Unearth The Voyage
A great shrimp po’ boy is one of those sandwiches that makes you stop mid-bite and reconsider every lunch decision you have ever made. Crispy Gulf shrimp, fresh French bread, and a smear of remoulade have turned modest sandwich counters into full-blown pilgrimages for food lovers across the country.
The po’ boy tradition started in New Orleans, but it has traveled far beyond Louisiana, popping up in Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, and even landlocked Indianapolis. This list covers 18 spots across the United States where the shrimp po’ boy is not just a menu item but a point of pride.
Whether you are planning a road trip down the Gulf Coast or simply hunting for the best sandwich in your region, these destinations deliver the real deal.
1. Half Shell Oyster House, Mississippi
Half Shell Oyster House operates at multiple locations across Mississippi, which makes it one of the more accessible options on this list for Gulf Coast travelers.
The fried shrimp po’ boy is prepared with shrimp fried to a consistent golden color and served on fresh French bread, keeping things simple without cutting corners.
The restaurant’s reputation for fresh seafood and a welcoming dining room has helped it maintain steady popularity across the state.
2. Parkway Bakery & Tavern, New Orleans, Louisiana
Since 1929, Parkway Bakery & Tavern has been one of the most celebrated names in New Orleans po’ boy history, and its shrimp po’ boys are a major reason the restaurant remains packed decades later. The menu features six different shrimp po’ boy variations, giving diners more choices than many restaurants offer across their entire sandwich lineup.
Whether you prefer your shrimp dressed with traditional toppings or paired with extras like roast beef, there is an option for nearly every taste. Travel Channel’s Food Wars named Parkway a runner-up for the best shrimp po’ boy in America, further cementing its reputation.
Located near Bayou St. John, the restaurant attracts a mix of curious visitors, devoted locals, and lifelong po’ boy enthusiasts.
3. Domilise’s Po-Boy & Bar, New Orleans, Louisiana
Domilise’s did not earn its legendary reputation overnight. This family-run institution has been serving po’ boys for more than a century from a modest building tucked into a quiet Uptown neighborhood.
Its victory on Travel Channel’s Food Wars for best shrimp po’ boy helped introduce the shop to a national audience, but locals had known about its excellence for generations. The menu focuses on classic New Orleans favorites, including fried shrimp, fried oysters, hot sausage, and roast beef.
One of the most popular choices is the surf-and-turf po’ boy, which combines crispy fried shrimp with rich roast beef debris. The atmosphere remains refreshingly simple, allowing the sandwiches to remain the star attraction.
4. Bozo’s Seafood Market and Deli, Pascagoula, Mississippi
Bozo’s has a menu item called the Shrimp Overload Po’ Boy, and the name is completely accurate. The sandwich contains over a pound and a half of fried shrimp, which puts it firmly in the category of sandwiches that require a plan of attack before the first bite.
Located in Pascagoula on Mississippi’s eastern shoreline, Bozo’s functions as both a seafood market and a deli, so the shrimp are fresh by default.
5. Bear’s PoBoys, Metairie, Louisiana
Bear’s PoBoys has earned a devoted following in Metairie by focusing on fresh local ingredients and maintaining a level of consistency that keeps customers coming back. While the menu offers a variety of traditional po’ boys, the sandwich most people talk about is the Surf N Turf.
This local favorite layers crispy fried shrimp on top of savory roast beef debris, creating a combination that sounds unconventional but works remarkably well. The contrasting textures and flavors have turned it into a signature item.
Bear’s regularly appears on lists of the best po’ boy destinations in the New Orleans area, a distinction that carries considerable weight in a region where outstanding sandwiches can be found on nearly every corner.
6. Liuzza’s by the Track, New Orleans, Louisiana
Liuzza’s by the Track offers a shrimp po’ boy that immediately stands apart from the crowd. Instead of relying on fried seafood, the restaurant’s famous BBQ Shrimp Po’ Boy features Gulf shrimp cooked in a rich, buttery, peppery sauce inspired by one of New Orleans’ most beloved seafood dishes.
The bread soaks up every bit of the flavorful sauce, creating a sandwich that can be messy but is undeniably memorable. Food writers and critics have repeatedly singled it out as one of the city’s most distinctive po’ boy creations.
Located near the Fair Grounds Race Course, Liuzza’s becomes especially popular during Jazz Fest, when visitors and locals alike crowd in for this uniquely New Orleans specialty.
7. Cajun Crab & Shrimp Bar & Grill, Texas
Texas has a long Gulf Coast and a deep appetite for Cajun-influenced seafood, and Cajun Crab and Shrimp Bar and Grill taps into both.
The shrimp po’ boy features crispy fried shrimp on a fresh baguette with remoulade and lettuce, keeping the build traditional while maintaining quality.
For Texans who want Gulf Coast flavor without crossing the Louisiana state line, this spot delivers a reliable, well-dressed sandwich that holds up against more famous competitors.
8. Mama’s Fried Chicken, Opelousas, Louisiana
Located in the heart of Cajun country, Mama’s Fried Chicken has built a reputation that extends far beyond Opelousas city limits. While the restaurant is known for several comfort-food staples, its shrimp po’ boy has developed an especially loyal following.
The sandwich features generously sized shrimp coated in a crisp, flavorful batter and piled onto fresh, soft bread. Fans frequently describe it as one of the best shrimp po’ boys in Louisiana, praise that carries significant weight in a state known for exceptional seafood sandwiches.
The restaurant’s unpretentious atmosphere only adds to its appeal. For travelers exploring central Louisiana, Mama’s has become the kind of hidden gem that justifies taking a longer route to reach it.
9. Lil’ Ray’s Restaurant, Long Beach, Mississippi
Lil’ Ray’s has been a Long Beach fixture since 1970, which gives it more than five decades of po’ boy experience to draw from.
One detail that sets this restaurant apart is that it receives French bread shipments directly from New Orleans every day, ensuring the bread meets Louisiana standards rather than settling for a local substitute.
The shrimp po’ boys are known for generous portions, and the restaurant’s long-running community presence makes it a trusted stop along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
10. Taranto’s Crawfish, Biloxi, Mississippi
Food and Wine magazine named Taranto’s seafood po’ boys the best sandwiches in Mississippi, which is not a small distinction in a state that takes its sandwiches seriously.
The shrimp po’ boy is the anchor of the menu, but the fried crawfish version appears when crawfish are in season and is equally celebrated by regulars.
Biloxi’s Gulf Coast location means the seafood supply stays fresh, and Taranto’s makes the most of that geographic advantage with every order.
11. Debris PoBoys & Drinks, Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama has a strong connection to Gulf Coast seafood culture, and Debris PoBoys and Drinks leans into that identity with a menu built around authentic Louisiana-style sandwiches.
The restaurant imports Leidenheimer baguettes directly from New Orleans, which is the same bread used by the top po’ boy shops in Louisiana. Customers can order their shrimp fried, grilled, or blackened, giving the menu real flexibility.
For a city that often gets skipped on food road trips, Debris makes a convincing argument for a stop.
12. Pink Pony Pub, Gulf Shores, Alabama
Pink Pony Pub has been a Gulf Shores landmark for decades, and its location near the beach makes it a natural stop after a day on the Alabama coast.
The Gulf Shrimp Po’ Boy comes on traditional Louisiana French bread and can be ordered fried, grilled, or blackened, dressed with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and remoulade sauce.
The combination of beachside location and a well-executed classic sandwich has kept Pink Pony on the short list for Gulf Shores visitors season after season.
13. Calliope’s – Bellfort, Houston, Texas
Houston has a food culture that punches well above its weight, and Calliope’s on Bellfort is one of the city’s quieter success stories for Louisiana-style sandwiches.
The fried shrimp po’ boy is described by regulars as loaded and excellent, served on genuine French bread with remoulade sauce available on the side.
For a city where Cajun food competes with dozens of other cuisines for attention, Calliope’s has carved out a dedicated customer base that keeps coming back specifically for this sandwich.
14. DJ’s Clam Shack, Indian Shores, Florida
DJ’s Clam Shack in Indian Shores is the kind of place that earns its reputation through consistent quality rather than big marketing budgets.
The shrimp po’ boy comes with tender shrimp and a house-made Cajun tartar sauce that regulars specifically mention when recommending the spot.
A related DJ’s location in Key West was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, which brought wider attention to the brand. The Indian Shores location serves Florida’s Gulf Coast crowd and delivers the same reliable quality.
15. Star Provisions, Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is not the first city that comes to mind for a shrimp po’ boy, but Star Provisions has built a strong case for why it should be on the list.
The sandwich features sweet Georgia white shrimp, a touch of spice, house-made pickles, and spicy mayo on a soft French roll, making it a locally sourced version of a Gulf Coast classic.
Star Provisions is primarily known as an upscale market and cafe, which means the ingredient standards are notably high.
16. RT’s Restaurant, Alexandria, Virginia
RT’s Restaurant has been serving authentic Louisiana food in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood for over 30 years, which makes it one of the longest-running Gulf Coast outposts on the East Coast.
The shrimp po’ boy is a menu staple that has kept regulars returning year after year, and the restaurant’s track record gives it credibility that newer spots simply cannot manufacture.
For Washington, D.C.-area residents craving something with genuine Louisiana roots, RT’s remains the most established answer.
17. Rusty Hooks Dockside Grill, Southport, North Carolina
Southport, North Carolina sits at the mouth of the Cape Fear River and has a maritime character that makes a place like Rusty Hooks feel right at home.
The Classic Po’ Boy Shrimp can be ordered blackened or lightly battered and comes on a hoagie bun with fresh toppings and remoulade sauce.
Reviewers have called it a po’ boy worth writing home about, which is high praise for a restaurant operating outside the traditional Gulf Coast po’ boy corridor.
18. Oakcrest Family Restaurant, Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is about as far from the Gulf Coast as you can get while still staying in the Southeast, which makes Oakcrest Family Restaurant’s shrimp po’ boy a genuinely surprising find.
The sandwich is built with fresh, locally sourced shrimp on a soft, toasted baguette, and the kitchen’s commitment to quality ingredients keeps the result far above average.
For North Carolina residents who want a po’ boy without a six-hour drive, Oakcrest delivers a credible, well-constructed version in an unexpected setting.
