I grew up in a suburb of Houston not far from Galveston, and my dad made sure that I knew the glory of a good po’ boy. The first time we went to New Orleans, I remember a quest through back streets to find a small po’ boy stand that he assured me would be the best the city had to offer. He stressed that po’ boys weren’t fancy food, they were just really good eating.
Every now and then living in Austin, I get a massive craving for po’ boys – catfish, shrimp, roast beef, you name it. I didn’t have much luck finding a great one until I started reviewing Austin’s famous food trucks. While one of my favorites, Osmo’s kitchen, is no longer serving up catfish po’ boys with killer slaw on East 12th, I still have three solid po’ boy options for different moods:
1) Bud's Po Boys: The Classic, No Frills Po’ Boy
Huge, thick fried shrimp with big slices of tomato, lettuce, onions and pickles served on a big, crusty loaf of French bread. The $5.75 half po’ boy is plenty big for most lunches, but if you get the whole $10 sandwich, then the leftovers keep on coming.
Another way to tell that this is the best kind of simple, no-frills New Orleans po’ boy? The half you stick in the fridge tastes as good – or better – the next day. Must be eaten with the homemade tartar sauce they offer up to keep it from being too dry.
2) Nettie’s Place: The Slightly Fancier Po’ Boy
The shrimp po’ boy at Nettie’s Place is only a little bit fancy, but that’s a lot for a po’ boy. Fancy or not, it's still delicious. The Pink Flamingo fried shrimp po’ boy here comes slathered with a smoky, red remoulade that spices things up a bit. The blackened catfish option is served classic with tartar sauce. My foodie friends might gravitate towards some of the more upscale menu items, but the shrimp po’ boy is my favorite.
3) Turf N’ Surf Po Boy Shop: The “Fan”ciest Favorite
On the expensive and fancy side is the Turf N’ Surf Po Boy Shop downtown, which usually has a line out around the trailer at lunchtime. They serve different styles of catfish, oyster, crawfish and shrimp po’ boys (plus non-seafood options) that range from $9 to about $12. The po’ boys come absolutely loaded with fixins and the seafood is high quality and cooked right. Purists may object to the sandwiches' whole grain rolls instead of French bread, but the filling is tasty, and the meat is locally sourced and free-range.
MIA: Lee’s Hurricane Party
This po’ boy and Gulf Coast food trailer close to campus has been shut down for the summer. Here’s hoping they pop back up once the weather cools off.
(There is another po’ boy trailer in Austin, but compared to the others The Original New Orleans Po’ Boy and Gumbo Shop on South Congress is second string. It has a decent shrimp po’ boy with a generous amount of shrimp, but the fixins aren’t the best and items like the gumbo leave something to be desired. For a better Cajun fix, try Kate’s Southern Comfort, where the jambalaya is delicious and the Cajun meat pies are mouthwatering.)