Parkway Bakery & Tavern — Restaurant in New Orleans

If you're visiting New Orleans, there’s one spot that you must experience at least once: Parkway Bakery & Tavern. Known for serving up some of the city’s best po'boys, Parkway is a legendary local favorite that everyone raves about. My party of three made our way there for a Saturday lunch, arriving just after 11 a.m., and the place was packed. By the time we arrived, the line to order stretched out the door and into the courtyard.

Parkway offers online advanced ordering, which I highly recommend utilizing for convenience, but if you prefer to order in person, their system is fairly streamlined. We still waited about 15-20 minutes to get to the counter, and the wait for food was another 15 minutes or so. While the wait might feel long, it's partly because you’ll need some time to find an open table. There’s no waitstaff here, so seating is first come, first served. By the time we got our food around noon, the line was wrapped all the way around the block, so if you can, try to visit during off-peak hours.

When it came time to eat, we went for a mix of the more popular options: the Parkway Surf and Turf Po'Boy (a combo of fried shrimp and roast beef with gravy), the Louisiana Catfish Po'Boy (fully dressed with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and remoulade), and a classic Reuben on rye. The catfish and Reuben were both fantastic—flavorful, satisfying, and a perfect showcase of what Parkway does best. The catfish was crispy, fresh, and perfectly paired with the tangy remoulade, while the Reuben had all the right balance of savory and tangy with its layers of corned beef, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese.

However, the Surf and Turf Po'Boy didn’t quite hit the mark. This is more of a design flaw than anything else—while the sandwich has all the right elements, the gravy ended up overpowering the delicate fried shrimp and roast beef. The gravy made the sandwich messy and added a heaviness that drowned out the other flavors. The roast beef got lost in the mix, and the fried shrimp, which should have been the star, were overshadowed by the sogginess from the gravy. It’s a messy, albeit flavorful, sandwich that ultimately wasn’t as enjoyable as the simpler po'boys we tried.

Overall, we had a great experience at Parkway. The atmosphere is casual and bustling, with a true New Orleans charm. While the Surf and Turf Po'Boy didn’t quite live up to expectations, we’ll definitely be back to try more of their classic offerings, especially the catfish and Reuben. A word of advice—be prepared to wait, especially if you visit during peak hours, and plan your visit for a quieter time if you want to avoid the rush. Parkway Bakery & Tavern is a must-try for anyone visiting New Orleans, offering an authentic taste of po'boy heaven that’s...

I do not usually write reviews when I have a poor experience with a restaurant, but I was rather annoyed after my visit this evening. We unfortunately showed up at 5:58pm, and the restaurant closed at 6pm. We had the gate closed on us by a police officer as we tried to enter, telling us the restaurant was closed. A staff member overheard this and told us and the police officer that we can still dine in, no problem. We went straight to the order desk and got our order in pronto, and were told that we just got our order placed in time to be able to enjoy without having to take it to-go and that we didn't have to feel rushed. Our food was made very quickly. We got to enjoy the Sunday football as we waited, and I was so excited to dig in. As soon as I brought our food back to the table, I had another staff member tell me that we had to "get on outta here because we are closing up now". So my partner and I scarfed down a couple of very messy sandwiches (I thought it was delicious, but my partner said the beef was lacking seasoning and flavor). While we were scarfing down our food as quick as possible, another different staff member came out of the kitchen and began questioning the staff member that told us to "get on outta here" as to why he was asking people to leave... After spending $50 on sandwiches, I was just very disappointed with the disorganization and mixed messages I received from multiple staff members and, for some odd reason, a police officer? I should have paid more attention to their operating hours before going for dinner so close to their closing time, that is for sure my fault. But if you aren't willing to serve your guests comfortably, just tell us that you are closed for the day rather than giving so many mixed messages and making your guests not feel welcome. The place had a really cool vibe about it, and I wish I had the opportunity to try it under different circumstances as many locals told us to...

2/8/19 Been here a few times since my first review and I've tried mostly Po-Boys. I found out recently Parkway now has Vienna products from Chicago. I'm from Chicago, I love Vienna hot dogs, and so I was intrigued. Since it's hard to get here without special ordering from Chicago, I've driven to Baton Rouge previously to get a Vienna hot dog. Of course most of the time I've been disappointed in my search for hot dogs. Just not a good thing here. Anyway, I digress. I ordered a large Vienna corned beef po-boy and a Vienna hot dog, fried pickles also. Corned beef was pretty good, good bread tasty, I was satisfied. Unfortunately, even though they offer a hot dog bun or a different kind of bun (I got a hot dog bun), somehow it just don't come out right. First off they have the Vienna all-beef hot dogs which are not the ones you want. Secondly they cut the dog in half and fry it. Just is not right! So I guess I'm going to have to just order from Chicago or make my yearly trips and stuff my face in Chicago with Chicago hot dogs.

2017 Great place with great history. Supposed to be the best po boy in town. I was warned by the girl who would be my girlfriend that it might be a long line. When we walked in, there were about 20 people in line, which I was told was "nothin". Didn't take long to get to order, though. I had a large fried shrimp po-boy, fried pickles and fries. My Poboy was good, tasty shrimp, great bread. I got it dressed. Good flavor. Not the best I've had here, but in the top 5. Fries were were hot and well done as requested. The fried pickles were real good too. My lady had a Reuben sandwich. The corned beef was awesome, and I think i might get that next time. Plenty of tables and room to sit in a few rooms. Everyone is friendly. Drinks are refillable. Condiment table is in the...