Ask a handful of locals where to get a good po’boy in New Orleans and you’re likely to start a fight. Good po’boy shops abound in the Crescent City and so do opinions on who has the best. Here’s a list of 10 po’boy shops in New Orleans that are worth trying.
What makes a po’boy a po’boy?
A good majority of po’boy fillings aren’t unique to New Orleans – you can find sandwiches all over the country filled with roast beef, sausage, and seafood. What sets a po’boy apart is the bread. Some locals would say that the bread has to come from Ledenheimer, a New Orleans bakery that’s been around for over a century, but other more recent bakeries, like Dong Phuong (also home to one of New Orleans’ most beloved king cakes) churn out ideal loaves for sandwiches.
Unlike traditional baguettes, Gulf-style French bread is made with more water which results in a lighter bread that is less chewy. The crust of the bread is crisp and flaky while the inside is spongy and absorbent – this means that cooks can load sandwiches up with wet ingredients (like the saucy roast beef or liberal spoonfuls of mayonnaise) without having to worry about the po’boy falling apart because of sogginess.
Most places will ask you if you want your po’boy “dressed” – that just means served with shredded lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayonnaise.
Restaurants serving the best po’boys in New Orleans
Crabby Jack’s
Jacques-Imo’s owner Jacques Leonardi opened this po’boy shop near Jefferson Parish in 2002 and it’s stayed busy ever since. You can have a classic po’boy or try one of their special sandwiches such as the fleur de bree (ham and roast beef) or the succulent cochon de lait (pulled pork).
The real standout here is the slow-roasted duck po’boy, which eats like gravy-laden beef debris with a more savory punch. They’re only open for lunch and you want to get there early to beat the lines.
Liuzza’s by the Track
Not to be confused with the Liuzza’s in Mid-City, LBTT was founded in 1997 by friends Jimmie Lemarie and Billy Gruber and is a Bayou St. John institution. They claim the BBQ shrimp po’boy (a French pistolette drowned in their house-made BBQ Shrimp) as their signature sandwich but their garlic oyster po’boy is not to be overlooked.
Crispy fried oysters served on a glistening loaf of garlic bread, it’s one of the better seafood po’boys in town. Order a side of their delectable gumbo or grab a handful of duck tenders to go with it.
Frady’s One Stop
This Bywater classic (3231 Dauphine St) does it all – blue plate specials, deli sandwiches, and even breakfast. After you’ve had a hearty sampling of their po’boys, come back for an egg sandwich or a Grumpy Old Man Breakfast. If you need a pick-me-up, cross the street to Satsuma Cafe (7901 Maple Street) and try one of their fresh-squeezed juices or grab a cup of coffee to-go and stroll through the Bywater.
Killer PoBoys
At two locations, one at Dauphine (219 Dauphine St) and the other in the back of French Quarter’s dive bar Erin Rose (811 Conti St), Killer PoBoys presents a menu of unconventional and creative po’boys. Their roasted sweet potato po’boy is one of the best vegetarian options in the city. And the Black Beer Beef Debris with Wagyu holds up as one of the city’s top choices for a beef po’boy.
Insider’s Tip: If you’re at the Erin Rose location, make sure to grab a frozen Irish coffee on your way out. Add Fernet for an extra kick!
Adams St. Grocery
Right smack in the middle of a neighborhood in East Carrollton, this ‘corner’ mart (1309 Adams St) was a well-kept secret for many years. You won’t find anything off-the-wall here, just a lengthy menu of po’boys and other local goodies.
Grab a po’boy with hot sausage and cheese, fried crawfish, or, if you’re feeling adventurous, liver pate – all served on local Dong Phuong bread. You can order a sandwich, a fried crawfish pie, and a coke for under $12. Bonus points if you eat it on the hood of your car outside the store.
Bevi Seafood
With locations in Metairie and Mid-City, Bevi Seafood (236 N Carrollton Ave) is a hot spot for boiled seafood lovers. But they also have a great selection of po’boys. Favorites include the Peacemaker – a roast beef po’boy with Gulf shrimp, the Cure (for a late night out) – a sausage po’boy with over-easy eggs, and a corned beef and collard green po’boy, as well as a rotating menu of special sandwiches. Add a cup of their exceptional gumbo and you’ve got one of the best lunch combos in the city.
Domilise’s
This Uptown institution has been feeding folks for over a century. Just look for a hand-painted sign on a big yellow house and you know you’ve found this historic New Orleans eatery. You’ll find all the classics here but try the roast beef and Swiss, the hot sausage, or the surf n’ turf.
Domilise’s opens every day except Sunday, but get there early or expect a line. Enjoy a cold beer while you wait or pop over to the counter to watch the po’boy magic happen in real-time.
Verti Marte
One of two superb late-night options, Verti Marte won’t win any awards for their bedside manner but that’s part of their charm. This French Quarter eatery has a slew of specialty po’boys – try the ”All That Jazz,” ‘Royal Feast’, or ‘Ernie’s Power House’. They also sport a sprawling case of homestyle entrees such as fried chicken, meatloaf, and stuffed pork chops.
NOLA Poboys
Open extra late on the weekends to accommodate your late-night Quarter festivities, NOLA Poboys (908 Bourbon St) has an expansive menu that includes boudin balls and hefty seafood baskets. Standouts include the Da Yat fried shrimp po’boy – slathered in hot gumbo – and the alligator po’boy.
Those with hardy stomachs can order a fried shrimp po’boy aptly titled “Cursing Murray in the morning” (that’s extra spicy for y’all visiting). The line will comprise drunken revelers coming in from bars and overflow from late-night diner Clover Grill, so settle in for an entertaining wait.
Johnny’s Po-Boys
Johnny’s claims the title of oldest family-owned restaurant in New Orleans and, though they’re only open for lunch Thursday through Sunday, boasts one of the largest selections of po’boys in town. Try the country-fried steak po’boy, the Judge Bosetta (ground beef and Italian sausage), or the crab cake po’boy before you take a daylight stroll through the French Quarter.
