Mo' Po', Mo' Boy -- Local Poor-Boy Shacks to Honor the Preservation Fest

The poor boy is the kind of sandwich you can't honor in just one meal. It's a hoagie fit for eating standing up in the street, hovering over a bar with a beer, or straight from the fridge to chase away a hangover. So, as an ode to the Po-Boy Preservation Festival, here are a few local joints where you can cozy up to one of the world's best sandwiches.

Rosey Baby Crawfish & Cajun House: A longtime local fav, the Babe makes more than a dozen poor boys, including a fried catfish po' that knocks my socks off every time. I like to exchange the standard tartar sauce for an order of the Babe's garlic-filled remoulade and also plunk some coleslaw on top. But any way you eat it, it's just right.

Shuck 'N' Dive Cajun Sports Cafe:

Check out the freaky bathrooms here with nudie pics up on the walls,

then order a half oyster, half shrimp po' with all the fixin's. Shuck

'N' Dive does fried with the best of 'em.

Whale's Rib: This Deerfield Beach institution was just featured on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives. It features its own special sauce ("It's like crack!") and some killer sandwiches.

Creolina's Dixie Takeout:

The Fort Lauderdale Cajun joint moved out west a year ago but still

does mahi, chicken, pork, or steak sammies either fried, grilled, or

blackened and slathered with lettuce, tomato, and mayo.

Charm City Burgers:

What? A burger joint makes poor boys? Yes, some damned fine ones at that.

Charm City does a crispy shrimp poor boy with creole remoulade on an

artisan, six-inch challah roll as well as a soft-shell crab sandwich

with lemon tartar sauce. They also make a Cajun burger with tasso ham

and a fried green tomato on top. The chef is a cool guy, so why not ask

him to put a fried green tomato on your poor boy too? Oh God, that

sounds good.

Want other recipes to make your own? Check out our post on sausage and roast beef poor boys.

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