Best Po-Boys

[KateMW]

I know that I could probably do a search and find an answer for this, but I wanted a very current answer...

What's the best po-boy (shrimp or oyster) in town? We're coming in for the second weekend of Jazz Fest, staying at the JW on Canal. We won't have a rental car, so we'll be taking a taxi...so please no 30 mile trips. :) My brother in law went to Tulane and is a huge fan of Domelisi's (butchered that spelling I know), but I'm not convinced.

Thanks!

[mikey]

Perhaps it was the day I went but I had an extraordinarily good shrimp po-boy at Joey K's on Magazine St. Also Mahoney's does a good ham and cheese. Another fun po-boy place is the Grocery right on St. Charles and 7th St. You can sit outside right on the avenue and enjoy the people walking by.

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Joey K's Restaurant & Bar
3001 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

[jindomommy]

Magazine Street is kind of scenic too. Sucre Bakery is on Magazine and pretty good.

[stellawine]

I'm heading to NOLA for the Rad's Rock & Bowl shows 10/22-23, & I wouldn't THINK of going anywhere but Guy's for the best poboys on the planet. Really. Best ingredients, best flavors, best poboys. Bozo's & Felix's for ersters (Metairie on the way in, Felix's whilst stumblin' da Quatah. So, please, someone tell ME...who's got the best GUMBO these days?

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Guy's Food Store
5257 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

[midcity]

I've lived within a block of Guy's for six months and have never been there--they are always closed when I am home! Based on your review, though, I'll have to keep trying to make it there.

[erikschwarz]

I think the best gumbo is often found in country places. One exception is Wintzell's Oyster House in downtown Mobile. I am not suggesting a trip just to dine there, but it is worth a stop if you are en route to Gulf Shores, Orange Beach or points east. Wintzell's has opened a location in Orange Beach, but I cannot imagine it has the hoarily hokey and slightly demented ambience of the original.

[Littleman]

I agree with you about Wintzell's in Mobile at their original downtown location. They just opened a location in Pensacola and they now have 12 locations. I would make a point to stop in Mobile if I was passing through. They have one in Spanish Fort right off I 10 which is very convenient.

[kibbles]

we prefer donald link's gumbo at Herbsaint, on st charles.

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Herbsaint
701 Saint Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130

[nomadchowwoman]

+1.

[erikschwarz]

Well, yes, but Wintzell's is to Herbsaint as a '57 Chevy "funny car" is to a Porsche Cayman. Both great, but otherwise not really comparable.

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Herbsaint
701 Saint Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130

[kibbles]

not really following. the question was "Where's good gumbo?".. we like Herbsaint. never been to Wintzell's tho.

[erikschwarz]

Just having fun with analogies. I agree Herbsaint is very good. Dangerously located 1 1/2 blocks from my office.

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Herbsaint
701 Saint Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130

[jindomommy]

I stayed right by the JW and just took the trolley to Parkway. It's the best. Awesome bread and really good roast beef. The oyster and shrimp combo was amazing. The trolley ride will give you a view of the city. We had no problem and I think it cost maybe a $1 or even less for the ride.

[Hungry Celeste]

Streetcar rides cost $1.25 (exact change only).

[uptownlibrarian]

They give you change on the streetcar/bus now, sort of, in the form of a card with the balance on it. I think you can put up to $10 in and get change.

And to the original question, K-Paul's is open for lunch Thu-Sat and offers two really good fried seafood poboys on their menu, which changes weekly. Usually it's shrimp or oyster, but sometimes flounder will sneak in. They're on the expensive side, ($10 to $13 or so), but they come with a side and are very generously portioned.

[mapleleafgirl]

Parkway is my favorite to date...after trying Domilise's, Johnny's, Mahoneys and...hmm...don't remember the other. We walked from Willie May's Scotch house to Parkway...about 30 mins? It seemed like it might be a sketchy area at night but it was fine during the day. It's not a cheap cab ride for sure...but i would pay it anyday...i love love love the shrimp poy boy ( we tried the oyster & the roast beef too but didn't love them as much) I think it's always busy. It took almost an hour to get a return cab ride too...but heck they have a bar...not a problem. Can't recommend enough.

[food lover23]

I used too eat at Russels short stop on trans for their roast beef and parkway, but i found a new place( cant say found cause it was recommended) in marrero off of barataria called Chateau Orleans Poboys. I hd their roast beef and can honestly say never had one like it. Will not eat any other roastbeef except theirs. Muffelattas are also excellent. Seafood is awesome. Is worth the trip across the river i promise.

[Blumie]

First post, eh?

[ghozimoto]

Luv doms -- the first thing i do when i visit nola is head to doms, unless i am coming in on thursday, since they are closed on thursdays. best oyster po boy in my opinion.

[issabug]

If you're going to be at Jazz Fest try the soft shell crawfish po boy. It's the only place I've ever seen it in the city and it's delicious!

I also agree with a previous posting. Eat at Jazz Fest, that's reason enough to go.

[sirvelvet]

I always found that after a long day at the Fest there was not enough energy for seeking out anything. Also, don't forget how much food is available at the Fest, with poboys from soft shell crab to cochon de lait to the standards. All good! With that being said, there are two locations very close to the Fairgrounds that you cannot go wrong with when it comes to po boys. The first is Liuzza's By The Track, on Lopez and on the Fairgrounds side of Esplanade. They have a few specialty po boys that no one else does and are excellent. Of course, I am talking about the bbq shrimp and the garlic oyster po boys.

The second is Parkway Bakery, on N Hagan at the foot of Bayou St. John. It is a bit longer walk but also worth it, serving arguably the best roast beef po boy in town. All of their po boys are delicious, large and full of whatever insides you have ordered.

Both take credit cards (very important) and both have full bars (and ice cold beers).

Enjoy your visit to New Orleans!

[Bill Hunt]

Thanks for the note about credit cards. I had forgotten about all the places that only will take cash. Maybe that's why I always have a few $100's squirreled away in my wallet. Normally, I live by plastic and that is the first question, before I begin a service, or buy a product. It's the miles/points... doncha' know?

Hunt

[nospice]

Domilese's = way overrated eat at jazzfest

[N.O.Food]

If you go to Domilise's, don't get a roast beef. They use 2 thin slices of roast beef - if it's not storebought, it sure seems like it. On the other hand, the fried shrimp/oyster poboys are good, and it's a cool little joint. However, there are much better places to get poboys these days.

Parkway has great poboys. I love their gravy drenched roast beef. Shrimp and oyster are mighty fine as well. Overall, if I were to tell you to go to one place for all your poboy needs, it would be parkway. They're in midcity so they're not too far from jazzfest.

Also, I ate at Ignatius the other day and had a roast beef poboy there. The r.b. is similar to parkway, but it had less gravy on it. It was very good. I really liked it a lot. And it's on magazine so it might be more convenient.

The shrimp poboy at Guy's is really nice, too.

Crabby Jack's has excellent poboys as well, but it's a little far.

[innominate]

i like parasol's oyster poboy. and their gravy fries kick #$%. i like parkway's roast beef. liuzza's at the track, i had their roast beef with the hoseradish sauce, couldn't even taste a hint of the horseradish. i liked the shrimp at domilise's but had swiss and gravy added to it.

[JazzyB]

You can walk to Liuzza's By the Track from JF. They have a really good roast beef po boy with horseradish sauce (extra sauce). You can get 1/2 po boy and a bowl of gumbo for about $9. Of course they also have shrimp (fried and bar-b-que) as well as oyster etc. Johnny's in FQ also makes good po boys but are only open till about 4pm. BTW, the Galley does a nice softshell po boy at JF.

[KateMW]

I've been told that Liuzza's is the place to go for a pre-Fest bloody mary as well, so we'll probably stop by at least once. Thanks.

[kevin]

I thought they don't serrve food at Liuzza's during Jazz Fest?

[hamsandwich]

Loooove Domilise's....but if you're going to Jazz Fest, you have to try the soft shell crab poboy that one of the food vendors sells. It is to DIE for.

[Blumie]

I don't know if the quality has waned or if I've just lost interest in it, but I no longer crave the soft shell crab poboy at Fest. I do, however, really like the softshell crawfish poboy!

[kibbles]

it's good but rather small so at $9 (these days) it's just not worth it to me.

[KateMW]

I've heard it's very tasty. I love soft shell crab and we don't get it a ton up in Birmingham. I'll be on the lookout.

[Bill Hunt]

For me, the best shrimp po-boy is still Felix's in the FQ. For roast-beef, Parkway Bakery. However, there have been some great recs. for spots that did not exist, when I lived in NO, and that I've yet to experience. Still, for shrimp, especially late at night, I head to Felix's. Besides, Felix's is just two blocks off of Canal and they have good oysters on the half-shell. If you do not like that, just across the street is Acme Oyster House. Many in my family swore by Acme, but I was the iconoclast...

Parkway is too far away for your travles, sans auto. Decades ago, I thought that Frank's on Decateur was the best roast-beef po-boy, and still judge all others by their's. That restaurant has changed, and I do not know how they are doing with the roast-beef now. Seems that they are attempting to go up-scale. Frank's kids have it now, so maybe if you tell them that you want it the way that their grandmother used to make it, you'll get something like I still remember.

Enjoy,
Hunt

[KateMW]

It's funny you bring up the Felix/Acme thing. My husband's family were always Felix's people and my family favors Acme. When we started dating, we actually had a long talk about which one we would choose. LOL We said we'd do both, but I usually bat my eyes and we go to Acme and we've added Domilise's to the mix the last couple of trips. I still like Acme, but want to try a new place or two.

[Bill Hunt]

I think that Domilse's is new, since I live in NOLA, but I do see it often recommended, so, based on the CH folk, it MUST be good.

For the Felix's/Acme thing, it was really in MY family (from MS). I do not recall my wife really having a preference, and HER family were all multi-generational NOLA residents. I think that because I liked Felix's, and it was obvious that I loved food, her family just accepted it, or at least never expressed their pref. At least not in front of me.

I guess that it was like the preferences for Jim's, or Ye Olde College Inn, for fried chicken. It was what you grew up with.

I'm trying to come up with something else, but it's been too long ago, for me to really help. Best fried-shrimp po-boy was Marquez Bro's, but that WAS out on Chef Hwy., half-way to MS. Long gone. Next was a spot on the Lakefront east of the old Lincoln Beach. Also long gone. Now, when I get a craving for a fried-shrimp po-boy, late at night in Phoenix, I think of Felix's. Sorry.

Hunt

Hunt

[KateMW]

How new do you mean? I know it's been there for at least 6 years. I'm assuming it's been there even longer from the looks of it. ;)

[Hungry Celeste]

Domilese's new? Not by a long shot. At least 70 years, perhaps 75 by now.

[KateMW]

That's what I thought, but I could only say I'd been going there for 6-7 years. Thanks for the correct number!

[Shiloh]

yeah. it opened before the great depression, in 1927.

[Bill Hunt]

I was thinking 30 years, but Hungry Celeste says much longer. For whatever reason, I do not remember it, but, at my age, that is not unusual. Still, they get a lot of good buzz on this board, so they must be doing something right.

Thanks HC for the info,
Hunt

[roro1831]

I've tried it a few times, and I typically get a roast beef poboy as my judge of a place and I must say I was not impressed with Domilise's roast beef poboy. They do have good shrimp poboys though.

[N.O.Food]

Agree, Domilise's r.b. is not good by any measure.

[Shiloh]

yeah. domilise's roast beef is more of a dry affair than the popular style these days. i still like it, but i wouldn't choose it over a parkway or a jazzy or a johnny's.

[bywatertim]

Domilese's is absolutely horrible.

[kibbles]

a lot of people say this. never had their RB -- whats wrong w/ it?

[N.O.Food]

You could make it yourself. Go to Rouse's and get the deli to cut some Boar's Head roast beef. Buy some po boy bread and dress it. Bam. You've got a Domilise's r.b.

Also, I want to say they put some form of "gravy" on it, but it's been so long I can't quite recall. I think I remember being reminded of public school gravy, the kind that comes out of a box. I clearly remember being heartily disappointed though.

That said, their fried stuff is good.

[kibbles]

last nite i watched Anthony Bourdaine's No Reservations episode in new orleans, season 4 (stream it on Netflix). he goes there w/ Chris Rose and they show the poboy -- yeah its sliced rb w/ gravy on top. meh.

BUT! the "off menu" Shrimp w/ Swiss & Gravy poboy looks amazing! sloppy love. i will ask for it.

[hazelhurst]

I always have the shrimp, m'self. cannot remember the last RB I had there..maybe 1978? And even then, what with Parasol's and Acy's, I wonder "why?"

I still do like the RB that has slices, just not supermarkler kind. The debris business has gotten out-of-hand, I think.

[KOK]

Pre-Katrina we took the Canal Street Streetcar to about 1/2 way between Canal and Esplanade and walked a few blocks to Parkway. It was a very easy walk and we didn't feel the least bit un-safe.

Unless things are much different (and I know in a lot of New Orleans they are) I don't think anyone without a car should skip Parkway.

Kevin

[mrsfury]

Parkway has such a diverse crowd. It's a must-do. Can be quite crowded on weekends for lunch. We were lucky to get a seat at the bar but I think we went early. I don't know how safe the walk from the restaurant to the streetcar line is at this point. I know people who live in the area and it seems to be ok especially during the day.