite bitter.

Overall Vibe is a solid 4.5! MUST preface this with we have DEEP Creole & Gullah-Geechee running through our blood & veins so...it's REAL personal! Although there didn't seem to be a Host Station, we were greeted warmly, as if we were in deep Creole Country, especially by our Waitperson, Ms. "Singing" Patti Q & the Bartender. Didn't get her name but she was phenomenal with the drinks & hospitality to all of us seated at the Bar. It is a quaint space but they try and accommodate all, including large groups. Again, like your going to and sleeping over at Mee-Maws/Muhdeah's/Granny's or favorite Aunt's house, they will squeeze a table together and "make it" work! Definitely try for Reservations. Now the food...a place named for one of Creole Country's most distinguished dish should be slamming but it fell a little short. It's a good bowl but in getting the Crab and Shrimp Gumbo, at $35 a bowl, I expect more than 3 shrimp and a few shreds of crabmeat. I need a leg or claw to Crack and suck the jus out of...the way one would at Mee-Maws/Muhdeah's and the like! There wasn't a slice of Okra to be found or File offered. Additionally, the Trinity wasn't cooked down. We love al dente but not where you still have to cut it with a knife (the onions and bell peppers.) I was also expecting a deeper Roux and more Seafood flavor. It also would've been nice to be able to substitute the white rice (traditional) with the Dirty rice, even if there was a slight upcharge. The option should be available to those willing to pay. Another accompaniment was Potato Salad that would have been a great option. Yes, when we come to a Gumbo Bar, there is an expectation of serious flavors that are standard. Again, everything was still good. The Salads: Grilled Creole Ceasar was delish, although a bit hard to eat due to it being whole wedges of Romaine left together. Otherwise, VERY GOOD! The Creole Collard Salad with Lardons and Black Eyed Peas was even MORE DELISH, although highly overdressed. The Creole Salad dressing is rich and doesn't need to drown this salad because the Lardons provide an additional amount of luxuriousness. This can only be eaten in small quantities and more greens had to be added later to balance. But this is a DIVINE taste! The Fried Chicken is delish and has a hint of a Hot Honey Nashville type of Cajun brine, seasoning and drizzle. Our party didn't eat pork so they swapped for the Mac & Cheese. Although our personal preference is a Bechemal-less Mac, this was still very good. The Bread Pudding was beautiful in Presentation but lacked flavor throughout. We're used to the custard soaking the entire dish versus only the bottom. Don't mind the crusty French-style bread used, although it did make the top a tad hard and cutting, as it wasn't soaked in custard, nor topped with any sauce. Overall, great place to enjoy the atmosphere and to get your toes wet if it's your 1st time dipping into the world of Gumbo.

Decided to go hear for lunch after visiting the Statue of Liberty, and so glad we did. Great spot with a really good vibe, laid back, and great service. Food tasted excellent and ordered the gumbo, Louisiana shrimp and crawfish bread. A must visit if you like Creole style food.

New York never had a good Cajun restaurant and this one is probably on of its worst, this was bad The grilled oyster were blahhh, the gumbo was inedible and and the rest … you get the jest

The six of us were very pleased with our meals. I had chargrilled oysters and barbecued shrimp. Both were terrific. Having been in New Orleans many times, including one month ago, i can say this restaurant compares favorably. Those who had desserts, bread pudding and chocolate cake said they were great.

Food was outstanding! Highly recommend the Pate Of The South for starters. The pimiento cheese was delicious! I had the Spicy Shrimp Creole, which was the perfect amount of spice to keep eating! Full of flavor, with the perfect mix of rice. The atmosphere was great and our service throughout was fantastic. 10/10 experience, will be back again to try other meals!

We had a reservation for Brunch on 12/12/24. Entered the restaurant and there was no attendant at the door, but there was a single waitress serving table. We stood up front for awhile and we we totally ignored. I never experienced anything like this before and I am a Native New Yorker. Maybe this establishment has a problem with people of color or the management doesn't give damn. Please do not support this establishment !!!

We ate lunch at File Gumbo today. My husband is from New Orleans and was looking forward to eating there. It did not disappoint. Food created by Owner/chef Eric was excellent!! We had fried shrimp poboys. YUM!! Wonderful, relaxing place, great beer, and friendly staff. Will definitely be back!!

One of the best brunch experience I’ve had! The food is truly the BEST!! Everything on that menu was favorable and the real deal! Service was excellent and band was fantastic!! Highly recommend it!!

One of the best meals I had while visiting NYC! The atmosphere is on point! There was a jazz ensemble playing at the entrance of the restaurant. The music seemed loud at first, but I adjusted to it. My daughter informed me that it was because the restaurant space is compact, and the sound has nowhere to travel. We ordered seafood gumbo and a couple of teas. The bowl is really large, so you're not left wanting more food. It was well seasoned and tasty. The wait staff is very attentive. My daughter dropped her knife and one of the servers heard it, picked it up and brought her another. Now, that's what I call service. Bread pudding was our dessert of choice. Again, we weren't disappointed. The portion was enough for the two of us. It was light and fluffy with a little crispiness on top. The rum sauce was just right and enough to accommodate the pudding. File Gumbo Bar is definitely one of my favorite restaurants to visit in NYC! I would recommend making reservations or you probably won't get in.

Amazing food and they make the gumbo in front of you at the bar. I went for lunch and had an amazing time. The chicken/shrimp/sausage and crab gumbo was very fulfilling. Going to Filé was cheaper than getting getting on a plane to NOLA for gumbo. I will be back to try the jambalaya.

Legit Cajun. Was wandering by and decided to give it a chance. The gumbo was good, drinks were good, but the collard green salad with beans and pecans was LEGIT. I’ve spent a reasonable amount of time in NOLA and I’d say this is good as you’ll get up north and without making the trip to the crescent city.