Revealed: Louisiana’s Top 10 Po-Boys, Where Does Your Favorite Rank?

(KMDL-FM) In the history of American food, has there ever been a more iconic sandwich than the Louisiana Po-Boy? The sandwich has its own backstory, and to be honest, the future of the Po-Boy looks even brighter than its storied past.

Michael DeMocker, Getty Images

Po Boy sandwiches can literally be stuffed with anything your heart desires. In Louisiana, we do a lot of seafood po-boys. Some sandwiches show our continued love affair with the pig and the products we create from that animal, and of course, beef is a big part of the Louisiana Po-Boy tradition as well.

How Did The Po-Boy Get to Be Called the Po-Boy?

The Po-Boy sandwich, as we know it, came to be during a labor issue in New Orleans involving transit workers. A restaurateur in the Big Easy sympathized with the striking workers and offered them a free meal to show support for their cause.

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When the striking workers would show up for their meal, the restaurant crowd would shout, "Here comes another poor boy," and from that experience, the legend of the Louisiana Po Boy was born. Here's an animated version of the story if you're a visual learner. 

Po-Boys Are No Longer For Poor Boys - How Much Do They Really Cost?

Po-Boy sandwiches aren't for the underfinanced anymore. A good po-boy will set you back close to$15 bucks at many sandwich shops. Now that would be for the "full" size. You'll pay a little less if you order the half size. But don't order the half size; seriously, you're going to want that other half of a sandwich.

A meatball sandwich with green leaves on a white plate

Almost every town has its "Po-Boy" destination; in Lafayette it's Olde Tyme Grocery, in Lake Charles they love Darrell's, in New Orleans they will fight you for a Parkway Po-Boy, and in Shreveport Crawdaddy's Kitchen, Herby-K's or Marilynn's Place might be where you'd want to go.

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Now that you've found your place, what are you going to order? Here's what you told us you were thinking about.