Po-Boys? You bet, go to Parkway Bakery, Mother’s, Johnny’s PoBoy, Domilise’s or Crabby Jacks.
Eating a PO-BOY is like biting into NOLA’s marrow – a fresh po-boy loaf wrapped around almost any sandwich filling and combination imaginable – roast beef, ham, fried oysters, shrimp and soft shelled crab, hot sausage, shrimp remoulade with fried green tomatoes and my favorite debris, which is roast beef shavings soaked in gravy for 24 hours and then cooked down to a rich beef stew like gravy.
How you order defines your NOLA Knowledge™.Po-Boys are ordered by ½ or a whole loaf and dressed – mayonnaise, pickles, lettuce and tomatoes. Rookies will ask about loaf size and what ‘dressed’means. Here’s how I order a fried oyster Po-Boy: ‘Give me a ½ fried oyster, dressed, hold the mayo and add ketchup and hot sauce.’I wash it down with Abita beer or a Barq’s (NOLA’s unique root beer, now owned by Coca Cola). If you order a Barq’s, never say root beer
The Martin Brothers, Benny & Clovis, created the first po-boy in the 1920s. Originally from Raceland, LA they moved to NOLA and became streetcar conductors before moving on to open a sandwich and coffee shop – Martin Brothers. During the transit strike of 1929 they provided free sandwiches to their striking brothers – roast beef shavings and gravy on french bread. Strikers were called ‘poor boys’ and their free sandwich became known as a ‘poor boy.’While the violent strike ended badly for the ‘poor boys,’ the free sandwich provided by the Martins went on to become a NOLA classic. The ‘poor boy’ evolved into the ‘po-boy’ and the french loaf was replaced by a po-boy specific loaf. Today the 100+ year old Leidenheimer Bakery is known as the go-to po-boy bread supplier of NOLA. Look for colorful Leidenheimer trucks making deliveries throughout the city. Each truck is decorated by local artists Bunny Matthews and features the infamous Vic and Nat’ly discussing the attributes of po-boys and Leidenheimer bread.
Photos Courtesy Of crabbyjacksnola.com
Crabby Jack’s
Crabby Jack’s is a destination po-boy joint for both locals and tourists alike. The brainchild of Jacques –Imo’s founder Jacques Leonardi, Crabby Jack’s is a wonderful collision of gastro innovation and classic NOLA located in a nondescript free standing building on Jefferson Highway – about 20 minutes from the French Quarter.
Order from the counter, grab a seat and wait for your order. Service is efficient and friendly and the vibe is HAPPY….
Photos Courtesy Of NewOrleansAficionado.com
Domilise’s
Domilise’s serves some of the best classic roast beef, fried oysters and fried shrimp po-boys in NOLA. Founded in 1924, this family owned no frills uptown po-boy shop and bar is a respected institution and a daily lunch spot with a large local clientele. Enter this timeworn building and immediately get in line to order from the open po-boy kitchen counter. Your po-boy appears within a few minutes – a product of a whirlwind assembly process run by a 3-person team of pros. Heck, I’d pay just to watch them make me a po-boy. Order beverages from the bar.
I go for the fried oyster po-boy, dressed with hot sauce and washed down with a local beer – preferably Abita Amber….
Photos Courtesy Of Facebook/Johnny’s PoBoy
Johnny’s Po-Boy
Johnny’s is an excellent no-frills working man’s po-boy shop with few changes since it opened 60+ years ago. Food is served steaming hot on paper plates and there is counter service only. Service is friendly and courteous. They’ll call you when your order is ready for pick-up.
This is the only place I eat po-boys in the French Quarter. Established by Johnny and Betty De Grusha in 1950 and still….
Photos Courtesy Of Yelp/Mother’s
Mother’s
Serving 15 Po-Boys, Mother’s is famous for its Ferdi – roast beef, debris (carved roast beef shavings in gravy cooked overnight into a stew like mash of ultra-rich beefy heaven), ham and gravy. Add cheese and it becomes the Ralph. Established in 1938, Mother’s menu has expanded over the years to include all forms of NOLA’s classic home cooking dishes including red beans & rice, jambalaya, shrimp creole, etouffee and gumbo. Order food from the hot-table cafeteria line and drinks from the cashier. Most food is delivered to your table.
Mother’s was established as a workingman’s cafeteria in 1938. This is not a service-oriented establishment – everyone is….
Photos Courtesy Of Yelp/Parkway Bakery &Tavern
Parkway Bakery & Tavern
Locals travel from across the city for Parkway’s super fresh po-boys. Walk into this neighborhood po-boy shop and you’ll have a choice of sitting in the bar or going to the rear and ordering directly from the kitchen and sitting in the main dining area.
Either way you’re about to eat one of NOLA’s best po-boy’s. Parkway Bakery & Tavern’s menu includes….