For the uninitiated, a po’boy is a long sandwich served on French bread, similar to a sub sandwich in other parts of the country. But don’t dare call these sandwiches a "sub" in this part of the country. You see, po’boys are a major part of the cuisine of southern Louisiana. The sandwiches are frequently stuffed with meats like fried shrimp or crawfish, not just the ordinary sandwich toppings of turkey, roast beef, and salami (although you can get those too at some places).

The po’boys at Chris’s are the real thing. Many locals claim that Chris’s are the best in town and most of the rest argue for Old Tyme Grocery’s po’boys (I say it’s a tie). The only po’boy I’ve ever ordered at Chris’s is The Original, an interesting combination of roast beef and other meats, cheese, and gravy. Yes, gravy, like the kind your mother may have scooped out of a jar and heated up on Monday night to go with Sunday’s leftover roast beef. While the combination on a sandwich may sound a little odd to some, the taste is anything but odd. It’s actually quite delicious. This is by far the restaurant’s most popular variety, although many customers also go for the fried shrimp po’boy, which a former coworker of mine was hooked on. Po’boys are served with fries (this is a fast-food place after all), which I’ve usually found to be a little too greasy and salty for my liking.

Chris’s has several locations scattered around town. I’ve only eaten in the one on Pinhook at Kaliste Saloom, which used to be somewhat of a dive. However, on my last visit I discovered that the previous location had been replaced by a newer, modern restaurant just up Pinhook about half a block away. While the new location is much more modern, the atmosphere is much like any other modern fast food place, and lacks the small-town, mom-and-pop feel of the old place it replaced. Not that there’s anything wrong with the new location; it’s just not quite as unique as the previous one. Other locations in town may still have this charm though.

Other Locations:

• 3755 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, 337/981-1818
• 631 Jefferson Street, 337/234-1696
• 1941 Moss Street, 337/237-1095