You do not have to drive all the way to Louisiana to get a proper po’boy in Florida. From the Panhandle beaches to South Florida, plenty of Cajun and Creole spots are packing their French bread with shrimp, oysters, roast beef, and more.
Locals will tell you some of these sandwiches come out fuller and messier than the ones back in New Orleans. Here are eight Florida po’boy shops worth planning a meal around, spread out enough that one of them is probably closer than you think.
1. Coastal Cajun Cuisine, Pensacola, FL
Right along Pensacola Boulevard, this casual spot has built a reputation for po’boys that come out generously filled and hard to finish in one sitting.
The whole shrimp po’boy is a standout, built on good bread with remoulade, popcorn shrimp, and fresh veggies. The crawfish here gets seasoned with a careful hand, so the spice lands without overwhelming the plate.
Service moves fast, which makes it an easy weekday lunch or a relaxed dinner. Expect a cozy, slightly trendy room that still works well for groups.
Plan on around twenty to thirty dollars per person. There is a kids’ menu, high chairs, and usually plenty of free parking in the lot or on the street.
You can dine in or grab your po’boy to go at 8961 Pensacola Blvd.
2. Cafe Nola, Gulf Breeze, FL
A water and beach view already sets Cafe Nola apart before the food even lands. Sitting on Quietwater Beach Road, it pairs Cajun-Creole cooking with a casual, breezy setting.
The shrimp po’boy comes piled with shrimp on French bread, and the oyster and blackened grouper versions give you real variety. Boudin balls, fried green tomatoes, hush puppies, and Creole gumbo round out the menu, and the beignets and bread pudding make a strong finish.
Open seven days a week, it also does breakfast and brunch on weekends, so you are not locked into a lunch-only window. There is a full vegan menu, a kids’ menu, high chairs, and dogs are welcome on the outdoor seating.
Most plates run ten to twenty dollars. Reservations are accepted, parking is easy, and the water view makes it a natural stop while you are near the beach.
3. Big Ray’s Fish Camp, Tampa, FL
Small space, big sandwiches. Big Ray’s is a compact counter serve in Tampa with a fishing-shack feel and limited indoor seating, so plan accordingly.
The shrimp po’boy and oyster po’boy are the headliners, and the shrimp version comes out big and generously stacked. Beyond the sandwiches, you can order smoked fish dip, deviled crab, yucca with blackened shrimp, and grouper cheeks.
Fried Oreos handle dessert if you have room.
Note the schedule before you go. It is closed on Monday, open Tuesday through Sunday, and Tuesday is a shorter day that ends at 4 PM.
Expect roughly twenty to thirty dollars per person. There is a kids’ menu, outdoor seating, and dogs are welcome.
It does not take reservations, so this is a walk-up counter kind of visit at 6116 Interbay Blvd. Fridays get busy in the afternoon, so time it right if you want a quicker line.
4. Bayou Bites, Dunedin, FL
The bread does a lot of heavy lifting at this rustic, timber-clad lunch stop in downtown Dunedin, and the shrimp po’boy is built on some seriously soft French bread.
Blackened shrimp poboys, fried catfish, and gumbo anchor the menu, along with Natchitoches meat pies, boudin balls, and crawfish or alligator sausage. The hush puppies and crab cakes make good sides, and there are full vegan and vegetarian menus too.
Hours are limited, so this is one to plan for. It is closed Monday through Wednesday and open Thursday through Sunday, with most days ending in the late afternoon or early evening.
Plates land in the ten to twenty dollar range. There is an outdoor patio, live music, free wi-fi, and dogs are welcome inside and out.
It does not take reservations. Find it at 431 Skinner Blvd, an easy add-on to a stroll through Dunedin’s walkable downtown.
5. Tibby’s New Orleans Kitchen, Altamonte Springs, FL
If you want the whole New Orleans mood without leaving Central Florida, Tibby’s leans into it with a colorful, festive dining room and live music on Sundays.
The po’boys come out big and filling, whether you go shrimp or pork chop. Around them you will find gumbo, dirty rice, jambalaya, Chicken Pontchartrain, gator bites, and fresh beignets for dessert.
Maw’s Fries even give the table a vegan option.
It is open every day, including breakfast and brunch on weekends, so the schedule is friendly. Friday and Saturday evenings are the busiest stretch.
Expect around twenty to thirty dollars per person. There is a kids’ menu, changing tables, high chairs, and a private dining room for groups.
Reservations are accepted, parking is easy, and you will find it at 494 FL-436 in Altamonte Springs, right in the Orlando metro.
6. Dat Cajun Place Cafe, Panama City, FL
Order the Mardi Gras po’boy here and you get roast beef and gravy, dressed with lettuce and tomato, which is a nice change of pace if you have had your fill of fried seafood.
That said, the shrimp and oyster po’boys hold their own, and the bread gets a lot of love for being both crisp and soft. Beyond sandwiches, the kitchen turns out Shrimp Pontchartrain, Fish Orleans, chargrilled oysters, fried green tomatoes, gator bites, and shrimp and lobster grits.
Fried cheesecake and funnel fries handle the sweet finish.
Open seven days a week with late kitchen hours until nearly 10 PM, it fits both a leisurely dinner and a late bite. Weekends bring live music.
It does not take reservations. There is a kids’ menu, changing tables, and outdoor seating where dogs are welcome.
Look for it at 2705 Navy Blvd in Panama City.
7. Harry’s Seafood, Bar & Grille, St. Augustine, FL
Setting counts for a lot at Harry’s, which sits along Avenida Menendez in the historic heart of St. Augustine with a room that feels old and lived-in, right down to the fireplace.
The po’boys come overstuffed, and pairing one with red beans and rice or grits makes for a filling plate. The broader menu leans into New Orleans favorites like jambalaya, she-crab soup, gumbo, andouille-crusted grouper, catfish etouffee, and the signature crab cakes.
It is open every day with late hours on Friday and Saturday. There is usually a wait since it does not take reservations, and the crowds peak on weekend evenings.
Plan on twenty to thirty dollars per person, and budget for parking too, since spaces near the waterfront can be tight and often paid. Kids’ menu and high chairs are available.
Find it at 46 Avenida Menendez, easy to fold into a day of walking the old city.
8. Shuck N Dive, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Down in Fort Lauderdale, Shuck N Dive carries a Certified Louisiana Cajun designation and puts a little adventure on the menu with a gator po’boy alongside the usual shrimp and sausage versions.
The fried shrimp po’boy is a reliable favorite, and the kitchen backs it up with crawfish etouffee, country gumbo, red beans and rice, fried green tomatoes, Oysters Bienville, and garlic crab claws. There is a laid-back, sports-on-the-TV feel with a patio out front.
It is closed Monday and open Tuesday through Sunday. Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday evenings tend to be the busiest.
Expect around twenty to thirty dollars per person. It accepts reservations, has a kids’ menu and high chairs, welcomes dogs, and offers free parking, which is a real perk in this part of town.
You will find it at 650 N Federal Hwy, a solid stop in South Florida for New Orleans-style cooking.
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