Po'boys and muffulettas: New Orleans sandwiches explained

New Orleans has two famous sandwiches, and they could not be more different. The po'boy is a long, crackly loaf of New Orleans French bread stuffed with fried seafood, roast beef in gravy or almost anything else, and ordered "dressed" with lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayonnaise. The muffuletta is a big round sesame loaf layered with Italian cold cuts, cheese and a garlicky olive salad, a sandwich born in the city's Sicilian community.

What is a po'boy?

A po'boy is a sandwich on New Orleans French bread, which is lighter than a baguette, with a thin, crackly crust that shatters when you bite it and a soft, airy inside. The fillings range widely:

• Fried shrimp and fried oysters, two of the most popular
• Roast beef with debris, slow-cooked beef in its own gravy, with the shredded bits that fall off the roast
• Fried catfish and other fish
• Soft-shell crab, in season
• Hot sausage, ham and cheese and other everyday fillings

Where did the name po'boy come from?

The most famous story dates to 1929, when New Orleans streetcar workers went on a long strike. Two brothers, Bennie and Clovis Martin, had been streetcar conductors before opening a coffee stand and restaurant in 1922, and during the strike they gave free sandwiches to their former colleagues. When a striker came in, the staff would joke that here was "another poor boy", and the name stuck to the sandwich. The story says the brothers also worked with a local bakery on a longer loaf that could be cut into even sandwiches.

Not everyone accepts this account. At least one New Orleans historian has pointed out that the story was not reported in the local press until about 40 years after the strike. Either way, the sandwich and the name have been part of the city for nearly a century.

What does "dressed" mean on a po'boy?

When you order a po'boy, you will be asked whether you want it dressed. Dressed means lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayonnaise. If you say no, you get just the filling on the bread, which some people prefer with roast beef. You can usually add hot sauce, too. A full po'boy is big, so many places also sell half sizes.

What is a muffuletta?

A muffuletta (also spelled muffaletta) is a round sandwich on a sesame-seeded Italian loaf about nine or ten inches across. It is layered with cold cuts such as Genoa salami, ham and mortadella, sliced cheese such as provolone, and olive salad, a chopped mix of green and black olives, pickled vegetables, garlic, herbs and olive oil. The oil soaks into the bread, which is part of the point.

A whole muffuletta feeds more than one person. It is usually sold whole, half or by the quarter, and it is often eaten at room temperature, though some places warm it.

Where was the muffuletta invented?

The muffuletta is credited to an Italian grocery on Decatur Street in the French Quarter, founded in 1906 by a Sicilian immigrant. The story is that Sicilian workers shopping there would buy bread, meats, cheese and olives and try to eat them separately, so the owner put them together in one sandwich, dressed with an olive salad made to his own recipe. That olive salad, said to be a family secret, is a large part of why the sandwich caught on. The shop is described as a working Italian grocery as well as a sandwich counter, with shelves of imported foods to browse while you wait.

The grocery was reported badly damaged during Hurricane Ida in 2021, when part of a neighboring building collapsed onto it, and it was reported to have reopened on Decatur Street in December 2024 after more than three years of repairs. Hours can change, so check before you go, and expect a line at busy times.

Po'boy or muffuletta: which should you order?

If you want	Order
Something hot and fried	A shrimp or oyster po'boy, dressed
Something messy and rich	A roast beef po'boy with gravy
A sandwich to share	A whole muffuletta
A picnic by the river	A muffuletta, which travels well

Where do you find good po'boys?

Po'boy shops are everywhere in New Orleans, from corner stores and neighborhood bars to sit-down restaurants, and many of the best are well away from the French Quarter. Look for places where the bread is crisp and the fried seafood comes out of the fryer to order. Many shops are casual counters: order, wait for your number, and find a seat or take it to go. Hours vary, and some neighborhood shops close early or on certain days, so check before you go.

Everyone in New Orleans has a favorite po'boy shop, and arguing about it is half the fun. On Mosey you can rate the places you ate at and the sandwiches you ordered, with photos, keep a list of the best, and follow friends who know the city.

More guides to read next:

• Eating in the French Quarter without the tourist traps
• Beignets and cafe au lait in New Orleans: a visitor's guide
• Crawfish season in New Orleans: when to go and how to eat a boil

More in the US food guides and the ranked lists of places.