The Sandwich Dallas Needs Has Arrived

Dallas has a lot going for it — barbecue that'll knock your socks off, queso that’s practically a love language, and steakhouses with wine lists longer than your unread emails. But when it comes to sandwiches, we’re a little ... underwhelming. Aside from a few one-offs like the magic at Jimmy’s Food Store, the city doesn’t have a true signature or regional delicacy like a Philly cheesesteak or Chicago Italian beef — something that nails that meat-cheese-bread trifecta.

Here’s the thing: sandwiches are deceptively hard. They seem simple, but they’re not. We’ve been conditioned by years of sad sack lunches and $5 footlongs to settle for mediocrity. We want Subway prices with artisan quality; Champagne taste on a beer budget. Not many dare to play that game.
Enter: The Po’Boy Shop. After quietly testing the waters at sister store Evan’s Meat Market, founder Evan Meagher, born in Lafayette, Louisiana, decided to bring a little Cajun heat to North Texas. And judging by the steady stream of customers at 3 p.m. on a Saturday, Dallas is hungry for it. With only four indoor tables, seats are a hot commodity.

It passed the sniff test right away with a tower of Zapp’s greeting us. Menu staples like perfectly seasoned fried shrimp, slow-roasted roast beef and griddled boudin are textbook NOLA. But that’s where things start two-stepping across state lines. Options like hot pastrami, fried bologna and cauliflower bring creative leeway, with additions like pickled jalapeños, pepper jack, and chicken cracklins that aren’t afraid to show some Texas swagger. They also serve muffulettas, the Cajun cousin of an Italian sub, which were sold out while we were there and clearly a crowd pleaser.

All the meats are made in-house at Evan’s, and you can go signature hot sandwich or build-your-own from their cold cuts, housemade sauces, and fixin’s. Everything is served on Leidenheimer bread, the iconic flaky French loaf shipped straight from New Orleans that’s been “good to the last crumb” since the 1800s. Get it dressed properly with shredded lettuce, tomato, paper-thin red onion, and mayo — or put your own spin on it.
If you're trying to skip the carbs, there's a breadless option, a salad in a box, but honestly? That feels borderline sacrilegious when the bread has traveled to get here. On the flip side, if you're leaning into the carb life, go all in with the tower of curly fries served Cajun-style, “dirty” or debris. They don’t skimp — expect a mountain of meat and cheese in Texas portions. Another hybrid worth sipping? The sodas. Real Sugar Soda Company, born in Oak Cliff, Texas, but made with authentic Louisiana cane sugar, is a fizzy cross-state collab. Or go full bayou with their signature house-made Swamp Water, as quirky and refreshing as it sounds.

It’s not a 100% Lone Star original, but it’s distinctive enough to feel like something new. And whether you lean into your Texas roots or go full Cajun, it’s a damn good sandwich and the kind Dallas has been craving.

The PoBoy Shop, 8421 Westchester Dr., 10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Sunday