Today we welcome Meathead to the table. Surely you remember the first time we kinda reviewed Smokey’s Seafood Gumbo a year and a half ago? Well, the box has new art, let’s see what Meathead thought about this lovely workaday lunch.
Take it away Meathead!
Well, it’s been almost a year and a half since I first tried Smokey’s Soul in the Bowl Seafood Gumbo. I can’t exactly say I remember what it tasted like before but this time I took notes. Unfortunately, the notes I took went through the wash. Not once but twice. Don’t ask how. It’s embarrassing enough. So I’ll have to go by memory.
Not the same creepy packaging as last time but different. The eyes. What’s wrong with the eyes? Speaking of visuals, I did take notice that after the guaranteed 7 minute prep time I was straddling a moist, steaming hockey puck of Smokey love. A few stirs with the fork revealed a menagerie of colorful ingredients. There’s the hickory red of the andouille, the green of the okra, the random grill scorchies tickling the REAL chicken strips and pink shrimps swimming in a sea of rice. I’d say the colors almost popped. Almost.
The aroma. It had the smell of something from the sea that had been frozen and then thawed in a microwave for 7 minutes. Pretty standard.
The mouthfeel. A little gluey but not so much that it didn’t go down. For 690 mg sodium I actually couldn’t tell there was that much. Which is a good thing. I get frustrated when people exchange flavor for salt. I took a scoop of the okra, pretty good! The shrimp, a little bouncy but it had been nuked, flavor ok! The chicken, decent for frozen food, no processed pressed patty here. A scoop of the andouille and I was all like, Hey! not bad at all. The only problem, you had to have one of the above on your fork at all times. The rice goo was pretty bland without it. I wonder if a thick chicken stock would have helped.
All in all not a bad lunch. Better lunches are out there. But what lunch can you get 2 for 5 bucks, a 50 cent off coupon plus a $3 rebate when you buy Smokey’s newest CD? Oh, BARGAIN!!!
But don’t just take my word for it:
Testimonials
Meathead
I’m not big on frozen food and they don’t even sell this at my grocery store, but I would be curious to try some. It’s so hard to find any kind of gumbo, let alone frozen gumbo in NYC. Luckily, I have a Cajun friend here who loves to cook.
Hey Lisa,
Well, yeah. It’s kinda a fun, tongue & cheek deal. I don’t think I’d purchase them. I’d rather have a peanut butter sammich.
Yeah but you gotta make those.
That was good, Meathead. Thanks.
Lisa! I’m making gumbo, soon. Got a little andouille sausage and some chicken thighs in the freezer right now. Come on over. 😀
(And Biggles: I wrote about lip glue today — what a coincidence.)
Don’t knock Gumbo!
But, yeah, the 690mgs of NaCl could torture someone with High Blood Pressure.
So, let’s see, how can we reduce that NaCl.
Biggs, you could get in touch with the Smokey marketing folks, explain to them about reducing the NaCl and how it can be done without sacrificing the flavour!!! Very Important.
Bet you and the Smokey folks could come up with something even more palatible, flavourful and healthful.
Aw, no, BB. You think you can just tell someone you think they’re doing things wrong, and then they’ll fix them up right, because the majority of the voters say so?
I got a used president I might want to sell you.
Oh god, I nearly fell off my chair today when I heard Bush say he thought war was negative. No fucking shit!
Boy did this conversatin take a turn, eh?
Biggles
the eyes are still demonic.
I’d still buy that rather than something with Dick Cheney on the box. ACK!
I’ve had the seafood gumbo and it was delicious. The only problem is where can I find the different dinners. It was given to me from a buddy who is in the military he bought it off the fort. I’m not military and I want to know if the dinners will be in local stores.
I am trying to find Smokey Robinson’s Seafood Gumbo. My husband loves it and we can no longer find it at our grocery store. I am in zip code 60467. The Jewel stores no longer carry it. I have searched other local groceries also. Any hints?
I’ve been trying to find them at my local stores, Cub nor Rainbow in Minneapolis seem to carry these either, even though they used to sell them and I remember seeing them just a month or so ago.
I kind of liked it when we could get it.
Kroger’s quit carrying it about a year ago and I can not find it in Memphis.
Maybe Elvis didn’t like Gumbo!
A. M.
I reside in Dallas, Texas, When I first heard about your Gumbo I look for it in the Grocery stores, only found it in Fiesta store, they were out of the Chicken & Sausage and no longer could get it, I only found the Shrimp, they had only one box left, and no longer sold it as well. The shrimp gumbo was delicious, Now at this present time Fiesta has discontinued your item as well as the Thom Thumb grocery store. Where can I find your product in Dallas, Texas….HELP!
Thanks!
Where can I find this product in Oakland, CA or and city around it? I love this gumbo!!
I USED TO LIVE IN PA AND FOUND IT ALL THE TIME AND BOUGHT EVEYONE THEY PUT IN THE FREEZER. NOW SINCE IVE MOVED TO DALLAS,TX I CANT FIND IT I NEED THIS PRODUCT….IF YOU ADD SOME CAYENNE PEPPER THIS IS AWESOME ……………..IM LOOKING TO SEE IF I CAN GET IT ONLINE…..
I love the gumbo…But I think there should be more of a selection with your frozen food selection.