Olde Tyme Grocery

Old Tyme Grocery has long been the standard for high quality Po Boys, especially their classic fried shrimp Po Boy.
BUT, our visit this past Wednesday was shockingly disappointing.
Our Po Boys weren’t even marginal. Smallish shrimp in soggy breading, soft bread disguised as and labeled as «French Bread», & limp fried potatoes were a real shock to us long time customers & fans.
We pray that this was a one-​time «fluke», but fear the worst.
We have watched many others abandon quality for price, then die a deserved death.
Let’s hope that Old Tyme isn’t in real decline !
Rick

The best poboy’s around hands down. They are one of the only places that I can find pastrami. The wedge fries are always on point.

I have to say maybe my expectations were just set too high or we stopped in on a off day. We all ordered shrimp poboys and the shrimp just didn’t taste fresh. :-(None of the three of us ate more than a few bites.

Really great fried oysters + ordered the «half» softshell crab poboy that came w/​3 crabs… Opulent + super casual will be back I hope. Everything was made to order and they have outside seating and cheap single beers.

Really fun atmosphere. Simple menu, delicious food. got the shrimp Po Boy and dominated it. Wife got the oyster Po Boy and enjoyed it. Had some local beers too, which is always a plus

Their food is typical lunch counter fare for New Orleans, definitely not worth all the hype or hassle. In order to get a sandwich, one has to stand in a long line (often stretching out into the sun) to order, stand in another line to pay, and then stand around an wait 20 minutes for your food. The whole process takes place in a 20×20 very crowded and noisy space. Once food is procured, one must fight and push to find a dirty table with little provisions. God forbid they get your order wrong as they did mine (paid for a whole sandwich, received half of one). Then you get the joy of repeating the whole process, dealing with obviously overwhelmed staff who act they just do not believe something could have gone with their wonderful system. Or maybe the employees are just as over this place as I am.

No better place in Lafayette to eat!

When I moved to Louisiana, the first thing I wanted to do was try a poor-​boy. I had a dreamy vision of what the experience would be like; however, every one I have tried has been «just another sandwich.»
Until I found Olde Tyme Grocery…
Holy sweet mother of sandwiches. They are everything I romanticized poor-​boys to be and more. Even being a transplant, I understand that a legit poor-​boy starts with the bread. OTG uses bread that is the perfect size and texture, soft and chewy and melts in your mouth amazing.
Then you get to pick your meat. I have not tried all of them, but I have yet to try one that I don’t like. Of course, shrimp is very popular, but you can’t count out something simple like turkey. You’re probably thinking, «How exciting can boring turkey really get?» Well, folks, when you have a pound and a half of warm shaved turkey with all the fixin’s including gravy and provolone, it’s pretty damn phenomenal. Try it.
These sandwiches are piled up with probably two pounds of fresh goodness that you almost need to unhinge your jaw to consume. They should be served with a bib and a fork to scoop up escaped fillings. I have only ever been able to eat a half order, and even that is a stretch for me to finish (and I can eat). I don’t even bother giving up precious stomach real estate for chips, if I did, I’d have to share the half sandwich, which is never gonna happen.
With that being said, this is probably not a place you want to impress a date. Devouring these divine creations cannot look sexy, no matter how hard you try.
There are plenty of wonderful beverage options available, including a good variety of beers. You can also get a little dessert, but good luck saving room for that.
The atmosphere is very casual and incredibly comfortable. It’s like stopping in at grandma’s house for lunch. There are tables inside as well as out on the adorable little patio. Always make sure you watch your step though, there are a lot of uneven floors.
OTG does not take cards but do accept checks and have an ATM. The ATM is located on the bar that’s in the dining room. You type in how much cash you want and bring the ticket to the register. The service charge is $ 1.50, I think.
Olde Tyme Grocery has made it to the short list of places I would go out of my way to travel to and feel every single person should bucket list their poor-​boy.

BEST POBOYS IN LAFAYETTE!
Dare I say best poboys in the world??? Perhaps.
Living in New Orleans for school, I’ve definitely heard locals claim that Mahony’s and other places have the best shrimp poboys or other kinds of poboys. I’ve always had in the back of my mind that nothing beats Olde Tyme, and today, I’m still right.
Old Tyme is exactly what it says in the name: a traditional, classic, and timeless poboy shop. The front end is a mini-​mart offering tons of snacks, drinks, and cold cuts. At the register, you can order your poboy and have a seat in a separate room off to the right. There’s a lot of shouting going on in the kitchen, but don’t worry you’ll get your food if you stay seated.
The shrimp poboy offers fresh, plump, tasty shrimp on a loaf of bread that is both crispy and soft at the same time. Flavor-​packed and filled with love, Old Tyme Poboys are the Poboys to beat.
****CASH ONLY CASH ONLY CASH ONLY!!!**********

As New Orleanian, I consider myself a poboy aficionado. And Old Tyme’s shrimp surely ranks up there — definitely top tier! Sandwich was absolutely packed with plump shrimp coated in crisp golden batter — an amazing value for less than $ 10. I do think they lathered on the mayo a little too heavily, but the great shrimp quality and flavor certainly makes up for that.
The only reason they didn’t get 5 stars was their sad french fries — huge portion for $ 2, but flavorless, a little soggy, and definitely in need of salt.
The atmosphere is charming and the staff are warm and friendly, bantering back and forth with each other and chatting with the guests. Very casual and informal. Large beverage selection in their freezers, both alcoholic and non-​alcoholic.
Will definitely be back next time I get a craving for a poboy!

Solid PoBoy, middle of the road as far as my tastes, but never bad.
Prices are reasonable and it is a local favorite so you should try it for yourself.

Not a grocery store! But a sandwich shop. Didn’t seem like Cajun food except that they have a shrimp Po boy. Which is as good as everyone says, except seem to have a lot of very white bread. Really more than necessary. Also, it was kind of expensive. $ 10 for a sandwich.
My husband loved it.

This is my favorite poboy shop in Lafayette!
Very informal, with a steady stream of customers. I would recommend visiting at an off hour— like 2pm or 4pm if you don’t want a long wait.
Important to note — cash ONLY. There is also a cute, very affordable snowball stand right behind the restaurant.
My only pet peeve about this place is the never ending trail of cats that consistently join you for your meal if you eat outside.
The fried shrimp poboy is my absolute favorite. Great bread with nice balance of fried shrimp. My husband had the soft shell crab poboy– a special that day. He said it was excellent.
Great spot to visit.

I’ve been to Olde Tyme a few times now, and I can confidently say they have rock solid and consistent seafood poboys. The large is $ 9.50 and is loaded down pretty good. I think both the oyster and he shrimp are no-​brainers. They are big in size and flavor. The staff is nice, but usually busy, and they keep the place clean. Keep in mind that it’s CASH ONLY. If you’re in Lafayette and craving a shrimp or oyster poboy, you’ll be happy you went there.

I had been wanting to try this place for awhile. So while we were in the area last Saturday, I suggested getting lunch here.
The place is very small and the parking is not that great. We came for a late lunch and it was still pretty crowded.
The menu is kind of simple. They offer about 13 different kinds of poboys. Actually, they call them «poor boys» there, but whatever. We got a large roast beef poboy and a side of fries. We had to sit at the bar because all of the tables were taken.
The poboy was not made how we typically like it but it was very good. We prefer the pot roast style meat with gravy. This poboy had sliced deli meat without gravy. The meat had good flavor though and they put a lot of meat on it. The bread was excellent. The fries were wedge cut fries and they were very good.
I would definitely go back again.

We really enjoyed eating at what amounted to a convenience store with a bar and deli attached to it. Felt so homey. Hubs got the shrimp/​oyster po’boy for $ 14-​$ 15, which I think is a bit on the higher end, but it was decent. Nothing mind blowing, but keep in mind that I don’t find deep fried protein slathered with mayo and wrapped in bread all that appealing. (I know, there is something deeply wrong with me). Hubs really enjoyed it. Said that the shrimp in particular was fried perfectly.
Service was very friendly, and they allowed us free refills. I would recommend stopping by here if you’re in the area.

Wellllll… after all the hype I’ve heard about this place since I’ve been living here I finally had the opportunity to try it. I was pretty excited as I hear the line is usually a mile long, but I got there later in the day and didn’t have to wait too long. The bread is what people say is really different, but all it was was under cooked and still a bit doughy. Good, but not an awe inspiring french bread by any measure.
Call me a po-​boy snob, but this place was lacking. I did the half and half with shrimp and oysters. It was good, but nothing above your ordinary. In addition, seating is limited which I don’t mind, but I can see it being a problem when they get as busy as I hear. Also, if you need condiments and things after you get your food you will be waiting for a while to get it. Staff was courteous. I’d stop in for a po-​boy again, but I wouldn’t brag about it or wait in a long line.

The experience from service to ambiance was stellar, but for me food outweighs my rating. The Poor Boy was a 3.5 stars. A great helping of shrimp, the bread needed to have a better buttery/​toast on it. I recommend this place and I will definitely come back.

One of the best shrimp po-​boys I’ve had in a long time.
I can honestly say that because I’ve had a lot of them– all the time.
A friend suggested this place and parking was frankly tough. As I understand it, this is an institution and walking distance from ULL. The bread is soft– the sandwiches huge and I so loved that they served abita root beer by the bottle that it wasn’t before I was a quarter into it that I remembered I don’t like root beer!
The front end where you order and pay houses the kitchen and a mini store. The back end has the quaint tables and patio– all in all adorable and worth every cent.

Poor Boys. Muffassa Monday Special. Louisiana Gold hot sauce and Papa Acott’s original Camp Dog Cajun seasoning. Wow! It’s all on the table awaiting to anoint your muffassa.
Forget the diet. This place is worth a stop.
Humble neighborhood. Humble store.
Park yourself a place in the neighborhood and walk yourself in.
Enter. Find out the daily specials and order at the LARGE deli counter. Now move to the RIGHT of the store. Settle back and wait. Linger. Pick up snacks. Talk to locals. When your name is called, move to front counter. Pay, get your food & self serve drinks.
Most orders are to go or to walk to the attached room adjacent to the deli. Grab a seat. Enjoy your food creation.
Yum awaits!
And I’ll be back as soon as I can!