Fried Shrimp Poboy

The fried shrimp po’boy is a cornerstone of New Orleans sandwich culture. Its origins trace back to the 1920s, when it was said to have been created for striking streetcar workers—hence the name “poor boy.” The classic version piles Gulf shrimp, battered in seasoned flour or cornmeal and deep-fried to a golden crunch, onto a length of crisp-yet-airy Leidenheimer-style French bread. The sandwich is then “dressed” with shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, dill pickles, and a generous slathering of mayonnaise—or, in many purist takes, Creole rémoulade.

What distinguishes a great version is the shrimp’s exact texture: the crust must shatter without being greasy, and the shrimp themselves should be sweet and plump. The bread must hold up to the moisture of the dressing while providing a distinct chew. At Hanks in New Orleans, food traveler Mark Wiens has praised the sandwich for its balance—crisp shrimp, cool dressing, and that unmistakable New Orleans bread (Mark Wiens, via ReTubeIt). Regional variations abound: in other parts of the South, the same fried shrimp may be served on a soft bun rather than French bread, and the dressing may stray into remoulade territory. Some versions swap seafood entirely—oysters, catfish, soft-shell crab—but the fried shrimp poboy remains the benchmark, a direct expression of the Louisiana coast’s bounty and the city’s sandwich heritage.