Mahoney's Po-Boys on Magazine

[HalfShell]

I had a delicious roast beef po-boy there today and wanted to spread the word. They've only been open a few weeks. Has anyone else been there? I thought the physical space was very comfortable and well-done, and the service was very friendly. You can tell they care a lot about their new place, and I was happy to reward them with my money. I will absolutely be back.

Oh, and they have Abita on tap, which is always a plus.

[starsky]

the roast turkey poboy was absolutely gross, for someone that is serious about food, i cant believe they let these boot leather sandwiches go out door

[bg1811]

I was in there on the Friday after Thanksgiving. We had a two hour wait. The price of two poboys, one small fry, and two diet cokes was $32.00. The food was good, but, not worth the price or wait, IMO.

[Hungry Celeste]

I can't imagine waiting any time at all for a po-boy....just go down the street to another poboy joint! Try Guy's or Magazine St. Poboys, or take the 3-mi drive to old Jefferson and have a killer roast beef or BBQ beef at Joe Sepie's.

[roro1831]

Agreed, a poboy isn't the type of food I wait for, I love them and all, but there are quite a few places to get a good one. A 2 hour wait is absurd.

[kibbles]

er, how does one wait for two hours at a order-at-counter poboy shop?

[bg1811]

Simple, when I (and others) went to the counter to order, we were told it would be a two hour wait to get our orders and it was two hours before we got our order. We waited only because we had nothing else planned. I agree, a poboy is not worth waiting for two hours. I would think this type of service will ruin their business.

[uptownlibrarian]

Your experience was atypical. I've never waited more than 15 minutes.

It doesn't seem to me that they did anything wrong. They were upfront about the fact that it was going to be an absurd wait. How is that bad service?

[N.O.Food]

The meatball is the only thing I've found worth getting there. Everything else has been way subpar compared to other poboy joints. They have a good location though. I'm guessing that's the only reason they're still open.

[Frolic]

Except for the chicken livers, I like everything I've had there. Fries and onion rings are outstanding.

It's on the pricey side, but I think it's worth it. And I'll go record as saying that the roast beef is excellent. No it doesn't taste like the standard boiled beef with cheats (which I also like), but sometimes it's good to get roast beef that taste like beef.

[Hungry Celeste]

The fried chicken liver w/coleslaw is my fave poboy at Mahoney's! What don't you like about it? Or are you not a fan of chix livers...

[Frolic]

I've had it twice and the liver has been dry both times. Probably just bad luck. I know several other people who really like it.

I'll have to try again.

[uptownlibrarian]

I don't care for the meatball, but that's my own personal distaste for anise flavor.

Love the onion rings. Love the cheeseburger and the root beer glazed ham poboys. Really like the Caesar salad dressing and light croutons. Those are the things that I think they do better than other joints. Especially the onion rings.

[N.O.Food]

Agree. Onion rings are awesome. Unfortunately, I don't go places just to eat onion rings. Interestingly, my wife doesn't care for the meatball either. I'll have to try the cheeseburger and ham, if I make it back there. So far, I've tried oyster, shrimp, roast beef, cochon de lait, meatball, and several others, and the meatball is the only one i've liked. RB had good texture but an odd flavor (maybe they've changed that since I first tried it). The oyster and shrimp were nothing special - I think there were 4 shrimp on a half poboy. The cochon de lait was so dry it was downright awful.

[twangster]

I think their gumbo, only available on Friday, is one of the best in the city.

I bet the long wait was because that was not long after the New York Times' article on po-boys that prominently featured them. Never been there for lunch but at dinner I've never had more than a 5-minute wait to order and then the food comes 15-30 minutes later.

[shanefink]

My, you give a place ample time to impress you. I can't believe you've tried so many things and keep going back. Just wondering why?

[louisiana]

meee too

[N.O.Food]

@ Shanefink and Louisiana

Yes, I do try a place a bunch of times before drawing conclusions and writing reviews. Would you prefer I try a place once and write a review? In addition, there's a bunch of reasons to go to a place more than once, even places you don't like. I recall going to Mahony's twice because people I was with wanted to try it. Having already been, I tried different things each time. Good enough explanation for ya?

[kibbles]

yeah cochon was poor. the shrimp poboy is lacking in, uh, shrimp.

if i go there i only get the meatball, thats where its at.

[lawstudent]

I went recently for a french fry poboy and onion rings. It was delicious but expensive. If money was not an issue, this would be my go to place for poboys. Since it is, I will continue to go to Guy's for shrimp and Magazine St. Poboy for roast beef.

[bigjeff]

NYT article here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/11/dining/11unit.html

and some chatter here:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/666289

[Brittbabelsu]

I love Mahoney's Shrimp Po-Boys. The SHrimp do not "spill out" like others, but they are very plentiful. I would say stuffed. I think the experience mentioned above was a fluke. The shrimp, however, are amazing. Hand breaded, large, and buttery and velvety.

The only po-boy I've had there that I don't like is the Cochon de lait. It's a bit dry. Onion Rings-amazing and good happy hour prices (1.50 for an abita). Nice porch to sit outside. I really like this place. Also, I don't think I'd want my cheese melted on the Peacemaker, but I don't like too-melty cheese. I do love the peacemaker, though.

[twangster]

I'm also a big fan. A few weeks ago they knocked down the wall that divided the front from the back, which gives it a more open feeling.

We took some friends there a while ago and now they go once a week...

[fleurgirl]

I love Mahoney's. The poboys are great and the onion rings are fantastic. I just went last week and they have pretty good happy hour prices. I think they're trying to get some more folks in for dinner. This is where I take all my out-of-town visitors for poboys.

[greenwavefan]

I went for lunch based on people's favorable reviews. I had a regular fried shrimp poboy which had only 4, yes 4, shrimp on it. Yes, they were large shrimp but come on Mahoney's. I went to the Parkway Bakery and Tavern the next day for lunch and the shrimp were spilling out of my sandwich. I counted and there were 24- much smaller but 2 of their shrimp equaled one of Mahoney's. I will never go back. Oh and Mahoney's cost $2.00 more.

-----
Mahony's PO Boy Shop
3454 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

[kibbles]

yeah i noticed similar when i had their shimp & fried green tomatoes poboy - bigger shrimp but only a few. not really worth it to me.

i think their best menu item is the meatball w/ fresh motz poboy. nicely seasoned meat, bit of an anise kick.

[Shiloh]

agreed about the meatball. it's outstanding and sounding more and more like it may be the only thing worth ordering there. well, that and the onion rings and the french fries. the gumbo, when it's on the menu, is pretty good, too.

[uptownlibrarian]

I like the Caesar salad too. Especially with onion rings on top. Other than that, I've enjoyed the cheeseburger and the ham and cheese. But honestly it's the onion rings that keep me coming back.

[kibbles]

yeah +1 on the rings

[Bill Hunt]

For a shrimp po-boy, regardless of their size, the shrimp should "spill out" from the sandwich and need to be eaten with one's fingers, or a white plastic fork.

Interesting,

Hunt

[slave_to_the_passions]

I went there today and got a roast beef. This is the second roast beef poboy I've gotten in New Orleans. The first (from Zara's) was nasty: sliced processed roast beef in a gelatinous gravy; it tasted just like canned dog food smells. Mahoney's was much better: it was like a pot roast sandwich. Still, it was hardly perfect. It was underseasoned, and didn't have the kind of concentrated beef/vegetable flavor that slow braised beef, properly done, can achieve. I guess I'm saying that if I made pot roast and put it in bread, it would taste way better.

By the way, do real New Orleanians really order roast beef poboys dressed? It seems weird to me to eat braised beef and gravy with mayo and lettuce. I've ordered them plain so far. Am I missing out?

[N.O.Food]

Try Parasol's or Parkway's r.b. for a better taste. I found Mahony's to have a strange flavor. I asked our waitress what that strange taste was, and she told me they cook the roast in a lot of burgundy wine. She didn't sound certain, however, so until someone asks the cook, I guess that's all we'll know. I usually get mine dressed. Lettuce, mayo, and pickles. I'm not a tomato man though.

[Bill Hunt]

I'll second Parkway Bakery & Tavern. Now, I still remember when Frank's mother-in-law did the roast beef at Frank's on Decatur St., so it might not be a fair fight.

For me, a RB po-boy should have great sliced & chipped RB on French w/ shreaded lettuce, Swiss and hot mustard. I was never a tomato fan, but lately Chef John Besh has changed my mind. Back in the days, I always had a container of hot mustard behind Frank's counter, and would replace it, as was necessary. Though the RB was hot, the sandwich was always heated to toast things, and melt the Swiss. Of course there was always a liberal dose of au jus applied too. Parkway will do this too. IIRC, they use Gulden's hot mustard, and do the gravy, the Swiss, and the shreaded lettuce, plus will toast slightly.

Enjoy,

Hunt

[lawstudent]

Yes you are missing out. Mayo, tomato and lettuce are fabulous on roast beef poboys. I still have not found a place in town that makes one better than Pirate's Cove in Pass Christian, MS.

Edited to add: I just remembered Crabby Jack's has a pretty amazing one. Their duck poboy is similar and delicious as well.

[shimmys]

We LOVED this place! We ate there twice in a 4 day trip! The onion rings are tasty, airy bites of deliciousness, and the roast beef and gravy po boys were amazing! We are two skinny people who ate every scrap of that onion ring heaven, and every bit of our big sandwich, both times! They ask if you want a frosted mug with your root beer! We found the staff to be very nice and the owners grandma from Japan was working both days and charming the entire place! You are so lucky to have such an easy, yummy place there! Please open one in Burbank!

[Tiger1833]

I got a really dumb question, but I just moved to NOLA a month ago and it seems alot of places are just cash only.

My question is, does this place accept credit cards?

[N.O.Food]

yep.

[Bill Hunt]

That is a good question. I was almost embarrassed, more than once, when we were doing lunch at places that were "cash only." As I live and travel with credit cards, I found more spots in NOLA, that did not take plastic, than anyplace else, that I can recall. It all worked out well, but then I usually stash a few $100's in my wallet, just for these emergencies.

Hunt

PS these have really come in handy when ordering "special" wines for my table at several PHX events, only to find that the catering dept. of some major resorts did NOT take plastic. Mom-n-pops are one thing, but $1200 in wine at The Phoenician is another! Who walks around with that kind of change?

[bigjeff]

visiting from ny and read a random review of this place in one of the free weeklies; got the onion "st"rings (excellent) and the roast beef po boy (just a small).

delish! although I was expecting roast beef like sliced, the fact that it was braised brisket was unexpectedly delicious; real juicy, fully dressed and I had it out on the porch in the sun; service was great, the folks were real nice and as far as how it compares to other places, well, this is my first and probably only po'boy this trip as I'm leaving tomorrow (originally came on the board in search of a purportedly great oyster po'boy named Lee maybe? on the way to the airport from mid-city; anyone know it or can rec a good po'boy spot open around 9:30am?) but I thought the space was really nice for a sandwich shop, they have a full bar, dual abita taps and plenty of other delicious options.

[N.O.Food]

I just ate a roast beef, and unlike the meatball, I have to say I didn't like it. The beef was perfectly cooked and juicy like a Parkway, but it had an odd taste to it. I couldn't name the flavor, but it was sort of sweet. I didn't think it worked well, whatever it was. Would go back, just wouldn't get the r.b. And I thoroughly disagree with some posters that said their r.b. is as good if not better than parkway. In fact, Ignatius, Parasol's, and Parkway have better rb's than Mahony's, in my opinion. Again, it's strictly a flavor thing. They've got the rest of the sandwich dead on.

[Tonto]

I second Ignatius rb poor boy.

[kingofkings]

Maybe they are using Miracle Whip instead of mayo??

[Tonto]

I loathe Miracle Whip. What is your point?. Mayo was never even mentioned.

[kingofkings]

The point being MW is sweeter than mayo, and folks are complaining of the sweeteness of the po-boy. I would now say that carrots are the culprit.

[N.O.Food]

I actually tasted it (the mayo) by itself thinking that it might be miracle whip, but I think it's mayo. I think the strange flavor is either in the meat or the gravy. It's odd though.

[Isabella]

The mayo is mayo. But I think I know what you are tasting.

I ordered a side of gravy for the fries. What I got was a 1/2 pint of debris with gravy. I could taste & see bits of carrots in the gravy.
Personally, I like this taste & it is how I cook a roast at home. I use a lot of carrots. It does however, lend a sweetish taste & that is not your usual Roast Beef PoBoy & Gravy flavor.
Both flavors are good imo, but they are not the same. Nevertheless, we did not hesitate to polish off the debris & gravy & it was delicious!

PAZ, my dc loved the Grilled Shrimp & FGT w/Remoulade so much that I did not even get one tiny little bite! He raved about it for 2 days & then we went back again - twice this week!

[N.O.Food]

try the fried green tomato poboy at Crabby Jack's. Much better than mahony's in my opinion. As for the carrot thing, I guess that could add to the overall flavor, but I think there's something else in there. We always cook carrots with our roasts, and they never taste like that. I'm thinking allspice, cinnamon, brown sugar, cloves or some combination thereof.

[Lyonola]

Went back to Mahony's last night. Another great meal. Roast beef, they have taken out that mysterious flavor from it, is getting close to Parkway's. Shrimp and Remoulade, Meatball (less anisey), and Peacemaker rounded it out. All good. Seems like they are listening to their customers and but not changing the overall philosophy which is a damn fine po-boy.

Also, did yall see it was written up in Offbeat?

[HalfShell]

Wow. I never would have thought my post would go so far. I just happened to stop in one time in July, and it seems my fine meal was more the rule than the exception. Between the soaring praise and the fair criticisms, I think it's safe to say Mahony's generally pleases. I'm glad that a new restaurant is getting attention in the city. Did you get any sense, Lyonola, whether business is picking up because of positive feedback?

And what other restaurant out there aren't getting their due attention?

[Bill Hunt]

Because of this thread, I looked at Mahoney's and it looks wonderful. I hope to add it to the list next week and will review it.

Thanks for the thread!

Hunt

[Tonto]

I think amacass miss used the word dine. IT IS A JOINT. You don't dine in joints, good food none the less, but not a dining experience.

[Bill Hunt]

Well dang! We just could not fit it into the trip, but did find it. Looked great from Magazine St., and it WILL be on the next trip, just to see if they can live up to the looks.

Hunt

[amacass]

I dined at Mahoney's on Saturday.The food was amazing!!! I am always a sucker for a juicy roast beef poboy.Nice atmosphere with local sports memorabilia.They also had a classic blue cheese wedge with homemade dressing.I will go back and recommend to all my fellow New Orleans friends.

[Diner4Life]

We had lunch at Mahoney's on Sat. Split a Peacemaker, onions rings and a couple of Abitas. Sandwich was excellent - a good amount of crispy fried oysters, two strips of bacon, & cheddar cheese on fresh french bread. The onion rings were different, but good. Prices are a bit high, but I am always willing to pay for quality. Service was limited but friendly and efficient.

Traditionally, isn't a Peacemaker po'boy half shrimp and half oysters?

[Bocuse NOLA]

Yeah, that's what I understand a Peacemaker to be as well (half shrimp and half oysters). I thought the cochon de lait po-boy was fantastic, but the flavor of the roast beef was not for me. Something different about the taste, though the quality of the meat was top notch.

http://blackenedout.blogspot.com/sear...

[i_am_sin]

It doesn't matter if he were a sous chef at Commander's. Sous chef doesn't mean anything. The service at Mahoney's was something to be desired. I found the waitstaff pretty pretentious for a po-boy shop. I give it a year.

[kibbles]

i think the link to commander's infers that 1) the guy knows a bit more about food than your typical deep-frier-based poboy shop, and 2) the guy knows the value of service. case in point for #1, how many poboy shops have a chicken liver & slaw poboy? even cochon du lait isnt exactly common.

bummer about the service. the two times ive been there the service was remarkably helpful. so much so that the parties i was with noted it.

i wager it will be there much longer than a year.

[kibbles]

i tried the meatball on saturday, and really liked it. flavorful (i liked the anise in the meat), good sauce, fresh moz-ball slices.. it was messy and i had to use several napkins, but i think that goes w/ the territory when it comes to poboys.

want to try the turkey, chicken liver, and cochon du lait.

$3 abita taps! nice. (wish my cheaper-property-value neighborhood bar would take a lesson..$4 is getting close to $5!).

[ichabodsdad]

We ate there Sat. I did not like the space at all. It was sterile. Also not a fan of eating off of paper in the restaurant. Parking was a major pain too. BUT enough negatives.The fact is the food was excellent, starting from the meatball and cochon du lait poboys to the fries and onion rings and that is the whole point. I will definitely get food from there again, I just won't eat there.

[trkydnr]

I hate to be the lone dissenter, but we ate here yesterday and thought it was just ok. I had the meatball, and my husband had the shrimp and fried green tomatoes. Neither of us were overly impressed. I thought my po-boy was lacking in flavor and could have used a bit more sauce. The meatballs were also way too big, and the entire contents of my sandwich fell out on the first bite, which was annoying. My husband thought the shrimp and fried green tomatoes po-boy is much better at Crabby Jack's.

[KARAal03]

i have to concur - as a faux-kosher eater (no pork or seafood) po' boy options are limited and i usually feel like i'm eating a sad imitation while everyone else at the table feasts (save the traditional roast beef of course). but i had a really good turkey po'boy here - it was fresh real roast turkey in a delicious gravy, and was hearty but didn't weigh me down. delish!

[uptownlibrarian]

I agree with everyone on the awesomeness of the onion "rings". They are a perfect crunchy salty (occassional) snack. I found the meatballs or sauce to be too anise-y for my taste, so I traded with my companion for half his shrimp. The shrimp were large, well fried, and tasty, but I think there were too few of them for the price.

I'm looking forward to trying other sandwiches, and having more fried onions!

[kibbles]

I agree on the scarcity of shrimp -- my large poboy was 12+ and it was mostly lettuce and fried tomatoes.

[kibbles]

i went for lunch yesterday w/ some coworkers. we liked it -- roastbeef poboy was meaty, veal parm looked excellent (whole fresh moz slices). i had the fried green tomatoes + grilled shrimp remoulade; it was interesting but not delectable, probably wont get it again.

best item? the ultra-thin onion rings! they were light and addictive, like popcorn! awesome.

next time i try the meatball or veal parm.

[N.O.Food]

Went for lunch today. Excellent meatball poboy with giant meatballs and slabs of freshly sliced mozzarella. Yum. Friend got the fried oyster and had no complaints.

[fruitcake]

Amen to all the praises! I went there today based on feedback from fellow hounds and I was so glad I did. The grilled shrimp, fried green tomato & remoulade was stellar as were the onion rings. Thanks everyone for the heads up!

[CheeburgerCheeburger]

I'm also a huge fan after eating there on Saturday. Onion rings were light, crisp, and perfectly seasoned. The meatballs looked like about 1 lb. of meat each, and were moist and tasty. Can't wait to go back! I ate about half of each and still had an entire meal to take to go.

[lawstudent]

I went recently and it was delicious! The onion rings and fries are enough to feed a table of four. My boyfriend got onion rings and I got fries and it was way too much. Yummy roast beef and fried shrimp poboys. I'm trying the meatball next!

[paz5559]

I had then shrimp remoulade po'boy with fried green tomatoes - best sandwich I've eaten in New Orleans

The Fried Chicken Liver po'boy, served with coleslaw on the sandwich, while clearly not traditional, is also delish.

[kriscolby]

Hate to just pile on here, but we went the other day and both the mufaletta and the shrimp/remoulade/green tomato were fantastic.

[the pig is my friend]

I just went there for lunch today and had an excellent Patton's hot sausage. The table next to us got a basket of amazing looking onion rings - super thin, like shaved fried onions. Top notch place.

[Shiloh]

man i've been meaning to post about this place. i've only been once, but i had the best meatball sandwich i've ever had. they also have the standards as well as others like fried chicken livers and coleslaw, and grilled shrimp with fried green tomatoes and remoulade. the meatball poboy was sublime. a lot of thought was put into the meatballs. obviously made by hand and not over worked. some kind of interesting spices in there, too, like allspice or something of that ilk. also, a very solid red gravy with a little spice that lingers on the palate. and sliced buffalo mozzarella, which was unusual. a great, great sandwich. my table also got an order of fries and an order of onion rings. the fries were hand cut and perfect. the onion rings were the thin, shoestring variety and very tasty. these people know what they're doing. i recommend without reservation.

[sirvelvet]

Do you have a more specific address? Thanks!

[Frolic]

3454 Magazine Street

http://mahonyspoboys.com/

-----
Mahony's
3454 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA

[Frolic]

It also stays open until 8pm. Not too many evening po-boy options in Uptown.

[Frolic]

Oh yeah, this place is amazing. The chef used to be the sous chef at Rio Mar. He's serious about the quality of his po-boys. Everything from scratch. No corners cut.