Yats’ New Orleans Original Po Boys

HAIKU REVIEW
Psyched for some po-​boys.
Went into the Boardroom Bar.
Chef split for Texas.
Try «Family Meal»
They’re amazing; and Facebooked.
Local Cajun boy.

Yum, thisplace was really good to me. it is in a bar but the guy has table on the side set up, i brouight my son so that where we sat. the food was good i had he gumbo and the fried okra. yumm emossi had the pull pork which he ate up so fast. Jutin had the fish and chips that he didnt like cus it was fishy but i thought is was good crispy.
I would deff come back to this bar

I first bookmarked Yat’s over two years ago before it moved but haven’t had the chance to try it until now. On night and weekends, Yat’s food is now served at the Boardroom bar where you can also find a friendly, tongue-​in-​cheek-​humored bartender and cheap drink prices. The bartender raved about the seafood gumbo and the po’boys while warning me that the jambalaya is dry. I was craving rice over a sandwich so I decided to get both the gumbo and jambalaya anyway, but upon trying the gumbo, I found it disappointingly fishy. It might’ve been my fault for ordering seafood in a bar in the mid afternoon. My friend got food poisoning the next day and suspects that the oyster was the culprit, but I was fine since i don’t like oysters so she ate it for me. I also tried the okra which was fried with cajun seasoning that masked the taste of the okra; it was fun popping the thinly sliced okra in my mouth but I missed the natural flavor of okra. I wished I ordered the tater tots wrapped in bacon (aka «god’s gift to man,» says the bartender). Two stars for the food plus another star for the cool bartender.

Bacon wrapped tater tots.
Bacon wrapped shrimp po boy.
The bartender is a really cool jolly dude.
How did I not know this was 2 blocks from my house sooner!

Yatz is no longer at this location. Don’t go to Jacks bar if you’re looking for Yatz. It’s now called Tasty’s and it sucks. The service SUCKS! Food was definetly not like Yatz. Yatz where did you go?
No one can do what you do. We need you!

I started this review 3 months ago, and am now going to finish it.
I have been back here several times.
BEST MAC AND CHEESE… in this part of the Mission. It’s good, but it ain’t that good.
Spinach, meh.
Catfish have a weird consistency to them. Some days, the nuggets are DELICIOUS. Other days, they taste too much like what they are: bottomfeeders.
CRAWFISH = delicious!!!
I went with my manfriend, who is originally from the south/​New Orleans, and I made him try the gumbo. He said it was pretty damn authentic, so that’s pretty cool.
All in all, the reason I come back here so goddamn often are the main reasons:
1. It’s located inside a bar. Booze and food?
2. There’s a pool table.
3. BEST BAR FOOD EVER!
Come here. Do it!

I was just discussing with Christine L. who got the ROTD (woohoo!!) that the Yats pop-​up location at Jack’s Club closed last year. There’s another pop-​up Thu-​Sat at Annie’s Bistro (Update: now closed), while they work on a permanent place of their own at 4800 Third Street, SF, CA 94 124. Plans to open in March 2010 (Update: opening delayed multiple times, future unknown).
All I have to say about Yats is — good food, not low calorie, not low fat.
In the meantime other alternatives around the city for cajun food & po-​boys are: Little Skillet and Brenda’s Soul Food, both in downtown; Hard Knox Café (2 locations); an old cajun place in the sunset area named Cajun Pacific (Thu-​Sat, dinner only — expensive); and a new place on San Bruno avenue — Queen’s Louisiana Po-​boy Café.

I was searching Unilocal for a good Po’ Boy Sandwich and found Yats. I was really sold by their pictures seeing their Shrimp Po’ Boy overflowing with fried shrimp. I had to have one.
So I dropped by there a couple of weeks ago since they were going to be closing for 3 months relocating to 3^rd St. Ordered a half order Shrimp Po’ Boy (see pic —
). OMG! It was soooo gooood! As you can see from my blurry photo (sorry!) the shrimp is very plump and they give you a lot, even with a half order. For now, this is the best Po’ Boy Sandwich I ever ate.
I probably won’t have a chance to go to New Orleans to have the real deal, so this is as good as it gets for me. I’ll definitely be looking forward to stopping by their new spot when it opens in March.

I heard they were closing on ¹²⁄₁₆ so they could move into a new place in March 2010 on 3^rd street (woohoo! congrats, Yat’s!) so we went one last time on the 14^th, and it did not disappoint. they were winding down for the close so they were out of a lot of stuff (their mac’n’cheese is amazing and sadly was out… as was their bread pudding), but i got a ½ crawfish po’boy w/​a small gumbo w/​that yummy dark roux and was just fine!
can’t wait to go back for their grand opening in March… maybe w/​a move to a larger space this means a more expansive menu? (read: HUSH PUPPIES PLEASE!)

Heaven on earth in the form of true Cajun cooking. I have been looking for a place in San Francisco with the «taste of home» since I moved from Texas three years ago. I finally found it at Yat’s.
The gumbo is the real deal, not some sissified SF version of what somebody thinks gumbo should be. I thought I was in N.O. with the first taste. Throw in some cornmeal fried catfish that’s crisp on the outside and moist and flaky on the inside and I thought Grandma had risen from the grave. The corn maque choux and NOLA fries just added to the sense I had left the west coast and landed back on the bayou.
I’m picky when it comes to fried oysters because if their not cooked right, they’re horrible. Too long in the oil and their tough; not long enough and their slimy. Not only were the oysters in the half PoBoy cooked to perfection, the salt and pepper in the cornmeal crust was perfect.
There are enough menu items to keep me coming back here for a long, long time.

I can’t remember the last time I’ve had a great po’boy sandwich, if ever… But Yat’s is REALLY good.
I ordered the Wednesday special, which consisted of a sampling of Gumbo, Jambablaya, and red beans and rice. The gumbo was really good and not too salty at all. The jambablaya was a little on the dry side and the red beans was ok, but lacked salt IMO. The red beans even had a couple chunks of sausage in it! The bf ordered a shrimp po’boy, which was amazing. The shrimp was deep fried and sat in the soft, crunchy bread on top of a bed of refreshing lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and the right amount of mayo!
The next time we come back, I’ll be sure to order my own po’boy! And don’t be surprised when you walk in to this establishment and it’s a bar… Yat’s is in the back left hand corner behind the bar. Interesting.
Note: CASH ONLY!

I really don’t get all the negative reviews. Like they say, this is just home cookin’ done right. Nothing super fancy.
Of course I came here for lunch mid-​week. So the place wasn’t crowded and it wasn’t smelly or anything. I ordered the po’ boy of the week (some kind of cheddar melt thing) and a bowl of gumbo. The food came out in a timely manner (not right away but we never got to thinking «where’s our food?»).
The po boy was pretty good. The bread was light and fluffy and it was juicy and oozy cheesy. Not for the faint of heart these po’ boy of the week.
I was really impressed by the gumbo. Just like I would expect if it was home made! Nicely flavored with roux and not all gooey thickened unnaturally with flour or something.
I couldn’t resist ordering both the po’ boy and gumbo but regularly this would be way too much food for me to eat at lunch.

Cajun food so good, it even makes Master P say, …“Ugghhhhhhh, na na, na-​na!!”
I super dig the fact that this place is in the back of a dive. I’ve never been to New Orleans but this is what I’d expect a dive to be like there. Blue’s playing, old school pinball machines being played from a guy who looks like he’s been there since the night before, and old timers at the bar living the high life with a MGD. It’s classic how the atmosphere and the food go so well together.
Ordered up their gumbo with some of the homemade cornbread. Wow, so much flavor that I was actually jealous that some of my gumbo was soaked up by the paper bowl they serve it in. Now I know why the base of gumbo is called the holy trinity. Also tried some of the fried shrimp they used in their shrimp po’ boy and I can say that the flavor was divine as well.
Yeah, it might not be the fanciest place on earth but it’s a 5 star joint in my book. Saves me a 7 hour plane ride to the dirty south, yah hearddddd…

Coming off of the Mardi Gras southern food high, we stopped by Yat’s prior to a friend’s housewarming. The area is super sketchy at night… We got lucky and found a parking spot a few feet away from the entrance. Walked in and sat down. The place is a total dive bar — dark, dingy, and slightly sticky.
Didn’t know that we had to go to the window area to order. We ended up with the fries, the shredded beef and gravy po boy, and a bowl of gumbo. The gumbo was watery, and the bowl was small for the price. Po boy was okay, nothing home to write about. The fries were piping hot and delicious, not the least bit mushy. Solid standard food. Oh yeah cash only establishment.

A walk-​up-​to-​order window inside a kind of dive-​y bar. That’s what Yat’s is. And they serve up some goodness.
We went for lunch on a Monday; 4 out of 5 of the tables were filled and a couple of people were at the bar. Had a bit of a hard time finding the place considering it’s kind of in the middle of nowhere, inside a bar no less (Jack’s, the name of the bar, sign is much easier to spot than Yat’s!). The two of us ordered ½ a Derby (roast beef with gravy) and ½ a shrimp po’ boy, a side of mac n cheese and a side of corn masque choux (a sort of creamed corn). 20 bucks. Finished everything and was happily stuffed! Would def recommend the seafood po’ boys over the derby… maybe I’d like the derby more if it had more gravy (I found it a little boring), but even the way it was, it got pretty soggy at the end of it. The shrimp on the other hand was crispy and delightfully tasty!
Next time, I gotta try the oyster po’ boy! If it’s half as good as the shrimp, it’d still be amazing. And the original Po Boy (fries and gravy) sounds intriguing.
note — this ain’t some fine dining joint!

For food this good I really don’t mind walking the extra mile from my workplace. I’m so thankful that my employers allow me to create my own hours because depending on how busy Yat’s is the wait for your food can be excruciating lengthy. Exercise patience when you visit Yat’s, and keep in mind that there are only two people churning out plate after plate of delicious food out of the tiny kitchen.
After reading Bonnie L’s review and viewing her photos and also seeing this restaurant in the top spot of Hot on Unilocal San Francisco I just had to try it at least once. I’ve visited Yats twice in the past two weeks, and I’m certain I’ll be returning many more times in the near future. I’m no expert when it comes to New Orleans style cooking, but I definitely know delicious food when I taste it.
On my first visit I ordered a whole Crawfish PoBoy and an order of NOLA Fries (
). I ordered the PoBoy undressed (without lettuce, tomatoes, pickles & mayo) with Remoulade only on the bread. The succulent little crawfish came in an assortment of sizes. The seasoned crust on the crawfish had good flavor and was just mildly spicy. There was so much crawfish on the sandwich that every time I took a bite the little crawfish pieces would fall off the soft, toasted roll. The Remoulade had good flavor too with just a slight tanginess to it. My side of NOLA Fries was incredibly huge. There had to be at least two Costco-​sized potatoes on my plate. The seasoned NOLA Fries are soft on the outside and the inside dusted with some parmesan cheese. I managed to devour the entire PoBoy, but I just couldn’t finish the large portion of potatoes.
On my second visit I ordered a combo plate with Fried Shrimp and Fried Catfish and had the Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya (
) as my side dish. The place was packed on this visit, and I experienced quite a wait for my food salivating each time a delicious-​looking plate was brought out from the kitchen only to go to somebody else. When I finally got my plate I picked up a piece of the fried shrimp and took a bite. Wow! You know when seafood is fresh you can taste a bit of sweetness in it. I experienced that with each piece of shrimp on my plate. In addition to the sweetness each of the firm, butterflied shrimp had that perfectly seasoned crust on it. The shrimp came in assorted sizes. The catfish was good too, but the meat was slightly chewy, maybe overcooked just a bit. The jambalaya was delicious, also mild in its spicyness. There were lots of pieces of the smoked sausage along with soft bits of celery and peppers in the soft rice. I didn’t find any chicken in my serving. The plate comes with a soft piece of buttered French roll.
Canned soft drinks and bottled water or Gatorade is available from the Yat’s kitchen or you can order a beer, a glass of wine or an alcoholic mixer from Jack’s Bar. There is limited seating inside. It’s cash only for Yat’s, but I’m not sure about the bar.

I saw this place on the Unilocal homepage and had to try it for myself. Lester W. and I headed over with our hungry stomachs. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that Yats’ was located inside a bar. Sandwiches AND beer for lunch!!! What more could you ask for?
Seating is limited… there are only about 6 tables and then seating at the bar. We ended up at the bar, but it was fine because that put us closer to the drinks. =) You order your food from this little doorway that leads to the kitchen, and then they bring your food to you when its ready.
We decided to share a whole Shrimp PoBoy (
) and the Seafood Gumbo (
). The Shrimp PoBoy was really good! Crispy fried shrimp inside a warm, fluffy French roll. The gumbo was just ok. I expected more seafood, but all I saw was one oyster, and the crab sticking out mixed with a few slices of sausage. The roux was flavorful, but I was looking for more substance. I could’ve just eaten a whole PoBoy and skipped the gumbo.
It seemed a bit pricey for lunch, but I think I’d still go back to tried some other items on the menu. I think I’ll try the Jambalaya and corn bread next time.

Despite having only lived outside of California for a few years, I’m still quite aware of the passion and pride that is the trademark of authentic regional cuisine. One reason is perhaps that California is a melting pot and that people from all areas of the United States come and settle here. Another is that we’re fortunate and that even such diverse cuisine as New England lobster rolls, deep dish Chicago pizza, and robust Philly cheesesteak sandwiches are well represented in the Bay Area.
I’ve never been to New Orleans but had heard about Po Boys from the Food Network and one of Bobby Flay’s many throwdowns. Interested to see what the sandwich was all about and intrigued by the 4.5 star reviews, I headed to Yat’s.
As many have stated, Yat’s is located within a bar and a separate establishment. The setup is reminiscent of Frank’s BBQ in Mountain View. As you approach the kitchen door, you place your order and then take a seat at one of the tables.
Service is definitely friendly and I went with a recommendation of a shrimp po boy and a seafood gumbo. I wanted the «debris» but they weren’t serving it that day.
My order arrived about 15 minutes later and I entertained myself with the two tv’s playing sports, the jukebox playing Norah Jones, and the interesting bar clientele at 11 am (more than a few were probable Unilocalers). Yat’s is located next to SF General Hospital and the casual vibe is perfect for the neighborhood.
I tried the seafood gumbo first and I have to say I was a bit disappointed. It wasn’t particularly hot (that’s a pet peeve of mine) and while it contained shrimp, chicken, and sausage, the flavor was forgettable. I quickly finished the bowl and moved to the Po Boy.
The Po Boy, despite being only a half order, was a generous size. It overflowed with deep fried shrimp that were warm and tender. Each shrimp appeared to be covered with seasoning (pepper and salt?) but the flavor was rather mild and a bit underseasoned. I actually choose to eat quite a few of the shrimp solo and with some Louisiana hot sauce, mainly to help the sandwich be a more manageable and bite-​able size. Crunching down on the sandwich, I could see why people were fans. The bread is really good and has a nice crispy exterior that belies the soft interior. The mayonnaise and pickles went well with the shrimp, though I would have preferred some spread on both bread slices to add more flavor. All in all, though I don’t eat fried shrimp often, it was a solid sandwich. I’m pretty sure I would have been a bigger fan of the debris [roast beef with gravy] (I prefer beef to fried shrimp and like wetter sandwiches than the dryer one that the deep fried po boy is).
If you’re in the area, Yat’s is a cool place to check out. It’s definitely got the hole in the wall vibe going and food is good, albeit I wouldn’t say it’s great. A nice stop to check off on your regional cuisine checklist. Next search: deep fried cinnamon bagels (from Michigan).
p. s. Yat’s is cash-​only.

The guy behind the counter said that the 3 below are their best sandwiches. I liked them in the following order:
OYSTER PO BOY (pic:
) — Strong oyster flavor, crispy too, simple ingredients, and tastes even better with the accompanying hot sauce.
DEBRIS PO BOY (pic:
) — Meat drenched in gravy?!? When has that ever failed? Good stuff.
ORIGINAL PO BOY (pic:
) — Fries drenched in gravy. The fries have the same consistency as the YAM SANDWICH over at Bi-​Rate, but wet. Good stuff and CHEAP!

Not many people know this but I have a big thing for New Orleans. When I road-​tripped out to San Francisco from NYC some years back, my friends and I had to go in a big U to get across the country, just because I insisted we spend some time in the Big Easy (I also made us stop at Graceland, but that’s another story).
I also spent a good year listening to Robbie Robertson’s Storyville album, and still put it on when the mood suits (man, if only these walls could talk). Again, another day, another tale.
So I was a bit sad to find out about Yats’ just the other night, only because it had taken me this long. Yats’ is located within Jack’s Club (see my review) and they sort of co-​operate together. You order at the counter — paying separately — and then can hang at Jack’s bar or one of the tables while you wait for your heap o’ food.
While the joint is semi-​famous (so I hear) for Po-​Boys, I went with a big bowl of their Rustic Gumbo. Mmmhmmmmm: 6 jumbo shrimp, mixed with chicken, smoked sausage and veggies in a dark roux, and served over rice.
Next time I’m in, and yes I’ll be there soon, the Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya has my name on it. Then again, so does the Fried Catfish Plate…
Well, that’s about all I have to say on this. As they say down South, ‘Nuff said.