Gumbo Ya Ya

I anxiously awaited the opening of the Brannon Crossing location and they did not disappoint. Same great food, same great taste, same great service.

I can’t get enough of this place. Simple enough concept, sauce over rice or pasta. Apply hot sauce as needed.
Every time I go, I always try to order something different, and they always provide new options! And each sauce is well-​developed and slow-​cooked into delicious tenderness. They seem to have vegetarian options as well (like the succotash), but I would probably ask the staff to verify that. I particularly enjoy their jambalaya, which mainly consists of their sausage and pulled chicken in a sauce that almost turns the rice into dirty rice.
I will say that most of the entrees here don’t pack a lot of Cajun heat. I think mainly this is due to the fact that we live in Kentucky where we have a lot of hot sauce pansies that still want to appreciate Cajun food. Thankfully, this place allows you to add your own heat.
The availability and variety of hot sauces along with the ability to get Ale-​8 on tap here give this place bonus points as well.

Better than Bourbon n Toulouse in the flavor department. Their garlic hot sauce is delicious and good for cleaning out the sinuses.

First time I’ve ever been there before and I have to say this is probably the best food I have ever ate! It was hot and fresh, you could tell that the gumbo and crawfish creole was cooking all day! Gumbo ya ya will definitely see me more often! Well worth 5 stars

So I ventured over to Gumbo Ya Ya for a last ditch effort in Cajun in Lexington. I have previously reviewed their jambalaya which I’ve had several times at an annual event that always caters with them. As a result, I had no expectations for the restaurant, but willed myself
to give it a try. The guy are so nice, I hate to go negative on them. I had the gumbo served over a bed of rice, the only saving grace their Louisiana hot sauce. It’s just mediocre, and too bland for my taste. Too much rice, not enough gumbo, and not enough meat in the gumbo. The gumbo should be served in a large bowl, not on a plate. The «French bread» was too soft, and I could have done without whatever they used to transform it into a garlic bread, since it didn’t work.
Take the food out of its region — it almost never measures up. Gumbo Nay Nay!

Almost a week after opening at their new location, I finally got to have some Gumbo Ya Ya here in Brannon Crossing. I must say, I wasn’t disappointing. I had the large plate of Maque Choux. You can do two separate entrees with the large plate but I decided that I loved the Maque Choux too much to stray. I opted to get half over rice and the other over the recommended pasta. The pasta was the better of the two, though the rice was wonderful as well. My date opted for the Gumbo over rice. It was excellent as well. The garlic bread that accompanied the meals was light and delicious. I only wish that I had ordered extra. They also feature a fantastic house made Garlic Hot Sauce. If that wasn’t great enough, they feature both Ale-8−1 and its diet brethren on tap.
Dinner for 2 was around $ 16 and we both left more than full. Nicholasville has been stepping its dining game up recently. Gumbo Ya Ya is a more than welcome addition. Looking forward to doing my part to keep them here for a long time.