At the Library in May
May 1, 2013
Andrew J. Cantrelle
May 2, 2013
If you blink, you’ll miss it. If you judge by it’s exterior, you’ll skip it.
In either case, it would be a shame.
Opened in 1989 and located in a cramped building off New Orleans Boulevard, Bayou Blue Po-Boys is an unpolished gem.
Twenty po-boy varieties are on the menu, ranging from country-fried steak to flounder to barbeque sausage to the firdie. The shop offers 24 side items and desserts, daily plate lunches, seafood dinners, salads and hot dogs. One could eat here every day for years before being forced to order an already-sampled spread.
We walked across the carpet and placed our order at a glass counter. Kids’ toys are in one corner to distract from a limited dine-in wait, and pictures line the walls. I feel as if I’m in someone’s home.
My guest and I dined in, sitting at one of a handful of Plymold booths. Considering the bustle compared to the restaurant size, carryout is a more appropriate choice.
We went for the house namesake – po-boys.
Served warm and without much wait, the hot-sausage patty I ordered had the flavor I desired, but its leanness left me wanting more. The sandwich’s size at $6.25 is a bargain, I think, until I see the meat. I was pleased with the taste and the bread’s texture, but not filled.
For my guest, I think the same can be said. He had a country fry steak on his bread. He likened the meal to something from his grandmother’s kitchen, which fits in with the eatery’s ambiance. Overall, he felt like he was on the better end of the deal.
I must confess: This was my second trip to the restaurant. I had previously ordered a small fried shrimp po-boy, and it was overfilled. I don’t think the cooks skimp on food, though I will likely avoid the hot-sausage patty in the future despite its alluring taste.
Plate-lunch offerings rotate on a daily basis: red beans on Monday, roast beef on Tuesday, ground beef spaghetti on Wednesday, hamburger steak on Thursday and white beans with fish on Friday.
Bayou Blue Po-Boys may not amaze, but it begs sampling. Its midday-only servings are geared at the working class, and if one orders the right combination, it is a satisfying meal.
Although the small country fry steak po-boy at Bayou Blue Po-Boys isn’t particularly filling, it satisfies my guest and reminds him of his grandmother’s kitchen, fitting in with the eatery’s general ambiance.
