Parkway Bakery & Tavern

Before coming to New Orleans, Parkway was mentioned to me time and time again as the place to go to get a great po-boy. It has been around since they were called poor boys. I was exited to arrive at Parkway and order the fried shrimp po-boy and the James Brown po-boy to share with my friend. I was excited to also see that they have a bar, where I could have a seat in a cool air conditioned room and enjoy an adult beverage while I waited for the po-boys.

When the po-boys arrived I couldn't wait to tear into them. The fried shrimp po-boy was overflowing with shrimp. Much more shrimp that I get on any so-called "authentic" po-boy in Philly. Fresh fried shrimp in New Orleans are always outstanding and it made a perfectly balanced sandwich with the soft bread. Then I dug into the James Brown po-boy. It is described as "Layered with slow cooked BBQ beef, Louisiana fried shimp, melted pepper jack cheese, and topped with a hot sauce mayo." As YouTuber JL Jupiter would say (look up his food channel) the James Brown po-boy is a game changer! This sandwich is the best kind of messy. The sauce might be all over your hand, shrimp might fall out on to your shirt, but you won't care. It was so good that my #1 food priority any time I'm in New Orleans will be to get this po-boy. It really was THAT good. Believe the hype when it comes to Parkway Bakery & Tavern!

I can't believe I've never left a review here! Been coming here for over a decade!

Top choice for me is fried shrimp poboy. But everything's excellent!

If you want a real human vs food challenge, get the surf and turf: it's fried shrimp AND roast beef (and their roast beef is gravy heavy). This is a lot of messy deliciousness.

There is nothing like a New Orleans Shrimp Po Boy. Service was the best I've received in a long time. Kudos to the entire staff I've encountered during our lunch dining experience: the Server (Eric), security, the manager, and the head chef. All were helpful and welcoming.
I ordered a large "Shrimp Poor Boy" dressed without Mayo. My parents ordered the Catfish with a side of French Fries. Everything was seasoned perfectly, and the servings were so plentiful that I couldn't eat it all, so I ate it for dinner and breakfast the next day. They offer indoor and patio seating with a private parking lot. We truly enjoyed our lunch and will be back.
Highly recommend!

We love Parkway and the renovation they've gone through since our last visit is nice! We biked over so we were happy to nab seats in the AC! Got a nice frozen porch swing to cool down while waiting for our food. I ordered my usual roast beef poboy dressed and some cheese fries to split. The roast beef poboy was as sloppy as I remembered it - make sure you have lots of napkins handy! Parkway will continue to be our go to for delicious poboys.

This came at a recommendation from a tour we took of the city(NOLA). Great recommendation!

I had the Wild Caught Gulf Shrimp Po'boy, small with homemade potato salad. The flavors were there, plenty of shrimps within the sandwich, a bit messy but none the less, great. The potato salad was a great side to compliment the sandwich.

You do have the option to sit inside or outside. Inside seating is limited however the outside seating is plenty with all seats under shade with fans to cool you down if it's hot outside. They do have hot sauce on the tables if you want to spice up your sandwich. Parking is limited as you have to park on the side street.

The service was okay. You order at the counter, give your name as they will call you when your food is ready at a different window.

Whenever you visit New Orleans, definitely give this place a try. Happy eating!

The Surf and Turf poor boys was one of the dishes I want to try during my short visit to New Orleans. Shrimp and roast beef should complement each other greatly!

The sandwich was huge, I could only finish half and ate the other half for dinner. The shrimp was delicious, lightly seasoned with a nice crisp texture. Roast beef was good, but not amazing due to lack of depth. I thought the roast beef flavor and texture overpowered the shrimp and did not mesh well together. The sandwich was good, but I personally prefer the shrimp by itself without the distraction.

Overall, still a great spot to eat, just did not meet my high expectations going in.

Parkway Bakery & Tavern is a well known spot for classic NOLA food. I came during my lunch break and got my first Po'Boy of my trip. It is a simple concept, with ordered right at the counter then waiting for your order to be called out for pick up. You can take it to go or sit outside on the patio, it was busy during Friday lunch hour but we got our food pretty quickly.

We got the half n half Po Boy with catfish & shrimp. The seafood was fresh and really delicious with a basic sandwich make up. The fries and Jambalaya were okay, but not spectacular. If you want a good po boy, check out this nice spot.

Po boy heaven! This place has been around for more than 100 years and you can tell by the ambiance that there is so much culture and history here. We ordered the shrimp, James brown and gator sausage po boys and they were all excellent.

Wild Caught Gulf Shrimp po boy- The shrimp was hot, fresh and crispy. 5/5

James Brown po boy- beef was so tender and flavorful. The shrimp also provided a layer of crunch to contrast the lean beef. 5/5

Gator po boy- tasted like a regular pork/beef sausage when you first bite into it but has a different aftertaste. Not used to it so it was a bit foreign to me. 3/5

The hype is real.

This is my last day in NOLA, and I haven't explored the food. I woke up early this morning, went to cafe du monde, and then straight to parkway.

I arrived at 9:45 and they weren't even open yet.

I got a small shrimp po-boy, dressed (lettuce, tomato, pickle, mayo) and added onion. Yes I got a small, it's 10am, I normally don't eat breakfast, and I just had 3 beignets and coffee 20 min prior.

Even with a small, I was stuffed. They pack this thing with perfectly fried shrimp. Light and crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside.

5/5.

So glad I made a last minute decision to come and grab one on my way to the airport. I ordered what I thought was a po-boy from Uber eats the other day, (See previous review) and that sandwich was nothing compared to parkway. Makes me want to go back and change my review.

If you are like me and only have a chance to eat one po-boy before you leave, Parkway shouldn't disappoint.

Our first stop in New Orleans was also our best. The fried shrimp and the shrimp/roast beef pooboys were great.
I was skeptical about the Roast Beef and Shrimp combo, but it was pretty good too. I still preferred the classic shrimp poboy though. Sub the spicy mayo instead of normal mayo. And get more on the side too. The bread was great enough to eat alone, and the shrimp was fried to a crisp and flakey crunch. The sandwich is huge too and filled with more shrimp than you'd expect. They don't skimp.
Try the Jambalaya too.
Staff was friendly and there are plenty of seats if you have a big group.