Willie’s Po’Boy

Sadly, Willie is hanging up his keys —
Will be missed.

Catfish Po Boy is delicious and a great deal. Gumbo and Bread Pudding are incredible.

There is nothing better than strolling out to the food trucks at lunch and seeing this gorgeous purple truck waiting to hand me a po boy! I usually get the shrimp po boy and it never disappoints. The flavors are great, the bread, while thick, really is perfect for the sandwich and the shrimp is always tasty (and plentiful — I’ve never felt like they scrimped on my shrimp!).
Overall a great food truck for a good po boy which is hard to get around DC!

Excellent gumbo soup! I caught Willie’s Po’Boy food truck when it stopped in Reston Town Center a couple of weeks ago. It’s generally in the Arlington area, from my understanding. Everyone was going for the Po’Boys and I wanted to as well, but I already had lunch elsewhere. Wanting to try this food truck anyway, I opted for a cup of their chicken and andouille sausage gumbo, which was amazing! Some of the best gumbo I’ve ever had… it was out of this world extraordinary. I would certainly love to visit this food truck again in the future for more gumbo and hopefully a Po’Boy next time!

I normally don’t go to the food trucks but today I couldn’t resist. It had been 40 days since I had had fried food so when I spotted the Po’Boy truck I couldn’t help but take the plunge. I ordered the catfish po’boy ($ 8) and cajun fries ($ 3). I must admit I really wanted to try to the shrimp po’boy but I was nervous about being ripped off due to some of the complaints about the number of shrimp on a typical po’boy.
I waited to eat the po’boy back in my office. The heavenly smells attracted many folks to my desk wondering what greatness I was experiencing. The catfish po’boy included one decent size piece of catfish that was perfectly seasoned on a large sub roll with lettuce, tomato, and a mayo sauce. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed my catfish po’boy. Although, I would agree with someone of the other comments; the sub roll is too big. The cajun fries were extra crispy with just the right amount of seasoning.
I would highly recommend Willie’s Po’Boy.

I tried this place a couple of times, and both times let me down. I got their oyster strips po’boy, and unfortunately, it was full of thick bread, and barely any oysters.
They hyped their oyster strips as their best sandwich, and I opened my sandwich to see like 6 small fried oysters, and a whole lot of bread. The flavor wasn’t that great either. Maybe they ran out of oysters, and were being stingy because the other reviewers said they gave a lot, but I also got their crawfish sandwich and I barely got any crawfish as well. Even if they gave a lot, I felt it had no flavor, just some mayo and deep fried seafood, with tons of bread. They also charge a lot. Not coming back here…

I wish Unilocal had more stars for the rating’s because Willie’s Po Boy is more than 5 stars. This was my 1^st time trying out this food truck, and I wish I would have tried them out so much sooner. This was by far the best po boy sandwich I have ever tasted. From the fresh bread, the crispy fried to perfection catfish and that remoulade was a nice touch with the right amount of heat, along with the pickles. I am a fan now. And not a bad price for $ 8 bucks either. Oh and its a must that you try the bread pudding. Absolutely out of this world. Very moist and delicious not dry at all. The next time I will have to try the gumbo and the blackened chicken and avocado po boy as well.

I’m not a po boy expert but from what I’ve heard from friends is that the key to a good po boy is fresh bread (preferably from New Orleans region), crispy, fresh seafood, and minimal add-​ins. If that is the criteria, then Willie’s is spot on. I would have given 5 stars if it wasn’t so expensive… $ 12 for a fried oyster sandwich from a take out truck is a bit steep. Next time, I think I’ll order it without the remoulade and pickles, or just ask for less… the whole grain mustard is a bit overpowering and the pickles are huge and chunky and somewhat take away from the freshness of the oysters.
All in all though, if you’re really hungry and want to try something unique and authentic, track down this truck!
Update:
Today I tried the catfish po’boy and the gumbo… Catfish was so-​so… a little «fishy» tasting… But the bread and toppings made up for it. The gumbo on the other hand, was amazing. I love spicy food and it was a bit spicy for me, so if you’re sensitive to spice, you might opt for the red beans and rice as a side instead.

Yum! This place has been on my list for a while, but being that it’s a truck, I had to find a time when I was (1) in arlington (2) on a weekday (3) during lunch time.
That day finally came and I got to try a shrimp po boy (fully dressed) along with bread pudding. When I was ready to eat and opened the package I thought «this is HUGE.» I was a bit bummed (!) because I didn’t think it would reheat well later that evening, but there are worse things in life…
Delicious sandwich! The shrimp were perfect and the little extras on the sandwich were on point. I made sure not to rush my meal so I could savor every bite. And just like that — BAM — sandwich was *gone*. Gone I tell you. What happened to my whining: «it’s just too big»…hilarious.
The bread pudding was fine. I wasn’t all that impressed. I probably would not get that again, which is an excuse to replace it with something else: likely the cajun fries.
I will definitely keep this truck on my list of faves.
The guys on the truck were also very nice and polite, which I appreciated. I had to throw that in there…

The couple of times I visited this truck I got the blackened chicken po’boy which is AMAZEBALLS, yeah that freakin good. The bread was so fresh and the chicken was very tender & seasoned perfectly as not to drown out the taste of the chicken. The Cajun fries were cooked perfectly and if you ask for their signature Crystal mayo for dipping you will not be disappointed!
The bread pudding is AMAZING!!! It’s not dry or over cooked, very moist!
I also had the gumbo… the gumbo was a little HOT (temperature) for my taste but it was flavorful once it cooled off.
This food truck is one of my staples when I don’t bring a lunch from home… give it a try, you won’t be disappointed.

I usually don’t come out for lunch too often but I have been waiting to try Willie’s since they had the soft shelled crabs so I decided I would break my norm and head to the purple flavor mobile. If you’re looking for something to warm you up on a cool day try the red beans and rice. Great flavor and nice and hot even after the block walk and elevator ride back upstairs.
The shrimp po boy is a hearty meal. Lots of fresh fried shrimp not greasy which is key and complimented by the fresh veggies and sauce. The buns were tougher than I like but is probably straight from a bakery as opposed to some chemically processed loaf bread.
Overall a solid pick that didn’t make me feel like I needed to workout after eating it which deserves 5 stars for that feat in itself.

Willie’s has this po boy game on lock.
I’m no po boy expert, but apparently these things are legit. The bread comes from a hoary New Orleans bakery, and they go down to NOLA a couple times a year to stock up on some kind of local cream soda.
The crawfish po boy is on the short list of Best Things I Ever Ate Out of a Truck. The shrimp and oyster are also great. They come all dressed up with remoulade and hot sauce and pickles and some other stuff probably. Very nicely put together.
There are demerits to be handed out. Once I made the mistake of getting the catfish po boy, and I regret it to this day. It was funky. Not in a good way, like Cameo. In a bad way, like 311. I know catfish comes from the bottom of the river, but this really tasted like it.
There can also be consistency issues. One of my crawfish po boys was kind of. .. atticky, if that makes sense. Musty. A sandwich shouldn’t taste like a treasured antique.
Still, it’s well worth your eight or nine bucks. Step right up and get your issue.

Just gave this a try today. I got the blackened chicken with avocado, lettuce, tomato and crystal mayo. The chicken was heavily seasoned but not overly done. It suited the sandwich well. Avocado provides an understated flavor and a much needed soft texture as it mixes with the mayo and moisten the toasted french roll. I loved the mayo! Right on par for what I was expecting.
I was hoping the roll would be a little less crunchy. I like a crusty roll that’s soft on the inside but this roll seemed to be crisp almost all the way through.
The chicken breast was cooked perfectly. Not dry or pasty at all! Most of the chicken vendors use dark meat which is almost like cheating (but still really good). Seeing white meat done well is always nice.
The only problem I had with this truck was the price. $ 9 for a chicken sandwich is a little steep. I can understand paying $ 12 for a fried oyster po boy. I can even understand $ 9 for shrimp. These are items that typically cost more than chicken breast. Its not that I wont go back. My visits will just be less frequent.
Good work guys. Next time, i will work up the guts to do the oysters. Its not that I’m a wimp, its just that I dont know if I can handle the level of digestion required while sitting in my cubical.

The shrimp po’boy was awesome! The food truck was at the 4^th of July event in Long Bridge Park and the line was very, very long! During my 40-​or-​min wait in line to order they sold out of catfish po’boys and oyster po’boys. After ordering, I think the wait was about 10 minutes but it was definitely worth the wait! I also had a sweet tea — which I finished before my po’boy was ready — and it was just right. Not too sweet at all. The guy wanted to toss my empty tea cup but I told him that I wanted to keep it… well the ice inside… so he offered me a complimentary refill. I’m not sure if that is customary but I really appreciated it since it was hot outside.
This place is definitely a plus in my book and I can’t wait to eat here again!

I have NOTHING bad to say! Been here quite a few times when they stop in Rosslyn and the food is consistently amazingly good! I have had their shrimp poboy and blackened chicken sandwich-​both very good. Just know that they use real mustard/​mustard seeds on the poboys (my boss was not a fan but i loved it!) and the blackened chicken comes with some kind of spicy mayo (really good imo). The cajun fries are a MUST and the bread pudding is to die for! Like I said, I have nothing bad to say :) The owner doesn’t always interact b/​c he’s busy making his awesome poboys, but he’s very nice if you do get to speak with him, and nice to look at ;)

I have tried the Po’Boys @ Willie’s on a few occasions and am a fan of their Oyster PoBoy. The shrimp version comes in a close second.
The Bread Pudding is a favorite of me and the wife!

Willie’s is awesome! I had the jumbalya and the bread pudding. The soup was excellent. The base was so good, I somewhat ashamedly ended up licking the bowl. It is thick and rich with lots of rice. The spiciness was just right. Before I ate here, I didn’t actually think that I liked bread pudding, having only had it a few times. I was so surprised how much I enjoyed it here. It was sweet and syrupy, but not soggy; a delicate dessert that perfectly cuts the spiciness of your meal.
I hear they mostly hang around the courthouse metro, but it’s worth stalking their twitter feed to see where there at — this is one food truck you don’t want to miss!

I’m a huge fan of Louisiana cuisine and have been searching out good spots in NoVA for years to get my Cajun and Creole on… Unfortunately, places that do it WELL are few and far between, though there are finally some good options in the DC area now (other than the long standing institution that is RT’s). Willie’s Po’Boys is one of these!
Simple food done well with properly sourced and prepared ingredients! This place even gets their bread directly from the source (Leidenheimer’s — a NOLA bakery since 1896!) in NOLA. The sandwiches are all excellent and remind me of my favorite Po’Boys from New Orleans institutions such as Mother’s.
The gumbo is a standout as well. Good gumbo MUST start with a proper roux and these guys get it right. The color is just right, the spice is just enough to warm you up, and the ingredients are generous, to include excellent andouille sausage (rather than cheap smoked sausage that many «cheat» with).
The roast beef and «debris» sandwich is a great alternative if you are not a seafood fan it is dressed with a zippy horseradish mayo that will clear your sinuses… Eat it fast before it gets soggy though!
«Laissez les bons temps rouler» guys and keep up the great work! My only complaint… you don’t come to Ballston often enough!

I give it 5 stars.
I visited Willie’s on Wed at Courthouse. I had the shrimp po-​boy, fully dressed and remoulade and mustard on the side. The bar is set very high for this type of sandwich. It can make or break it on the bread alone. But fear not, they source their french loaves from Leidenheimer’s Bakery in NOLA. The bread suffered little on it’s long journey. Awesome. Just the right size shrimp and correct amount of other ingredients. The flavors i remember all came back from the very 1^st bite.
Well worth the $ 8. It’s truly the best i’ve had since moving from New Orleans 12yrs ago. Thanx guys, keep doin what your doin. See you next week.

«Be VERY careful when you unwrap it, because I stuffed a LOT of oysters in there!»
Oh hell yeah. That’s what I like to hear.
After coming back recently from another week in Louisiana (New Orleans this time), I was missing good ol’ seafood po’boys. There’s (finally!) been an influx of Cajun/​Creole food to the DC area in the past year or so; however, oftentimes those places are good with new or fusion dishes, but can’t quite crank out quality when it comes to the traditional staples. So when I discovered that Willie’s Po’Boy truck came to Rosslyn every Wednesday, it was on.
The menu offerings can change, but today they had oyster, shrimp, crawfish, blackened chicken, whole soft shell crab po’boys ($ 8 – 9), a fried oyster & shrimp platter, shrimp & crawfish gumbo ($ 5), and bread pudding with bourbon butter sauce.
I opted to try the oyster po’boy. The fried breading was light and crispy, resulting in a po’boy that was a lot «lighter» than the last one I had in NOLA. The oysters were large, juicy, and perfectly cooked to preserve that fresh, slightly briny flavor. It came dressed with tomato, a little lettuce, pickles, and a mustard seed mayo (Cajun mayo). The bread was authentic (sourced directly from Leidenheimer’s!) — light and crisp and airy. TIP: ask for hot sauce on it before they wrap it up, as they won’t ask you if you want it or not, and there weren’t any bottles available to use myself. Remoulade is also available on request according to an example menu on their website.
A little pricey, but it tastes fresh, is the real deal, and is made to order while I waited for only a few minutes.
Now I wish I’d gotten a side of that gumbo, with crawfish in season and all. I’ll also be on the lookout for the roast beef po’boy with debris gravy…