There aren’t many culinary items that I’ve encountered that have sparked so much passion, enthusiasm, and outright strong emotion than that of the po’boy. Or is it po boy? Or maybe po-boy? Honestly, I’m not quite sure. The decision of which grammatically correct way to write the word is a distant second to the significance of a po’boy’s contents, the overall presentation, and most importantly, the bread. The bread is crucial. A warm loaf of crispy, yet chewy French bread is the heart of the po’boy. Otherwise, you would just have a boring sandwich. And while the po’boy’s origins are rooted deep in New Orleans history, the Mississippi Gulf Coast has its fair share of wonderfully remarkable landmarks.
Po’boys are definitely an expression of tradition and have become a culinary institution all their own. Each po’boy restaurant showcases its own individual flair with family recipes and unique ingredients amassed together, resulting in distinctive flavors and presentations. By adding a little something different to their po’boys, these coastal favorites, along with so many others, bring out something remarkable and special in each and every loaf.
Bozo’s Seafood Market and Deil
2012 Ingalls Ave., Pascagoula | 228.769.7000 | Sun-Thurs, 11a.m.-9 p.m.;
Fri & Sat, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. | Facebook@BozosToo
Bozo’s Seafood Market and Deli in Pascagoula is a staple of the coastal seafood scene. People wait in line for what may seem like an eternity to get a plate of steamed seafood or boiled crawfish. But Bozo’s is known for more than being a seafood market. Oversized po’boys have been a draw to Bozo’s since its inception, and for good reason. They are so incredibly delicious. Bozo’s, both the Seafood Market and the restaurant-style, Bozo’s Too, is home to the Shrimp Overload Po-boy, a mammoth sized portion of Bozo’s traditional shrimp po’boy. Seasoned and battered in Bozo’s house, secret blend of spices, fried shrimp aren’t just piled high, they are piled everywhere. Warm buttered French bread is basically swimming in its own sea of over a pound and a half of fried shrimp goodness. Bozo’s po’boys are served dressed with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, and to the delight of many, pickles. Come hungry for this monumental undertaking.
Quave Brothers Po’Boys and Meat Market
10271 D’Iberville Blvd. D’Iberville | 228.392.8683 | Mon-Sat, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Facebook@quavebros
Jason and Bronson Quave are no strangers to the po’boy life. They grew up in a family that embraced all things po’boy, and it seemed only natural that they decided to embrace their roots and open up a shop of their own. Quave Brothers Po’Boys and Meat Market opened in 2018 in D’Iberville as an ode to all things traditional, simplistic, and delicious. Although the details are kept secret, family recipes are on full display in everything at Quaves. Local favorites such as the Crabmeat and Cheese and the Fried Shrimp are amazing, but a standout at Quaves is the signature Pot Roast Po’boy. Cut beef is slow cooked for seven hours in a house made gravy, resulting in delectably tender pot roast that is spooned on to locally sourced, fresh French bread. It’s messy, but so worth it. Grab a napkin or two and just dig in.
Po-Boy Express
2422 Government St., Ocean Springs | 28.875.8636 | Mon-Sat, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
www.poboyexpressinc.com | Facebook@poboyexpressinc
Downtown Ocean Springs is known for its eclectic offerings of restaurants and bars, but if you stay on Government Street and keep heading east, you’ll come upon Po-Boy Express, a small po’boy shop that’s been offering its own special take on po’boys since 1985. With their bread sourced locally and their old-school, laidback atmosphere, Po-Boy Express has a loyal following that doesn’t falter. The Hammer Head is a crowd favorite, featuring roast beef, ham, turkey, provolone, American, and the all-important gravy. If you are feeling super adventurous, order the Steak Bomb. Thin sliced sirloin is grill-fried
with peppers and onions, melted provolone, and fried shrimp.
Le Bakery
280 Oak St., Biloxi | 228.436.0850 | Tues-Sat, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and Sat, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Facebook@LaBakeryBiloxi
It’s been clearly established that the po’boy bread is hands down the most vital part of any true po’boy experience. So, what do you do when you can’t find the type of bread you know you need to make your po’boy epic? You simply make it yourself. And that is exactly what Sue Nguyen-Torjusen, owner of Le Bakery, Biloxi, set out to do. Y’all. Le Bakery bread is phenomenal. But Nguyen-Torjusen has taken her bread to an entirely different level by adorning it with the most awesome of ingredients, turning her already incredible bread into Báhn Mi, an oh-so-amazing Vietnamese spin on the traditional po’boy. The Báhn Mi at Le Bakery is “dressed” with garlic aioli, vinaigrette-marinated julienned carrots and daikon, onions, cilantro, and cucumber. The Roast Pork and Meatball or the Lemongrass Grilled Pork and Vietnamese Sausage are two house favorites. Everything comes together in one perfect union on Nguyen-Torjusen’s fresh baked bread, and it’s a po’boy dining experience like no other.
