The Gumbo Shop really could be in New Orleans. Oh, sure, it’s located in Rock Hill, but given its look and feel, it would be right at home on Airline Highway. A small store in a small building with parking behind it, a few tables, a counter to place orders, and a cooler of sodas, the family business of Sid and Mary Roberts produces authentic and delicious, nicely spiced, home-style Creole/Cajun food. The Robertses are retired U.S. Customs agents—a fact easy to deduce from some of the décor.
Lots of the business seems to be carryout, and that’s a good thing, because the seating capacity is only a dozen or so. Thankfully, much of this food travels well, though one of our favorites almost grabs the diner by the collar and demands to be eaten right now, please. That’s a poor-boy demand, because the sandwiches, filled with piping hot, crisply fried oysters or shrimp, are way better warm. They don’t have the perfect crisp-crust, tender-crumb bread, but an imaginative St. Louis baker will probably answer the call someday soon.
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We’re partial to the oyster version, lightly breaded so as not to overwhelm the delicate flavor of the bivalve. A proper poor-boy is served “dressed,” meaning with shredded lettuce, tomato, and what a true New Orleanian, or “Yat,” refers to as “mynez,” (i.e., mayonnaise), and that’s the way we like ’em, too.
At first it was hard to get away from them, but then we began to branch out. Jambalaya is utter comfort food—spicy, tender rice laced with the traditional onion, celery, bell pepper, and varying types of protein. The Robertses’ jambalaya is red jambalaya, which comes out of the Creole tradition, unlike the Cajun, nontomato, brown jambalaya. We’ve found shrimp, andouille sausage, chicken, and even some particularly nice bits of garlicky roast pork in our servings over the years. And then there’s the gumbo—another one of those foods that can lead to a two-hour conversation over the “right” preparation. The Gumbo Shop’s namesake dish is of a medium thickness, neither a soup nor a stew. The roux has been carefully, slowly, patiently browned, the shrimp and sausage slow-dancing with the vegetables, a judicious amount of heat in the seasoning. Fish is as well-prepared as shellfish, either in a cornmeal batter for platters or poor-boys, or blackened, served over some of the jambalaya that’s been tossed on the grill to crisp up the meat just a little bit more. And whether the fish is blackened or not, it’s not overcooked.
Sometimes there’s a sign that offers bread pudding, but it seems they are always out when we visit. Eventually, eventually…
As far as accompaniments go, The Gumbo Shop serves soft drinks only. The young and pleasant staffers working counter service bring the finished orders to the table. One final note: Pay attention to the hours — which are quite limited — to make sure your visit results in the meal you’ve been waiting for.
Address: 9501 Manchester
Phone: 314-918-8747
Hours: Lunch 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Mon–Fri, dinner 5–8 p.m. Fri, lunch and dinner 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Sat
Credit cards: Yes
Wheelchair access: No
Smoking: No
Entrees: $6–$12
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By Joe Pollack and Ann Lemons Pollack
