Orleans Po Boys

New Orleans has such a rich culture and a lot of it has to do with the Creole or Cajun cuisine.  While it can be duplicated, nothing truly comes close to real down home cooking in the Big Easy. There are some options in our area if you're willing to compromise.  One of those alternatives is Orleans Po Boys on Schillinger Road.

I have to be honest.  I've driven by this place a number of times without thinking I should stop by.  That all changed when I got a hankering for muffalleta.  My cousin, David, suggested I try Orleans Po Boys since it was "good" a few years ago.  Since that didn't sound all that promising, I decided to try and hold out until I can make a trip to NOLA.  Alas, I caved to my cravings and tried OPB out.



Muffalleta Small $7.99

I got a small muffalleta sandwich for $7.99 and since that didn't come with any sides at all I decided to try something else as well.  I got a side of chicken and sausage jambalaya for $2.49.  OPB's sandwich consists of prosicutto ham, salami, provolone cheese and an olive mix served on a round, sesame bun.  The small is half of the sandwich; which is plenty for one person.  I really love that the meats and cheese "sandwiches" the olive mix.  At some places, it's heaped on top and when you go to take a bite half of the olive mix falls out. The problem with most muffalletas is that the olive mix along with the meats make it very salty.  OPB's is served with a dipping sauce that cancels a lot of that out.  It also makes it a little bit buttery; which I like.

As for the jambalaya, it was nice and flavorful. There was big pieces of celery, onions and carrots as well.  You can tell this has been cooking and the flavors melding for a long time. All of the vegetables are so soft it melted in your mouth.  There also large chunks of chicken and sausage as well.  I think these were cooked and added later on because the chicken was still very tender and the sausage not overcooked. OPB's jambalaya has a very dark sauce. You will not be tasting a lot of tomato paste here.

Joe Don Special Small $6.99

Of course, my brother came along with me to OPB.  I think he got the small Joe Don Special, which actually is pretty large.  It's basically OPB's version of a French Dip. It's a six inch french loaf filled with roast beef, ham, swiss cheese and gravy. It was also dressed with lettuce and tomato.  Although it tasted great, my brother was a little disappointed with the amount of meats and cheese inside.  There was an entire backend that was devoid of anything. To him, it was a "failure." The po-boys does not come with any sides but the sandwich is pretty big.

OPB also have a number of specials.  My friend got the fish basket which came with a fries and drink for $7.99.  When it came out, the piece of fish was huge!  I think was tilapia.  It looked nice and flaky.  The fries looked like your average frozen fries.  Nothing too special.

There's quite a number of tables and booths including a bar area but only three of them were filled. That's including my own.  There were two servers for a weekday lunch.  I kind of understand but if they want a busier lunch, there has to be more servers to get folks in and out.  Both servers waited on us.  One took our order and brought us out food, the other refilled drinks and took our plates away.  I noticed the ladies did spend more time in the kitchen area than the dining room, which could contribute to the slowness of service.

I enjoyed Orleans Po Boy but I'm unsure if I will return.  While my muffaletta was good, I'm told there is a number of other places in town where I can get a better sandwich.  The po boys and fried fish were not noteworthy to say the least and prices were not good.  However, there is lunch specials everyday that is may be worth trying out.