Po' Boy Quarter

295 Smith St 

Fitzroy, VIC 3065

http://gumbokitchen.com.au/

Ever since I first heard of the Gumbo Kitchen Food Truck, I’ve been keen for a slice of its Southern American action. What I wasn’t so keen on was chasing a food truck all across town in Melbourne’s finicky winter weather. Or Melbourne’s finicky summer weather. And I’m glad the owners understand that dilemma, and have since gone on to open up Po’ Boy Quarter, the sit-down eat-in version of Gumbo Kitchen

Set up just like any other ‘order at the bar/counter’ restaurant, it’s not so much the interior that caught my attention as the menu. The food on offer is refreshingly different, Southern in a loud, bawdy way that most places fall short of. All the most wanted suspects were there, from pulled pork to beef brisket, everything battered and fried, stuffed in logs of soft baguette, or braised in thick stews.

Cheesy Mac Croquette ($3) 

The Cheesy Mac Croquette ($3) hit several cravings all in one go; the flat slab of cheesy pasta was rolled in parmesan crumb, and fried to shimmering, golden perfection. 

Deep Fried Shrimp Po’ Boy ($11.9) 

Deep Fried Shrimp Po’ Boy ($11.9) 

Given the names ‘Po’ Boy Quarter’ and ‘Gumbo Kitchen’, there wasn’t much to do other than to order the namesake dishes of these restaurants. The Deep Fried Shrimp Po’ Boy ($11.9) was heaped up like a fresh catch, the tender crumbed prawns falling from the crusty baguette, still coated in a spicy dressing. Fear not, under all that seafood was a whole pickle and some salad too, even if it felt a bit redundant with the thick schmear of mayo oozing out with every bite.

Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo ($11.9)

Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo ($11.9)

Feeling a bit too lazy to take on a sandwich larger than my calves, I instead dug eagerly into the Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo ($11.9), a smoky stew made with a creamy base of red beans. Unapologetically thick and chunky, this mixed into the rice like a good curry, the slow cooking having infused the sauce with the meatiness of chicken and sausage.

Clearly the worlds ‘southern food’ cannot physically exist in the same sentence as ‘stingy’, and within 15 minutes, we were full to the brim with honest, home-cooked food. It is absolutely impossible to walk away from Po’ Boy Quarter unsatisfied.

Rating: 14/20 – food for every juan.

This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.