My Favorite Bakery In New Orleans Doesn't Sell Beignets — But Its Po'boys Are Amazing
As soon as I moved to New Orleans, I made it my mission to track down the NOLA restaurants with the most authentic Cajun and Creole staples. I found the best gumbo at a low-key spot on Decatur Street, and the most impressive fresh seafood I've ever had was way out near the suburbs. But the quintessential dish I was most excited to track down was the humble po'boy.
I wanted to find a spot I could always default to when I wanted to run out for a quick lunch; a place with consistent, textbook examples of iconic Louisiana cuisine. I found my dream sandwich shop in the form of Parkway Bakery. I don't live in NOLA anymore, but I visit often. When I do, Parkway is always my first stop, just as it was always my first idea for lunch when I was a resident.
Parkway Bakery always came up as the preferred po'boy spot whenever I asked any longtime resident, so I made sure my first authentic New Orleans po'boy came from here. Nowadays, you can find a lot of bougie, contemporary sandwiches in the city (the braised Wagyu with pickled green beans from Killer PoBoys comes to mind), and even such atrocities as a market price po'boy — oh, the irony. But at Parkway, sandwiches don't stray far from the recipe's origin. Ingredients are fresh and local, meals are constructed with meticulous consistency, and the restaurant's atmosphere perfectly encapsulates the history of Louisiana's most iconic sandwich.
Parkway Bakery is a NOLA institution
It's not all fresh fish and tasty sandwiches that make Parkway Bakery a go-to lunch spot for locals all over New Orleans. The cafe is intrinsically linked to the city's distinct culinary identity, playing a vital role in the popularity of one of the most well-known dishes of the South.
Brothers Benny and Clovis Martin were streetcar conductors who opened up a sandwich and coffee shop in the French Market after retiring in 1922. Later, in 1929, the po'boy got its name when thousands of union members went on strike. The city was rife with poor boys in need of a hot meal, so the Martin brothers fed the striking workers for free. That same year, Parkway added the po'boy sandwich to its menu, continuing the Martin brothers' tradition of feeding picketers at no charge. Nowadays, the sandwich is a symbol of New Orleans' working-class roots and its long history of worker solidarity in its tight-knit communities.
Parkway Bakery first opened its doors back in 1911, and the cafe hasn't strayed much from its original atmosphere. The walls are lined with old-fashioned decor, and tables are set up for family-style meals — the best way to enjoy this kind of cuisine, if you ask me. You can eat your meal at the old-fashioned bar or take it to the covered back patio lined with huge cafeteria-style tables. I prefer sitting out back, but most folks like to snag a spot at the bar. Wherever you sit, don't be afraid to cozy up with some strangers while you eat — the restaurant is always packed, no matter the time of day.
My favorites at Parkway
When I've been away from the city for a while, I always default to my usual: the half-and-half. That is, half shrimp and half catfish, with one side of the sandwich featuring shrimp and the other featuring catfish. This is a particularly nice option when you're eating alone and don't have someone to swap sandwich halves with. The catfish is flaky and tender, and the shrimp has an ocean-fresh saltiness to it, paired with a nice crispness indicative of perfectly cooked shellfish.
When I'm tired of the half-and-half (six-or-so sandwiches later), I change it up with the James Brown — that's slow-cooked beef, fried shrimp, melted pepper Jack cheese, and hot-sauce mayo — or the saucy Creole BBQ shrimp. New Orleans BBQ shrimp isn't the smoky-sweet style you're thinking of; it's made with a sauce consisting of spices, Worcestershire, and plenty of butter, and it's a must-try if you're visiting the city for the first time.
In my opinion — and in the opinion of many longtime New Orleans residents — Parkway Bakery is the best spot for po'boys in New Orleans, but that doesn't mean you should sleep on its non-po'boy options. I'm talking about desserts. Although Parkway isn't a traditional bakery anymore, it still lives up to its name with outstanding house-made treats. Butter rum cake and banana pudding are standouts, but nothing compares to the classic French bread pudding. Melt-in-your-mouth batter and potent sweet crème rum sauce make this my favorite dessert in all of NOLA — but be sure you're not driving, because the rum sauce lives up to the city's booze standards.