Po'Boy Shop Basement Bar

The community has embraced this little Cajun hole in the wall since it's birth... Not because it was a local mom & pop shop, but because of their tasty grub. This place has been making legit Nawlins vittles since their doors opened and they have been killing ever since because they never took any shortcuts to deliver some of the best po'boys in this one horse town. A lot of new places will do a bait and switch over time, they would produce great eats and added value in the beginning and then start to replace items with cheaper shit for a higher profit margin once they sucker in the crowds. I have been keeping tabs on this joint for awhile and they have yet to fuck me over with any type of bait and switch. One of the most important item on the menu that keeps this chubby chode coming back for more is the bread... The authentic Leidenheimer bread from New Orleans. Just like an Amoroso roll makes the philthy cheesesteak, the Leidenheimer bread makes the po'boy and/or a muffaletta... Wait, what did you just call me?
So, they recently opened the basement bar that was once a dumpy college bar years ago... When I hear basement bar, I, either, think of the basement in my frat house back in college that held some of the most filthy parties ever or I think about the Clermont Lounge which stills has some of filthiest parties ever... There is just something about underground bars, maybe it's because they remind me of dungeonous porn labs. I just love the secrecy of it all like in the prohibition era. I have been to so many underground bars in NYC during my formative years that I just grew fond of dark sketchy spaces filled with unhinged suspects because they have such wonderful imaginations and stories. I used to go to the Chamber all the time in my black leathers in search for stories to tell, but don't ask me about the Eagle, though, it was a night or two that I have been working hard on (all pun intended) repressing with my therapist ever since my bear ex-roommate bamboozled me into meeting him for drinks there many moons ago... Let's just say it wasn't a goth or biker bar as he had told me. I screamed like a school girl and got the fuck outta there when the lights went off and heard moist leather making repetitive squeaking sounds... Ok, I admit I was scared and intrigued at the same time, I may or may not have stayed for another drink... But enough of my adventures in boozesitting...
Let's go take a first look at the new Po'Boy Shop basement bar... I got a good feeling about it but I ain't saying anything until I get a few cocktails and a few bites in da pouch first...

I walked downstairs and instinctively made a right... Right into a fully stocked bar... Sold, motherfuckaz! And this was only the whiskey section, they have a wrap around bar with more adult beverage options. It was quite impressive for a hole in the wall sando shop to have a set up like this... Me rikey!

Old Fashioned with Four Roses Small Batch for $9... Sold, motherfuckaz! They may have the best cocktail prices intown. They also have a very acceptable beer list which included imperial pints of Guinness or Monday Night Drafty Kilt Nitro for $6.50. Holy fuck, this must be a dream... They are priced very fairly. Now, I'm hungry for some grub... Let's see if the quality is still up to snuff.

Combo Platter, oyster and shrimp, hush puppies and shop fries, $16. An entire meal made in the deep fryer ain't exactly healthy for you, but if you have seen the Pouch in real life, it really wouldn't matter... Another 5 pounds of fried food ain't gonna show on this fat fuck. The shrimp and oysters were both plump and juicy. The batter was spot on, not too heavy not too light. The fried sea snots and skrimpz rested on top of a bed of shop fries that got more addictive with every cocktail and stout I sucked down. No short cuts here, no bait and switch... Yet.

Muffaletta Po'Boy, small, $10. I have had most of the menu but I have never tried the muff sando... I got the small po'boy just in case it sucked... The Leidenheimer bread looked amazing as expected but what's wrong with this picture? The filler was literally 2 thin meatflaps of salami... How depressing does this specimen look? I wave the server over and asked her in my best Wendy's commercial voice... "Where's the beef?!" She runs off and gets one of the owners... I unwrapped the butcher paper in front of his eyes and his jaw dropped... I knew right there and then that both of us were bamboozled by one of the cooks upstairs. He was so apologetic and so sweet about it... That I almost said, bless your heart. But that might be in the wrong context. He asked me if it was alright to bring it upstairs to show his cooks and I said, of course, please! He offered to replace it with any sando and I said, I woulda spent the extra $4 for the real muffaletta sando if I knew the po'boy muff was this disappointing. He said, no problem. Done and done. This is how you resolve a fuck up by the kitchen... I was impressed and loving this joint even more.

Muffaletta. Look at this sexy beast. The muffaletta sesame bread originated in Sicily but the Muffaletta sandwich was created at the Central Grocery. This was the mini version of it made for one person. The round sesame bread was also from Leidenheimer and it was spot on... But the most important thing was the filler inside. You can visually see the various Eyetalian meatflaps and cheese draping off the side of the bread which was evidently a lot better looking than the ginzo po'boy version. The olive salad was quite tasty, pretty close to the original CG recipe but I ain't busting anyone's balls after their great service to remedy that previous shitshow. This was a very tasty muff sando that I would dive into another muff in the basement even if the lights go out.

I'm liking this basement bar more and more on every visit... They have a great bar and the cocktails are made well aka pretty strong. You still have to order the food upstairs which is not very efficient if you're going down to the bar but they will bring your order down to you. Once, they get their routine down, maybe they will start taking food orders downstairs to alleviate the traffic jam at the order counter upstairs. The bar has enough entertainment to occupy your time while waiting for your food... Besides, the few TVs spread around the joint, there's also two pool tables, a few soft dart games and a couple of skeeball machines- too bad the balls are not wooden like from the days of yore, there is no substitute... And don't forget about all the bots of booze to keep you busy as well.
I can't believe it... The Pouch actually likes a new place? Yeah, because the service, grub and booze all hit the right notes... I didn't have to work for something that I was paying for.

Pump, pump and half a squirt.

1369 Clairmont Road
Decatur, GA 30033
https://www.thepoboyshopatl.com/