JEFFERSON, La. — If you wind up on Central Avenue in Jefferson, you’ll find a spot called Central Poboys.
This place does poboys, as the shop’s name would hint. Central Poboys offer up over a dozen poboys daily.
They have the classics like roast beef, fried shrimp, fried oyster and ham and cheese. They also dish up some specialties like veal cutlet, chicken parmesan and a crawfish cake poboy. Their poboys come in two sizes: regular, which is eight inches, and large, which is 12 inches. The poboys are made to order and served up on Leidenheimer’s french bread. Dress them with mayo, lettuce, and tomato and you are in poboy business.
We were lucky enough to sample Central’s fried shrimp poboy and their roast beef poboy. Both were excellent.
There were extra shrimp falling off the shrimp poboy, which is always a bonus. The roast beef was tender and swimming in gravy. That gravy mixed with the lettuce, tomato and mayo created the indulgent flavor that has made a roast beef poboy such an iconic New Orleans sandwich. When it comes to poboys, Central Poboys certainly holds their own against the competition.
But poboys aren’t all they do at Central Poboys. This place also serves up burgers, sandwiches, seafood platters, fried chicken and daily specials.
Italian fare was the special the day we stopped by Central Poboys. On that particular day the specials range from Italian poboys like chicken parm poboys and veal parm poboys to dinner favorites like lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs (they give you three respectable meatballs), chicken parm and veal parm.
There is certainly something to please everyone’s tastes.
Central’s Erik Youngblood tells us that there is no real secret to their approach. Cook generous portions with honest to goodness ingredients, and cook and serve it fresh to hungry folks that come through their door. So whether you’re hungry for a sandwich or poboy or you are looking for a platter or dinner plate, hit Central Poboys in Jefferson. Just remember to bring your appetite.