Olde Tyme Grocery, Lafayette Louisiana

Olde Tyme Grocery in Lafayette has the reputation of being one of the best sandwich because it’s popular with University students and a must for Catholics during lent. Why is it popular during lent? Because on Wednesdays & Fridays Catholics abstain from eating meat, making Olde Tyme Grocery’s seafood Po’Boys the best option in town.

The building is a small & humble spot, with wooden furniture and sports memorabilia on the wall. The people working there were incredibly friendly, which added to the charm of it all.

The Olde Tyme Grocery Famous Po’Boy

I was told that The Olde Tyme Grocery shrimp Po’boy was the go to. The Crawfish Po’boy what made them famous in Lafayette, but it was out of season.  It’s a fairly simple preparation with an amazingly tasty result. Fried local shrimps, served “fully dressed” with mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and ketchup. The bread is a locally baked French roll with a slight softer crust than a baguette. The batter on the shrimp was lightly spiced and had a great crunch to it. That texture mixed with the sweet, vinegary ketchup and mayo was truly a great flavor. I sat there for a minute, enjoying the small kick of spice emanating from the shrimp. If they weren’t so hot, I would’ve inhaled the Po’Boy in less than a minute. I contemplated ordering one more (partly because I didn’t want to walk outside into the humidity), but I had a flight to catch.

I wish I had more time in Louisiana, I would’ve come back to California hundreds of dollars poorer & 25 pounds heavier. Olde Tyme Grocery was just a small introduction into the pallet of this Deep South state & I’m hooked. I haven’t had a chance to try the culinary delights of New Orleans yet, so I’ll have to come back.

-Vy

Olde Tyme Grocery
218 West Saint Mary Boulevard
Lafayette, Louisiana 70506

Monday-Friday 8am-10pm
Saturday 9am-7pm
Closed Sunday