Adam’s Get Down Gumbo, a Los Angeles-based gumbo concept, has announced plans to open a new brick-and-mortar restaurant in Los Angeles and Orange County.
Owner Adam Perkins fell in love with Southern cuisine in the early 2000s when a new roommate moved into his Sacramento apartment from New Orleans. After almost 20 years of working, managing, and consulting in various restaurants in Northern and Southern California, Adam opened his own business. In June 2019, Adam’s Get Down Gumbo was born, specializing in the cuisine he loves and the recipes he has perfected. Now, Perkins has announced he is ready to take the concept to a brick-and-mortar.
“Hey, Everybody! We are finally gearing up to open a restaurant! We are in the location-finding phase right now, but it is absolutely happening soon,” according to the announcement made on social media. “We are expanding our Cajun/Creole menu to include a SmokeHouse concept…a Southern-style SmokeHouse. It will be AWESOME. We will expand our Louisiana menu and add perfectly smoked meats, sides, and desserts. As such, we have had to cut back our Farmers Market schedule so I can focus more time on this very important project. We still have eight weekly markets throughout LA & OC, so you can still catch us. Also, we are doing hot food on Thursdays and Fridays at various Kaiser locations if you want to actually get a fresh hot bowl from us! Please stay tuned, and we will keep you posted!”
Perkins tells What Now Los Angeles that while he keeps his options open by looking at both Los Angeles and Orange County, he prefers to stay in the former, considering this is a Torrance-based company. While it’s hard to nail down a timeline while he looks for a home for this concept, he wants to start getting people more excited about this not-so-commonly found dish in Los Angeles. To help with this goal, Perkin’s Gumbo has some accolades behind it, including being named one of the “Best Soups L.A. Has to Offer” by Los Angeles Magazine in 2021, and for good reason.
The menu at Get Down Gumbo emphasizes quality over quantity, with gumbo as the signature dish. The owner has a deep passion for creating and enjoying gumbo, which is why it takes center stage, significantly, since it is often underrepresented in the Southern California food scene. Additionally, the menu features a Cajun-style brown jambalaya that has become nearly as popular as the gumbo. Occasionally, or upon request, the restaurant offers unique dishes such as red beans and rice, Po’Boy sandwiches, and beignets.
“Our gumbo is deep and dark, with a complex and palatable flavor profile; it truly is unique to our concept,” according to the company’s website. “Since we cook our roux to such a dark color, almost black, it does not incorporate fully in and become gravy-like, as with many gumbos found in California. It distinctly flavors the gumbo, and then we skim most of it out. What this leaves is a non-greasy, non-fat-laden, delicious soup; not a heavy stew-like dish. NOBODY does gumbo like this in Southern California. At least not that we’ve found!”
