First Look: Mr. Po' Boys Serves Fresh Takes on the Beloved Sandwich in Fairview

Mr. Po' Boys is a new restaurant in Fairview that serves creative po'boys with a focus on local ingredients. When looking at the menu, you may be surprised how these sandwiches steer away from what you might traditionally expect.

“Recipes come from Cedric’s big head," Ryan Thompson, co-owner of Mr. Po' Boys, says playfully about fellow co-owner Cedric McCoy. “[He] is a freakin’ wizard when it comes to making a dish come together. I've had ideas that I ran by him and 24 to 48 hours later he had the perfect dish.”

Thompson and McCoy met while attending culinary school at the Art Institute of Dallas. Each had their own goal; Thompson wanted to open his own restaurant, and McCoy wanted work on the research and development side. Looking back, their journey is a prime example how of success is never a straight line.
Thompson would ask McCoy for advice on opening his restaurant and also gauge his interest in collaborating. Initially reluctant because of other prospective opportunities and also aware of the obstacles that come with opening a restaurant, McCoy eventually agreed to work with Thompson. They started small with a sandwich concept at the Dallas Farmers Market called Brisket Twist.

The spot was successful, but unfortunately, financial issues arose around a once-trusted source, ending that venture. Then to their surprise, the Food Network approached them with an invitation to participate on a show. With that, they launched their new concept. Mr. Po’ Boys and finished first on the Great Food Truck Rally and second in Great Food Truck Race.
Reinvigorated with success from the shows, Thompson refocused on his dream of opening a restaurant, but investors either passed on their idea or asked them to change their concept, which lead to revelation. “I tried finding help with money, guidance, anything ... but everything was a dead end," Thompson said. "Maybe, just maybe ... God is trying to tell us to do it on our own.”

And that they did, with both their concept and menu.

Take the Ms. JLA for instance. This po'boy comes with a hand-battered catfish, a staple in the NOLA po’boy lineup that is usually paired with tomatoes and spicy remoulade. The ingredients that make their po’boy distinctive, however, is a bed collard green slaw made with a jalapeño vinaigrette and bacon.

The Mr. Thompson po'boy sidesteps the traditional roast beef po’boy and is filled instead with marinated sliced flank steak, an over-medium egg, compound butter, peppery arugula, tomato and remoulade. Steak and eggs in po’boy form have never tasted so good.
And don’t pass on the fried jalapeño cheddar hush puppies, savory and sweet with a hint of heat. These puppies normally come with with tartar or remoulade sauce, but the game-changer here are two unique dipping sauces: a Sriracha honey mustard and a cinnamon and brown sugar aioli.

Other fun spins include their Cajun Tex-Queso made with Louisiana-style boudin sausage. The Ms. Madison po’boy is made with fried green tomatoes, sliced avocado and kale slaw.

If you're craving for something healthy, all of their po'boys can be served as a salad. It’s also worth noting that all spices, sauces, dressings and even their boudin are made in-house.

Since opening their long-awaited fast-casual restaurant in late March, word has spread, and their customer base has grown. Mr. Po' Boys has a few new things to look forward to including a liquor license, breakfast, desserts, a po’boy of the month and even a family movie nights using their big-screen monitor.

Looking back on their journey, McCoy is surprised by how it all turned out, but deep down knows resilience is key, “Life is about how you get up. There will always be a time in your life when you will fall and it will happen multiple times, but it's all about how you get back up.”

Mr. Po’ Boys, 232 Town Place (Fairview) 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday - Sunday; closed Monday