Above: A "dressed" roast beef po' boy.
A po' boy is a traditional Louisiana sandwich that can be bought at a variety of locations throughout New Orleans, from corner grocery stores to boutique sandwich shops. It is a big messy sandwich that has to be eaten far away from the body and often causes a bad stomach ache, though it's delicious none the less. As both a cheap lunch option for locals and a novelty item for tourists, the traditional po' boy has endured as a distinctive dietary staple, while the neighborhood po' boy shop remains an important hang-out spot and mixing ground for local inhabitants.
Above: Magazine Po-Boy Shop and Dat's Grocery, both located on Magazine Street and just six blocks from each other.
Wikipedia describes the sandwich well:
A key ingredient that differentiates po' boys from other submarine sandwiches is the bread. Louisiana French bread is different from the traditional American baguette, in that it has a flaky crust and a soft, airy center. This is generally attributed to the high ambient humidity causing the yeast to be more active. It also differs from the bread usually used for submarine sandwiches in the rest of the country, which has a soft exterior. The crust of Louisiana French bread is very crispy because much care is given creating an extra humid environment in the oven using steam (whether it be by injecting steam, using a steamer pan, or a spray bottle). Once a golden color is obtained then oven is opened several times to allow excess steam to escape.
Typically, the French bread comes in two-foot-long "sticks". Standard sandwich sizes might be a half po' boy, about six inches long (called a "Shorty") and a full po' boy, at about a foot long. But they can be prepared in longer and shorter versions for group events.
The traditional versions are served hot and include fried shrimp and oysters. Soft shell crab, catfish, crawfish, Louisiana hot sausage, roast beef and gravy, and French fries are other common variations.
A "dressed" po' boy has lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise; pickles and onion are optional. Non-seafood po' boys will also usually have Mustard, but the customer is expected to specify whether he or she wants "hot" or "regular"—the former being a coarse-grained Creole mustard (such as that produced by Zatarain's) and the latter being American yellow mustard. Mother's Restaurant, a popular lunch stop in New Orleans on Poydras St., uses shredded green cabbage rather than lettuce for its dressed sandwiches.
Above: Joe's PoBoys on MLK, Jr. Boulevard; Mahony's Po Boys on Magazine; Quicky's on Tulane; and Johnny's Po-Boy Restaurant on St. Louis.
