About us

Filé Gumbo Bar™ is inspired by the iconic ingredient used to thicken and flavor our gumbo. Filé, pronounced fee-lay, means thread or string in French, and refers to the dried and ground leaves of the North American sassafras tree.

This essential ingredient was introduced to the Cajuns by the Choctaw Indians in the 18th century.

The centerpiece of our menu is Tiny’s Gumbo™, inspired by the owner’s grandfather, Aubrey “Tiny” Gaines (who was anything but). Tiny had a larger-than-life presence, and believed there was nothing better than shellfish and spice.

While Gumbo is our establishment's signature dish, dining at Filé is an educational feast of the culinary subtleties of Cajun and Creole food — which are as independent as they are intertwined within a complex and rich culinary history.

Filé Gumbo Bar combines slow-cooked and flavor-rich bases with quality proteins, simmered in steam kettles in front of our guests. This approach allows each guest to customize their dish and the Kettle Chefs to interact with patrons in a way that few other restaurants achieve.