A big steaming pot of Gumbo and freshly made po-boy sandwiches are the kinds of food Terri Taite grew up with.
"Grew up with a Creole family, that was just the normal food for them and I was over there a lot, and then my aunt was from New Orleans so it was just regular food to us," explained Taite.
She always loved to cook and dreamed of opening her own restaurant, even drawing pictures of it as a kid. When her children became adults and many of them joined the police department and firehouse, they frequently asked her to make gumbo for the department, something she happily did.
"When I was thinking about this I said, 'might as well make Gumbo 'cause that is what they are always asking for!" said Taite.
So she opened up Gumbo's, in Mt. Clemens, and served up family recipes alongside her own creations, all with her family by her side.
"I'm not a good boss, but I can boss my kids, it's easy to tell my kids what to do, I don't have no problem with that," Taite joked. "They know the way I like things done, I trust them. I have seven children and I love being around them."
The restaurant is split into two rooms, the original location filled up with a couple of booths, and the expansion which is designed to look like a New Orleans courtyard. They have exposed brick walls with lots of greenery, faux windows, and doorways as well as a fountain.
Their menu is predominantly Creole and Cajun food, but they also have some southern comfort food mixed in there as well. Besides their namesake gumbo, they are also known for their jambalaya, and their crawfish boil.
Gumbo's is located at 53 N Walnut St. in Mt. Clemens.