Lunch and the quest for the proper po’boy in T’bonne

How lucky was I to grow up across the street from a po’boy shop in New Orleans? Charlie’s Deli, may it rest in Katrina peace, served up some of what I considered to be the best po’boys and sandwiches in the south and I will forever hold a special place in my heart (and stomach) for that funky, little establishment. There are other places that make a mean debris or fabulous fried shrimp, such as Parkway in New Orleans, Parran’s in Metairie or Sammy’s in Baton Rouge, but I need to find my go-to po’boy place in Terrebonne … especially since I live here now.

So off I went, companions in tow, to Mr. Po-Boy on Houma’s east side. I ordered an 8-inch Roast Beef ($7.77) with a side of Sissy Fries ($2.80).

First, I must mention the fries. Holy mother of all that’s delicious! These artery-clogging potato slices were smothered in gravy, cheese and bits of jalapeño. If you are having a bad day – and you eat your feelings the way that I do – go and get an order. I swear you will feel better.

As for the roast beef po’boy, the meat was overly sloppy and saturated in excessive quantities of gravy and mayonnaise – just the way I like it! Something was throwing the balance off though.

One of my guests, who ordered the French Fry Po’Boy ($3.79), declared the bread as the culprit.

She said Mr. Po-Boy did an admirable job meshing two of her three favorite things: gravy and fries. But the ruin of the po’boy was the bread itself. A long-time Leidenheimer French bread fan, my guest likes her bread to have a little personality and a little tug. I couldn’t agree more.

The bread at Mr. PoBoy is the soft stuff, which is fine and dandy (and actually pretty tasty), but not traditional in terms of a true po’boy. As my gravy disintegrated the bun, I wished for a sturdier capsule.

If you can look past the faulty exterior, Mr. Po-Boy’s roast beef sandwich is really delicious, and I can see why it is one of the favorites of many around town.

My other guest ventured off from the po’boy quest and found himself eating a Hot Tamale Sandwich ($4.89) – strange, but true. The tamale was soft and had a slight kick at the end and the bun was fresh. He said it was good, but he probably would get something else on a future visit.

This trip was certainly not a complete loss and I will return to try more of what they have to offer.

As for the proper po’boy … my quest continues.

In search of a great local po’boy, the Guru sampled Mr. Po-Boy in east Houma. Reviews were mixed.

GUMBO GURU