Oak Street Po-Boy Festival: the day reserved for shamelessly stuffing our faces with fried seafood, experiencing soul cooking at its finest, and celebrating exactly what makes New Orleans so special. If you missed out on the hype, here’s a list of some of the best food from this year to convince you this is a can’t miss event.
1. Louisiana Catfish Meunière Po Boy
Photo by Michelle Martin
This po-boy from Trenasse stole the show in terms of catfish options. With the perfect fish-to-bread ratio and creamy meunière sauce, this po-boy left us wanting a second helping.
2. Louisiana Crab and Crawfish Mac and Cheese
Photo by Michelle Martin
Food Drunk NOLA‘s heavenly rendition of crawfish mac & cheese impressed us with their creamy blend of six cheeses and herbed panko crumb topping. They didn’t skimp on the crawfish either, giving generous portions in each serving to make this is a must-try item.
3. Cochon De Lait Po Boy
Photo by Michelle Martin
Walker’s BBQ didn’t disappoint with their speciality dish. The flavors of the slow hickory smoked pork served on french bread with crispy shredded cabbage and topped with a creamy, cajun mustard sauce made for a truly mouthwatering po-boy, perfect for any meat-lover.
4. Blackened Shrimp & Avocado Po Boy
Photo by Michelle Martin
Siether’s Seafood took this shrimp po-boy to the next level with their addition of ripe avocado, tangy dragon sauce, and perfectly blackened shrimp. The line was long for this one, but worth the wait.
5. Crawfish and Spinach Boat
Photo by Michelle Martin
If the name wasn’t enough to convince us to order this dish from Saltwater Grill, its drool-worthy presentation in a french bread bowl certainly lured us in. It was the perfect addition to the po-boy fest order lineup and kept us warm and toasty on the chilly fall day.
6. Fried Main Lobster Po Boy
Photo by Michelle Martin
The star of this po-boy from GW Fins is golden-fried Maine lobster. Dressed to perfection and with a generous helping of crispy fish, this dish is always a crowd-pleaser.
7. Seafood Gumbo
Photo by Michelle Martin
What would a Louisiana food festival be without a hearty bowl of seafood gumbo? This steaming hot bowl of soulful deliciousness surpassed all expectations.
8. Mr. Choo Chicken Teriyaki Po Boy
Photo by Michelle Martin
The Harbor Bar & Grill made a strong showing with this Asian chicken rendition. Piled high with cole slaw and dressed in a tangy and sweet teriyaki sauce, the tender pulled chicken made for a solid po-boy.
9. The King Brat Po Boy
Photo by Michelle Martin
You’re looking at a smoked pork sausage wrapped in applewood-smoked bacon and topped with crispy onions. This po-boy by Bratz Y’all is every meat-lover’s dream.
10. Jalapeño Mac & Cheese
Photo by Michelle Martin
This creamy plate of goodness was brought to us by none other than Crabby Jack’s. The combo of parmesan, cheddar, and pickled jalapeño made for a soul food favorite with a kick. #SpoonTip: when ordering from Crabby Jack’s, always order a drink so you can get one of their signature cups to take home.
11. The Babymaker Po Boy
Photo by Michelle Martin
Piled with deep fried oysters, crispy cooked bacon, and a piece of American cheese, Parkway Bakery and Tavern hit a home run with this po-boy. To make it even better, they brûlée the cheese right in front of you, making this sandwich something you definitely want to experience.
12. Bananas Foster Bread Pudding
Photo by Michelle Martin
This fusion of two New Orleans dessert classics, consisting of bananas, caramel, and rum sauce atop a dense piece of bread pudding was the best possible way to end the eating marathon. Brought to us by Crescent City Eats, this dessert had the final word of the day, leaving us with our food comas and to start the countdown to next year’s festival.