killer poboys

loved everything about it. the cramped dining area was filled with character, and my first try of the pork belly with the slightly sweet rum sauce was something totally new and different. i'll be back to hang out at erinroseand try the rest of killer's menu.

i've been hearing all the hype about killer poboys in the erinrosebar for several years. i finally decided to give it a shot. i knew they had more contemporary type poboys, but i thought wth. i truly wasn't impressed. first, they have about 3-4 choices only. all the choices are with a contemporary twist (not your typical fried seafood or roast beef poboys). i had the lime grilled shrimp with carrot relish.. it was different, and certainly not bad quality, just not what i want in a poboy. the prices were the highest i've paid. my poboy was $15. it was inside the dank erinrosebar, in small back room with only a few seating spots. i hear they now have a restaurant open on burgundy or dauphine. might be worth a try.

i never thought i would live to see the day where i would claim that one of the best poorboys i have tasted was devoid of shrimp, oyster, catfish, or roast beef. yes, you read that correctly. i am here to tell you that one of the city’s best kept culinary secrets, but with growing praise each passing day, is in the heart of one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country: vieux carré, otherwise known as the french quarter.

in the rear section of a business i have already praised, the locally-adored erinroseirish bar, lies an underground operation churning out five of the most bizarre poorboy offerings you will ever see. simply put, they are killer poboys.

operated by culinary artisans cam boudreaux and april bellow, killer poboys has been working feverishly for the past several years in attempt to bring new school poorboys to the people of new orleans. after passing up the opportunity to try one of these bad boys during my first visit to erin rose, i decided that i would dedicate my saturday dinner to indulging in these one of a kind sandwiches.

my date and i selected the roasted sweet potato poboy, which seemed particularly appealing to this self-professed sweet potato lover, and the immensely appealing glazed pork belly poboy. the price advertised for the poorboys is what you pay (i.e. tax included). there are no hidden costs after you place your order. for some reason, i always love businesses that don’t throw in additional costs other than the one that is advertised. this alone is worthy of applause. 

plus, my wallet was still relatively plump after the price amounted to only $19. that might still seem like a lot to some, but when you realize that most poorboy shops charged around $12 per sandwich, you will soon be thankful for killer poboys’ affordable menu.

after a few minutes off sipping on our adult beverages at the bar, our poorboys were brought to us fresh out the kitchen.

i started off the meal with the roasted sweet potato which consisted of a black-eyed pea and pecan spread, pickled shallots, greens (including kale), and what i would best describe as filets of roasted sweet potato. the sandwich was unlike any i have had before. the black-eyed peas, pickled shallots, and greens, provided a salty contrast to the subtle sweetness of the pecans and sweet potatoes. it is relatively light yet filling at the same time. the bread was also delicious and a bit different from the garden-variety french loaves offered with most poorboys.

next came the glazed pork belly. my date could not stop raving over this interesting concoction. comprised of pork belly glazed in both rum and ginger cane syrup, lime slaw, and garlic aioli, this poorboy is moist, juicy, and absolutely delicious. the richness of the pork fat paired with the sweetness of the cane syrup and the savory flavor of the slaw and aioli works as a prefect tandem. there wasn’t a crumb left by the end of our meal.

because we were sitting in erin rose, the service and environment were of course fantastic. obviously the food was delicious and the prices are more than reasonable given the sort of ingredients employed in the construction of each poorboy.

with a new location on the way and supposedly an expanded menu including breakfast in the works, i’m sure to return soon to check out what will likely be a bigger and badder version of this already superb hole in the wall eatery.
glazed porkbelly poboy taste: 9.5/10     sweetpotato poboy taste: 8.5/10

cost: 8.5/10

dining area/décor: 8.5/10

customer service: 9/10

location: 8/10

we heard that the shrimp poboy here was out of this world.  we made sure we tried this bad boy during our trip. verdict:  we thought it was just ok.  since everyone was saying that this sandwich was freaking amazing, we were expecting some sort of flavor explosion (nope) and amazing bread (not really).  the sandwich came with 3 jumbo shrimp, which we thought were rather bland.  the bread was meh.  not soft (like fresh bread) but not crunchy either (like a toasted baguette).  if anything, it was kind of reminded me of stale baguette?  ouch.  for $15 a sandwich, we find this pretty expensive.  call us crazy but we have had better. way better. ambience: killer poboys is tucked in the back of the erinrosebar (yep, where you get the frozen irish coffee).  super dark.  grungy looking. two high tables (we took our sandwiches to go). service:   just ok.  don’t expect a happy, friendly conversation.  they are busy making your sandwich (which takes them awhile). overall:  we really wanted to love this place but thought the sandwiches were just okay.  nothing mindblowing. with that said, we understand why many people do (our friend mark is a huge fan). this place could’ve been such a gem.  i) location behind a bar…hole in the wall (literally).  ii) small, focused menu. iii) twist on a classic (banh mi)  too bad we didn’t fall in love. tip: bring yo cash.  this place will not accept cards.

apparently, killer poboys is a pop-up establishment currently operating in the back of erinrosebar near bourbon street. i was admittedly a little scared when i entered the establishment because it didn’t appear like the type of place i could expect good food from. however, don’t judge a book by its cover!

go through erinroseto find it. it's a secret...

dark and stormy!!!. i ate hear a month ago and was really impressed. the dark and stormy poboy blew my mind; it was delicious! the pork belly and sauce was just awesome... be ready to spend $10-12 per poboy and also know that the menu is extremely limited to 6-7 sandwiches. and if you're having trouble finding it, it's nestled in the back of erinrosebar.

the drinks are generous, and for what you would expect to spend at home, not on vacation. they’re pretty well known for their bloody mary’s and frozen irish coffees. so even we couldn’t resist stopping by for a 2am frozen treat. it was literally the best frozen coffee we’ve ever had. and to satisfy our touristy needs, it comes in an awesome erinroseplastic cup. next time you’re in nola, don’t miss out on this one.

quite often, i find myself genuinely frustrated that i cannot offer choice food porn from wonderful restaurants due to bad lighting, a mediocre camera or simply a lack of photographic skill. this is one of those times. a little while back, john and i were in the french quarter and decided to hit killer poboys , a hot new pop-up inside the  erinrosebar on conti. it was just past 5 p.m. and the tiny bar was already full of devoted patrons, drinking and enjoying a football game on tv. we squished our way through to the back and placed our order at a small counter in a room eclectically decorated (like any great bar), replete with a colorful mural. sitting down at the only available bar stools, we sipped on abita ambers and waited for our food to appear.  before long, our poboys were ready and they were most definitely "killer" dude. john ordered the dark & stormy poboy with pork braised in old new orleans rum, lime slaw and garlic aioli. i must acknowledge its sloppy, wonderful tastines

the dark and stormy pork is outstanding regardless of what the gambit says. ive had it 3x w/in a week. erinroseis cool, but they need a bigger spot and will get one due to their success.