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Pirate's Cove New Orleans Style Po-Boys
1321 E. Beach Blvd, Pass Christian (228) 452-4741
12206 Hwy 49 Gulfport (228) 831-2201
"Neighborhood drive-in specializing in fresh seafood and PoBoys"
This week the Covert Diner decided to put the name of this popular Coast lunch spot to the test. I set out to find out if the Po-Boys offered at Pirate's Cove fit my definition of "New Orleans Style". Now the definition of a New Orleans Po-Boy can be as diverse as the crowd at a Saint's game. This being the case, I will begin by describing what this term means to me.
A "New Orleans Style" Po-boy must begin with the proper bread. This bread must be a French Bread that is crispy and flaky on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. I enjoy Desport's bread from the Avenue Bakery in Biloxi as much as any Coastian and it makes nice pressed sandwiches but it can not be used to make a "New Orleans Style" Po-Boy. Pirate's Cove passed my first Po-Boy test the bread was definitely the crispy New Orleans type. If I had to guess I would say it was Liedenheimer's ( this is just a guess by me and I would love if someone at the Pirate's Cove would either confirm or deny this. )
Secondly, I judge a Po-Boy restaurant by two sandwiches, the Roast Beef and the Sausage. The Shrimp and Oyster are equally important but given the availability of fresh ingredients are easier sandwiches to produce.
First the Roast Beef. I feel Pirate's Cove did I nice job with the Roast Beef. It was not quite as flavorful as I like but it was tender. It could be sliced a bit thinner for my taste but it was not so thick as to be unpleasant. They have managed to find just the right balance between enough gravy to make the sandwich moist and so much gravy that it is impossible to eat. I enjoy a sloppy roast beef Po-Boy but do not wish to require a shower after eating one. The sandwich at $5.95 was good, 10 inches long and dressed in the traditional manner with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, and gravy. One point to mention is that they do not put as much mayonnaise on the sandwiches as those of you from New Orleans may be expecting.
Secondly I sat down to what was described on the menu as a Cajun Sausage Po-Boy. I am afraid that this is where the "New Orleans Style" portion of the name has been thrown out of the window. This was nothing like a Hot Sausage Po-Boy that you would be served in New Orleans. This was in fact 2 links of what could well have been a spicy Smoky Hollow sausage. At $5.60 this was a very big disappointment. A true New Orleans style Hot Sausage Po-Boy would have been made with either patties or links of a good spicy ground pork sausage. I suggest the owners of the Pirate's Cove take a drive to New Orleans and order a Sausage Po-Boy and see what one should be. The sandwich they have could still be offered as a Smoked Sausage Po-Boy but would surely be outsold by a true New Orleans Hot Sausage Po-Boy.
Now, you may ask why I have held Pirate's Cove so strictly to standards set in New Orleans for Po-Boys. Well, that is simple they have advertised themselves as such and even include "New Orleans Style" on their sign. All in all I think they have set a high standard for themselves and are mostly living up to it. The Roast Beef is without a doubt the best I have encountered to date on the coast. The sausage however should be re-considered. I found the service staff to be prompt and even at high noon on a Friday they kept the service moving very swiftly. I recently waited nearly 40 minutes for 2 Po-Boys in a New Orleans shop that appeared to be running at only about half capacity. The Pirate's Cove also offers a mini ice cream parlor with 6 or 7 flavors and a number of shakes and malts available.
The Covert Diner has been contacted by Mike at Fresh Distributing Company who sells the french bread to Pirate's Cove. He is proud to correct me and point out that it is in fact Binder's bread used for the Po Boys. You can learn more about the Fresh Distribution Company at www.freshdist.com. Thank you Mike, I always welcome input that allows my reports to be more accurate.
Pirate's Cove-Pass Christian
Accept Cash only
Reservations not required
Sun-Thur 10:30 AM to 9:00 PM
Fri-Sat 10:30 AM to 10:00 PM
Pirate's Cove II- Gulfport
Accept VISA, MC, Discover
Reservations not required
Sun-Thur 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Fri-Sat 11:00 Am to 10:00 PM
Last Updated: 5/11/02
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