I Didn’t Know What a Po’ Boy Sandwich was Until College
What I love about food is the cultural nuance and how food in Kansas can be something completely different elsewhere.
I grew up south of Kellogg off Lincoln and Oliver. I attended the OG Southeast, and Curtis middle school. It is safe to say that I am very much a Wichitan. For those not from Wichita, I grew up in a city that has an abundance culture, identity, and restaurants on almost every corner.
It is no surprise I began my foodie journey at a very young age. My house was located by Ah-So Oriental Restaurant and Southeast Carryout and my high school was across the street from N&J Café and Po Boy Pizza where in my opinion, they have the best Po Boys in the state of Kansas.
A Po’ Boy, is defined as a traditional sandwich from Louisiana. You can order it with a variety of meats such as roast beef or fried seafood. It is served on New Orleans French bread, known for its crisp crust and fluffy center. The name has a historical and powerful origin. Because the bread came so large, it was enough to feed hungry strikers in Louisiana. When strikers would come to get the sandwich, workers would call out “here comes another poor boy”. From then, “poor boy” colloquially became “po’ boy”.
Until 23, a Po Boy to me was a giant pizza roll, stuffed with cheese, meat, or veggies, and wrapped in aluminum foil and a brown paper bag. These Po’ Boys were huge and could probably feed two or three people (if I wanted to share).
In high school, it was very popular to leave lunch and grab a pepperoni pizza roll with a Pepsi from Po Boys Pizza. I have vivid memories of placing an order during class and trying to sneak out during lunch to pick it up. It was THAT big of a deal. I was willing to risk ISS for this pizza roll.
I never knew what a Po’ Boy sandwich was because my first and only interaction with a Po Boy was from Po Boy Pizza in Wichita, Kansas. You can imagine my surprise at 23 when people kept trying to explain to me that it was a very popular sandwich in New Orleans and not a large pizza roll from a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in SE Wichita.
I think it is very safe to say that the best Po Boy (pizza) will always be from Po Boys in SE Wichita. I just realize I have to be very specific when telling my husband I am craving a Po Boy.
Po Boy Pizza is still running and looks the same as it was when I was in high school. It is located next to the old Southeast High building at 5619 E Lincoln St.
In 2019 the owner of Po Boys, Kamal Khoury, passed away but the business is still operating and family ran! My biggest fear was that COVID was going to shut this small business down, but Po Boy is still receiving the love and recognition they deserve! If you have never had a Po Boy Pizza, it is a Wichita must.
