Often referred to as a Cajun restaurant, Gumbo's North owners Shuler and Denise Page said they want people to know the restaurant offers more than just Cajun food.
"I don't like being referred to as a Cajun restaurant, because we really aren't," Denise said. "We have Cajun food, but we have more non-Cajun dishes."
Denise said some people hear the restaurant has Cajun food and think all the food is spicy.
"Everything here is made-to-order except for our roux for our gumbo and our etouffee," she said.
The steak and seafood restaurant opened in October and features a similar menu to Gumbo's of Round Rock, which the Pages owned and closed in 2012.
The location, about three times larger than the Round Rock restaurant, provided some challenges, Denise said.
"We had a lot of growing pains," Denise said. "But it's been awesome. Georgetown has been great."
The Pages have made several updates to the menu including adding gluten-free and vegetarian options, expanding the lunch menu and offering a lighter-fare section with smaller portions during the early dinner hours.
Shuler said 80 percent to 85 percent of the menu is made up of items that diners have come to expect such as gumbo and po' boy sandwiches; however, since opening, Shuler said Gumbo's has tried several new items including a 5-ounce petite tenderloin and a double bone-in pork chop. Most of the changes come from customer requests, he said.
Shuler said the couple is mindful of customer requests for menu items and has been surprised by the response to menu changes.
"We let [our pastry chef] talk us into taking our vanilla custard [off the menu] and replacing it with crme brulee. You would have thought that we cut somebody's arm off. I mean we got emails and phone calls," Shuler said. "We had it off for like a week, and then we put it back on and took the crme brulee off. At least we know they like it."
Since opening, the restaurant has also hosted several events on the Square, including a crawfish boil and wine dinners. The restaurant has also participated in city-sponsored events such as the Red Poppy Festival and a storefront Christmas lighting competition. Gumbo's won in the Window Wonderland category.
In June the Pages expanded the restaurant's hours to include dinner on Sunday evenings from 5–9 p.m. Previously the restaurant had only been open for brunch on Sundays.
"Believe it or not, we hardly advertised it, and on the first Sunday, we were packed," Shuler said. "It's kind of crazy. We opened up for dinner, and here they came."
Shuler said the decision to expand hours to Sunday evening was a response to continued requests for Sunday reservations.
"That's what we are all about. Customers are the key to our survival," Denise said.
Gumbo's North, 701 Main St., 512-943-4214, www.gumbosnorth.com
- Lunch: Mon.–Sat. 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
- Dinner: Tue.–Sat. 5–10 p.m., Sun.–Mon. 5–9 p.m.
- Brunch: Sun. 11 a.m.–2 p.m.