Gene's Po'Boys

By: Amy Thomas

I just so happen to live two blocks from the pepto-pink beacon of po'boy greatness, Gene's Po'boys, located at St. Claude and Elysian Fields.


Out of all of the po'boy spots in all of New Orleans, this one is my favorite.  It's open 24 hours, it's so close to me, and it is that dirty little food secret that is sooo bad and sooo good all at once.  I already know that their roast beef po'boy with cheese is something that I will crave no matter where I am in the world for my entire life .  For me, it's a toss up between the hot sausage and the roast beef po'boy, but I have to say I think the roast beef wins for me.  Steaming hot roast beef, gravy, gooey american cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, mayo, on fresh french bread, mmmmm...makes my tummy happy and hungry just thinking about it.  And it is huge, I can never make it much further than half-way through the sandwich, and it is always great later.

Gene's only has something like 5 or 6 sandwiches on their menu, a couple breakfast ones (I'm not really sure, I stick the roast beef or sausage), the hot sausage, the roast beef, and hot ham and cheese.  That is it.  No sides, no bullshit, just a po'boy and a free soda.

The location is considered by some to be a 'bad' part of town, I guess thats relative, go in like you know what you are doing, you already have all the menu items to choose from above.  I literally only go at night, for some reason Gene's isn't the same in the sunlight, a couple beers in your belly doesn't hurt either.  They are cash only, and our favorite daquiri spot is right around the corner on Elysian Fields--andt they are owned by the same guy.
Keep it local.

I know what I'm eating for dinner....