Johnny's Po-Boys — Restaurant in New Orleans

Before coming to the French Quarter, I tried my best to find highly recommended restaurants and Johnny's was specifically recommended amongst the top Po Boys in the area. After reading the reviews, I was very excited to come here for my first authentic New Orleans Po Boy and I really, really wanted to experience an overwhelming "WOW, THAT WAS AMAZING" feeling. I am so sad to say, this was not the experience that occurred.

Upon walking in, we were met with a packed restaurant and a long line. All signs pointing to "we made the right choice!" I even asked another patron who was enjoying their meal how their food was and they responded very excitedly that it was great! We did not realize that it was a Cash Only establishment, but thankfully they do have an ATM inside the restaurant, so that crisis was averted.

We had arrived a bit later into the afternoon within a half hour of closing, and I now would highly recommend not doing this! We attempted ordering multiple items that were no longer available and finally landed on their Special of the Day which was the Voodoo Shrimp Po Boy ($19.95). We also decided to grab a side of the Cajun Gumbo to try with the po boy as well. The order was ready pretty quickly and we walked it back to our hotel to enjoy in the courtyard since the restaurant was packed full.

I hadn't realized that The Voodoo Shrimp Po Boy was essentially just a Buffalo Shrimp Po Boy, which I love buffalo sauce, but MY GOODNESS. It was VERY acidic and overpowering. It didn't taste as though the flavor complimented the ingredients and I felt like I didn't get to enjoy the authentic Shrimp Po Boy that I was hoping for. As for the Cajun Gumbo, the texture was really strange. I know that Gumbo is pretty standardly made with a roux in order to thicken the consistency, but the consistency was strange. It also tasted as though wayyyy too much butter was added into it and it coated the tongue in an unpleasant manner.

I'm usually all in favor of trying a divey, local spot because you never know what amazing food you might be able to find! I was hoping for that experience here and unfortunately, did...

Well, after a highly anticipated opportunity to finally try a Po-Boy from this place I was less than enthused. I work in hospitality and have sent countless numbers of my hotel guests to this place for a Po-Boy. Why not? I've heard so many good things about this place. A coworker just had food delivered so I seized the opportunity. Before I say one word, most businesses give the hospitality industry a discount because we send them business. I didn't ask for one because that's just not me. If it was to be offered. Sure. I was starving and just wanted a good sandwich. What caused me to write this review? Well. When the delivery guy made it to the hotel I was happy. He was quick and I was starving! When I asked him how much we owed, his response was $32.50. Wow! 2 Sandwiches, 2 fries. Wow! With a $5.00 tip... nearly $40.00 for 2 sandwiches? At lunch time? The reason why I was astonished is because the menu that's listed online reflected prices that were different from what we were charged. So, this ticked us off. We work for tips. We are both over tippers. Yet they chose to rip us off? Serious??? Upcharged both sandwiches, the fries and charged us extras. Refer to the pics in the review. Serious??? For this reason, I will never eat there again. Nor, will I refer any of my guests. The fries were great! The Roast beef and gravy Po-boy. Naaahhhh! It was very bland with no flavor. Roast beef is a salty meat. How could it taste bland. Gravy??? Pot roast juice is more like it. I would not have taken the time to write this review if they had not ripped us off. We are located just a few blocks away and send all of our guests there who inquire about a Po-Boy. Not anymore. In fact, I will deter anyone from going there who asks me for advise. I won't bad mouth. Because I don't do that. Please be assured that I will no longer refer anyone to this place. One and done. Sorry. And I'm no scrub. I've eaten at the finest! Dorris Metropolitan is my favorite place for an exquisite experience and a steak that's matched by no other. Google it and you'll get it!...

Alright, listen up—there are a lot of ways to eat an oyster in Louisiana, but if you hadn’t had one fried and slapped onto French bread, then son, you haven’t really lived yet.

And if you’re in New Orleans looking for the real deal, you’re down here at Johnny’s Po-Boys and getting a sandwich so overstuffed it’ll have you questioning your life choices in the best possible way.

Johnny’s has been slinging po-boys since 1950, when Johnny and Betty DeGrusha ran a humble grocery-sandwich shop on the honor system.

The real magic? Big, messy, gut-busting sandwiches stuffed with whatever they could fry, roast, or smother in gravy. In a city fueled by po-boys, their fried oyster version is pure gospel.

Now, a proper fried oyster po-boy is a thing of beauty. You start with Louisiana oysters—fat, briny, and just begging for the fryer.

They get dunked in seasoned cornmeal,fried up golden and crispy, then piled onto a loaf of Leidenheimer French bread that somehow manages to be both crusty and pillowy at the same time.

Then comes the dressing—mapyo, shredded lettuce, tomato, pickles—simple, because when your oysters are this fresh and crispy, you don’t need much else.

You take that first bite, and it’s all there—the crunch of the bread, the snap of the fried oysters, the little hit of acid from the pickles, the creamy mayo tying it all together.

It’s the kind of sandwich that makes you forget whatever nonsense is waiting for you outside. You sit here, elbow-deep in paper napkins, watching tourists fumble with their first po-boy like they just discovered fire, and you know you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.

Johnny’s ain’t fancy. It ain’t trying to be. But it’s been here for three generations, through hurricanes, booms, busts, and the general chaos that is New Orleans.

And still, the oysters get fried, the sandwiches get made, and people keep showing up. Because in a world where everything changes, a good oyster po-boy is something you can...