gumbo ya ya

great, cheap eats, and excellent customer service. i've been here twice, and both times thefoodwas excellent. because of the ability to order two entrees in a large plate, i've tried nearly everything on the menu. my favorite is the maque choux over pasta, but everything is great! since the menu consists primarily of various prepared sauces served over either rice or pasta, it's extremely fast. also they offer free samples, so you really can't go wrong.
on my most recent visit, i ordered a half yatwich. shortly after paying, they realized they were out of the drunken chicken that goes on the sandwich. they apologized profusely and offered me not only another meal in place of my sandwich, but also to give me the sandwich to go once it was ready. on my way out, they gave me a full yatwich, and yet another apology. so to make up for being temporarily out of the thing i ordered, they gave me a free small plate and a free half a sandwich. that kind of treatment is what turns an occasional customer into a regular.

my only complaints are that they allow people to say pray-leen, instead of insisting on prah-leen, and they serve red beans and rice every day of the week. considering the outstanding customer service, i suppose those little flaws can be overlooked, even by a nola purist ;-)

amazingfoodand hospitality. friendly staff and very accommodating. tried their gumbo and was very tasty. unfortunately me and my friends were already full so could not try much but my experience was worth it.

an american colleague of mine suggested me this restaurant for lunch. i had no idea of what is cajunfoodbefore venturing into this nice eat out. but wanted to give it a shot. 
the crowd at the hotel suggested that this is a popular joint. though it was crowded, the efficiency and the quick order to delivery was amazing. the guy at the counter is welcoming and helped me choose my  chicken dish. 
i tried out the drunken chicken yatwich with rice instead of the sandwich.  this is their description from their menu - "pulled chicken sauteed and blended with garlic, onions, green onions, tomatoes, olive oil, and...yes...beer. served on foccacia bread with a side of tortilla chips." instead of serving on the bread, i had the bread as a side and was served over rice. it tasted amazing and it was quite filling. almost had an indian spicy feeling to it.

gumbo ya ya has some quality cajun fare. very fair prices and its a real nice sit down restaurant. they servefoodup fast here to! the menu has some awesome louisiana favorites. i  would def go back. every time i come here the dishes are full of flavor!  the shrimp creole is the best dish i had here thus far.

way better than bourbon and toulouse - you have choice of rice or pasta which i love! they're always so nice. all of theirfoodis amazing!! i've been coming here for 4 years and i hate to be leaving.

so glad these guys are back on my side of town. very good fast cajun/creole cooking. the restaurant is pretty nice as far as strip mall interiors go, and although i got thefoodto go, i would definitely sit inside. recommended: maque choux. one request: serve thefoodon recyclable containers?

it's a fair place, with decentfoodat a very decent price. it is themed for creole cooking, and thefooddoes taste good. it is not a place where i would go if i need to pamper myself, but instead, i would go on a normal day to fulfil my appetite with goodfoodat a nominal price.

reliable and delicious. we go here for lunch or dinner at least a couple times a month. the prices are great, the portions are generous, and thefoodis great. the guys that work at gumbo are always willing to let you sample whatever you like and to talk about the food, really nice guys. the menu changes periodically, but they do maintain some staple cajun items, like red beans and rice and jambalaya. never had a bad dish here.

best value in town!. i go here on my lunch break at least 4-5 times a month. love the maque choux and their homemade garlic hot sauce is delicious. i usually get the small serving (which is two servings for me) with a drink for around $6-$7. it's really a steal for the quality offoodyou're getting. have yet to try any of their other dishes just because the maque choux is so good i have to get it every time.

gotta say, i like this place a whole heck of a lot more than i like bourbon n' toulouse.foodis always hot, tastes fresh, and is always served quickly.

went to gumbo ya ya with a buddy of mine while i was close to uk cam pass went in the staff was very friendly when i walked in i was new to cajunfoodi didn't know what to get so they asked me what i liked i told the et tufe so they asked if i like crawfish ofcourse i said yes so they recommended crawfish et tufe so i tryed it on rice and man it was amazingly good the best i have ever eaten i will go back again when i'm in lexington it is so good i really enjoyed thefoodi will be back again!!!

second time eating here, three more entrees. thefoodfood is very good, full of deep flavors. consistent. this is the key to a well run kitchen.


-----28 nov, 2013-----

between the two gumbo joints in lexington, gumbo ya ya is by far the place to go. thefoodhere has a cleaner less muddled taste. the red beans are very good. the sauce has great flavor and some nice heat. the saltyness of the beans works well with the heat. the sausage used is of quality. i love the yatwich, the bread however is very soft and doughy. the chicken is very spicy, in a good way. i will try this again with rice. the gumbo is good. its on the mild side. if you want good cajun this is the place to try.

the thing about cajun.... i grew up in a cajun household... and here's the deal. authentic cajunfoodis whatever cajunfoodyour cajun family cooked. everybody's grandma cooked it differently - all were good - but everyone's preference is personalized just as if you grew up in a southern home. fried chicken is fried chicken but every grandma fries it differently.

to me - flavors are a little weak. chicken creole actually could have used salt as did the shrimp e'touffee. neither are what i grew up on but good none-the-less.

prices are right, quick moving line but the place was a little dirty. maybe from the volume of customers.

i think their e'touffee may be closer to classic but bnt creole is closer to classic.

as a cajun, i'm pretty particular about the cajunfoodi get at restaurants. it's not uncommon for me to walk into a place that bills itself as cajun and know from he moment i walk in that something is wrong because of how the restaurant smells. as i've worked in the french quarter, i can tell you from the moment i walked into gumbo ya ya that it smells like a downtown new orleans kitchen. i love the maque choux and he choux choux. the interesting thing about the choux choux in particular is that, though i had never had that exact dish (which is essentially a corn étouffée) it has all the right textures and flavors of cajun food. when i made it at home, my husband had the same reaction i did. though we'd never had it before, it tastes like home.

there's a reason this place has a line out the door at lunchtime. also note that if you need large quantities for a meeting or a party, the prices are better than bnt. highly recommended, cajun approved.

i have been here a few times now and have been satisfied every time. they have a varying selection of 8-10 cajun dishes. they let you sample any of them for free, which is nice. you can get a small plate (~$6 i think) or a large (~$8), and if you get a large you can get two dishes split halvsies (for an extra $1 i think).

the portion size on a large plate is plentiful, i sometimes can only finish half of it. it's a great value for the price.

they usually have a good variety of dishes. one time i got a dish with alligator meat, that was pretty interesting.

overall, this is an ideal place for anyone wanting some filling, good quality cajunfoodwithout spending over $10.