Johnny’s Po-Boys

Good poboys but shrimps are very small and not deveined. At $ 13 per sandwich, I expect more !

Life saving breakfast! After drinking like a kid, I woke up and stumbled out of the hotel at day break. I walked a block or so from the Royal Orleans and found this place open were I ordered a field hand sized breakfast of standard breakfast fare served hot and quick on styrofoam plates with hot black coffee. Nothing fancy, (don’t think I could have endured anything fancy or rich) but all good.
Can’t speak to any other food, nor was I bothered by the small size since at daybreak it was just me and the workers.

I thought this was voted best po-​boy in New Orleans at one time and had high reviews. Seems like they have gone downhill a notch.
We were walking the French Quarter and stumbled into this place. We decided to give this place a shot. Walking into this place, there is a line of course. Place seemed a little small and cramped. Ambience was a little dull. There were no tables available at the time until someone left and I quickly grabbed the table. I had my friend order for me just so I could save the table. We both sat down with a fried shrimp po-​boy and a muffuletta. People were bumping into my chair just so they could get around the table as this place was so small.
The muffuletta was pretty good. I thought it was better then the shrimp po-​boy which seemed that the bread was a little stale. When you are competing in New Orleans where there is po-​boys everywhere, this certainly was not the best. Don’t get me wrong though, it gets the job done. Parasol’s and Parkway Bakery & Tavern were without a doubt better. Both places having a more comfortable vibe, room to sit as well as better tasting food.

I honestly don’t know how this place is so highly rated. We got the shrimp poboy and seafood gumbo.
The line was long so I figured there must be a reason. The bread for the poboy was on the stale side. Also, the shrimp were over fried and lacked flavor. We had a far better shrimp poboy in Lafayette for a lot cheaper.
The seafood gumbo was watery and lacked the flavor you would expect.
Maybe they get away with it due to the bus loads of old retirees that get dropped off nearby. If you have a taste for truly good food avoid this place. High prices and meh food are not a good combo.

For a quintessential NOLA experience I absolutely recommend a lunch stop at Johnny’s. There’s something about the atmosphere here that just makes for a perfect spot to stop & appreciate the food culture in this amazing city.
I’ve been here twice, 15 years ago & most recently on a work trip to New Orleans from Sydney. Not much has changed during those years; the décor, the menu. What’s not to love about that!
I’m a huge fan of the Blackened Fish Po’ Boy (fully dressed of course), but have also tried the Blackened Chicken & a handful of other sandwiches.
I absolutely love this place & I’m sure you will too.

Not gonna bash this place. You go in with mediocore expectations and you will be pleasantly surprised. Look, its a dump. Its a dirty kitchen. But so what. Its the french quarter, what dya expect. The line is long but it moves fast. The guy who rang me up was way cool despite me obviously being a tourist.
The food was pretty ok. Had the surf n turf po boy, and that bread saved the sandwich. But the roast beef was tasty and the shrimp not too bad. All in all, I might go back. But hey its an institution, show it some respect.

I am only rating this a 4 because you can only order 12 inch sandwiches. I gave my other half to a homeless man.
I got the Turkey Po Boy! SOOO GOOD.
My husband got the Pork Chop. It had the bone in it so it was terribly difficult to eat. (just changed my review to a 3 because of that), He found himself picking his sandwich apart so he didn’t chomp into one of the bones.
Still a MUST.
VERY BUSY. BE PATIENT.

Amazing Poboys! Whether you’re a tourist or a local, the poboys they serve here will steal your heart away. Not only are they super huge, which makes up for the price, the meat are all well cooked and crispy. My party had a combination of fried shrimp, fried oysters, alligator sausage, and roast beef poboys, and a side of red beans and rice. Each one was prepared to perfection and each one is well capable of satisfying your stomach. If my memory serves me correctly, the alligator and roast beef were in the $ 8 – 10 range, and the oyster and shrimp were in the $ 14 – 16 range. Extremely reasonable price for the portion. You can’t get better poboys than this.
And of course, don’t expect the greatest of service. No one should expect 5-​star service and 5-​star ambience from a tiny place like this, and trust me, it’s tiny.
PLUS, there’s additional seating in the back. Something I didn’t find out until recently.

Exactly the kind of poboy I want in New Orleans. Good slightly chewy, slightly soft bread with perfectly fried seafood. Super basic shredded lettuce and tomatoes inside, but it’s not about that… It’s about that fabulous seafood!
We split an oyster poboy, which was a little steep at $ 16.50, but once this arrived I no longer marveled at the price: they’re HUGE and very generous on the seafood. These oysters were about golf ball-​sized and super meaty, not chewy and over cooked. I just love gulf oysters, and these were exemplary! Plump and perfectly crisp, with exactly the right amount of crust.
Smeared with a generous portion of Louisiana hot sauce, this made a perfect lunch.
We hit this place up earlier in the week for a late lunch, and the line was absolutely absurd. With the plethora of great food around, waiting for an hour to get a poboy is crazy to me. We came back Sunday around 11am and had zero line. That worked really well for us! It probably is worth the wait, but why wait when you don’t have to?
Wondering at some of the bad reviews? If you don’t like poboys, you probably won’t like the poboys here. They’re about the seafood, which is divine! You need to add a pile of hot sauce for the right flavor and moisture, that’s just part of the experience. This is a locals spot in a busy part of town. Loved it!

This place is CASH ONLY! There’s an ATM inside though if you need it. It was very busy when we went but overall service was pretty fast and the food was good. Seems to be a staple in New Orleans and I would recommend it! We had a group of about 10 people and everyone loved their food!

This was recommended by a local. Had a long line but it moved pretty fast. Ordered a crawfish and oyster po boy. It was good but I wish it had more mayo or at least a sauce or something. Was a little on the dry side. The flavor of the seafood was good. But with the thick french bread it needed to be more wet. In my opinion.
*CASH ONLY

I have been a regular at Johnny’s for years. This is the 2^nd-​best sandwich shop in the Quarter, but certainly a fav if you like a real local joint. The place is small & always busy.
I love the muffuletta. It is one of the best I’ve ever had. They offer a wide selection of unique sandwich options. I’ve never had a bad one. Having said that, avoid the Jambalaya. It is very sweet and sticky. Not my speed.
On the other hand, if you want a real NOLA po-​boy and value for your buck, this is a great place to visit. They close early, though, so plan your day if you want to try them. This place hustles, and while you may have to wait, it is SO worth the wait. The bread is classic, NOLA style — crusty & chewy. The shrimp are plump & juicy. The muffuletta is a perfect ratio of olive salad, meats & cheese.
They have fountain drinks as well as a cooler full of «bottled» options for adults. So, my suggestion is to wander down St. Louis until you nearly reach Decatur and keep your eyes open for them. You will not be disappointed unless you are one of those who looks down their nose at hearty food. They are cash-​only, but have an ATM. This is not uncommon in New Orleans, so be aware.

I debated between 2 and 3 stars. This restaurant isn’t terrible, but in comparison to what $ 13 will get you at other restaurants in NOLA, this is not a great place.
Cons:
1) Cash only
2) The bathrooms are disgusting and had no soap in either one
3) The place is kinda gross so the lack of soap and dirty bathrooms were very unfortunate
4) Very plain sandwiches that taste like something I could get at a Firehouse or Subway
5) Staff was borderline rude
6) Long wait and long line
Pros:
1) Lots of shrimp on the Po Boy
2) Huge portions
3) Convenient Location
So in summary, take your $ 13 elsewhere. If they cut the price in half it’d be worth it. Definitely a tourist trap.

The sandwiches are expensive but is really large enough to make two adults very full. There would have been enough for two adults and a child too.
Ordered the Half Fried Oyster Half Fried Shrimp Po Boy:
* The bread was beautifully crunchy on the outside and so soft on the inside.
* The oysters and shrimps were newly fried and fresh. These too were crunchy on the outside and so tender on the inside. The seafood were not rubbery from overcooking.
The service is a little slow. But I was guessing that this is «New Orleans time» so I don’t mind. But if you’re a New Yorker or Angeleno, this is a public service announcement: Don’t come when you’re already hungry; come BEFORE your hunger pangs make you grouchy or the fact that the employees are lounging, chatting and eating behind the counter while you’re waiting for your food might blow your top.
CASH only.

CASH ONLY!
Ok now that that’s out of the way, we came here over Mardi Gras weekend for lunch. The line was out the door! I thought this was just because of the heavy holiday weekend traffic but it looks like it’s always like that from the pictures on their Unilocal page. We waited in line, half way up it, people at the front of my group start yelling to the rest of us it’s cash only. Do we all have enuogh cash? No. Some had no cash at all (me). So, we leave to go to an ATM, come back, start the line over again. My «po boy» is $ 13. Whatever.
Food: I got the Shrimp Po boy and I will say they loaded up the shrimp, which was good. The bread was nothing special and the lettuce was like the shredded Subway stuff. Why on earth would anyone pay $ 13 for this? This place is just for tourists I think. I can’t imagine why anyone who lived there would frequent this place.
PS– this might just be me being a total «tourist» but isnt a «po boy» the same thing as a «sandwich» Lol?

Of course a visit to New Orleans is incomplete without having some po boys. My family and I came here around 1PM following a walking tour in the French Quarters. We were starving and the line didn’t seem too long so we decided to have our first po boys in the city here. Minor annoyance– it’s CASH ONLY so come prepared.
Line/​Wait Time:
Don’t let the short line to order fool you! We ordered the Oyster po-​boy, Seafood Mufaletta (fried oyster, catfish and shrimp) and the Surf n’ Turf (hot roast beef with fried shrimp) with everything on it (lettuce, tomatoes, tartar sauce). There were about three people ahead of me and while the line to order was quick (~5 min), I ended up waiting 30 minutes for my food. Does frying seafood in professional grade fryers take that long?! I guess it just might at Johnny’s.
Food:
We ordered three po-​boys/​sandwiches for 4 adults and that was more than enough food. They tasted just as I would have expected. Nicely fried seafood well complemented by the tartar sauce. The lettuce/​tomatoes help give some semblance of healthiness to the sandwich. I was expecting a bit more from the bread but it was a standard baguette out of the bag and sliced in half (and not toasted). The Surf n’ Turf was the best of the three sandwiches we ordered. The hot roast beef with gravy tasted great and the fried shrimp offered a nice crunch and flavor to it. Overall I thought the Po-​Boys were solid sandwiches but not spectacular by any means.
Setting:
Its not that big of a place. There’s seating in the front as well as in the back past the kitchen. If you’re part of a group, I highly suggest having someone grab whatever table is available because don’t expect there to be any seating after you wait to get your food. Two bathrooms in the back that are fairly clean.

Best Po Boys in the city in my opinion. Can get crowded and lines can go out the door. Tables are sparse, crowded together, and can be dirty but this is a lunch dive so I expect that.
Skip the gumbo but Jambalaya is decent. Have tried the Shrimp, crawfish and johnnys special. All good.

Ok, so we ate here at least twice on a long weekend in NOLA despite the plethora of restaurants in the area. That’s how good it was!
Initially I was thinking that $ 9-​$ 15 was pricey for a sandwich, but when in NOLA one must try a po-​boy. When my order came out I realized that the sandwich was so big it could be two meals. The menu is huge — anything from turkey to shrimp to fried oyster po-​boys. They also serve breakfast, mostly omelettes and biscuit sandwiches. Also, as if there weren’t enough places to buy alcohol in the area, they sell beer!
I had indulged on so much seafood that I opted for the turkey po-​boy. The French bread they used was very fresh, as were the veggies (lettuce and tomato). No need to order a side item with his huge order. On my second visit I scarfed down the egg and cheese biscuit so fast that I forgot to take a photo! Yummmmmm.
The seating is first come first serve, and is also self serve. You place your order at the counter and wait for your number to be called. Listen closely as the numbers are not necessarily called in order as some items require more prep time, but the food is absolutely worth the wait.
Johnny’s needs to be at the top of your food list for NOLA.

I have heard that you can judge the quality of a po-​boy by the amount of napkins you have to use, the more the better. In that case, this is awesome.
I got the roast beef, fully dressed. The bread was nice and soaked with all of the juices, which is awesome as the bread is one of my chief complaints when it is dry because I think it is too hard. This is a cash only business, and it is hopping, no matter what time of day it is. The initial area you walk into is a small dining area with the tables close together, and the line to order blocks the soda fountain. But there is additional seating in the back and upstairs.
If you come while it is busy, I would suggest looking at the menu by the front door, deciding what you want, then come in to order. Be careful to look at the table you choose to eat at, it might need to be wiped off. There are several large garbage cans to be able to bus your own tables, as there does not seem to be enough help on hand to keep on top of complete cleanliness. This restaurant is clean enough and neat enough to eat in. There are plenty of options, and this is going to be another strong recommendation for me for visitors to the Quarter, as you will leave very full and happy enough.
Keep in mind this is in the French Quarter, but after a couple of hours of walking, this is a perfect spot to get a meal and soft drink for under $ 20. BRING CASH!!!

This place was amazing! I ate the food so fast I didn’t even have time to take pictures. The sandwiches ranger from $ 10 – 15 and they take cash only. Order at the counter and wait for your food to be called. We came back 4x during the course of our vacation it was so danged good!
Feel free to share, their sandwiches are big and generous. They get crowded but the line goes quick!
What made this place to amazing? The ingredients always tasted fresh. The Po Boys are served on a soft french bread that melts in your mouth. They food comes out fast and never disappoints.
I got the amazing muffaletta it did not disappoint. An olive tapenade with Italian meats wrapped up in a sandwich.
My friend got the soft shell crab po boy. It tasted fresh and perfectly fried on French bread.
Also tried Turkey Po boy– what you expect, turkey wrapped in french bread.
Their shrimp Po Boy is also great but I have to stay away from fried food these days so it wasn’t my favorite.
Also tried their sweet potato fries on one visit– you get a massive late of fries. They were nice and crispy.
I even got an egg and cheese biscuit– their breakfast is just as killer. A soft, large buttery biscuit filled with heaven.
Overall worth the trip.

Un fast food à l’Américaine comme on les aimes. L’hygièné n’est pas irréprochable mais convenable. beaucoup de monde dans cet endroit bien fréquenté, les sandwichs sont d’une qualité extraordinaires. Quand on les mange il faut prévoir de quoi s’essuyer les doigts.
L’attente est souvent longue mais cela vaut réellement le coup. Les tarifs né sont pas extrêmement élevés mais prévoir ¹⁰⁄₁₇ dollars environ par personne. Nous y avons déjeuner le midi, le soir ce restaurant est fermé. J’y retournerai sans crainte. Je recommande.