The origin of the po’boy sandwich is nearly as mythical as some of the ghost stories from its hometown, New Orleans. As a popular story goes, the po’boy was invented during a streetcar strike in the 1920s. A restaurant run by two brothers, called Martin Brother’s Restaurant, promised to serve a free meal to the workers on strike and decided to develop a filling, cheap sandwich.
With that in mind, the brothers and a local baker created a sandwich with roast beef and gravy on French bread. When the workers came for sandwiches, the restaurant would call into the kitchen, “Here comes another poor boy,” and the name stuck.
Today, the sandwich is more recognizable with fried seafood and has spread its popularity nationwide. Several Charleston restaurants bring the historic sandwich from New Orleans to the Holy City, each putting unique twists on the classic.
From the Bayou to the Lowcountry
“Every sandwich starts with the bread, and we have the best French bakery in town,” said Jeff Filosa, owner of LoLA in Park Circle, which gets its bread from Normandy Farms, a local artisan bakery.
LoLA brings Louisiana-style cuisine to the Lowcountry and offers several types of po’boys. From a vegetarian po’boy that features fried green tomatoes, to “The Big Easy,” a po’boy stuffed with shrimp and crawfish, LoLA gives its guests a little bit of everything. Each po’boy is topped with lettuce, tomato and either a house-made remoulade or Creole tartar sauce.
“The Creole tartar sauce is unbelievable, and the remoulade is so popular it’s not even funny,” Filosa said.
The seafood in each sandwich is hand-breaded with different breadings.
“It’s not rocket science, but sometimes it appears to be because no one seems to figure out what we do,” Filosa said. “We take a lot of pride in what we do. It’s a family business.”
The non-traditional po’boy
It’s nearly impossible to talk about anything seafood-related without bringing up 167 Raw — and this downtown restaurant brings the po’boy to the next level.
Served on a six-inch top-split brioche roll from EVO Craft Bakery in North Charleston, 167 Raw’s po’boy has a spicy sesame aioli, local arugula and New Bedford diver scallops. The scallops are tossed in a hot honey garlic sauce, then topped with a brown butter and beet puree, Green Goddess dressing and chives.
“It’s a very not-New Orleans po’boy,” 167 Raw chef Bailey Campbell said. “It’s that sweet, spicy and salty combination with a lot of buttery brioche to soak it up.”
Campbell adds a touch of semolina flour to the breading to stand up against the honey and maintain crunchiness. And he agreed with Filosa about the importance of the bread.
“You can put anything in that bread. The bread is almost the star,” Campbell said, crediting the bread with the success of the restaurant’s wildly popular lobster roll — that, and of course, the quality of the seafood itself.
“Focus on the produce, make it good and everything else will fall in line behind it,” Campbell concluded.
The Northeast connection
Uptown at Leon’s Oyster Shop, chef Andrew Hartenstein and general manager Sabrina Miller share the same attitude.
“What makes a good restaurant is simple things done well,” Hartenstein said. “If you’re buying quality products, why try to mask the flavor?”
Leon’s has several po’boy-style menu options, but cold seafood rolls from up North inspired Leon’s shrimp roll.
“It’s kind of our play on a lobster roll,” Miller said.
Leon’s prepares its shrimp roll on a brioche lobster roll from Saffron Bakery. The shrimp is tossed in a house-made horseradish mayonnaise, which gives it a little heat, then topped with crushed classic Lay’s potato chips. The chips add an irresistible texture that came about during a late-night brainstorming session.
The shrimp roll is a house favorite. “If I see it in the window to go out to the table, I’m like, ‘I’m gonna get that today for lunch,’ ” Miller said laughing.
She suggested pairing the cold shrimp with a nice, bright white wine like a sauvignon blanc, a Champagne or Schloss Gobelsburg Rosé.
Across the river and across the sea
Across the Ashley River on James Island, CudaCo. Seafood House’s founder and chef, Shaun Brian, also took inspiration for his po’boy outside of the South — from the Caribbean, where he grew up.
CudaCo.’s po’boy starts on a Martin’s brand potato roll, with crispy oysters, house-made remoulade, Crystal hot sauce and a cumin slaw with red cabbage, then topped with herbs.
“With cumin, we use a lot in the Caribbean, so it’s a different flavor than your Harris Teeter slaw,” Brian said.
For Brian, that’s what CudaCo. is going for. “We try not to be what you expect in a fish camp,” Brian said. “There’s no ego in CudaCo. We’re doing it for the public and trying to create that experience and give them something memorable, crave-able and good quality.”
When asked about a drink pairing for his po’boy, Brian said he would pair it with a lighter Lambrusco or a local lager.
Intentional simplicity
Back downtown in the middle of King Street, local favorite the Rarebit boasts a catfish po’boy. The catfish comes from Lowcountry Shellfish and is delivered several times a week, ensuring freshness. Rarebit dresses its po’boy with hydroponic Bibb lettuce, tomato and a house-made remoulade on a French roll.
“Everyone is trying to be inventive and creative, which is cool, but you want to keep the flavors classic and simple,” said chef Stacy Spruill, a Charleston native.
Rarebit’s po’boy reminds us that just because something is simple does not mean any part of its makeup goes without intention.
Spruill explained that the creamy remoulade is mayonnaise-based, so it doesn’t overpower the seafood, and Bibb lettuce gives the po’boy a buttery texture.
“That’s one thing about hydroponic lettuce — it has the buttery feel to it without the guilt,” Spruill said.
“I love when guests have a bite of it and tell me it’s the best they ever had,” Spruill added. “I take pride in knowing I served a solid meal to someone and made their day. In the South, we tend to use food as a comfort, and if you’re satisfied with the food you’re eating, you know your day will be pretty good.”
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