A couple of weeks ago Pop's Poboys, located downtown Lafayette, was listed as one of the 50 best new restaurants in the country. The list is an annual event, sponsored by food magazine Bon Appetite. Eventually they will make a Top 10 list.
Pop's om Jefferson Street has been open for a bout a year and a half and is one of many places in that city, which serves po'boys.
A po'boy, for you you not from Louisiana, is a french bread sandwich, originating in New Orleans.
It's a classic sandwich, a typical "workingman's lunch" The typical po'boy comes in a baguette, dressed with tomatoes, lettuce and mayonnaise. Stuffing can be everything from ham to sea food.
I was curious to see why a sandwich place would end on a Top 50 list like that. I did some research and found their menu on Facebook, as well as on their website.
I vaguely remember having tried a po'boy from Pop's during Festival International, but festival food is what it is, one enjoys it while it lasts, but afterwards it's hard to remember who exactly served what. However, both my wife and I remembered their sandwich as good.
Pop's is not a fancy restaurant. It's a typical south Louisiana casual place with friendly service. Their website states, "Classic interpretations and exciting twists on Louisiana's favorite sandwich plus starters, salads, sides, sweets and refreshing beverages, all in a relaxed casual setting."
The "refreshing beverages" contains everything from water to a list of cocktails with a local twist. They also carry the local soda pop, Swamp Pop.
I walked in and checked the menu, written on the wall. There were some items, not listed on their printed menu. However, I decided to stay with my initial plan, which was a Delcambre Dandy (shrimp) po'boy. I also added a serving of their house cut French fries, with a horseradish, peppercorn, dipping sauce. One orders at the counter, just like at any burger, sandwich joint. and then take a seat.
I sat down at a table, which was covered with a paper table cloth. Crayons were available for the more creative lunch guests.
While waiting for my sandwich I looked at the constantly growing line of customers. I also noticed they were delivering take out orders, using the more and more popular Waitr app. Well, that's what I assumed since the guys leaving with bags of food hat Waitr T-shirts on.
The french fries with the dipping sauce arrived first. It was a big serving of fried potatoes and I almost regretted getting them. However. the fries and dipping sauce were good. I am a horseradish fan, and often used it, sometimes in a potato salad dressing or in a gravy served with fish. The dipping sauce had a nice, but not overwhelming bite to it.
I didn't have to wait too long for my sandwich, which arrived rolled up in paper and without a plate.
I unwrapped my serving and the po'boy looked really good. Besides shrimp fried to perfection, it was dressed with tomatoes, arugula salad and a lemon and capers sauce, no mayo or mustard. I had to look at it for a while because the bread with its stuffing looked so good. The shrimp were nice size and there were a lot of them, too. Ween i grabbed my sandwich a piece of tomato fell out and landed on the wrap. I tasted it and it really tasted t-o-m-a-t-o. Most times tomatoes, especially in the wintertime taste like a tomato, but when you get a sun ripened tomato in your mouth, you know the difference.
I took a bite. The shrimp were firm, but tender and just perfect. The lemon and caper sauce added a nice twist to it, just like promised on their website. The po'boy was absolutely delicious, the texture of the shrimp, tomato and arugula was very nice. The French bread was also very great. Sometimes I am picky with my bread. I like my po'boy bread to be crispy on the outside and soft, but chewy on the inside. The bread was near perfect.
All in all, it was a very nice food experience. Pop's po'boys lets the ingredients do the talking. There's no gimmicks, no waiters dressed in black, or anything fancy one would expect from a restaurant, listed as a top notch place to eat. Just good food made with love and creativity.
Highly recommendable. I'll be back!
